Speaking of Egretia, it is much less about blockchain and much more about HTML5 gaming ecosystem. The first important thing here is that HTML5 is a new standard that made possible a dream of every web developer, namely, the ability to create full-fledged platform-independent apps that could be run in a browser. Actually, this is already reality. For example, I rarely use MS Word, preferring Google Docs instead. Not as if I have something against MS, although I definitely do, just the former is a lill bit glitchy to my taste. Also, It's much more convenient to be able to run any app just in my browser, plus, it doesn't matter whether I open it on my laptop or my phone. And I can use iPhone or Android phone, and just as well I can have any OS on my laptop: Windows, Ubuntu, MacOS, whatever; I won't need to worry that an app will be incompatible with any of those systems.
What's even more important and impressive here is that those matters of various operating systems and devices don't concern application developers either. They don't need to write a separate version of the app for each OS, taking into consideration their various nuances and quirks. They write code that is going to work everywhere across multiple platforms, devices, operating systems, and browsers.
So the point is, Google Docs is written using HTML5. Just as well as there are numerous other apps, including graphics editors on par with Photoshop and Lightroom, sound and video editors, IDEs and many many more. At some point in the past, there was an argument whether native platform-specific apps would eventually be replaced by their online equivalents. Well, now it's possible to say that this question is closed. Online apps and software as a service (SaaS) concept prevailed, and in a certain sense, this battle is over. In other words, if previously I thought about migrating from Windows to Ubuntu, but worried that I would miss some applications I needed for my work, now it's not a problem. The last native Windows app I used was MS Word, and when I switched to Google Docs, I realized that I didn't use any Windows native apps anymore. Basically, everything I do now, I do in a browser, including editing texts and images, creating presentations, checking grammar and spelling, communicating with people, and playing games. So, let's say, the revolution is completed, and native platform-dependent apps are thrown into the garbage bin of history. And what's remarkable in the heart of this revolution lies HTML5 as a core technology, powering web applications.
Ok, enough pathos and drama because actually, the topic of this conversation is not HTML5. I mentioned games, and it's pretty hot and promising trend right now. HTML5 allows to create cross-platform games, at the same time fully utilizing capabilities of modern video adapters, 3d graphics, VR, and whatever other features various devices might have, including GPS and cameras. So, there's a quickly developing ecosystem of HTML5 games.
Egret Technology is one of the first big projects that created infrastructure and tools for HTML5 developers. In fact, it's an accomplished project, providing libraries, APIs, and instruments, allowing programmers to get the maximum from the specific devices and platforms. In some ways, the project eliminates disadvantages of the cross-platform nature of HTML5 apps, namely, their limitations on using platform-specific features. Egret libraries bridge that gap. Apart from that, the project provides a whole development ecosystem, including version control, IDEs, testing and deployment tools.
Egretia, a strategic partner of Egret Technology company, deals with another set of problems, surrounding HTML5 gaming industry. Namely, those are the issues related to game distribution, copyrights, and the trade of in-game items. Another important aspect of gaming ecosystem is the need for a single user identity. I mean, most of the games are multiplayer games, and if I don't have a single unified user profile, I'll need to register separately for each game. Also, I'll need to remember a lot of usernames and passwords. So, all in all, it's kinda inconvenient and bothersome.
The Egretia project's infrastructure is going to include both Egret HTML5 development ecosystem and a blockchain based platform, aimed to fulfill the following objectives:
Implementing unified user identities, in other words, users register on the platform once, and then they can use their profiles across all the games featuring there. Speaking of this, the platform will also bridge game development and game deployment and distribution. In other words game developers, gamers, marketers, and contributors will co-exist there in one place.
Egretia will facilitate all the steps of the game life-cycle, starting from an idea, hatching in platform's Incubator, following through the development process, supported by Egret HTML5 engine, libraries and tools, and finishing with the deployment of the finished product, marketing, user support, and a marketplace where players will be able to trade various game items.
It's also worth noting that Egretia is led by quite a stellar team, including former Adobe and Microsoft developers, as well as the fact that the startup is partnering with such IT giants as Intel, Facebook, Adobe, Microsoft, etc. There's no need to mention that here we are talking about a very accomplished project with huge prospects, and its capitalization is likely to grow. I doubt if there'll be an open token sale, but if there is some opportunity to get hold of this project's tokens, just go for it.
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Authored by: faragly (@popeye_the_sailor)
