Some of the guys over at Google had some spare time on their hands, so they decided to port Quake II to HTML5. They started off with the existing Jake2 Java port of the Quake II engine and then used the Google Web Toolkit to cross-compile it into JavaScript.
The Process of Porting Quake II to HTML5
The initial step in this ambitious project involved taking the Jake2 Java port of the Quake II engine. Jake2 is an open-source Java 3D game engine that is a port of the original Quake II engine. By leveraging the Google Web Toolkit (GWT), the team was able to cross-compile the Java code into JavaScript. This was no small feat, as it required meticulous attention to detail to ensure that the game’s performance and functionality were preserved during the transition.
The Google Web Toolkit is a development toolkit for building and optimizing complex browser-based applications. It allows developers to write client-side JavaScript applications in Java, which are then compiled into highly optimized JavaScript. This toolkit was instrumental in making the porting process smoother and more efficient.
Performance and Technical Achievements
Once the game was successfully running in HTML5, the team was pleasantly surprised by the performance metrics. They observed frame rates of around 30fps on their laptops, which is quite impressive for a browser-based game. Achieving such performance levels required significant optimization and fine-tuning of the code. The team had to ensure that the JavaScript code was efficient and that the browser could handle the game’s graphics and logic without lagging.
Check out the video below of Quake II running in a web browser with HTML5, very impressive.
The successful port of Quake II to HTML5 demonstrates the potential of modern web technologies. HTML5, combined with powerful JavaScript engines and WebGL for rendering graphics, can deliver rich, interactive experiences directly in the browser without the need for plugins. This opens up new possibilities for game developers and web developers alike, allowing them to create complex applications that can run on any device with a modern web browser.
Moreover, this project highlights the versatility and power of the Google Web Toolkit. By enabling developers to write in Java and then compile to JavaScript, GWT bridges the gap between traditional software development and modern web development. This can significantly reduce development time and effort, making it easier to bring complex applications to the web.
Once the guys at Google got the game running in HTML5, they were more than a little surprised to see the frame rates of around 30fps running on their laptops.
You can find out more information about the port of Quake II to HTML5 over at the Google Web Toolkit Blog.
via Gizmodo
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