Developers Can Now Use JavaScript to Create Cocos2d Games on Windows Platforms

Saturday, April 11, 2015

MS Open Tech has announced that it has contributed JavaScript support for Cocos2d-x for Modern Windows. With this version of Chukong Technology’s Cocos technologies, named Cocos2d-JS, developers who program in JavaScript can now create Cocos2d games that will run on Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 platforms.

The Cocos2d-x engine is exposed via a set of JavaScript objects and APIs. When you develop a Cocos2d-JS game using JavaScript, you will also be able to leverage the C++ engine from your JavaScript code. It is intuitive, and JavaScript rendering also takes advantage of the C++ rendering engine.

To learn more, the Microsoft Virtual Academy has a “Building a Game with Cocos2d-x for Windows Devices” session available, including a walkthrough on coding, graphical assets, versioning, and monetization support.

To encourage the development of Cocos apps and games for Windows, Microsoft and Chukong Technology are hosting the “Unleash the Power of Cocos and Windows” contest to allow developers to submit their mobile game ideas for a chance to win cash prizes. You can register for the contest here.

Entries must be received by May 31, 2015, and will be reviewed by a panel of Cocos and Microsoft judges. Criteria include quality (25%), performance (25%), creativity (25%) and originality (25%).

The first place winner will receive $25,000 USD. Second place receives $15,000 USD and third place winners take home $3,300 USD each. Submissions can be either original games created with Cocos or games ported to Windows or Windows Phone from existing games published on other platforms.