Details from the Nintendo Web Framework GDC Europe 2013 panel
Nintendo hosted a panel on its Nintendo Web Framework technology at GDC Europe 2013 earlier today. An overview of what was shared during the event – including the confirmation that Glandarius Wing Strike is coming to Wii U – can be found below.
– Goal of the tech is to provide web game developers with a simple method of releasing their Javascript and HTML5 games on Wii U with little alteration to their core source code
– Essentially allows devs to copy and paste their games on Wii U
– jQuery, Underscore and Handlebars have been tested with the software
– Renderers and artistic tools like Processing.js and pixi.js have been tested as well
– Animation and utility libraries like Tween have also been tested for the hardware
– Kit libraries had the biggest focus at today’s panel, specifically Impact and Enchant
– Impact rep showed how quickly a game programmed in Javascript could be iterated upon using the Wii U dev kit and Web Framework software
– Sample game was an 8-bit platformer featuring elements divided into discrete layers, collision boxes, art assets and effects
– Game was loaded using the Framework software and then appeared on the networked Wii U devkit, with the GamePad showing important statistics and debug options for the software
– The demo handler showed how valuable a tool the GamePad could be in this method, activating and deactivating layers to go under the game’s hood, ensuring everything was working in a live environment
– Games running through the Framework can be compiled very quickly on Wii U
– Second demo showed how many elements could run on screen through the Framework
– Was a bullet-hell shooter, which rendered thousands of enemy bullets without causing a single framerate stutter
– Only took a week for the dev to create this project, ported and running on Wii U
– Second dev kit library Enhance wasn’t demonstrated during the panel
– The iOS game Glandarius Wing Strike, developed with the language, is in development for Wii U using the Nintendo Web Framework
– Devs using the Framework can access all GamePad functions (touch display, gyroscope, internal speaker, etc.)
– Can also publish their games to the eShop using the same guidelines as a traditional developer
– Such devs can set their own release date and price, bypass any concept approvals and post updates to the game (or post-launch DLC) without paying any certification fees
