appMobi and ImpactJS release a “game changer” for HTML5 mobile game development

LANCASTER, USA: appMobi and ImpactJS announced the immediate availability of the Impact GameDev XDK. Available as a free download from the Google Chrome Web Store, the Impact GameDev XDK provides a visual toolkit for the rapid development and monetization of mobile HTML5 games.

The new Impact GameDev XDK features HTML5 graphics acceleration based on appMobi’s DirectCanvas and DirectBox2D technologies which accelerate the HTML5 canvas element and physics emulation, speeding graphic rendering by up to an astounding 15 times normal. The speed enhancements achieved through the Impact GameDev XDK make HTML5 suitable for programming any type of mobile game.

Developers will use the Impact GameDev XDK to program a single code base and publish apps to a variety of platforms , including Native iOS, Native Android, Facebook (and Project Spartan), Google Chrome App, and mobile Web app. The Impact GameDev XDK, itself built in HTML5, makes it easier than ever for developers of all skill levels – even entry level JavaScript developers – to create great mobile games, without any knowledge of HTML5.

Since its introduction at the E3 Game show in June, appMobi’s HTML5 game development technology has attracted hundreds of HTML5 game developers to its beta program, with games employing DirectCanvas already available in the Apple App Store. “Private Joe,” a popular HTML5 shooter game with 150,000 users on desktop PC’s, turned to appMobi when its developer found HTML5 in standard mobile browsers to be too slow.

“We were already working with appMobi’s XDK to create an iOS version of Private Joe,” said Ben Chong, CEO of HotBazooka games. “When we switched to DirectCanvas, the gameplay became indistinguishable from other native iOS games on both the iPad and iPhone4.”

The DirectCanvas accelerated version of Private Joe is currently featured in the Apple App Store.

ImpactJS is widely considered the leading HTML5 canvas-based JavaScript engine. The company has won industry accolades from insiders and reviewers who have called the ImpactJS game engine the “first truly professional grade” game engine, designed by a company that “understands game development.” appMobi has partnered with ImpactJS to provide the Impact GameDev XDK as a way to jump start game developers who want to leap on the HTML5 trend with a set of preconfigured best-of-breed tools that are ready for rapid game development. Games developed with the Impact GameDev XDK will have native graphics speed, in-app purchasing and multimedia push notifications.

“HTML5 mobile games can be every bit as good as those available from the Apple App Store – and they should make just as much money for their developers too,” said appMobi CTO, Sam Abadir. “appMobi partnered with ImpactJS because, quite frankly, their game engine rocks. The combination of appMobi’s XDK, mobile Web services and DirectCanvas technology, together with the ImpactJS game engine will give even novice developers all the tools they need to create compelling, superior mobile games. Game developers will find this new toolkit to be a really compelling offering, especially if they are looking to HTML5 as a way to break free from the ‘taxation’ and fees of native app stores.”

The appMobi XDK is the leading mobile HTML5 development environment with over 25,000 mobile Web developers and over 45,000 mobile Web apps created.

This deal marks the first in which appMobi has partnered with another development vendor to bring a superior hybrid set of tools to a niche development market. appMobi is working with other specialized vendors to deliver similar tools to make development of mobile and Web-based apps as simple and rewarding as possible for developers of all levels.