What We Can Do For You?
When it comes to modern digital games, it’s difficult to imagine them separately from the internet. Even beyond web games, there are innumerable titles that rely on a web connection to deliver certain aspects of the player experience, from multiplayer features to leaderboards and downloadable items.
The gap between games and web services has never been smaller than it is now, and developing apps with internet capabilities in mind is the go-to choice for most studios. However, the world of web services is colossal and encompasses various aspects of gaming. With luck, our guide will help you navigate these waters and make smart decisions for your business.
Main Types of Web Game Development Services
While there are multiple possible definitions, web games normally mean those that run in the user’s web browser with no additional software. One key thing to understand about them is that nearly all are built with a combination of JavaScript and HTML. Thus, the process is often referred to as HTML5 game development.
The HTML5 game development process is typically split into two parts – Front-end and Back-end development. The back-end is the server configuration of the app, the admin panel, and everything else that goes on behind the scenes of a gaming experience, while the front-end refers to all the software that the user’s browser runs and interacts with.
The Game-Ace team of webdevs includes multiple full-stack specialists who work on both front- and back-end, while the team as a whole is fully equipped to handle full-cycle development (completing the project from A to Z with no external assistance or specialists). Thus, we can provide businesses and studios with individual specialists (developers, designers, PMs, etc.), as well as entire teams dedicated to a single project.
Back-end game development | Front-end game development |
| Our team of specialists can configure an efficient back-end for even the most complex game, and make it run without a hitch. Some apps (especially multiplayer ones) require code to be executed in the back-end and processing of numerous simultaneous API calls, so building the management interface and configuring APIs for the title will be top priorities. PHP, Node.js, and Python are the most popular choices for big apps, but we can make a choice based on your wishes or what we consider best for this particular project. | We have a large team of JavaScript experts in our staff, and you can count on their vast experience being applied to your project front-end. Our team will also be sure to create an inspired and distinctive design for the web game UI, help integrate it organically into the website or portal of your choice. We understand that much of the project’s success will hinge on users being able to access the product quickly and from any device, so the interfaces will be lightweight and adapted to fit any device. You can also count on our specialists to connect the front-end to the server capably, making sure that optimal performance is maintained from both ends. |
Types of Web Games We Develop
Game-Ace is a studio with broad development experience, and we have handled numerous projects that cover nearly all types of web games. Some of the most common categories include:
Social games
Social games cater to a large player base and involve close interaction between players. This may occur in the form of item trading, cooperative quests, competition for resources, or other mechanics that make individualistic play unsavory. Our studio has plenty of experience in creating social experiences that pull in lots of players and encourage them to also invite their friends and family.
Instant games
Instant Games refer to those featured on Facebook’s platform. Given the fact that hundreds of millions of users enjoy these titles, they might be the most popular category of them all. Most of these apps provide fast and simple experiences to players that they can enjoy in several minutes. Given that they are running in Facebook, many creators opt to add social features, such as leaderboards, friend invites, and result sharing.
Facebook makes the development of such applications easy with a large knowledgebase of articles, instructions, and guidelines. However, there is also a strict approval process so an app must be deemed acceptable and compliant with the rules before it can be published. As an example, we can bring up Tick 1, which features fun quizzes which users can play or create.
Casino games
As the name suggests, casino games are those that mimic real games played in casinos – poker, blackjack, roulette, etc. Gambling has been popular for centuries, and should remain popular for the foreseeable future, so this category has great business value. With these apps, players do not need to visit real casinos, and can get nearly the same experience in their web browser. They can also make bets with real money and win money. The risk and reward system is just as exciting as the real thing.
Slot games
Slot machines can certainly be classified as a casino game, but when it comes to internet-based titles, they are on a whole other level in terms of popularity. Slots demand a minimal amount of thought and strategy and lots of risk, which makes the experience exciting. Furthermore, users are often enticed by slots due to their colorful and dynamic imagery, often featuring a particular theme. For example, Rome Slots has an ancient theme centered around Romans, gold coin, togas, etc., while Maya Slots focuses on Mayan civilization.
