Java vs .NET for games?

[dranonymous]

pepe - I think you misunderstood me a bit.  I meant people, mostly VBers, don't have to learn C# or C to create the same application.  I can't recall if you can compile C/C++ down to bytecode.  They have something called managed and unmanaged code.  IIRC, C/C++ is considered unmanaged and hence doesn't get compiled to BC.

There would still be some learning of C#, since it didn't exist before .NET.  Once you have learned it though, both a C# and a VB person have equal access to the .NET framework.

erikD - I agree 100% that Java is more than just a language.  Its actually kinda freaky how much java is just about like an OS itself.  Not sure where the line between an OS and the apps an OS runs is.  Java theoretically gives you threads, file I/O, network I/O, printing, graphics output, and input.  Looks sorrta OS'y.

[pepe]

../.. both a C# and a VB person have equal access to the .NET framework.

Still not. VB and VB.net are not the same, and worst... are not compatible... ,
VB people have to learn VB.net which is OO, contrarly to VB. That still makes the same kind of transition between C and C#, or C and Java.
Still, marketing stuff.

[cfmdobbie]

Can't you people see that the names are almost the same?  They've gotta be compatible, and migration has gotta be easy, right?  I mean, why would they name them so similarly if it wasn't?

Yes, the family of .NET-capable languages all have a learning curve, and from what I've read VB was probably the worst off - they not only changed syntax and overall code structure, they also deprecated parts of the previous API and fundamentally changed the functionality of other parts of it.  In general there is no migration path for a VB6 application, but if you have VB developers already it does provide you the option to retrain them for new development in VB.NET.

AFAIK, C has been left out of the .NET family, but C++ made it as "Managed C++".  You'll need someone more knowledgeable to tell you what that means, though!