作者：Austin Hallock

多数技术领域人士都认为，在在线视频和UI领域，HTML5将取代flash。难以定夺的是，在网络游戏领域，HTML5是否会取代flash技术。

苹果、微软、谷歌和Mozilla——4家大型技术公司如今正积极在各领域推广HTML5技术，其中包括游戏领域。更重要的是，他们的产品占据97%的浏览器市场。

这就是为什么这些公司的竞争&合作会促使HTML5技术在浏览器游戏领域（也许是PC游戏）赶超Flash技术。

各个公司都持续完善这一技术

苹果

苹果在移动平台的HTML5和Canvas上取得突出成绩。若你查看最近的运作数据结果就会发现，Mobile Safari在画布帧速率方面比其他手机浏览器更胜一筹。

他们明确表示自身对于Flash的抵制情绪，他们没有在Mobile Safari中植入这一技术，而是积极将HTML5作为替代选择。

微软

出乎意料的是，IE 9和IE 10在2D平台表现并不糟糕。

关于Windows 8，微软通过允许开发者基于HTML5和JavaScript制作原生应用表明公司对于HTML5技术的支持。

他们携手zeptolab移植热门游戏《割绳子》。

他们还支持Build New Games(游戏邦注：这是个着眼于HTML5技术的博客）。

谷歌

谷歌的V8引擎令HTML5游戏变得趣味无穷——促使它们变得具有可行性。

他们管理HTML5 Rocks，这是个瞄准所有HTML5内容的资源/粉丝网站。

他们携手Rovio将《愤怒的小鸟》移植至HTML5平台，目前正同EA合作开发一款新HTML5杰作，以手机作为控制器。

Mozilla

Mozilla正忙于发布Mozilla Marketplace，这和Windows 8颇为相似，能够让HTML5应用和游戏看起来更像原生内容。

他们的新Mobile OS搭载HTML5技术（我相信这将绑定Mozilla Marketplace）。

最后，他们是《BrowserQuest》的幕后团队，这是款优秀的MMO游戏，所有玩家都可以通过他们的浏览器进行体验。

browserquest from gamasutra.com

竞争是好事

过去几年来，这4家技术公司之间的竞争促使JavaScript引擎的性能获得显著提高，因为各公司都积极促使自己的引擎速度最快。我基于2008年6月版的Chrome 21.0.1180.41和Firefox 3.0进行SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark测试。最后一个版本的Chrome比4年前的浏览器快12.5倍（游戏邦注：166.4ms vs 2073.5ms）。

苹果、微软、谷歌和Mozilla都呈现众多基于HTML5技术的演示内容，旨在展示这一技术。

对立角色：Adobe

不要误会我的意思，Adobe是家很棒的公司。他们推出众多杰出的软件：Flash、Photoshop、Illustrator和Dreamweaver等。

你无疑可以这么说，目前的顶级HTML5游戏开发环境最多和Adobe保持相当。但你也可以这么说2000年初的Internet Explorer。HTML5的覆盖率、浏览器支持水平及游戏访问率呈上升趋势，这要归功于积极完善开发过程和实际玩法的杰出公司所给予的支持。

下面是若干给予支持的公司：

* Scirra和GameSalad均推出便于使用的HTML5游戏“拖放”编辑器

* Game Closure和Spaceport拥有将JavaScript游戏转化成其他平台原生代码的输出装置

* ImpactJS是相当优秀的JavaScript游戏引擎

* 即将展开的onGameStart是由Mozilla支持的HTML5游戏大会

相关公司还有很多，包括我们（Clay.io）——我们积极简化将排行榜、成就、分析数据、社交整合、付费过程等功能植入HTML5游戏中的操作过程（查看我们的开发者信息页面）。

开放式

最近来，Adobe越来越朝开放源码靠拢，这棒极了，但Flash Player依然是封闭源码——Adobe是负责软件进一步开发的唯一公司。

iOS对于应用审核过程及收益分成持更严格的态度。我们(Clay.io)也采用这一模式，我们就我们商店上的付费游戏分成20%。但美妙的是，我们欢迎开发者自行出售内容，避开收益分成。如果他们觉得我们不值得20%的分成，他们无需被迫同我们合作。

HTML5完全呈开放模式——开发者可以选择在何处放置自己的游戏，或直接进行出售，技术的进步不是仅仅依靠一家公司。你会在PC游戏中看到这点——显然，很多人瞄准Steam是因为这是用户的所在之处，但《Minecraft》之类的独立游戏也取得不错成绩。

移动技术

最近有关Flash不再同Android平台整合的消息清楚说明，Flash技术已在移动平台消亡。这4家公司具备，但Adobe不具备的东西是移动操作系统，我相信他们更愿意看到开放技术变成标准，而非被单个公司所控制。

wordwars from gamasutra.com

遗憾的是，HTML5技术倍受忽视的一个功能是，它能够适应移动设备的细微变更。显然，Flash技术具有可行性，但你会被局限于具体平台。通过移动网络，你无需担心应用收益所带来的商店费用。我希望看到更多HTML5游戏充分利用这一性能，而非只是基于传统浏览器开发内容。

缺点

众多大型公司支持这一技术所带来的问题是，自我主义会产生阻碍作用。这体现在如下情况中：

WebGL——除微软外，所有公司都赞同WebGL能够让开发者在浏览器中呈现3D画面。

声音——所有现代浏览器都支持声音功能，它们只是在编码解码器的使用上未达成一致。

即便你依然未被说服，无论你怎么看待，HTML5技术都是个福祉。a）它能够带给Flash技术必要的竞争性，b）由于众多公司的支持，这一技术将取代Flash，获得全面完善。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Why HTML5 will succeed for gaming

by Austin Hallock

Most people in the tech space already believe that HTML5 will replace flash when it comes to online video and UI. What’s more of a toss-up is whether it will replace Flash when it comes to online gaming.

