For our project, we have decided to use Phaser.js, one of the many Javascript based game creation frameworks available online to create a casual browser game.
This framework is handy for it’s arcade-like physics system which allows programmers to easily and quickly develop simple games.
It renders graphics on either the Canvas or WebGL renderer, and automatically chooses between the two depending on client-based parameters. It is a 2D framework,
which means it’s great for side-scrollers or over-the-head based games like we are creating.
So, what are browser games? Browser games are what the namesake suggests: games that are run in a web browser. Because of this, browser games can be run on a platitude of devices.
They are normally free to play, with some MMO games requiring paid monthly subscriptions. Browser games cater mainly to the casual gamer, and are relatively small and
lightweight applications when compared to triple-A installable programs for PC or console. Browser games seem to have fallen into obscurity as the mobile gaming market continues
to surge in market share above all other systems. Although not the popular time-passers that they once were, browser games are still improving in technology and sophistication,
but to truly understand the current state of browser game technology, we must consider the history first.
Many early browser games were made with obscure languages that came and went as web technology accelerated in its power. The low speeds of dial-up connections on
the early internet relegated browser games to insignificance due to their sluggish load and sometimes play speed. As companies began to realize the power of the modern internet browser
and understand the market potential for games, the industry began to formulate new technologies to aid in the development and deployment of web games. In this scramble for
market viability, a staple of the browser game industry would appear in the form of Adobe Flash.
This platform was used to develop and run the vast majority of games hosted on websites like NewGrounds, AddictingGames, and MiniClip
(of which I’m sure we all wasted time on in grade school). Some of these games included Line Rider, QWOP, and Motherload. These types of Flash games exploded in popularity around
2000 when broadband speeds could support the fast loading of these applications. In fact, industry expert Toby Rowling, a writer for King.com, attributed the rising speeds
of home internet as “one of the big drivers on [sic] the industry” with the other being “the advance in quality of Flash technology”.
As internet speeds continued to rise throughout the 2000’s, so did the complexity and graphical prowess of Flash games rise. However, around 2012,
with the meteoric rise in popularity of mobile games like Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Temple Run, and Candy Crush, the browser game market was shrinking.
Making things worse was the new release of a console generation with the Playstation 4 and Xbox One in 2013.
Taking a look at modern browser gaming we see basically nothing in terms of the popular hits that there once were.
However, this doesn’t mean the technology hasn’t still been steadily progressing throughout the 2010’s into the 20’s.
As we begin to move further into the 20's, the browser game technologies of last decade are beginning to fade.
Google has officially set an end of life date for Adobe Flash support to sometime this month for their Chrome browser.
Although many old games will sadly be rendered unplayable on Chrome, browser games have quickly been getting new life with JavaScript.
JavaScript has allowed for even larger and more complex games with intricate visuals to exist due to its modular nature and ability to use pre-existing frameworks from dozens of options.
Frameworks like Phaser, Babylon, Melon, Impact, and more power the new age of browser gaming.
They allow for much easier programming than ever before, with most complex maths abstracted behind their library. On the next pages we will prove just how easy it is to
get started coding your very own browser game.