What Is the Future of Flash Games?
The Adobe Flash technology has gained a bad reputation in recent years. While Flash was instrumental in developing rich, interactive websites, it has slowly been replaced by more modern technologies. With support for Flash lacking on many mobile devices, and Adobe’s announcement last year that they were retiring the technology for mobile devices, many were ready to sign the death warrant for Flash. However, even with the evolution of new technologies like HTML5, Flash still remains a critical part of the World Wide Web.
The Flash technology was launched in 1996 and the proliferation of online Flash games began almost immediately. Unlike traditional video games, these required no download or installation. As long as the Flash player was already installed, users could fire up a game and start playing right away. These are usually casual games that can be played in a single sitting, rather than long and involved games that require hours of play. Even today, web surfers love to play Flash games when they have a few minutes free.
Of course, Flash isn’t limited to gaming. Its ability to stream high quality animated content over the Internet has made it a top choice for advertisers as well. Many web developers use it to add interactivity and animation to their sites. Nonetheless, gaming may well be the most popular use. There are probably thousands of free online Flash games available today.
Does Flash still have a future? In spite of limited mobile support, it is still a staple of desktop web browsing. Males and females alike, of all ages and lifestyles, play Flash games on a regular basis. They don’t require lengthy downloads or complicated installations. They are usually free, so there is no need to worry about piracy, copy protection, or expensive software purchases. Being games that can be played in a short amount of time, they are perfect for free time and don’t require the level of commitment that more complicated games demand.
Although HTML5 can do many of the same things, the world is full of developers, designers, artists and programmers who have been using Flash for over a decade. It is unlikely that all of them will abandon their platform of choice for a new one. Flash may not be around forever, but it is not going away anytime soon. Online Flash games are a huge market and websites that feature such entertainment continue to proliferate. As long as there are still those who want to play Flash games, it is likely that others will fill the need by developing new and better games.