Response to: Why developing an HTML5 game is too damn risky

A blog post on ektomarch.com makes the case as to why developing a HTML5 game is too damn risky, based on the appearance and presence of browser bugs (he specifically mentions Chrome as a culprit). It’s a good read to understand the Dark Site of HTML5.

We’ve had problems ourselves on GamesForLanguage.com (specifically with sound) and I understand the frustration around having things suddenly not work that worked before, but there’s a flip side as well.

When you develop on HTML5 you:

1. Aren’t dependent on a single vendor (Adobe) that may or may not care about bugs and issues affecting you.
2. Automatically can target nearly every platform known to man (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android)
3. Are working in an ecosystem where the time to changes, fixes and new features are measured in weeks not months and years.
4. Can update any piece of your product instantly, without waiting on a gatekeeper.
5. Can be pretty sure your game is going to run 6 months from and 6 years from know, no matter what various proprietary vendors do or don’t do to change direction (Remember when Flash on Mobile was the next big thing? Then Silverlight?)

So is it perfect as a platform? Nope. But it’s a pretty damn useful and a hell of a lot of fun to be involved in right now.