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<TITLE>Chapter 1 -- Games on the Web</TITLE>
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<H1><FONT COLOR=#FF0000>Chapter 1</FONT></H1>
<H1><B><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#FF0000>Games on the Web</FONT></B>
</H1>
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<HR WIDTH="100%"></P>
<P>
<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE=+2>CONTENTS<A NAME="CONTENTS"></A>
</FONT></FONT></H3>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#TheStateoftheNet" >The State of the Net</A>
<LI><A HREF="#WhattheWebHastoOffer" >What the Web Has to Offer</A>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#WebBasedversusNonWebBasedGames" >Web-Based versus Non-Web Based Games</A>
</UL>
<LI><A HREF="#NonJavaBasedGames" >Non-Java Based Games</A>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#Mpath" >Mpath</A>
<LI><A HREF="#CyberWarriorNetwork" >Cyber Warrior Network</A>
<LI><A HREF="#ImagiNationNetwork" >ImagiNation Network</A>
<LI><A HREF="#TotalEntertainmentNetwork" >Total Entertainment Network</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Outland" >Outland</A>
<LI><A HREF="#SimNet" >Sim-Net</A>
</UL>
<LI><A HREF="#JavaBasedWebGames" >Java-Based Web Games</A>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#Avalon" >Avalon</A>
<LI><A HREF="#InternetMahJongServer" >Internet MahJong Server</A>
<LI><A HREF="#iChess" >iChess</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Unearthed" >Unearthed</A>
</UL>
<LI><A HREF="#Summary" >Summary</A>
<LI><A HREF="#QA" >Q&A</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Workshop" >Workshop</A>
<UL>
<LI><A HREF="#Quiz" >Quiz</A>
<LI><A HREF="#Exercises" >Exercises</A>
</UL>
</UL>
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<P>
The Internet and the World Wide Web have energized the already
fast-moving world of computing and created previously unthinkable
opportunities for communication between computer users. One of
the most talked about areas of application for the Web is games.
When games are networked on a global scale, they offer a plethora
of entertainment possibilities for users. Gaming on the Web will
truly change the way we all view entertainment, primarily because
it blurs cultural boundaries much like the Internet itself does.
<P>
Throughout the next 21 days, you learn how to develop games for
the Web using Java. You begin with the basics and move on to learning
advanced topics such as networking and artificial intelligence.
By the end of the book, you'll have all the information and knowledge
necessary to develop your own Java games. And it all begins today!
<P>
Today's lesson focuses on the current state of the Internet as
a whole, the Web in particular, and how they both impact gaming.
Although the point of this book is to develop Internet games using
Java, understanding the current scenario surrounding games on
the Internet is a major first step in seeing the relevance of
writing games in Java. Therefore, with that in mind, buckle up
and prepare yourself for a journey through gaming on the Web!
<P>
The following topics are covered in today's lesson:
<UL>
<LI>The state of the Net
<LI>What the Web has to offer
<LI>Internet games
<LI>Java-based Web games
</UL>
<H2><A NAME="TheStateoftheNet"><B><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#FF0000>The
State of the Net</FONT></B></A></H2>
<P>
With all of the media attention that is focused on the Internet
and the World Wide Web, figuring out exactly what they are all
about is sometimes difficult. Are they just a neat new way to
market products or will they truly offer us a new medium of communication
that will someday surpass even televisions and telephones? The
answer is, who knows? Unfortunately, the ultimate use for the
Internet is still unknown. This is because it is still in such
a state of flux that it's pretty much impossible to accurately
predict where it will end up. However, you can look at the evidence
of what is there now and gain some insight into what the Internet
might become, at least in terms of games.
<P>
The Web as most people know it consists of a tangled mess of hypertext
documents containing text, images, and sound. For the most part,
it has consisted of static information; you can search and browse
and generate some things on the fly, but Web content is pretty
much fixed, at least from a user's perspective. A wide range of
add-ons and extensions have begun to appear that promise interactivity
and new types of media. These extensions offer everything from
movie clips and CD-quality audio to a hot meal embedded right
there in a Web page. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but
you get the idea.
<P>
No extension to the Web has generated more excitement than Java,
which offers complete interactivity within the traditional Web
environment. With Java, you have the ability to create full-featured,
interactive applications and embed them in the middle of a Web
page. It is probably not a shock to you to hear that Java is the
technology touted as bringing the Web, and in turn the Internet,
to the masses. Therefore, although the Web is already receiving
much attention on its own accord, the Internet landscape is rapidly
changing to accommodate the opportunities and benefits of Java.
<H2><A NAME="WhattheWebHastoOffer"><B><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#FF0000>What
the Web Has to Offer</FONT></B></A></H2>
<P>
The concept of looking at the Web, and the Internet as a whole,
as a medium for games is relatively new. It has been technically
possible to link games and transfer data over an Internet connection
for a while now, but that's only one facet of gaming on the Internet.
The next generation of Internet games will more than likely move
away from the Internet as simply a communication medium. More
likely, the next generation of games will be integrated into the
rapidly expanding Web environment.
