View source for Engagement/Developer Engagement/Gaming Plan

It is obvious that Mozilla already had a vested interest in open Web games regardless of whether that interest has been a deliberate decision or not.

There are a variety of projects that already exist and relate to open Web games either directly (Paladin) or indirectly (BrowserID, Web Apps, etc), as well as multiple members of staff who are passionate about gaming on the Web but who might not necessarily be working on related projects.

Open Web games are also an excellent way for developers to learn how to use a variety of technologies in a single, fun project. They are a great way for us to reach out to developers about new technologies and APIs through speaking, documentation, and demonstration. In a nutshell, everyone understands games.

On a platform level, the technologies involved in open Web games are tightly connected to those that are required for our other initiatives, like Boot to Gecko, WebAPIs, and Web Apps. A focus on games is important because they are massively popular and allow us to demonstrate and show off our platform to a large number of developers in a very engaging way.

On a competitor level, many other browser vendors are putting effort into gaming on the Web. For example, Google Chrome has an entire team of Game Developer Advocates, and as a company they have been putting a lot of time into reaching out to large games like Angry Birds to forge case studies for their app store.

We don't have the money and resources that Google does, but we certainly have the opportunity to make a difference in the areas that they are failing in or simply ignoring. One such area is making sure that the open nature of gaming on the Web is placed first and foremost. Google aren't really spending much time on this and it's important for someone like Mozilla to make a stand here for the benefit of the Web. We are one of the only organisations that can and would do this.

== Audience ==

* Both large game studios (EA, etc) and indie developers
* Traditional non-JavaScript game developers (console, Flash, etc)
* Web developers looking to create games (it's a great way to learn)
* JavaScript game developers wanting to stay up-to-date

== Previous plan and the current problem ==

Right now there is no consistent plan in regards to open Web games, both with Mozilla as a whole nor the Developer Engagement team specifically. Our outreach is random and usually undertaken through personal interest rather than as a result of commitment and goals set by Mozilla.

The distributed and disconnected nature of the projects within Mozilla that relate to open Web games makes it difficult to keep on top of what is going on and how everything ties together.

== Goals to solve the current problem ==

''These goals need metrics attached that we can measure, where possible''

* Better awareness of what projects exist at Mozilla that relate to open Web games
* Better communication between the developer community, project developers, and Developer Engagement on updates and issues that affect Mozilla's position on open Web games
* More blog posts on Hacks from project developers that explain, educate, and answer questions about our efforts related to open Web games (Paladin, Gamepad API, Mouse Lock API, etc)
* More game-related demos showcasing both the technologies that we're working on as well as the ones that we already support (Full Screen API, Gamepad API, BrowserID, etc)
* More documentation on MDN outlining how to use HTML5 and related technologies for open Web games (including seemingly unrelated things like BrowserID, Web Apps, etc)
* Make more people aware of Mozilla's efforts and projects related to open Web games (amongst developers and the media)
* Better awareness and documentation of the efforts and subsequent media exposure of our competitors
* More media exposure of our efforts relating to open Web games
* Better outreach to game developers that we can work with for promotion, the app store, or education
* Active and regular involvement within the W3C Games Community Group

== Strategy to solve the current problem ==

* Targeted attendance and participation in game-related events
** Prioritising events with an audience not already aware of the idea of game development with open Web technologies
** However, still including &quot;safe&quot; events where the audience are already receptive and using them to educate, demonstrate and to drum up discussion within the community
** Sending the relevant developers to events as well as or rather than going as Developer Engagement

* Proactive press releases relating to our new APIs and projects, with separate releases for:
** Consumers of games and how these technologies will provide better, faster, insert-positive-word-here games for them to play
** Developers of games and how these technologies will help them reach out to more people and make more money

* Series' of documentation on MDN and posts on Hacks that cover the various aspects of game development, with a focus on open technologies
* Documentation on MDN and posts on Hacks that help normal front-end developers learn how to create games using the same programming languages they use to create websites
* Regular &quot;State of Gaming&quot; updates posted to Hacks and the W3C Game Community Group that outline the current status and future progression of open Web game-related efforts within Mozilla
* Specific, reliable, and regular channels of communication between Developer Engagement and the developers working on game-related projects
* Use existing games, both hobbyist and professional, as case studies to show off the technologies behind open Web gaming and Web Apps