For the most part, I won't use a Web browser to run applets. If you want to run an applet in a Web browser, make certain your browser supports J2SE 1.4 (or a more recent version). For example, if you are using Version 6.0 of Microsoft's Internet Explorer, select the Use Java 2 v1.4.0 for |
Do you ever dream of developing a Java-based arcade game that is similar to the classics? If so, you can turn this dream into reality with JGame, a Java game engine created by Boris van Schooten. This article introduces you to JGame, its features, directories and files, and example games. We also explore JGame's architecture—its engine, game objects, and timers. |
Java Fun and Games: Explore the geometry of nature Enhance your Java games with math-based fractals that imitate nature's geometry. Jeff Friesen, June 2007 |
A Java-based music editor can help you compose music for your computer games. Javano gets you started by offering a piano-like keyboard and the means for choosing an instrument. After adding features to save and play back your compositions, press multiple keys simultaneously, and choose an appropriate volume (from the GUI), you will be well on your way to developing a music editor for your computer gaming needs. |
Java 4K is Java Unlimited's first contest, described by the company as "the ultimate byte-squeezing Java challenge!" The idea: Build an entire game that fits into 4096 bytes. If your game satisfies the size limit and a few other rules, you could win a free copy of Tribal Trouble or six months of free playtime with Wurm Online. |
Fractals entertain and are fun to explore, as evidenced by this article's fractal applets. Learn how to use math-based fractals that imitate nature's geometry to enhance your Java games. |
The holiday season is once more upon us. This festive time should be joyful, as families get together for fun and celebration. This installment of Java Fun and Games should help get you in the holiday spirit. It presents an applet that focuses on the classic 1945 Christmas song by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" |
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Computer graphics (CG) is important to the games we play, the movies we watch, the design of our vehicles, and more. CG uses traditional polygon-based techniques to model and render classical geometry (cones, spheres, cubes, etc.). In contrast, the geometry of natural phenomena—such as fire and flowing water—needs a different modeling, rendering, and animation technique: particle systems. |
Editor's note: In part one of this two-part excerpt from Killer Game Programming in Java, author Andrew Davison strode through some complex programming issues for developing Java 3D graphics, such as how to add shapes, lighting, and backgrounds to a Checkers3D application. Here in part two, Andrew continues the theme by demonstrating how to create a floating sphere for the Checkers3D app. |
Editor's note: Our book excerpt today is for all you Java gamers, especially the 3D junkies--we know you're out there. In part one of a two-part series taken from Chapter 15 of Killer Game Programming in Java author Andrew Davison describes how to create a scene in a Checkers3D application, using Java 3D. And check back next week, Andrew shows how to create a floating sphere for the Checkers3D app. |
Many developers like to play computer games. They entertain us and help reduce the stress caused by our jobs. Have you ever wanted to create your own version of a computer game? I have. This Java Tech article begins a two-part series on developing two versions of an intelligent computer game, Nim. |
Let's face it: after a few rounds, console-based Nim loses its appeal. Some of that loss is due to the predictable nature of the game, which results from the small number of matches (11) in the initial pile. Although a larger initial pile would make game play less predictable, the resulting game tree would require more memory. At some point, we wouldn't be able to fit the entire game tree into memory, and would need to redesign console-based Nim's game tree and minimax logic. |
As I mentioned before, this is a brief description of a typical J2ME game. Although games are abundant in the handheld environment, there are many other uses for ME applications, such as stock quote readers, RSS readers, etc. |
In this JavaOne 2007 Community Corner mini-talk, Project Darkstar founder and community leader Jeff Kesselman introduces Bunny Hunters, a demo game written to run on Darkstar. In his talk, he discusses the unique challenges of multiplayer online games, and how to implement the timing, turn-taking, and game-handling logic of an online game with the facilities provided by Darkstar. |
While Sudoku lovers invent very complex techniques with weird names (X-wing, Swordfish, Nishio), to solve Sudokus without guessing, computer programs usually use brute-force methods. In this article, we will learn how to solve Sudokus using Constraint Programming in Java. This approach has many advantages: |
In Part One of our interview with Sun Microsystems' Chief Gaming Officer, Chris Melissinos, we explored Sun's commitment to games and the burgeoning role of Java technology in game development. Recently, we met with Melissinos again to discuss the latest advances in Java technology-based game-centric technologies. |
To head this group, Sun turned to Chris Melissinos, a self-proclaimed video game addict, who wrote his first game when he was 12, and currently owns 27 game consoles. As Sun's Chief Gaming Officer, Melissinos is responsible for the development of Sun's programs, offerings, and vision in targeting the electronic entertainment industry. He drives an industry-wide movement toward Java technology-based game development, as well as building infrastructure programs for massively-connected game play. |
You no longer need the resources of a small country to be a player in the electronic commerce game now that the JavaSoft commerce team has introduced the Java Commerce Client (JCC) framework. Today, large and small enterprises alike can share the playing field. |
Java Technology Gets in the Game: A Conversation with Chief Gaming Officer, Chris Melissinos Sun Microsystems' Chief Gaming Officer, Chris Melissinos, talks about the fast-arriving future of Java technology and online games. (March 2004) |
