Is Microsoft WebX preparing?
Disclaimer: this article is a purely imagination of the author.
Let's try to do fortune telling on the coffee grounds and compare some facts:
1. At the presentation of IE9 (see the detailed report on Habré ), GPU acceleration was repeatedly announced - in particular:
1a) SVG rendering;
1b) text rendering via Direct2D.
2. At the same presentation, the word “canvas” never sounded. Meanwhile, some rumors about the support of canvas are leaking to the network.
3. There is a WebGL project that is supported by a number of browser manufacturers. WebGL is a port of the OpenGL library in javascript (well, in truth, not quite so, but not important), which allows you to use the canvas object to display 3d graphics in the browser.
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WebGL is already supported by nightly and developer builds of IE's main competitors. Since Microsoft clearly demonstrates the intention to catch up and overtake competitors in the field of support for the latest technologies, it is logical to assume that the display of 3d graphics in the browser is not out of sight of this company. Moreover, the 3d-graphics in the browser will revolutionize the world of browser games in particular, and online games in general, and this is a very large and tasty cake. With that, the competitors are somehow or other, but there is already something working.
The next logical question is whether Microsoft will support OpenGL as a WebGL if it has its own alternative technology (DirectX, or rather Direct3D as part of DirectX)? It seems to me that not; and I think it's not for me alone.
We compare: a) Microsoft will develop a library for working with 3d in the browser if it does not want to fall behind hopelessly; b) it will obviously not be WebGL; c) all information about the canvas is kept in a strict secret; d) IE9 can already work with video card, including via DirectX (Direct2D, see p. 1b).
We summarize: Microsoft is preparing its own library of working with 3d via canvas, and this will be an interface to Direct3D (and, perhaps, along with DirectSound). And, if my assumption is true, and Microsoft’s smart managers are sitting, they work closely with someone from the online game makers to submit to the official IE9 a ready-made product that uses 3d in the browser.
The positive moments for MS here are the sea. First, there is already a huge army of developers for DirectX, which will not have to relearn. Secondly, this is a blow to WebGL. Thirdly, this is a blow to Adobe and flash games.
And, of course, the main thing is the gigantic possibilities of promoting Windows 7/8 and IE9 as a platform for gaming through the browser. If Direct3D is supported only in IE9 (or other browsers will support it late), this will automatically make IE9 the default browser of gamers. In general, it seems rather silly on the part of Microsoft to miss such opportunities.
Well, let's wait - we'll see :-).
Let's try to do fortune telling on the coffee grounds and compare some facts:
1. At the presentation of IE9 (see the detailed report on Habré ), GPU acceleration was repeatedly announced - in particular:
1a) SVG rendering;
1b) text rendering via Direct2D.
2. At the same presentation, the word “canvas” never sounded. Meanwhile, some rumors about the support of canvas are leaking to the network.
3. There is a WebGL project that is supported by a number of browser manufacturers. WebGL is a port of the OpenGL library in javascript (well, in truth, not quite so, but not important), which allows you to use the canvas object to display 3d graphics in the browser.
')
WebGL is already supported by nightly and developer builds of IE's main competitors. Since Microsoft clearly demonstrates the intention to catch up and overtake competitors in the field of support for the latest technologies, it is logical to assume that the display of 3d graphics in the browser is not out of sight of this company. Moreover, the 3d-graphics in the browser will revolutionize the world of browser games in particular, and online games in general, and this is a very large and tasty cake. With that, the competitors are somehow or other, but there is already something working.
The next logical question is whether Microsoft will support OpenGL as a WebGL if it has its own alternative technology (DirectX, or rather Direct3D as part of DirectX)? It seems to me that not; and I think it's not for me alone.
We compare: a) Microsoft will develop a library for working with 3d in the browser if it does not want to fall behind hopelessly; b) it will obviously not be WebGL; c) all information about the canvas is kept in a strict secret; d) IE9 can already work with video card, including via DirectX (Direct2D, see p. 1b).
We summarize: Microsoft is preparing its own library of working with 3d via canvas, and this will be an interface to Direct3D (and, perhaps, along with DirectSound). And, if my assumption is true, and Microsoft’s smart managers are sitting, they work closely with someone from the online game makers to submit to the official IE9 a ready-made product that uses 3d in the browser.
The positive moments for MS here are the sea. First, there is already a huge army of developers for DirectX, which will not have to relearn. Secondly, this is a blow to WebGL. Thirdly, this is a blow to Adobe and flash games.
And, of course, the main thing is the gigantic possibilities of promoting Windows 7/8 and IE9 as a platform for gaming through the browser. If Direct3D is supported only in IE9 (or other browsers will support it late), this will automatically make IE9 the default browser of gamers. In general, it seems rather silly on the part of Microsoft to miss such opportunities.
Well, let's wait - we'll see :-).
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/90937/
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