Sun Sponsors Java Game Development Competition

Sim9 writes "Sun (among others) is sponsoring a $50,000 Java games competition, with the competition page explaining: 'With Java technology, developers are enabled to simplify their development process and create richer games reaching across a multitude of devices and platforms.' In my humble opinion, Java still has a ways to go in the gaming industry, but the competition could greatly help if skilled people enter."

Comments

DigZone (blatant plug)

[HRbnjR]

Heh, I wrote my Java game DigZone for fun, and to give something back to the internet which has given me so much, but 50 grand would be ok too I guess :)

Puzzle Pirates, again

[Apreche]

I used to think java had no place in games. It's "slow" and the 3d isn't the greatest. Then puzzle pirates changed my mind. That's the kind of game that java does well, that and Yahoo! games type stuff. It's really great playing Puzzle Pirates in linux and windows and mac. Lots of open source in the pirate crew.

Java as a game development platform

[Anonymous Coward]

Java as a game development platform. What's the deal? Is it good, or is it whack?

fps

[SurgeryByNumbers]

Java, in the process of adding all that compatibility, adds extra layers of abstraction and insulation between the game and the hardware. That means more CPU work... which means lower framerates... which doesn't fall in line with many gamers' (including myself) picky standards.

Now, if performance is not an issue, Java can certainly be a good choice. That might also mean that some good will come out of all that hardware power from chip growth in the near future, but consumers don't really have a need for yet.

Puzzle Pirates should have already won...

[jeblucas]

If you haven't yet tried out Puzzle Pirates, then you should. That's about the best use of Java for a game that I've seen or really expect to see. Works like a charm cross-platform and takes advantage of the -ahem- chunky graphics to deliver a great gaming experience.

J2ME

[Dr. Bent]

Apparently, the entry rules allow games developed for J2ME, of which there are quite a few. These games are also fairly simple to make (harkening back to the glory days of my 8-bit 2D sidescrolling youth).

I think the entries for this contest could be pretty interesting. Mobile gaming is one of the few markets left where a lone wolf developer can make an innovative, even radical game and still have a decent chance of it being a hit.

Java is a great language for games

[KNicolson]

On mobiles at least. In Japan (I don't know about the rest of the world), iMode/iAppli phones all run Java on lots of different flavours of OSes and chip sets, so one code base runnable on many phones makes a lot of sense for the developer, and the iMode micropayment scheme makes it easy to get some return for your investment.

The only thing I ever thought it was good for...

[hyc]

After messing around with MUD way back when, that was the first thing that came to mind when I first heard about Java, all those years ago. One of the problems with MUD was that even though you could bring your character from dungeon to dungeon, none of the artifacts or special objects you found in one GM's dungeon had any effect in someone else's, because the code to implement that artifact couldn't go with you. If all the little MUD objects were implemented in bytecode, then everything would be portable, and you could keep on using that awesome +9 flamethrower in every other dungeon you visited...

Nice idea, but .. a different way .. more

[RedLaggedTeut]

But you really need some kind of standard. At least one base class. But for this, as standard, you could also use a simple scripting language. Or XML, but that achieves the same ends, and XML can be very choosy about standards adherence.

On the other hand, I find the scripting taht Stratagus uses to define its units looking kind of scary. But I didn't really try hard to understand it.

So, in fact, looking not only at single objects but at maps, it would be cool if ALL games could share their data, so you could run several engines using one map.

I harbor a plan for a kind of broker server that would allow you to transfer characters and assets between different kind of servers, but you would need the servers to adopt this system, which probably only open source games would do. I also fancy a special kind of magic/object system to go with that server.

Feel like helping me program it ?

sponsors

[mwheeler01]

I think it's interesting that AMD and the Tapwave are helping sponsor this contest. Also I think that as computer's get faster virtual machines will become more viable as a cross platform solution for porting games. Imagine taking a java game from your PC-CDROM and popping it into your console of choice when your friends come over.