Hyper-casual games
We have worked on projects in all segments of the gamer engagement spectrum, but are especially experienced in hyper-casual titles. These projects tend to have fast-moving mechanics and short play sessions, while hardcore titles are often MMORPGs and open-world experiences that can be enjoyed for months on end. For example, Knight-Stack Jump is our most recent hyper-casual release, requiring the player to control a medieval knight and make quick gestures to climb up to their goal.
Gaming Platforms We Develop
Apart from the games themselves, there are numerous platforms dedicated to supporting the gaming experience, as well as enhancing it and making it more accessible. This includes platforms like:
Social platforms
Websites and apps that let players communicate, livestream video, and share media have become incredibly popular nowadays. Twitch and YouTube are undoubtedly the most popular services, but there are also various smaller services and more tailored to a particular game or niche.
eSport platforms
For those who prefer gaming as a sport, multiple eSports services have sprouted up over the past decade. Like social platforms, eSports services are incredibly popular, with global competitions racking up millions of concurrent viewers.
Marketplaces
For millions of people, gaming marketplaces are the point of first contact for all of their entertainment needs. They are not necessarily linked to game sales, and may specialize in merchandise, certificates and codes, digital skins and accessories, and a wide range of other related products and services.
Cloud platforms
With the recent launch of Microsoft’s xCloud service and Google’s Stadia, a lot of attention is shifting to cloud platforms. These solutions, although requiring substantial hardware investments let users stream/play games from a server, upload their best plays and clips, save progress, etc.
Development of Gaming Websites and Portals
Unless a website is dedicated to a single game, it will likely cater to a wide range of players from all around the world. It is relatively easy to build a gaming forum, and becomes progressively more difficult the more complex features are added (e.g. live chat, file sharing, media support). One example of this is IGN, which publishes news from the gaming world, reviews, trailers and other media, as well as a thriving comment system that thousands of users enjoy.
Infrastructure considerations
The development and infrastructure grow even bigger if you plan to make a website that hosts games. It takes a massive amount of server space, CDN engagement, and back-end configuration to make a stable gaming portal that thousands of players can visit simultaneously, all connecting and downloading files. Not to mention, you also choose a good design and establish smooth performance to retain players on your site. Still, the rewards from advertising and monetization on major sites with a large and active user base are huge.
Other Game Web Development Services We Provide
We have covered the most popular web services from the perspective of players, entertainment companies, and large publishers, yet we should not forget studios, independent creators, and small publishers, which also have particular needs. There is some area of overlap between the aforementioned people and entities, and the services we refer to are:
Game porting to HTML5
Porting is the process of adapting a game from one platform to a new one. Traditionally, the concept, plot, and objectives of the release will remain the same, while the mechanics and controls may be updated. This is especially visible when games are ported to mobile or from a console like the Wii to the web. Apart from adapting the controls, the biggest challenge in porting is preserving the same level of graphics and performance in the browser which the application had in its desktop/console/mobile/etc. version.
MVP for online games
An MVP (minimum viable product) is a solution used in many industries used as a major stepping stone in development. Rather than building a project from start to finish and then seeing the results, the MVP creates a base version of what you can expect in the end product without investing the same amount of time and resources.
Essentially, the developers build the title with the core mechanics and functionality to see whether further development is worthwhile and which changes need to be made. An MVP allows developers to find flaws and change course if necessary, potential players to offer their feedback, and helps publishers decide whether to pursue completion of the project.
How to Start Web Game Development with Game-Ace
Most of the solutions and services we have listed require comprehensive knowledge of web technologies, coding knowledge, and player mechanics, so building them without prior experience will be quite challenging. On the other hand, you can hire game developers like Game-Ace to help you with the project.
We have a large team of developers, designers, and other essential specialists ready to take on web projects of any scale. Many of them have Unity certification and years of experience in creating dynamic and engaging online experiences. Gamedevs are also supported by multiple web specialists which have powerful and unique under their belts. Given our decades of experience in the industry, we are comfortable with all kinds of web services.
If you have a project that you want to discuss, potential cooperation that might be fruitful, just reach out to us. We will find the best ways to turn your vision into reality.
