Update 22nd August 2012: Release 100 is now available!
Almost a year ago on 22nd August 2011 we announced Construct 2 r51, which introduced the early adopter licenses. Exactly one year after that - in just over a week, on 22nd August 2012 - we will be releasing Construct 2 r100, the biggest update to Construct 2 since. Here's a roundup of some of the major new features:
- 60 WebGL shader effects included for amazing native-grade visual effect processing, with a new SDK allowing for your own custom-written effects in GLSL.
- Export native-performance iOS apps using appMobi's directCanvas. We've worked closely with appMobi to improve Construct 2's directCanvas integration, and now believe that it is ready for production use. appMobi are also working on Android support. See also how to export to appMobi with directCanvas.
- Export Windows desktop apps (EXEs) with Awesomium. We're hoping to add Mac and Linux desktop support in future, depending on support from Awesomium. Don't forget you can still export Windows 8 apps from the free edition!
- Ludei should also be launching their cloud build system soon as well - if not by the launch, then hopefully soon after. If you want to try it out now, you can now get the CocoonJS launcher for iOS as well as for Android in the Google Play store. This will provide another robust way to publish your games with native-like performance to mobile. See also how to export to CocoonJS.
We aim to make Construct 2 the best editor for publishing to mobile, desktop, and the web. Release 100 marks a major milestone when we at last have support for all three!
Changes to pricing
Don't forget as we previously mentioned the price of Construct 2 will be changing on August 22nd. When r100 is released we will be increasing the cost of a Personal license to $119 / €99 / £79, and a Business license will cost $399 / €329 / £259. So if you're on the fence, now is a great time to get a license! As ever, all updates to Construct 2 are free and you don't need to pay any extra to take advantage of the new export options - unlike some alternatives which make you pay again for every exporter you want! A single Construct 2 license includes it all. Stop by the store to grab a license before the price goes up.
Effect demos
If you've been following our Facebook page, Twitter account or Google+ page you'll have been seeing some pretty cool demos of the new WebGL shader effects that are coming in r100. To recap, here they are. Be sure to use Firefox or Chrome since they support WebGL, and make sure you have the latest graphics card driver to make sure WebGL is enabled.
https://www.scirra.com/labs/glass-shader2/
Glass filter demo - a shader that makes any object look like it's made of glass. Here the Construct 2 logo is made glassy, and you can drag and drop the object around to see how the glass effect distorts the background.
https://www.scirra.com/labs/raindemo/
The 'Rain demo' - a version of Ghost Shooter souped up with a whole stack of effects. Hunt ghosts in the pouring rain, with each raindrop splashing in puddles which reflect the sky, while lightning flashes and thunder booms, with some impressive layout effects for being hurt and the game over transition.
After the r100 release we'll be publishing more blog posts and tutorials covering how Construct 2's effect system works, so you can take full advantage of effects for your games. This really is an amazing feature with a sophisticated engine underneath. You can make games with effects and performance previously only possible in native games, but now running in a browser! The Awesomium exporter also forces WebGL always-on, so you can rely on these effects when making desktop apps.
Very few engines support shader effects like this, even ones which support traditional programming, partly because they are enormously complicated to implement. However Construct 2 provides all this in a simple to use interface - just click to add effects. This can give your Construct 2 games a huge visual edge over other games, using beautiful effects that are either impossible or very, very difficult to achieve elsewhere.
So, just over a week to go. Stay tuned!