New Devices and the Java Games Profile (JSR 134)

Although J2SE 1.4 isn't included with Windows, computer manufactures are starting to include it on machines they sell. This will help bring the Java platform into new homes. Another exciting development is the new devices that the Java platform is showing up on. Java is already popular on cell phones. The Java 2 Microversion (J2ME) MIDP 1.0 API is widespread among cell phones, and MIDP 2.0 phones are starting to appear. There's even technology available to bring MIDP 1.0/2.0 to the Game Boy Advance (the JAM interactive device, www.jamid.com). It would also be interesting to see the Java platform available on a console game system such as Sony's PlayStation 2 or Nintendo's GameCube. The PlayStation 2 market, for example, is a huge market, with more than 55 million units sold worldwide. The upcoming Java Games Profile (JSR 134) is a J2ME profile designed for game consoles (and PCs as well). Some of the cutting-edge Java technologies included in the scope of this ambitious profile are 2D and 3D rendering, streaming media, physics modeling, character animation, game networking, and support for game controllers. This profile is still in its early stages, however. See JSR 134 for more information.