

WebGL X-Wing - 5hoom
http://oos.moxiecode.com/js_webgl/xwing/index.html

======
grammati
If the intent is to make me pay attention to WebGL, it just may have
succeeded.

If, on the other hand, the intent is to prove that I suck at video games, then
it's a resounding success.

~~~
colomon
My 3 year old thought it was cute every time I crashed, so it was also a
resounding success at amusing him.

------
JonnieCache
All these webgl demos cause my late 2008 macbook to grind to an absolute halt
in a way that no other program seems to manage. You can almost hear the thing
whimpering. Even the stuff like the volume control buttons on the keyboard
stopped responding, and they normally take priority over everything else
(handled by the kernel perhaps?)

~~~
nknight
Late 2008 MacBook? You have an Intel GMA GPU, expect strange, inconsistent, or
simply useless performance in 3D rendering. It's probable the browser makers
have paid little attention to performance on such chips.

~~~
JonnieCache
The thing is that chipset can play half life 2 just about alright.

~~~
nknight
The Source engine is much more mature and much better optimized than what's in
WebGL implementations right now. Valve and other game makers have strong
incentive to make their games run as well as possible on a wide variety of
hardware. The WebGL implementations just haven't had the same kind of
investment in time and expertise.

~~~
McP
Writing a game engine is quite different to writing a set of bindings (which
is basically all WebGL is). There isn't much scope for optimization so I
wouldn't hold out hope for WebGL apps running much faster in future browsers.

~~~
nknight
Hm, sorry, I was under the impression the WebGL implementations were being
done rather differently than they apparently are. I hadn't thought the calls
were getting passed through directly due to security concerns.

Chrome, at least, appears to be a straight binding with extensive
validation... That... kinda makes my nervous.

~~~
bri3d
I think your nervousness is well founded, and that's why Microsoft won't
implement WebGL [1], but Chrome's developers seem to think they can make
things secure [2].

[1]: [http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2011/06/16/webgl-
cons...](http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2011/06/16/webgl-considered-
harmful.aspx)

[2] : [http://games.greggman.com/game/webgl-security-and-
microsoft-...](http://games.greggman.com/game/webgl-security-and-microsoft-
bullshit/)

~~~
nknight
I don't think nervousness about a particular implementation approach is a
reason not to implement WebGL, just a reason not to do it in what I gather is
Chrome's way.

On the other hand, Chrome's strategy might just be getting explained poorly.
My nervousness comes partly because the way it's described sounds like a
filtering strategy. If it's more like a whitelisting strategy, it could be
considerably less scary, and more in line with what I was kind of expecting
from browser vendors.

------
jeremy82
Terrible graphics problems on my i945-Board (using Chrome on Win 7/64bit). I
can see the fighter, but almost nothing else.

~~~
ajross
Works fine (though somewhat slow, maybe 15 fps) on Intel graphics under linux
for me. I gotta say I'm getting to like this new era where even GPU drivers
work better in linux.

------
apaprocki
Tried on a Mac Air in both Chrome 14 / FF 8 and all you see is a giant blue
haze with a white outline of the X-Wing.

~~~
moxiemk1
I am having a similar problem with a current-gen Air in Safari 5.1 w/ WebGL
enabled. I just get a half of the screen (by diagonal) of green dots, and some
other stuff that I think is the X-Wing. (then I die)

------
Apreche
Because this doesn't capture the mouse it's really hard when you have to go to
the top of the screen (menu bar) or bottom (taskbar). Without full screen
mouse capture. WebGL will be nothing more than a toy when it comes to any kind
of serious game.

~~~
mithaler
Chrome just added an API for this in their dev builds, for Native Client at
least. [http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2011/10/dev-
channel...](http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2011/10/dev-channel-
update_18.html)

------
bmurphy
I can't play it. I've played too many FPS and Flight Simulators in my time.
The controls need to be inverted so i can fly it like a real plane. Too bad.

~~~
zacharycohn
I also had this problem. Whenever I'd need to respond quickly, I'd try to use
inverted controls, then crash.. :(

------
kristopher
Hint: Google disables some drivers by default, although by simply navigating
to chrome://gpu/ I was able to kick-start WebGL on my Mac.

------
grovulent
Just like beggars canyon back home

------
reedlaw
Do you ever get to the point where you shoot into the vents?

