With the widespread accessibility of the internet, learning game development has never been easier, because there are so many free and inexpensive tutorials out there. However, since there are so many resources, it can be hard to find ones that are worth your time, or ones that work with your learning style. That’s why you should learn from a trusted source, like MDN (formerly Mozilla Developer Network).
MDN Development Resources
MDN is an open community hub supported by Mozilla that serves as an invaluable resource for web developers. If you’re a web developer that has ever needed to comb the internet for a solution to a problem, you’ve probably run across an MDN resource, maybe without even knowing it. MDN also has a lot of information on Firefox developer tools, which you can use to inspect pages and even write JavaScript without having to install anything beyond Firefox.
Another nice thing about MDN’s resources is that they do not rely on videos. Videos can be great for learning, and for many people videos (along with interactive lessons) are the best way to learn. However, some people have trouble following along with videos, or they cannot watch them with sound on. That’s why text sources like this are greatly appreciated.
Anyways, the best part of MDN is that the bottom of each page shows the date that that page was last updated, so you never have to wonder whether you’re reading an outdated page.
MDN Game Development
While web development is all well and good, this is My Dpad, so what we’re really interested in is game development. Well, MDN is also an excellent resource for game development, especially web game development, like HTML5. One example is this great tutorial for HTML5 game development using pure JavaScript without the need for any libraries. This tutorial is one of the best non-video, non-interactive coding tutorials I’ve ever seen. It provides the code in an attractive way while also explaining everything extremely well, and the final code is provided at the end of each lesson for comparison.
This tutorial assumes you have some base level of coding knowledge and JavaScript knowledge, but it’s a great resource for, say, someone who has a passing knowledge of HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript and wants to start dipping their toes into web game development.
Other Gaming Tutorials And Resources
Even if you know a bit about HTML5 game development, MDN has something that can help, including information on integrating gamepad or touch controls into your HTML5 game. MDN can also help you with errors in your code, considering the fact that it has a substantial amount of resources on JavaScript itself outside of game development. There’s one more thing that MDN can help you with:
MDN Can Help You Promote And Monetize Your Game
That’s right, MDN has resources on distributing, promoting, and monetizing your game. These are surprisingly extensive, as the promotion page includes information on selling or licensing your game, as well as ways in which you can provide it for free with ads. This extra information makes MDN one of the best one-stop shops for learning about game development if you’re a beginner or leveling up your current knowledge if you’re around the intermediate level.
If you know a little about HTML5 and want to start developing games, or if you want to make your game even better or even start selling it, check out MDN. It’s information you can trust from Mozilla and a community of developers who are committed to helping people like you. Happy development!
