Using FaceBook API from ActionScript

About two month ago, FaceBook announced it's Open Stream API (also known as Facebook Connect) that allowed applications to interact with FaceBook and replicate most of it features.

To demonstrate this, they got their partner, Adobe to create Facebook for Adobe AIR, which is an application that runs on your desktop. You log in with your Facebook account and can then read your News Feed and publish content to your Wall and friends' News Feed.

The source code for this application is publicly available and I recently took a look at it.
(UPDATE: there is now a project on Google Code for it too)

Of particular interest is how it communicate with FaceBook:


var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest("http://api.facebook.com/restserver.php");
request.contentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
request.method = URLRequestMethod.GET;
request.data = urlArgs; // a flash.net.URLVariables object


But all this is nicely encapsulated for you in the "fb" package.

Some uses would be to upload screenshots and post achievements in Flash games directly to your FaceBook wall. Or it can be used to allow easy multiplayer game matchmaking with your friends.


The source code from this application also show some advanced ways to display HTML formatted text using ActionScript (and Flex). Thus, its a rather nice example.


Also, here is a tutorial (from Adobe) that walks beginners like me on how to register a FaceBook application and get its API key, however it uses Flex instead of Flash.

The new mouse

Mice replaced joysticks for gaming a decade ago; however here is something that might finally replace them.



What to know more, check out Novint.com.

Games I really liked

Below are 10 games (or series) that I really like playing, of all time.

(In the order that I started played them)

1. Sid Meier's Civilization - taught me a lot about history and made it fun; always wanted one more turn

2. Wing Commander - great sound, cinematics and story for its time; NPCs in the game mattered; often your role was just a part of a larger battle

3. Master of Orion - deep strategy, interesting research, enjoyed designing my own ships

4. Command and Conquer - best installation ever; very polish; nice cut scenes too

5. Sid Meier's Pirates - who does not love playing as a pirate; enjoyed improving my ship

6. Diablo - dark and very atmospheric; loved the feeling of getting a rare drop; freedom to play which ever part I wanted, fast drop-in even in multilayer

7. Counter-Strike - fast action, lots or re-playability with user-created content

8. World of Warcraft - simple to get in; very polished; lots of activities to do; constant addition of new content

9. Ultracorps - only web based game that made my list; diplomacy is part of the strategy; your decisions often have a major impact

10. Guitar Hero - taught it was dumb till I tried it; challenging; great fun to play with friends



Why not list a couple of yours?

Consoles Overrun By Motion Controllers at E3

Now that the dust has settled after E3, I like to mention about what caught my attention the most.

The solid sales from Nintendo of their Wii which targeted the casual, non-gamer with their motion controller has resulted in the other two consoles (Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3) announcing plans for their own motion controllers.

Microsoft's Project Natal seems the most genre changing as it makes people the controller. Its' facial and voice recognition is also something that will likely become expected not only in game consoles, but likely most electronic devices (e.g. changing your air conditioner's temperature to suit who is in the room, blocking mature-rated TV shows when kids are around, etc). Let's hope the cost is reasonable.



Nowadays it is even easier that ever for an indie game company to make a console game. With freely available development kits and publishing platforms (of either the Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Store), making a console game has never been easier.

Time to start dreaming of making games that make use of motion control.

E3 First Look @ GameTrailers.com

The years biggest game expo is coming, E3. Here's a "first look" of some of the new information will be announced at E3.

[Source: gametrailers.com]