Biolab <a href="http://playbiolab.com" rel="nofollow">http://playbiolab.com</a> runs so smoothly on a mobile web browser it's worth $99 just to see how it's done.<p>Purchased a license immediately :)
Quite a nice job, especially with the editor. If you want a bit of a lower level, open-source framework there is <a href="https://github.com/batiste/sprite.js" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/batiste/sprite.js</a>
Currently Audio support in html5 in iOS is really bad, and there's no way around that. Native code is the only realistic option right now for games on iOS. I don't see Apple going out of their way to "fix" the situation either.<p>Specifically, telling an Audio element to simply load and then play a sound fails much of the time, or takes upwards of a full second to start playback of a very short sample file.<p>Not to mention that iOS specifically prevents an Audio element from playing unless it is in a function responding to user touch. This means background sound effects and such are effectively impossible. I'd love very much if someone told me (with working sample code) that I was wrong.
I kind of think that $99 is a lot for a js library. But then again its really well done and a game like biolab (<a href="http://playbiolab.com/" rel="nofollow">http://playbiolab.com/</a>) runs so smooth. It might be worth it.
$99 to make games with no sound, dodgy input, and a tiny fraction of the graphics and CPU power of native code.<p>In case you've forgotten what native games look like:
<a href="http://vimeo.com/16945125" rel="nofollow">http://vimeo.com/16945125</a><p>EDIT: I wouldn't be critical at all if this wasn't being sold. Since it is, I'm criticizing it as a business proposition, and it's a bad one. When games like Rage HD are being sold for a few bucks, I don't know how one would even make the $99 back on this engine.
A little OT, but where do game designers here tend to buy their artwork? Is there an equivalent of ThemeForest/GraphicRiver for sprites and other game assets?
I've been waiting for this for quite some time now. I just picked up a license solely for the purpose of checking out his code for the map designer.<p>Can't wait!
I'm not sure if it's technically feasible, but there is probably a huge market for a game engine that can export JS/Canvas code to a native app code.<p>I think now that Apple lighten up on their developer rules this is now a possibility.
And there we go - the typical HN oh no, it costs money ($99 for an engine, mind you, that may save you hundreds of hours development time). How much do you charge per hour? Can this library save you hundreds of hours? Do the math.<p>I am not surpirsed at all that the average tech startup is a failure, with more than half of the people failing to get the "charge money for product/service" model everyone else in the world is using.<p>Oh no, it costs money. So what exactly are you trying to start that succeeds without having a price tag on it? Man, I get tired of this, really. For every spot-on comment on HN, I read 5 that make me dumber each day.