BANGALORE, INDIA: Apps and Games are quite synonymous in today's consumption of content across devices. A ‘Game' in the form of an app has the ability to touch millions and building a game has never been as easy as it has become today. Art and Code can lead to magic and the opportunity has never been greater. With the proliferation of devices and variety in form factors, users expect to find games they play on the devices they own.
From Microsoft standpoint, the platform creates seamless entertainment experiences by connecting multiple screens that are available at any time and from anywhere. People can enjoy same consistent, interactive, connected experience across Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices. And as a developer, it is easier to rapidly build a game since the same UI concept drives familiarity.
Engines, Frameworks, Libraries
Choosing the right platform might be tricky for beginners. Few things you should definitely explore before choosing a platform
1. Is this going to be a mobile game targeting smart phones and tablets?
2. What kind of development bandwidth? How big or small is your team?
3. Are you going to use a library, framework or an engine and which one?
There are multiple Libraries, frameworks and engines available to build games on Windows Platform. Some of the significant one's with brief description are mentioned below. This should help you identify the right framework/engine for game development. They are profiled under 3 categories as below.
Pure Processing Power
DirectX11 development offers the greatest power to developers. You can combine programming logic, the DirectX API, and High Level Shading Language (HLSL) programs, together with audio and 3D visual assets to present a rich, interactive multimedia experience.
Language Supported: C++/ C#/ DirectX/ XAML
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: For building high performance game with GPU based rendering. Require expertise on DirectX, C++/C#, XAML. Recommended technology stack if you are starting afresh.
CoCos2d-X is an open source game engine framework based on Cocos2d-iPhone, which consists of expanding supported platforms, with multiple choice of programming languages that share the same API structure
Language Supported: C++/ DirectX
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: For C++ (intermediate/ advance) enthusiasts who wish to build high performance based games for multiple platforms.
Havok is a cross-platform game engine that provides a powerful and versatile multi-platform runtime technology suited for all types of games and capable of rendering extremely complex scenes at smooth frame rates.
Language Supported: C++
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: C++ (beginner/intermediate/advance) enthusiasts who wish to build high performance based games for multiple platforms.
The Game Makers
Unity - is the most popular cross platform game development tool for 2D and 3D games.
Language Supported: C# Scripts, DirectX, C++, XAML
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: C# and C++ programmers who wish to build games rapidly for multiple platforms
YoYo Games - caters to entry-level developers and seasoned game development professionals to create cross platform games
Language Supported: HTML/JavaScript
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: Web programmers who wish to build games rapidly for multiple platforms
GameSalad - create cross platform games rapidly with no code
Language Supported: HTML/JavaScript
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: Web programmers who wish to build games rapidly for multiple platforms
Do it yourself
Visual Studio as a tool helps develop games from scratch in combination with Blend for design
Language Supported: C++, C#, XAML
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: Programmers who wish to build games without any third party framework support
MonoGame - cross platform implementation of the XNA 4.0 framework
Language Supported:
Target: Native games for Windows and Windows Phone
Recommendation: For Beginner/intermediate users planning to port XNA based games
In summary, Windows 8 provides unparalleled reach across range of devices, from touch and pen-centered tablets with modern sensors to high-resolution laptops and desktop PCs. This reach offers a unique opportunity for game publishers to develop experiences for a variety of scenarios. Gaming is niche, but a very important player in the app ecosystem on any platform.
(Ujjwal works as Technical Evangelist at Microsoft and primarily focus on games, apps development for Windows and Windows Phone platforms)
(The views expressed in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CIOL)