Project Darkstar Project Darkstar Downloads Jeff Kesselman's Blog GPL V2 License Project Darkstar FAQs Podcast: Project Darkstar's Programmer Dream: Jim Waldo Project Darkstar: Changing the Game Java Platform Performance: Strategies and Tactics Darkstar: The Java Game Server, by Brendan Burns Project Darkstar Game Architecture |
A memory mapped file maps a virtual addressable memory space onto a file. The entire contents of the file can be read and written as easy as if it were entirely in memory. Win32 and Linux both support memory mapped files. Instead of writing your own low level memory cache, use memory mapped files to load any resources or data into your game. Since Windows uses memory mapping to load .EXE and .DLL files, it's a fair bet that the algorithm is fairly efficient. These files are especially useful for larger data sets that come in groups of 512Kb. Don't use these files for anything smaller. Check your system for the default size of a virtual memory page—that is the smallest chunk of memory a memory mapped file manipulates. |
Without exception, software developers and testers at every company I've ever worked in or with have harbored the belief that they--and they alone--are victims of uncaring management, undefined requirements, unreasonable customers, and absurd schedules, while other companies are developing and testing their software the "right" way. |
This lesson will build on what you learned about the vector dot product in the previous lesson titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Getting Started with the Vector Dot Product (see Resources). In that lesson, you learned some of the theory behind the dot product. In this lesson, you will learn how to use the dot-product methods of the game-math library to write several applications. I will present and explain the following four programs: |
This tutorial is the next lesson in a series designed to teach you some of the mathematical skills that you will need (in addition to good programming skills) to become a successful game programmer. The first lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Getting Started. The previous lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Working with Column Matrices, Points, and Vectors (see Resources). |
This tutorial is the first in a series designed to teach you some of the mathematical skills that you will need (in addition to good programming skills) to become a successful game programmer. In addition to helping you with your math skills, I will also teach you how to incorporate those skills into object-oriented programming using Java. If you are familiar with other object-oriented programming languages such as C#, you should have no difficulty porting this material from Java to those other programming languages. |
Java makes it quite easy to keep an abstract notion of game state. Just create a class with all the data structures you need, tap in methods to access or change that data, and you're off and running. By designing state as an object, various parts of the state can quickly be accessed and altered. |
This tutorial is the next lesson in a series designed to teach you some of the mathematical skills that you will need (in addition to good programming skills) to become a successful game programmer. The first lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Getting Started. The previous lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Vector Addition (see Resources). |
A second tool I use for less interactive games is Sun's Java Studio. This environment is better suited for more calculation-intensive games such as "mind games" where the user tries to guess answers or has to engage in a lot of text interaction. This GUI program allows the developer to quickly and visually connect JavaBeans to create games or other applications. IBM also posts new beans on a regular basis or you can write your own beans to work in the development environment. |
When PlayLink, Inc. began cranking out games way back in 1997, it took a gamble and focused on 100% pure Java. The reasons were the usual ones ? rapid development, cross-platform functionality, excellent threading and network control, and so on. The main rationale, though, was that Java was cool. The programmers dug it. |
You may recall from the lesson titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Getting Started (see Resources) that the constructor for the Point class in the original library received and saved a reference to an object of the ColMatrix class that contained the two values required to define the Point. Now that it is possible to change the values stored in an object of the ColMatrix class, if such an object is used to instantiate an object of the Point class and then the values stored in the ColMatrix object are changed, the values that define the Point object will change accordingly. This is not good. |
In the previous lesson, you learned how to update the game-math library to provide new capabilities including the addition of graphics and set methods for column matrices, points, vectors, and lines. You also learned how to draw on off-screen images. |
This tutorial is the next lesson in a series designed to teach you some of the mathematical skills that you will need (in addition to good programming skills) to become a successful game programmer. The first lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Getting Started. The previous lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Applications of the Vector Dot Product (see Resources). |
Tuesday, September 24, 2002, Sun Microsystems, Inc. kicked off its second annual JavaOne[sm] Developer Conference in Japan and said it hopes to expand its cross platform computer language into new realms such as PDAs, automobile telematics and game consoles. |
This tutorial is the next lesson in a series designed to teach you some of the mathematical skills that you will need (in addition to good programming skills) to become a successful game programmer. The first lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Getting Started. The previous lesson was titled Math for Java Game Programmers, Our First 3D Game Program (see Resources). |
Some of the most impressive Java applets in the Gamelan directory, and a favorite with many developers, can be found in the Games category. Creating a great Java game presents some really difficult development challenges, including the handling of graphics, sound and creative game architecture. In fact, games are often on the cutting edge of Internet technology in an attempt to provide the fastest, most challenging, most realistic experience for players. |