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Article

Cross-Platform Mobile Game Development – a Tool Comparison

Have you heard of Lua, Livecode, Unreal Script, Boo etc.?
By Udayan Banerjee
Article Rating:
April 16, 2012 11:15 AM EDT
Reads:
 8,085

Mobile game development has a world of its own. You will come across different set of programming languages which you would not have encountered elsewhere – Lua, Live Code, Unreal Script, Boo etc. Some of these tools are a derivative or an extension of what is available on other gaming platform while others have been explicitly developed for mobile. At least one of these platform may seize to become a game development platform and become an enterprise cross-platform mobile application development solution.

As I have mentioned earlier (here it is), there are five approaches to cross platform mobile application development and many tools are available under each category. They are:

  1. Mobile Web (JavaScript-CSS library),
  2. Visual Tool (No access to Code),
  3. App Generator (Native application for multiple platforms)
  4. Hybrid App (Leverages embedded browser control)
  5. Game Builder.

Here are nine mobile game development tools – the ordering is alphabetic.

1. Bedrock (Metismo)

  • Home page: Link
  • Genesis: Has been acquired by Software AG – rebranded as  webMethods Mobile Designer
  • Language: Java & Cross compiler
  • Version: -
  • Licensing: detail not available
  • Download: no
  • Documentation: not available
  • Sample application: not available
  • Implementation: FinBlade, Xendex
  • Wikipedia: Link

2. Corona (Ansca)

3. JUCE

4. LiveCode (RunRev)

5. Marmalade

  • Home page: Link
  • Genesis: It is from Ideaworks3D which has been into cross-platform technology and games software since 1998
  • Language: Visual C++
  • Version: 5.2
  • Licensing: Free evaluation – application cannot be distributed
  • Download: Link
  • Documentation: Index
  • Sample application: Getting Started
  • Implementation: Index
  • Wikipedia: Link
  • Additional: IwGame framework for marmalade
  • Article on how to use: DrMop

6. Moai

7. Moscrif

[Updated: 2012, August]

  • Home page: Link
  • Genesis: It was created specifically for mobile platform
  • Language: JavaScript
  • Version: 2012q2.151
  • Licensing: Free with limited features
  • Download: Link
  • Documentation: Documentation and API
  • Sample application: Video and Tutorial
  • Implementation: Applications and Games
  • Wikipedia: No
  • Article on how to use: -

8. Unity 3

9. Unreal

10. XPower++

  • Home page: Link
  • Genesis: It has background in cross-compiler for grid computing
  • Language: Basic++, C++, Java++, and Pascal++ language dialects
  • Version: 2.0.2.990
  • Licensing:
  • Download: Link
  • Documentation:  Index
  • Sample application: (see documentation index)
  • Implementation: ?
  • Wikipedia: Link

Do let me know if there are any errors and omissions in the details I have provided.

More Tool Comparisons
Here are references to articles written by others comparing different cross-platform tools:


<< Previous - Hybrid Mobile Tools

Published April 16, 2012 – Reads 8,085
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More Stories By Udayan Banerjee

Udayan Banerjee is CTO at NIIT Technologies Ltd, an IT industry veteran with more than 30 years' experience. He blogs at http://setandbma.wordpress.com.
The blog focuses on emerging technologies like cloud computing, mobile computing, social media aka web 2.0 etc. It also contains stuff about agile methodology and trends in architecture. It is a world view seen through the lens of a software service provider based out of Bangalore and serving clients across the world. The focus is mostly on...

  • Keep the hype out and project a realistic picture
  • Uncover trends not very apparent
  • Draw conclusion from real life experience
  • Point out fallacy & discrepancy when I see them
  • Talk about trends which I find interesting
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