Playing around

with Firefox OS

meet.js Warsaw

Andrzej Mazur • @end3r • Enclave Games
meet.js Warsaw • March 18th 2014

About me

Andrzej Mazur

Enclave Games studio
js13kGames competition
Gamedev.js meetups
Gamedev.js Weekly newsletter
Open HTML5 Games portal
blog: dev.end3r.com
twitter: @end3r
github: end3r

Case study: Craigen

https://marketplace.firefox.com/app/craigen

Craigen's story

Very simple, but polished game
Built with ImpactJS game engine
Prepared and optimized for Firefox OS devices
Submitted to the Marketplace in minutes

Firefox OS

Built with HTML5 and JavaScript
Open Source, hardware platform for the mobile Web

Firefox OS facts

Firefox OS

15 countries
7 mobile operators
4 hardware partners
Aimed at emerging markets
Alternative to featured phones
Targeting low-end hardware

HTML5: The good parts

Good parts

Free
One code base
Thousands of developers already
True cross platform
For every device with a browser
Distribution through URLs
Ease of use, plugin-free
Open source code, easy to learn
Instant updates
Store independent

Available devices

Firefox OS devices

Stock: Alcatel One Touch Fire, LG Fireweb, ZTE Open
Geeksphone: Keon, Peak, Peak+, Revolution
New: Alcatel One Touch Fire C|E|S, ZTE Open C|II
New reference device: Flame, $25 smartphone
Tablets, TVs, smartwatches, etc

Types of applications

Web content (website)
Privileged web apps (hosted)
Installed web app (packaged)
Certified web app (OS)

Permissions

"permissions": {
  "contacts": {
    "description": "Required for autocompletion in the share screen",
    "access": "readcreate"
    },
  "alarms": {
    "description": "Required to schedule notifications"
  }
}

Web APIs

WebTelephony, Vibration API, WebSMS, Idle API, Screen Orientation, Settings API, Power Management API, Mobile Connection API, TCP Socket API, Geolocation API, WiFi Information API, Device Storage API, Contacts API, Mouse Lock API, Open WebApps, WebBluetooth, Network Information API, Battery Status API, Alarm API, Browser API, Time⁄Clock API, Web Activities, Push Notifications API, Permissions API, WebFM API, FileHandle API, Network Stats API, WebPayment, IndexedDB, Archive API, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, SystemXHR, ...

Vibration API

window.navigator.vibrate(200);

Screen orientation

checkOrientation = function() {
	if(window.orientation == 0 || window.orientation == 180) {
		// "please rotate your device"
	}
	else {
		// "play the game"
	}
}

Page visibility

document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", function() {
	if(document.hidden) {
		// "app is hidden"
	}
	else {
		// "app is visible"
	}
})

App distribution

Freedom

Firefox Marketplace

Marketplace

http://marketplace.firefox.com

Install from the Web

var installapp = navigator.mozApps.install(manifestURL);
installapp.onsuccess = function(data) {
	// "App is installed"
};
installapp.onerror = function() {
	// "App wasn't installed, see installapp.error.name for info"
}

Dynamic app web search

Firefox Marketplace

Market for your apps
Packaged or self hosted
Instant install button
Almost no competition

Prepare your game

for the Fifefox OS platform

It's just HTML5!
Nothing new to learn
Manifest file and a submit process

The manifest file

manifest.webapp

{
    "name": "My App",
    "description": "My description goes here",
    "launch_path": "/",
    "icons": {
        "128": "/img/icon-128.png"
    },
    "developer": {
        "name": "Your name or organization",
        "url": "http://your-homepage-here.org"
    },
    "default_locale": "en"
}