Developing Games for Web and Browser Based Platforms

 With social media websites taking the world by storm video-games have seen an interesting trend occurring. More and more gamers are approaching the medium because of web-based games. Web games are a lot simpler to create than client based which makes them plentiful and they're a lot more accessible to allow more and more people to enjoy gaming as a casual hobby.

As the medium pulls in billions of dollars world-wide it's easy to see why someone would want a piece of the pie, but even though these games are simple they aren't as simple to make. It's important to have a good understanding of the medium before you jump head first into game development and understand whether or not web games are just a fad or if they have real sticking power in the world of video-games.

• The Browser and Social Networking Gaming Revolution
• Why Are Social Game the New Gaming Frontier?
• Client vs Browser Based Games
• Are Free PC Games Really Worth It?
• Examples of Free Web Games

Flash is a great jumping off point for beginner web game developers because it's simpler to learn and there are a lot more developers as a result. Flash is limited to 2D graphics but the range of complexity of each game is entirely up to the game developer. Some modern games that have been created in flash are even considered masterpieces, to give you an idea on how rewarding the platform is.

The core elements of learning Flash are the same as any other language. Remember to really absorb the knowledge of your basic skillset so that you won't have to constantly reference them later in the development process as you move forward with game development.

• Getting Started with Flex
• States & Double Buffer Rendering in Flex
• Flex & Actionscript Tutorial: Adding Game Actions
• Defining Levels: Game Design With Flex & Actionscript
• Flex & Actionscript Tutorial: Collision Detection

 The advanced skillset that comes from working with Flex for Flash programming will make the game yours essentially. It's all the creative elements that make the game unique from other games such as the art assets, animations, music, etc. Learning how to apply these things to your game is probably the most important part of game development as it will give your games a uniqueness that is only obtainable by playing your game.

Keep things simple as your learning and go through the fundamentals of working with Flex until you feel like you've managed to get everything down to pat. Working on a game will be hard no matter what but it's important to be prepared rather than jumping into a project and getting discouraged when it fails because you weren't able to solve a basic problem.

• Flex & Actionscript Tutorial: Adding Bitmap Animations
• Creating an Interactive Animated Background With Flex and Actionscript
• Adding a Scrolling Tiled Background
• Flex & Actionscript Tutorial: Adding Music and Sound FX
• Flex & Actionscript Tutorial: Adding Weapons to Your Game

JavaScript is the beefiest medium to develop web games on. Java allows for both 2D and 3D environments and characters to be rendered which makes it ideal for those looking for a platform that allows them to do more. This comes at a price however, since JavaScript is far more difficult to develop for than say Flash or an HTML game.

The basics for working with JavaScript and Canvas Element are fundamental in mastering the language and being able to develop the games that you would like to. It will take time and serious input but it's well rewarding if you are able to.

• An Introduction to the Canvas Element
• Drawing an Image to the Canvas with Javascript
• Advanced Image Manipulations With the Canvas Element
• Parallax Scrolling with the Canvas Element
• Creating the Game Framework

 Once you've got the basics of JavaScript and Canvas Element down you are going find it's a lot easier to play around with the language a lot more and create an actual finished product. Continue working with the medium and learn the in's and out's of the lanuage in order to spend less time referencing and more time developing a finished product.

The results will no doubt be worth the effort and leave you with the ability to create just about any web game you desire. Keep in mind that there will be plenty more to learn after it's all said and done but getting these fundamentals down is key to being a successful game developer.

• Playing Animations on the Canvas Element
• JavaScript Keyboard Input Detection & Response
• Putting It All Together
• Defining A Level With JavaScript and the Canvas Element
• Jumping and Falling - JavaScript Game Development