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MMObility: Fourteen MMOs that you can play anywhere
I thought it'd be fun to make a list of go-anywhere MMOs this week. It's not really hard to find portable MMOs that run on laptops or netbooks. The real issue is locating MMOs that can be played on your desktop while you're at work (while the boss isn't looking, of course!), then on your phone at lunch, and then on your laptop while you sit in bed later that night. The technology to make constantly accessible MMOs is there, namely in the form of HTML5. Adobe recently announced that not only is it moving away from Flash for mobile devices, but it is also specifically targeting Android Jelly Bean. There is a new wave of web technologies coming that will hopefully, once and for all, put an end to the need for special lists like this one. Not all of my choices are HTML5-based, but I tried to keep all of them open for all devices. If you notice any oddities while playing them on a certain device, let me know in the comments section so I can note it. I get a lot of requests for lists like this, so I want to keep things tight. In the meanwhile, enjoy the list. There are others out there, but I wanted to pick out some that give pretty much the same result across whichever device you use.
Mozilla releases BrowserQuest for HTML5 gamers and warriors (video)
Mozilla is flexing its HTML5 muscles today, with a new game called BrowserQuest. Designed specifically for browser-based gaming, BrowserQuest brands itself as a "tribute to classic video games with a multiplayer twist." The game's plot is relatively routine -- warriors, hidden treasure, etc. -- but what's most interesting is its underlying architecture. Its 2D tile graphics engine is powered by HTML5 Canvas, with browser-to-server communications handled by WebSockets. Sound effects, meanwhile, are powered by HTML5 audio APIs, and each player's progress is saved using localStorage. The game also supports lots of simultaneous players, thanks to a JavaScript-coded backend that runs on Node.js. You can keep track of the player load in real-time at the BrowserQuest Dashboard (linked below). For more details, check out the source link at the bottom of the page, or click past the break for a brief demo video.
