Topic

On using Adobe Flash for Glitch

I've been thinking a little about the use of Adobe Flash as the delivery technology for Glitch.   The choice of Flash, and an interaction design centered around keyboard and mouse prevent Glitch from being usefully run on most mobile devices.   Even if your device runs Flash, which most don't, the interface doesn't lend itself well to touch-based interaction. The iPhone app is neat (Thanks Tiny Speck), but not a replacement for being able to play.

I was reading about Windows 8 today and learned that Microsoft has announced that the web browser in Win 8 will not support plug-ins at all.  So no Flash for Windows 8, No Flash for iOS,  No usable Flash for most Android or Blackberry Devices, (Adobe has announced the end to their mobile flash development) so there is no future for flash at all in the mobile space. 

With all the time invested by Tiny Speck on delivering the game in Flash, is there some staff worry that perhaps it wasn't a wise technology choice and that you might be launching just as the underlying technology starts hitting the end of its useful life?   Clearly there will be access to Flash on most desktops in one way or another for a few more years, but after that, ???   How do we migrate our piggies and chickens to a safer environment that works better on touch enabled tablets?   Glitch on iPad would rock.

Posted 13 months ago by Corduroy Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • If you google Stewart Butterfield and Flash, I bet you could find some of those answers. (It has been addressed in numerous interviews.)
    Posted 13 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As far as I understand it, Microsoft will be dropping the IE-native ActiveX technology in favor of HTML5 and other web standards that can fill the same functions. I have never heard anything suggesting dropping plug-in support in general.

    But you have a point, Flash is getting a bit behind (and as Adobe is ceasing the development of the mobile Flash players, I'm guessing they will put more energy into making the Flash software into an authoring tool for the open standards for web applications as well). I guess, if development of the game had started later it would have been possible that there had been more consideration of things like HTML5, SVG and WebGL. How large a job porting the game to the more modern/open technologies would be is nothing I have any idea about, but I'm sure it's possible if necessary.
    Posted 13 months ago by Ed Cetera Subscriber! | Permalink
  • One answer.
    Posted 13 months ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • A relevant recent thread
    http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/11580/
    Posted 13 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hello Shockwave.
    And also, I shall probably be sticking with Win 7 Ult at this point.
    Given most of the sites I browse support/use Flash.

    On the mobile topic, I can use Glitch easily, but that's it. Tapping incessantly isn't as fun as the feel of a keyboard and mouse.
    HTC EVO with Flash application.
    Posted 13 months ago by Volkov Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Only the "Metro-style" IE in Windows 8 doesn't support Flash; the standard IE (and presumably other browsers such as Firefox/Chrome) will still be able to run the Flash plugin.

    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/calm-down-windows-8-does-support-flash/14834
    Posted 13 months ago by Varaeth Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Flash player is now integrated in Chrome by default.
    Posted 13 months ago by dr_loplop Subscriber! | Permalink
  • A mobile version of Glitch does not need to be browser-based - the various app stores provide easy distribution, and users are perfectly willing to install an app even just to try it out. That is very different from desktops where being browser-based is a huge advantage for a game like Glitch.

    Sure it would have been nice for TS with some reuse across platforms, but the choice of flash for desktops does not stand in the way of adding iOs and Android apps when they are ready for that task.
    Posted 13 months ago by Vic Fontaine Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Varaeth is correct. The native Metro-style IE version is likely the same one that will run on the Windows Phone version of Windows 8 and will not allow plug-ins (the same as the native Safari browser under iOS).
    Posted 13 months ago by BarryW Subscriber! | Permalink