[web] Putting Games on the Internet
I have made some relatively simple games with programs such as Visual Basic and a freely downloaded Game Maker. They can be compiled into .exe applications.
I am familiar with HTML but know of no way to incorporate that into putting my games on the Internet for my friends or anyone to play.
But since there are millions of games on the Internet, I'm sure there must be a fairly simple way to do it. Are .exe's the way to go? Or do you have to use solely Java? What information/equipment am I lacking?
Thanks,
Edmond the Hun
Do you wish your game to be playable through a browser? Or simply downloadable? As far as I know you can't have an exe run in a browser just like that. There are ways to accomplish this through ActiveX e.t.c, but I have no knowledge of that and will hence not comment on it.
Generally if you want to make a game played in a browser you'd like to use java to make a java applet.
Hope this helps
Regards,
/Omid
Generally if you want to make a game played in a browser you'd like to use java to make a java applet.
Hope this helps
Regards,
/Omid
Thanks! I'll be content if they're directly playable or downloadable, although I'd prefer the former. I was afraid I might be limited to java. I'm also aware of other gaming terms such as "flash" games, but I am not familiar with the coding behind them.
Here's what I'm getting at: You know all those websites that are totally devoted to games? www.miniclip.com, for instance. They each have hundreds or thousands of games, usually pretty simple ones. Are those games all made with java? Do I need to learn java or is it possible to do something with games I have already made?
Making them downloadable is something I don't know how to do, either, although I suspect it only requires some simple HTML and uploading to a server.
Here's what I'm getting at: You know all those websites that are totally devoted to games? www.miniclip.com, for instance. They each have hundreds or thousands of games, usually pretty simple ones. Are those games all made with java? Do I need to learn java or is it possible to do something with games I have already made?
Making them downloadable is something I don't know how to do, either, although I suspect it only requires some simple HTML and uploading to a server.
If you've already got a program you want online and it's in c++, ppc++ might work.
If you're just starting I'd reccomend java, ruby on rails or php (php is only really good at text games.)
If you want to run an executable on someone's home system that connects to other players you can use c# or c++ and some networking librarys (or any other language with networking capabilities really...)
Flash is a GREAT tool to make browser games online too, you'll want to check it out.
here are some links:
ppc++ <- a c++ compiler thing that works with webpages
Ruby on Rails <- new scripting language that works on lots of things. Worth checking out.
Java <- probably your best bet for interactive browser loaded games.
php <- only does text based stuff and simple graphics image stuff, you won't get moving things without php combined with some other fancy stuff. You -CAN- make PHP+javascript(javascript not to be confused with java) games that move things around and keep track of persistant stats and such, but it's probably more trouble than it's worth.<br><a href = 'http://www.gameprogrammer.com/net2/net2-1.html'>sdl network</a> <- won't run in a browser, this is if you have c or c++ and want to network, it's a simple library, not the best, but it is cross platform.<br><a href = 'http://www.macromedia.com/'>Flash</a> <-Note, for this one you'll need to buy the flash program or get a trial version. The flash player is free, the tool you need to make games is not.<br><br><br>I'm not sure what kind of game or what you are planning, so it's hard to say what will be best.
If you're just starting I'd reccomend java, ruby on rails or php (php is only really good at text games.)
If you want to run an executable on someone's home system that connects to other players you can use c# or c++ and some networking librarys (or any other language with networking capabilities really...)
Flash is a GREAT tool to make browser games online too, you'll want to check it out.
here are some links:
ppc++ <- a c++ compiler thing that works with webpages
Ruby on Rails <- new scripting language that works on lots of things. Worth checking out.
