

RuneScape dumps Java for HTML5 - paulschlacter
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57580221-93/its-about-time-runescape-dumps-java-for-html5/

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weavejester
While the RuneScape news is interesting, the author of the piece clearly
doesn't understand the subject matter. Perhaps it would have been better to
link to the RuneScape news directly?

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reefab
The article has indeed some fairly cringe worthy parts:

"Developers were keen to talk about new graphics possibilities with Web
programming such as richer color and "extra draw distance" so players can see
farther away from their character's local environment."

Web programming: more colors than Java.

~~~
daxelrod
While it's clear the author didn't understand the subject, it looks like that
claim comes directly from Runescape.

It sounds like their new engine has better graphics, and, for whatever reason,
they're attributing this to HTML5.

In the video[1] embedded on the page[2] linked from the article, Runescape
devs claim:

    
    
      > The technology behind HTML 5 has allowed us to really push the boundaries.
      > You can see the engine at work when we compare Runescape to Runescape 3.
      > Here we can see Canafis. In current Runescape the fog is pulled way in
      > you can't see what's in the distance,
      > you have to rely on that little signpost in the front.
      > In HTML 5 the signpost is still there but you can also see the town,
      > this is there to guide you it just looks much more beautiful.
      > With all that extra draw distance we can now do proper skies and weather effects.
      ...
      > You can also see the colour palette at work here which really helps to brighten
      > the place up.
      > So here we are just outside Falador, we have duller colours the greens and browns 
      > that's all we really have in variation,
      > this is the same area in HTML 5 and you can see that variety just come to life.
      > We've yellows and greens, blues are deeper. We have the whites we have the sun
      > shining off those whites to really brighten them up.
    
    

[1]:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ne9C_18d9mU#t=132s)
[2]: [http://services.runescape.com/m=news/behind-the-scenes-
video...](http://services.runescape.com/m=news/behind-the-scenes-video-48-the-
benefits-of-html5-)

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smrtinsert
Is the author is worried about security, he should check consider uninstalling
his browsers as well.

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cromwellian
They could port their existing codebase over using GWT like we did with
GwtQuake :)

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TazeTSchnitzel
Wow, this is huge! A well-known 3D MMORPG switching to WebGL and WebSocket!

(Here's hoping we'll eventually see WoW?)

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ronmac
Funny. Not long ago I read about a couple big game makers giving up on HTML 5
because it was too hard and too costly.

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mdm_
> Versions of Minecraft are available for iOS and Android, indicating that its
> developers can see beyond Java.

Wouldn't the Android version be written in Java?

~~~
weavejester
According to Wikipedia, it's actually written in C++. However, I suspect that
the author is merely right by coincidence, as he goes on to claim "Java and
Flash don't work on Android".

