Advantages of Game Development in HTML5
Games are one of the most common ways people interface with their mobile devices, and online connectivity has only made mobile games more popular. People spend a great deal of time navigating the web from their browsers on both desktop and mobile devices. In addition to powering most of the sites users are browsing, HTML5 game development allows for the creation of cross-platform and cross-browser mobile apps and games. As developers moved away from Adobe Flash Player, which transformed the way games are played online, they’ve taken to using HTML 5. The language provides out-of-the-box functionalities that make games accessible across a variety of devices and platforms.
HTML 5 is favored by web developers and game development companies alike. It provides many cutting-edge features, like 2D and 3D graphics, audio APIs, offline asset storage, and combined support for the most popular web browsers. In this article, we will examine the benefits and advantages of creating games using HTML5 and other supporting web technologies.
Cross-Platform Support
One of the most noted advantages of HTML5 is cross-platform compatibility that allows developers to easily create games that adapt to different screen resolutions, screen sizes, aspect ratios, and requirements. Users can access HTML5 games seamlessly on a variety of devices like phones, PCs, laptops, and other smart devices with web browsers. HTML5 games can also be deployed as local web games and can be viewed in browsers. Taking advantage of universal compatibility, developers can code games once and deploy them everywhere regardless of the operating system.
Accessibility
Despite being available free to download, today’s users expect games that are accessible anywhere at their convenience, and this proves to be one of HTML5’s biggest strengths. It provides cross-browser support for games, making it accessible from modern browsers including Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Silk, Edge, and Opera. Additionally, the ‘Cache Manifest’ technique allows storing user information in the cache without difficulty, making HTML5 games able to be played offline.
App Promotion
HTML5 is a cross-platform or cross-browser technology, meaning you are not excluding any audience, and this offers a huge audience for marketing games. Since HTML5 games offer higher revenue through monetization options like in-game advertisements, developers can use the existing and new marketing channels and their websites for app promotion. Ads can be displayed within or around the game based on user or advertiser feedback. Tweaking ads can help maximize revenue from a game. Similarly, HTML5 games are easy to promote through sharing links, so games can be featured on websites frequented by gamers. There are even sites dedicated to HTML5 games specifically, like html5games.com and html5games.net. In short, HTML5 is the best option for companies with a leaner marketing budget.
Easy to Update and Maintain
A single code base makes HTML5 games easier to maintain and update. New updates to the game are configured automatically, and users don’t need to update the software themselves. Once the updates are made, they’re applied to all platforms where users can play the latest version of the game. This makes new game features available to all users instantaneously. Moreover, developers are not required to resubmit the app to different app stores and can easily take the game offline temporarily or permanently as it is not installed on the users’ devices.
Technology Stacks
The core game development technologies used in HTML5 are Canvas and Web Graphics Library (WebGL) that allows the creation of advanced games able to run in browsers. Canvas allows developers to draw and convert any shapes into 3D images that can be added directly as graphics. With WebGL integration, developers can reduce their reliance on plugins for delivering their content. It can also make 2D and 3D content available in web browsers. Programmers can also combine WebGL with the canvas element of HTML5 to render high-quality graphics.
With all these advantages, HTML5 offers a world of new possibilities in game development. It’s possible to create mobile games and apps that have excellent features, design, and quality. If developing a browser-based game seems like a good fit for your game project, get in touch with our account executive today, and ask how Zco can put our web game developers to work for you.
While you’re here, why not check out our post about Understanding Games as a Service?
