Frequently Asked Questions (for developers)

Why would anyone wanna create a Blu-Play game?

If you like Java, have an interest in homebrew game development on limited restricted platforms, and would love to see your game run on these game consoles - without needing to hack or mod anything, then Blu-ray Disc Java (BD-J) is exactly what you want!

Does running Blu-Play games require my players to mod or hack or exploit their console?

No. Absolutely no modding or hacking is necessary to run Blu-Play games. The consoles were designed for this!

(There is an advantage in owning a jailbroken PS3 though, because it lets you run Blu-Play games from harddisk, which means you don't need to burn a disc. But that is not related specifically to Blu-Play).

Do I need a license to create Blu-Play games?

No. Anyone can write a Blu-Play game. And you are encouraged to use the Blu-Play logo for any Blu-ray Disc Java game you make.

If you wish to use the Blu-ray Disc logo though, then you need to sign a Logo License Agreement (LLA) with The Blu-ray Disc Association. But there's really no need to have the Blu-ray Disc logo on your disc. If you absolutely feel the need to indicate that it's a Blu-ray disc, then you are allowed to put "Blu-ray Disc TM". More info

What do I need to create a Blu-Play game?

Apart from Java programming skills, you need the BDJ.jar file to compile against. This BDJ.jar file has been put together by multiple Java stubs from different companies. Proper protocol dictates that you're supposed to download these stubs from various sites, and create your own BDJ.jar file. Unfortunately this is no longer possible, because many of the stubs seems to have vanished from the Internet over the years.

Tom has managed to find some of them in newer times, and he wrote a guide here on how to obtain them. But 3 of them are still missing.

Luckily the BDJ.jar file can be obtained from other places as well, such as the Minimal SDK from the tools and links section. It can also be found bundled with software media players such as PowerDVD.

Do I need a license to sell my Blu-Play games?

No. It is your property, and you can do with it as you see fit. Just as if you had recorded your guitar skills on a CD. Or if you were a wedding photographer selling your work on a DVD or Blu-ray Disc.

Do I need to pay anything at all to do this?

Well, you need to pay for whatever books you wanna study, and whatever equipment you want.

What platforms does Blu-Play games run on?

In short: All platforms that feature a Blu-ray player. See Platforms for a detailed overview.

Where can I find help with development?

Check the links in the tools and links section. Visit the community forum. Join the chat.

I wanna make homebrew for the consoles, but not BD-J. What are my alternatives?

For non-jailbroken consoles, you can make HTML5/Javascript games and run them in the browser. The browser also supports Flash / Flex games. But common for both of these platforms is that they run rather slow. So if you want to use this approach, you should aim for games that can settle for very slow framerates.

For jailbroken consoles you can dive into native homebrew.