| Macromedia Flash arrived in 1996, and was initially | | | | Flash applications, and featured improved data and |
| designed to add animation and interactivity to | | | | media handling. Although most genres had already |
| otherwise largely media free websites. However, it | | | | been explored, from arcade to first person shooters |
| wasn't long before developers began to realise the | | | | to racing games, the best was yet to come. The |
| potential of the software, and added functionality | | | | recent integration of improved data handling allowed |
| became available with each iteration. | | | | many game developers to implement levels and |
| In the beginning, the focus was more on animation, | | | | scoreboards much more effectively, thus adding to |
| as primitive scripting allowed little in the way of | | | | the appeal. |
| interactivity. However, with the introduction of | | | | Since 2004, Flash games have come on in leaps and |
| ActionScript in version 5, Flash became a strong | | | | bounds, and are hardly recognizable from the slow, |
| platform for developing simple web-based games. | | | | blocky titles released just a few short years ago. |
| This transition from basic animation and user | | | | The level of sophistication continues to develop, and |
| interaction to full-blown scripting was a huge step for | | | | whilst it will be a long while before something |
| developers, and allowed sophisticated web-based | | | | groundbreaking is released, there are already many |
| applications and interactive games possible. | | | | classic Flash games already available on the web. |
| By 2001, Flash games began appearing on websites | | | | Titles such as 'Stick Cricket', 'Bejeweled' and 'Yeti |
| everywhere, and whilst early attempts were primitive | | | | Sports' are all immensely popular, and attract |
| and tended to focus on remakes of arcade classics | | | | thousands of visitors each day. The playability and |
| such as Asteroids and Tempest, they remained highly | | | | execution of a simple idea make these Flash games |
| popular amongst the online community. Despite their | | | | some of the most popular ever released. |
| initial popularity, Flash games were known as little | | | | The sites that offer these free games are also |
| more than addictive time-fillers, perfect to whittle | | | | changing; the public do not have to visit individual |
| away ten minutes at work. | | | | sites (such as the authors website) to find new |
| However, even with the basic tools in place, | | | | games, instead developers are submitting their games |
| developers were coming up with a wide variety of | | | | to massive "flash games" websites - sites that offer |
| Flash based games. Platform remakes of favorites | | | | 1000's of games for free - one such example is - a |
| such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario Brothers were | | | | site with free games, and free funny videos for your |
| highly popular, and the improving graphic capabilities | | | | mobile phones (3gp videos). |
| allowed for much more immersing game play. | | | | What are the benefits to developers submitting their |
| Although PC and console games had little to worry | | | | games to such massive collections of games? These |
| about in terms of competition, Flash games were | | | | arcade sites receive 1000's of visitors a day, so |
| already an integral part of many online communities. | | | | developers game get more hits - there's no |
| The integration of Flash arcades into popular forum | | | | bandwidth costs as the sites host the games, and |
| software led to vast competition between members | | | | there's always a link in the game back to the |
| of small and large communities alike. It wasn't a case | | | | developers website if needed. |
| of wasting five or ten minutes anymore, it was | | | | These enthusiasts are not too dissimilar from the |
| about coming top on the scoreboard! | | | | back bedroom programmers of the early 1990's. |
| There were still problems though, particularly with | | | | Many young developers thrived upon the availability |
| performance on lower specification machines. As | | | | of programming languages such as BASIC, and the |
| Flash was not designed to run games in particular, it | | | | more recent arrival of Flash sparked the same levels |
| was inevitably not that quick or smooth running on | | | | of creativity and inspiration. Although Flash contains |
| some machines, which inhibited many action games. | | | | more scripting than actual programming, the |
| That was all set to change significantly with the next | | | | underlying appeal of being able to create your own |
| version. | | | | games (relatively) easily has been a major part of its |
| With the release of Flash MX in 2004 came | | | | success. |
| ActionScript 2.0, which allowed greater control over | | | | |