Apple, Microsoft, Google, Mozilla – four of the largest tech companies are actively pushing HTML5 in all areas, including gaming. More importantly, their products account for 97% of browser usage.

Here’s why the competition & the collaboration of these companies will lead to HTML5 overtaking Flash for browser-based gaming (and who knows, maybe PC gaming in general, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves).

Each Company is Constantly Improving the Technology

Apple

Apple has done wonders with HTML5 and Canvas on mobile devices. If you take a look at the results of recent performance data, you’ll see Mobile Safari performs much better than other mobile browsers in canvas framerate.

They’ve been very vocal about their strong dislike of Flash as they have not included it in Mobile Safari, instead opting to aggressively push HTML5 as an alternative.

Microsoft

IE9 and IE10 surprisingly aren’t terrible. When it comes to 2d

With Windows 8, Microsoft is demonstrating their support of HTML5 by allowing developers to create native application in HTML5 and JavaScript.

They partnered with zeptolab for their port of the popular game, Cut the Rope.

They’re also behind Build New Games, a blog focused on HTML5 games

Google

Google’s V8 engine has done amazing things for HTML5 games – making them completely viable (and getting the competition to speed up their JavaScript engines as well)

They manage HTML5 Rocks, a resource/enthusiast site for all things HTML5.

They partnered with Rovio to port Angry Birds to HTML5, and are now working with EA are on a new HTML5 game that looks pretty impressive, utilizing a phone as a controller.

Mozilla

Mozilla is in the process of releasing the Mozilla Marketplace, which, similar to Windows 8, allows HTML5 apps and games to seem native (it ‘installs’ it to the desktop and shows up alongside all of your other programs)

Their new Mobile OS is HTML5 based (and I’m sure they’ll be tying in the Mozilla Marketplace)

Last but not least, they are the team behind BrowserQuest, a very impressive MMO available for anyone to play, right from their browser.

Competition is GOOD

In the past few years, competition among these 4 tech companies has caused a huge boost in performance in JavaScript engines, as each companytries to make theirs the quickest. I ran SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark in Chrome 21.0.1180.41 as well as in Firefox 3.0 from June 2008. The latest version of Chrome is 12.5 times faster than a browser from 4 years ago (166.4ms vs 2073.5ms)!

Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Mozilla have also all given plenty of demos using HTML5 to help showcase the technology. (If you’re curious: Apple, Microsoft, Google, Mozilla)

The flip side of things: Adobe

Adobe is a pretty awesome company, don’t get me wrong. They’ve developed a bunch of great software: Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, etc.

You could definitely say as of right now, the top HTML5 game development environments are at best on par with Adobe. However, you could have also said the same thing about Internet Explorer in the early 2000′s. HTML5 is on an upward trend in adoption, browser support and availability of games thanks to the support of great companies that have been working hard  to improve both the development process and actual gameplay.

Here are just a few of those companies:

* Scirra and GameSalad both develop easy-to-use “drag and drop” editors for HTML5 games

* Game Closure and Spaceport have exporters that convert
JavaScript games to native code on other platforms

* ImpactJS is a really impressive JavaScript game engine

* onGameStart is an upcoming HTML5 game conference backed by Mozilla

There are countless others as well, including us (Clay.io) — we’re making it easier to implement features like leaderboards, achievements, analytics, social integration, payment processing, etc into HTML5 games (check out our developer info page)

It’s Open!

Adobe has moved more towards open source in recent years, which is great, but Flash Player is still closed source — Adobe is the sole company responsible for its further development.

iOS is much more strict with their apps with an approval process and chunk taken out of all revenue. We (Clay.io) also have this model, we take a 20% cut on paid games in our marketplace. The beautiful part is, however, that developers are more than welcome to try and sell it on their own with no cut taken. If they feel we’re not worth 20%, they aren’t forced to use us.

HTML5 is completely open – developers can choose where to put there games or just sell directly, and the advancement of the technology doesn’t rest solely on one company. You see this with PC games – sure, a lot go to Steam since that’s where the audience is, but games like Minecraft have done quite well.

Mobile Technologies

With the recent announcement that Flash is no longer integrated on Android, Flash is dead on mobile (in web browsers that is). One thing these four companies have that Adobe doesn’t is a mobile operating system, and I’m sure they would all rather see an open technology become the standard rather than one controlled by a single company (as has been proved so far).

Unfortunately, one of the most underappreciated (by game developers) abilities of HTML5 is the fact that it works with relatively few changes on mobile devices. Sure, Flash works, but you’re restricted to each platforms App Store. With the mobile web you don’t have to worry about app store fees on any income you generate. I would really love to see more HTML5 games take advantage of this capability instead of just developing for traditional browsers.

Drawbacks

One issue with having so many large companies backing a technology is egos can get in the way. This has shown up in a few instances, notably:

WebGL – Everyone but Microsoft is in agreement that WebGL is the way to go for 3d graphics in a browser.

Audio – The audio tag is supported in all modern browsers, they’re just not in agreement on the codec to use

Even if you’re still not convinced, either way you look at it, HTML5 is a good thing. Either a) It will provide some much needed competition to Flash, or b) Take over Flash and be all-around better because of the many companies supporting it.

It’s always good to hear both sides of the story, so for those who think Adobe can continue to have the success its had with Flash for gaming, make your voice heard here.（Source：gamasutra）