Earlier this week, HTML5 development platform Ludei launched its new open source game engine – The Canvas Advanced Animation Toolkit.

Known as CAAT for short, the Javascript-based engine is designed to significantly accelerate product time-to-market.

To find out exactly how CAAT does this, we spoke to Ludei's CEO and founder Eneko Knorr about code snippets, HTML5's limitations and Wooga.

Pocket Gamer: What is CAAT, and how does it help developers?

Eneko Knorr: The CAAT is an advanced JavaScript game engine that allows developers to use pre-cooked code snippets to accelerate game development.

A lot of the code that developers write when creating a game is repetitive, and only the variables, scenes and animated characters change.

The CAAT provides a foundation that lets the developers focus on creativity and not mundane.

What are the current limitations of HTML5 game development? 

HTML5 graphics, when unaccelerated, are performance handicapped.

HTML5 provides a single channel of audio. Access to other hardware, like the camera and accelerometer are limited or non-existent.

Graphics cannot easily be scaled for the variety of screen resolutions that exist. All of these problems are larger on Android.

Why do you think many in the industry are currently talking down the gaming performance of HTML5?

Because game performance sucks with HTML5, unless it is accelerated.

In announcing CAAT, you make explicit reference to companies taking their HTML5 projects open source. Are you concerned that more studios will follow the example set by Wooga?

Sure. It is an awareness issue and we have to make companies aware that there are alternatives to tossing in the towel.

Wooga was not alone, just more vocal about the failed effort.

Have you had any communication with Wooga since it took Pocket Island open source?

No. A lot of people have asked us why we don't just take the open source code and make it work.

We may do that in the future, but we're buried right now with platform development efforts. We'd rather help game companies make their own code work than make it work for them.

Are you keen to see an end to walled garden app stores and the growth of a web-based alternative?

Our developers can deliver Ludei-created HTML5 apps to the native app stores, so it's not really a problem for us.

But it is definitely a point of concern for the majority of our customers. Many are looking for alternative distribution methods and strategies and we plan to help in that respect in the near future.
Thanks to Eneko for his time.

CAAT is available now from Ludei's website.