Java <- probably your best bet for interactive browser loaded games.
php <- only does text based stuff and simple graphics image stuff, you won't get moving things without php combined with some other fancy stuff. You -CAN- make PHP+javascript(javascript not to be confused with java) games that move things around and keep track of persistant stats and such, but it's probably more trouble than it's worth.<br><a href = 'http://www.gameprogrammer.com/net2/net2-1.html'>sdl network</a> <- won't run in a browser, this is if you have c or c++ and want to network, it's a simple library, not the best, but it is cross platform.<br><a href = 'http://www.macromedia.com/'>Flash</a> <-Note, for this one you'll need to buy the flash program or get a trial version. The flash player is free, the tool you need to make games is not.<br><br><br>I'm not sure what kind of game or what you are planning, so it's hard to say what will be best.
Thanks a lot! I figured I would probably have to learn some more languages, I just wasn't sure where to start. I know very little about C++ (and C#, etc) and while I know how standard it is for gaming I don't have the money to just go out and buy it. I may purchase it over the summer but I'm hoping, if nothing else, to learn it at college in the fall.
For now I'll probably content myself with playing around with Java.
Thanks again!
For now I'll probably content myself with playing around with Java.
Thanks again!
Whoa there, c++ and c# first of all don't cost anything. In fact, microsoft has their express compilers free and available, and that's not even counting the other free compilers that have been around for a while. Won't cost you anything but the hours you put into it and the books you buy. Perhapse a small chunk of your sanity too, but honestly, who needs that.
I mentioned them, but they are not good choices (or even really feasible choices) for browser based games. They are both good languages (and very different) which you are welcome to learn and explore with, but they are not ideal first languages to learn with. Not to turn this into a pointless language battle, I'm just saying if web based games are what you want to make, flash or java will be your best options. Possibly ruby on rails (which I would reccomend over php).
*edit: Yes, I totally understand that flash is the program and actionscript is the language. Flash is the name of the program, actionscript is the name of the scripting language that works with it.
I mentioned them, but they are not good choices (or even really feasible choices) for browser based games. They are both good languages (and very different) which you are welcome to learn and explore with, but they are not ideal first languages to learn with. Not to turn this into a pointless language battle, I'm just saying if web based games are what you want to make, flash or java will be your best options. Possibly ruby on rails (which I would reccomend over php).
*edit: Yes, I totally understand that flash is the program and actionscript is the language. Flash is the name of the program, actionscript is the name of the scripting language that works with it.
Well, pardon my ignorance, it was my understanding that C was, like Visual Basic, a software package that cost several hundred dollars.
Web/browser based games aren't necessarily what I'm trying to make. I just would like to be able to get my games "out there," into a bigger audience beyond my little brothers, and naturally considered the Internet, I just didn't know how to do it.
*edit: forget the C-related questions, it's off topic, and I'll mess with that on my own. For now I'm just concerned with incorporating the Internet with my games.
Web/browser based games aren't necessarily what I'm trying to make. I just would like to be able to get my games "out there," into a bigger audience beyond my little brothers, and naturally considered the Internet, I just didn't know how to do it.
*edit: forget the C-related questions, it's off topic, and I'll mess with that on my own. For now I'm just concerned with incorporating the Internet with my games.
Then you'll want to grab yourself a free site (do a search). They should at least tell you how to upload files. Making a proper website is another story, but 1 thing at a time.
All the best things in life are free.
All the best things in life are free.
Well, there are free C++ IDEs out there. For coding C++, you might look into Dev-C++, CodeBlocks, and Eclipse. For Java, there is NetBeans and Eclipse.
I think you just need webhosting and a website. Check the FAQ for some free webhosts. Then you need to build a simple website. Learn (X)HTML. There are great references in the FAQ, but w3schools is probabely the best place to start. Then, simply zip up your game (even if it's just one exe file. Browsers hate downloading exe's directly -- they give warnings), upload it to your webhosting account (you'll need an FTP program) and make a link to the file from your website.
You can also use gamedev.net to distribute your games. Get a GDNet+ account and submit your games to the GDNet Showcase.
You can also use gamedev.net to distribute your games. Get a GDNet+ account and submit your games to the GDNet Showcase.
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