Future-proof: InnoGames masters the leap from Flash to HTML5 with “Forge of Empires”

InnoGames is the first game developer to successfully use the open source compiler HAXE for the automated conversion of complex browser games

InnoGames is the first game developer worldwide to master the automated conversion of a complex Flash-based browser game with the open source compiler HAXE and without Code Freeze. From now on all players can experience the strategy game “Forge of Empires” in a browser in HTML5. The browser version of the successful title, which was launched in 2012, will thus be future-proof when Adobe finally discontinues support for Flash in 2020. InnoGames also uses HAXE to make all browser games in its own portfolio independent of Flash.

Game developers and providers of Flash-based web apps face the challenge of preparing their products for the end of Flash. In the free-to-play market alone, a multi-million-euro industry of successful Flash games is on the verge of collapse.

“We recognized the danger of individual titles being dependent on Flash at an early stage and looked for alternatives. We had lots of discussions on the matter and found that there was no technical solution for our requirements on the market. I am even prouder that our internal HAXE team has completed the total conversion of this extensive project in an extremely short amount of time. This ensures that our players can decide at any time whether they want to play ‘Forge of Empires’ on mobile or in the browser,” says Hendrik Klindworth, CEO InnoGames.

In 2016, InnoGames started with an internal development team on the evaluation of different possibilities to convert the browser version of “Forge of Empires” programmed in AS3 (Flash). OpenFL was chosen in combination with the open source compiler HAXE, which makes it possible to convert program code to different languages such as HTML5. In 2017, a HAXE team was formed under the technical direction of André Keller, Team Lead Software Developer InnoGames. “Forge of Empires”, a browser game that has grown over several years with 4,000 classes, various graphics and sound assets, and over 500,000 lines of program code, brought with it a multitude of technical challenges. At the same time, the cross-platform game receives monthly content updates, which is why the transfer from Flash to HTML5 had to take place in line with live operations. The automated conversion using HAXE ensured that every content update is carried out simultaneously in the HTML5 version. InnoGames was able to master these extensive challenges and optimize the HTML5 version for all modern browsers.