| As of right now the most popular free online | | | | product known as Unity. Unity boasts a much |
| games on the Internet consist of 2d games | | | | more robust tool kit which is aimed on creating |
| created in Adobe's Flash. Widespread among | | | | web games. The game engine used is more |
| many game websites, these games are often fun | | | | advanced than the older program in Adobe's |
| but can seem simple when compared to the | | | | Shockwave player. Unity features cross-platform |
| intricacies and potential of web based 3d games. | | | | ability which in plain terms means it can be |
| The toolkits at your disposal for you to create | | | | adopted to develop software for Windows, |
| games within a browser consist of a lot of | | | | Macintosh, Wii,Web-browsers or the very popular |
| options but I will focus on 3 major software | | | | new Iphone. Unity's has decided to put its |
| packages. As a game developer with 5 years of | | | | attention on developing a game dexterous |
| profession game development experience, I'll list | | | | authoring tool is made clear by with its advanced |
| some of the options game creators have open | | | | proprietary toolkit sets for AI navigation and |
| for them to make games that run within a | | | | deployment of game objects. The landscape |
| webpage and a brief general summary. | | | | terrain tool packaged with Unity is a great reason |
| Web based 3d games are an old idea that was | | | | alone to warrant the retail price, as a tool with |
| first made popular with Adobe Shockwave which | | | | the option of paint brushes to sculpt out fantastic |
| appeared first in 1995. Originally named | | | | terrain, blend realistic textures and create |
| Macromedia Shockwave, it was the first and | | | | lightmaps which add to the realism. Having done |
| most popular multimedia format until | | | | this in the past by hand, I know that a significant |
| Macromedia Flash (now known as Adobe Flash) | | | | amount of time is spent developing this and this is |
| appeared on the web. At first, Shockwave was | | | | a big time saver. |
| developed for creating a variety of online media | | | | The ability for game creators to develop media |
| options but now mainly focuses on web online | | | | that can be immediately ported to Wii and iPhones |
| games and their creation. There is a contrast | | | | make Unity an inciting and significant tool. This |
| between Flash and Shockwave creation that is | | | | makes the most of the gain on the work put into |
| signicant to mention. Flash media is usually faster | | | | multiple products. Sadly, Windows developers |
| to start and are made up soley of 2d graphics. | | | | have to wait for the 2.5 patch of Unity which has |
| Files in the Shockwave format are a more | | | | been worked on for a good part of a year. Until |
| complicated creation environment which allow | | | | then game developers are made to develop on a |
| greater versatility, more in-depth animation trees | | | | Mactintosh only work environment which is not a |
| and more detailed overall user interactivity. | | | | common thing platform for game developers. |
| Shockwave is such an adaptable tool that it is | | | | One more option for game developers which is |
| often regarded as a program to create only web | | | | like Unity would be Stone Trip's Shiva3d. Similar to |
| media. Unknown to many, the fact is some of the | | | | Unity, this is a game editing tool with a very |
| professional games I have personally worked on | | | | robust tool set. They also give the option for |
| used Shockwave to develop an entire full length | | | | developers to create in Windows, Mac, web |
| game such as CSI 2: Dark Motives and CSI: Miami. | | | | pages and the Iphone. Only missing from this list is |
| Part of the attraction of using Director for a | | | | the ability to create Nintendo Wii. Almost all the |
| creation tool for game development is the wide | | | | same features offered by Unity are available to |
| user demographic it enjoys in mature markets | | | | anyone who uses Shiva3d. To help further spread |
| such as North America and Europe. Adobe has | | | | interest in their product, they offer a free version |
| listed the amount of Shockwave enabled PCs at | | | | to download on their website which is nice if you |
| 60%. Over 480 million PC's with Internet | | | | have limited funds for your project. This allows |
| connections have installed the Shockwave player | | | | you to try before you buy but only limits you on |
| which results in a large ready to use user base | | | | publishing the actual media. This fact aside it is a |
| which is a benefit for game developers. Also the | | | | good way to understand what you are exactly |
| capacity for developers to develop outside | | | | getting for your price. The only negative aspect I |
| plug-ins called "Xtra's" has left the door open for | | | | can see to this great tool is the sheer amount of |
| increased versatility in development. Coupled with | | | | competition it is up against in the crowded 3d |
| the years of already developed documentation | | | | games media market. |
| and tutorials out there, Adobe Shockwave is a | | | | If you are interested in creating 3d game titles, |
| wonderful choice for game creators. One negative | | | | and with enough patience you will be able to find |
| aspect to Adobe Shockwave is the ancient | | | | the software package that suits you best with |
| networking code and it's miss of some basic | | | | some research. There are more tool options |
| graphic aspects such as 2nd UV coords and | | | | available but I have listed the ones that seem the |
| color by vertex. | | | | most interesting. |
| New on the 3d games creation scene is the | | | | |