BlitzMax released for Mac OS X

Junks Jerzey writes "The long awaited long suspected-to-be-vaporware BlitzMax game programming language has been released for Mac OS X. Linux and Windows versions are set to follow "soon," making this a truly cross-platform, OpenGL-based game development system. Don't be scared by the BASIC monicker: this is a modular programming language that lets you get under the hood if you want, but also includes OOP support and higher-level features. But of course C++ game programmers will still shake their heads in a puzzled fashion, ignoring all the amazing games written by hobbyist programmers. If nothing else, write a cross-platform OpenGL demo in ten lines of code!"

Comments

Why

[JavaLord]

Why would anyone need this when there is Java!

Re:Why

[presearch]

Why would anyone need Java when there is C!

Blitz Basic on the Amiga

[Xian97]

I remember the Amiga version of Blitz Basic. With just a few lines of code you could have a rudimentary game with sprites moving on the screen. It was a Basic language variant with specialized commands for game creation, such as sprite manipulation and collision detection. I prefered it's competitior, AMOS, but Blitz was not bad at all for a hobbyist game programmer.

What we really need...

[47Ronin]

...is a revived, modern version of the ancient Adventure Construction Set. Now THAT was an easy-to-use game making system which allowed you to create/edit sprites, NPC scripting, sound effects, maps, triggers, etc without writing any code at all.

Re:What we really need...

[kenthorvath]

They do. It's called Never Winter Nights.... (It sounds similar anyway....)

Perfect!

[American AC in Paris]

I wrote version 1 of Jardinains in BlitzBasic for Windows. For version 2, I want to expand to the Big 3 desktop platforms and use modern 2D techniques (realtime scaling/rotations, transparency effects, etc,) among other things. Until just seconds ago, I was pretty much locked into using Torque for this. I checked out SDL, but it was a little lacking in OS X support (for example, double buffering wasn't supported (!).) BlitzBasic was hella-easy to write in, but it didn't have cross-platform support and had limited 2D capabilities--that is, it was 'old school' 2D, not the nice, smooth 3D-in-2D that most modern 2D games use. Torque is wicked slick, but it's overkill for my needs.

If you want to make games and not focus on programming geekery and coding arcana, Blitz is a great little toolset. With the cross-platform support and in the 2D graphics using OpenGL and you've got a very happy little package here.

Old School '64 days revisited

[HonkyLips]

I loved Blitz Basic on the Amiga.
To me, programming languages like this remind me of the Commodore 64, where you were in a BASIC environment from the moment you switched it on. I was writing games on the Commodore 64 in primary school. I loved learning to write simple programs and the ease with which you could do stuff like scroll the screen or set up sprites fed a huge culture of bedroom programemrs.
When I upgraded to an Amiga, although it was a more sophisticated computer with more powerful hardware, the GUI and OS made it difficult for an average schoolkid (ie me) to access and program in the same manner I had with the '64. Amiga Basic was shit, and lacked the immediacy and flexibility of C64 basic.
BlitzMax, for me, is a chance to have fun with my machines again. Just reading through the website reminds me of the thrill I used to get on the '64 when I figured out raster interrupts and other hacks.
I hope applications like Blitz can interest a new generation of bedroom games programmers, as the large companies move games-production into a more Hollywood-level industry.

Oh, good.

[quamaretto]

BlitzMax is BASIC...but with a few twists, including:

• Function pointers

Oh, good. Finally, a Basic-style language that combines the power of C with the readability of C. (I'm kidding. I love function pointers.)