------
nupark2
These posts remind me of the "put a bird on it" sketch. All you need to do is
"put a 'web' on it" and suddenly it's amazing.

Color me unconvinced, but we're looking at graphics that are roughly on par
with what we saw desktops games in 1999:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R2nCrsDHeA>

I realize that this is just a small tech demo, but even still -- GL is only
part of the equation. The kind of platform optimizations that are eeked out in
the game industry are substantial and extend well beyond just the GPU.

The interest in web (flash) games was largely driven by the difficulty of
distributing casual native games -- and that's quickly becoming a solved
problem.

~~~
fragsworth
I wouldn't say it's "amazing", but it's definitely "upvoteable" for two
reasons:

1\. I don't have to install it. This means I can satisfy my desire for instant
gratification and quickly go back and upvote it.

2\. I support open standards. I'll upvote it just for the fact that it's
implemented in WebGL and not some proprietary bullshit, and I'll continue to
do this until all the proprietary bullshit is long dead and gone.

~~~
mappu
The fanaticism surrounding your second point is very popular on the internet
and is quite interesting to think about. What exactly is the problem? I don't
have a hard answer, but let's objectively compare the advantages against a
standard, closed-source mid 90's commercial PC game.

Longevity: x86 is in no danger of disappearing, and even if it was, popular
open-source x86 emulators and virtual machines exist, with better performance
and compatibility than a lot of WebGL implementations.

Proprietary platform: x86 has a very long history and is approximately
perfectly documented. On the other hand, every browser implements WebGL
slightly differently.

Can't see the source: Javascript can be minified and obfuscated to the point
of incoherence. On the x86 side, i feel that this would be better addressed by
improving assembly education: Everything is open source if you have a
disassembler.

Software Freedoms: It's inherently more free, in the RMS sense, to have the
content locally on your own computer than it is to stream it from somewhere
else.

------
threepointone
memories of zaxxon! the environment's a bit too dark to see clearly, but
nicely done.

~~~
stefs
yes, the game would be a lot more fun if i could actually see the obstacles.

~~~
drhodes
the cannons do a pretty good job of illuminating the channel.

------
captain-asshat
F11 Friends.

Edit: Highscore 43,906

~~~
nknight
Fullscreen doesn't help when you have multiple monitors, hot corners, and
windowshade functionalities. The lack of mouse acceleration adjustment is also
a problem on large screens.

------
mtinkerhess
Really cool!

The display jiggles a little bit. About twice a second the camera shakes a
little—I think maybe the roll of the camera changes?

I'd like the option to invert the up / down keyboard buttons—I kept going up
when I meant to go down, and vice versa.

------
moomin
I know it's churlish of me, but the game being emulated is "star wars" not
"x-wing".

Pretty impressive, though. Now, if Adobe could produce a webgl to flash 11
converter, it might be possible to actually do something like this
commercially.

------
latch
lol, I wonder how many other people will hit ctrl-left and end up switching
spaces.

------
cschep
Impressive and fun. Dying to reverse the up and down on the arrow keys though!

------
spitfire
I melted my computer for that?

------
yahelc
Weirdly, for me, doesn't work on Chrome 14, but does work in Firefox 6.

------
PedroCandeias
Shame so many webgl apps refuse to run properly on the 2011 13" mbp.

~~~
tvon
Odd, works fine on a 2010 13" MBA (in Chrome).

Though that fan does kick up quite a bit...

~~~
nknight
Your 2010 MBA has an nvidia 320M chip. Pedro's 2011-era 13" MacBook Pro (there
is no 2011 MacBook) has an Intel chip. The 320M isn't a particularly great
GPU, but I expect much better performance and compatibility out of it than the
Intel.

------
tathagatadg
loved it! Smooth....

------
abrown28
Pretty sweet ;)

------
adlep
Very addicting...

------
jgh
cant see shit.

------
nknight
Relying on absolute cursor position out to the very edges/corners of the
window is a bad idea, it's too easy to go outside and lose control while
trying to get to the extreme positions necessary.

~~~
abdulhaq
Absolutely, for this reason it's much better to use the keyboard.

~~~
nknight
Keyboard control for something like this is way too slow. I can't react in
time, especially with the field of view partially obstructed by the fighter.

------
Raphael
I love it. And all these people with MacBooks are really wishing they had
something better. Haha.