<P>
The marriage of games and the Web is a natural one; like the Web,
games are very content-driven, meaning that they are very much
dependent on the graphics, sound, and other content that makes
them interesting. It makes sense to use the Web to not only browse
information, but also to act on that information. It might sound
strange to look at games as information systems, but that's really
all they are (as is all software). When you view a game in terms
of simply being an information system, it's easier to see what
the Web has to offer gaming.
<P>
The Web is a relatively stable, content-driven, globally distributed
environment. The fact that it is stable isn't quite as defining
because most operating systems are already fairly stable. Knowing
this, it's safe to say that few people would look to the Web as
a gaming environment based on its stability alone. Therefore,
you have to look to the other two items to see what's important
about the Web in regard to games. The fact that the Web is content-driven
is important because games are content-driven themselves, and
therefore fit naturally into the Web environment. However, this
is more of a convenience than a compelling reason to move games
to the Web.
<P>
The real appeal of moving games to the Web is the fact that the
Web is globally distributed. As a result, the Web has a massive
global user base that is growing by leaps and bounds even as you
read this. What better appeal for a gaming environment than a
lot of people anxious to see what the Web can do for them? Even
though it's exciting to think of people around the world playing
games on the Web, I think the real dynamic in this situation is
the idea of these people playing games together.
<P>
Even with the prevalence of telephones, interactive communication
of a global nature is still very limited. With interactive Web
games, you're going far beyond sharing a recipe with someone on
the other side of the world; you're exploring dungeons with them
or dunking over them in a game of basketball. To me, this whole
prospect is just too cool! So, if you haven't gotten the point,
I think the Web offers the ultimate gaming environment because
of the opportunities it affords for people from all places to
interact, have fun, and most important, learn about each other.
<P>
<CENTER><TABLE BORDERCOLOR=#000000 BORDER=1 WIDTH=80%>
<TR><TD><B>Note</B></TD></TR>
<TR><TD>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
You might not immediately think of games as a cultural vehicle for learning about other people, but consider the fact that most traditional (noncomputer) children's games have been passed on for countless generations. Just like stories and legends, the
games people play say a lot about their culture. Sharing games with people all around the world is indeed an ideal way to learn about other people and teach them about you.</BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR>
</TABLE></CENTER>
<P>
<H3><A NAME="WebBasedversusNonWebBasedGames"><B>Web-Based versus
Non-Web Based Games</B></A></H3>
<P>
When it comes to the Internet, there are really two different
kinds of games: Web games and non-Web games. Both types of games
can run networked over the Internet, but only Web games have any
dependency on the Web. Non-Web games are games that run networked
across the Internet but have no connection to Web pages. Furthermore,
non-Web games are typically available only for a single platform
or a limited number of platforms. It is important for you to understand
the distinction between Web games and non-Web games. Figure 1.1
shows an example of a networked non-Web game.
<P>
As you can see in Figure 1.1, the game players are connected in
a network game directly with the Internet. There is no mention
of the Web because the Web has nothing to do with non-Web games.
Players in a non-Web game are only responsible for establishing
an Internet connection and running the independent game program
appropriately.
<P>
<A HREF="f1-1.gif" ><B>Figure 1.1 :</B> <I>A networked Internet game.</I></A>
<P>
<CENTER><TABLE BORDERCOLOR=#000000 BORDER=1 WIDTH=80%>
<TR><TD><B>Note</B></TD></TR>
<TR><TD WIDTH=581>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
You are probably already familiar with some of the more popular non-Web games such as DOOM and CivNet. These games provide a means to play with other players networked over the Internet, but they have no association with the Web.</BLOCKQUOTE>
</TD></TR>
</TABLE></CENTER>
<P>
<P>
Web games, on the other hand, are platform-independent games that
are either launched from or run within the confines of a Web page,
and might or might not have networking features. Because the Web
itself is built on the Internet, it goes without saying that Web
games that are networked use the Internet for networking. Therefore,
Web games can be considered platform-independent Internet games
that run from or within the confines of a Web page. In this way,
Web games are really just a specific type of Internet game. Figure
1.2 shows the relationship between Web games and how they run
on the Internet.
<P>
Figure 1.2 shows a total of six players involved in four different
Web games. Three of the games are non-networked Web games, meaning
that the players can't interact with other players over the Internet;
the fourth game is a networked Web game involving three different
players. These three players are able to play the game together
and interact with each other via their Web connection in real
time.
<P>
<A HREF="f1-2.gif" ><B>Figure 1.2 :</B> <I>Web games running both singly and networked over the Internet.</I></A>
<P>
You might be wondering what the significance of a game running
inside a Web page is. Integrating games into the Web environment
is yet another step toward unifying media on the Internet. The
ultimate technical goal of the Web, at least in my humble opinion,
is to merge all the disparate media types present on computers
into a functionally single presence. In doing so, Web users can
seamlessly peruse different media types in conjunction with one
another, resulting in a more complete and fulfilling experience.
<P>
Games can be considered their own media type, because of their
unique system requirements. In actuality, games are a merger of
other media types such as graphics, sound, and animation. Integrating
games into Web pages further blurs the line between static and
interactive content. The real world is highly interactive, and
the more interactive the Web becomes, the more natural it will
feel to human users. Likewise, game playing will eventually become
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