jQuery Game Development Essentials

Your knowledge of JavaScript and jQuery is just about all you need to start creating some stunning browser-based games. This guide shows you how, from the basics to advanced techniques. Whatever the genre, this is the book for you.

Overview

• Discover how you can create a fantastic RPG, arcade game, or platformer using jQuery!
• Learn how you can integrate your game with various social networks, creating multiplayer experiences and also ensuring compatibility with mobile devices.
• Create your very own framework, harnessing the very best design patterns and proven techniques along the way.

In Detail

jQuery is a leading multi-browser JavaScript library that developers across the world utilize on a daily basis to help simplify client-side scripting. Using the friendly and powerful jQuery to create games based on DOM manipulations and CSS transforms allows you to target a vast array of browsers and devices without having to worry about individual peculiarities.

"jQuery Game Development Essentials" will teach you how to use the environment, language, and framework that you’re familiar with in an entirely new way so that you can create beautiful and addictive games. With concrete examples and detailed technical explanations you will learn how to apply game development techniques in a highly practical context.

This essential reference explains classic game development techniques like sprite animations, tile-maps, collision detection, and parallax scrolling in a context specific to jQuery. In addition, there is coverage of advanced topics specific to creating games with the popular JavaScript library, such as integration with social networks alongside multiplayer and mobile support. jQuery Game Development Essentials will take you on a journey that will utilize your existing skills as a web developer so that you can create fantastic, addictive games that run right in the browser.

What you will learn from this book

• Create sprite-based, multi-platform games using the latest web standards and jQuery .
• Use powerful techniques directly from the games industry to make your own games harness stunning visual effects without compromising on performance .
• Learn how you can develop real-time multiplayer games and integrate them with social networks.
• Overcome the limitations of mobile browsers allowing you to take full advantage of their various features with minimum hassle .
• Develop a platformer, an arcade game, or even your very own RPG with jQuery at the core.
• Discover how you can easily implement features like parallax scrolling .
• Utilize your existing skills in jQuery in a fun and exciting new context.

Approach

Written as a concise yet practical guide with an explicit focus on utilizing jQuery for game development, you'll learn how to create stunning games that look great - without the hassle of learning about a complex game engine in the process.

Who this book is written for

Knowledge of JavaScript and jQuery as well as basic experience with frontend development is all you need to start making games in a matter of hours with this essential guide. Whilst also suitable for those who simply want to start making games with jQuery, it's specifically targeted at web developers that want to experiment with and utilize their existing skills.

Selim Arsever

Selim Arsever is a Senior Software Engineer working as a consultant in Switzerland. Over the last 4 years, he has been developing gameQuery (http://gamequeryjs.com), an open source game engine based on jQuery, as well as other JavaScript games and demos. He has been giving several talks on the subject and thinks that there is nothing more interesting than using tools beyond what they were initially intended for. You can follow him on twitter at @SelimArsever.