Re:Show HN: WASM-4 is a virtual game console with a WebAssem...
by nkssy on Saturday October 09, 2021 @03:15AM
(#28807731)
I like it but still want multiplayer. Any ideas around abstractions to support that?
I'd fully expect to need a websocket server and interconnect etc. eg on physical hardware this might be a serial port.
Does the gamepad support also allow real gamepads or would this be injected directly into the memory map io locations?
Re:Show HN: WASM-4 is a virtual game console with a WebAssem...
by aduros on Monday October 11, 2021 @03:59PM
(#28832361)
Physical gamepads are supported by memory mapping, the game itself doesn't know if the player is using a keyboard, touchscreen, or real gamepad.
I think if multiplayer will ever be supported, it should be abstracted in the same way. We might create a runtime for libretro, which could enable adhoc netplay "for free".
* No Glue Code: If you've ever tried to write even a simple "Hello World" with WebAssembly before, you'll know it usually involves writing a bunch of JS and HTML glue. WASM-4 removes all of that, games interface directly with the system through a small API.
* Minimalist: Fantasy consoles force developers to work with limited resources. This makes them simple to learn, and easier to focus on finishing your game.
* Language Agnostic: Use any programming language, as long as it can compile to WebAssembly. Out of the box we currently support: AssemblyScript, C/C++, Rust, Go.
* Portable: WASM-4 is designed to run on any device that can execute WebAssembly, even outside of the web! We're planning a lightweight implementation written in C that will run even on a potato.