The evolution of browser gaming technology presents a fascinating exploration of the history of gaming. Indeed, most of the hard-core gamers of yesteryear recall the old-school, browser-based games with perfect clarity.
Flash games altered the course of video game history forever. Flash was a 1990s phenomenon, a technological juggernaut that powered the browser-based gaming arena.
Around that time, multimedia content was largely inaccessible or grossly inefficient regarding user download speeds and capabilities. Back then, movie, game, or video clip downloads took an inordinate amount of time.
However, for every problem, there is a solution, and it is presented in the form of vector graphics animation resources. Known as FutureSplash Animator – Flash for short – it dominated the World Wide Web.
But then something dramatic happened. Adobe officially announced that support for Flash ended on December 31, 2020. Recall that the Flash platform facilitated video play on any website.
Now that Adobe no longer supports Flash, Flash content cannot run in Flash player on any browser. But why would something so universally popular get shut down overnight? For the techies, it’s pretty clear why Flash ran its course and got retired.
Hackers saw an opportunity to infiltrate websites through Flash. Other problems include full CPU usage when the Flash player is running, but Apple is credited with the major reason for the death knell for Flash.
The Apple iOS system never supported Flash for many reasons, and that’s largely what precipitated its downfall.
Besides, other systems came into being, and they are just as effective and much safer, such as WebAssembly, HTML 5, and WebGL.
Table of Contents
A Titan Awakens in Browser Gaming
A stellar example of browser-based games includes the Hit It Rich! Slot series of attractions from notable developer Zynga.
These social slot games can be enjoyed on PC, Mac, and mobile devices. For on-the-go players, it’s a simple matter to download and install the app from the App Store or the Google Play Store or even on Kindle Fire devices.
The Hit It Rich! Slot Series delivers exceptional entertainment with no money down directly off your browser. And since it’s free – because players can use free coins to play all the games online – there is no risk of loss.
Titles like Triple Lucky Dragons, Thunder Cash, Slingo, Mustang Money, the Price Is Right, and Wizard of Oz are readily available directly from a compatible browser, using HTML 5 (more on that soon) functionality.
The slots play out in HD, with 3D animation and seamless gameplay. Masters of their craft, these slots are the epitome of exceptional browser gaming.
The Hit It Rich! Series operates on cutting what’s currently available, and players are lapping it up in their droves.
Unfolding Technology – How Flash Player Came & Went?
Now, let’s resume our discussion of the evolution of browser gaming technology. Back then, web browsers served as a rudimentary means of displaying text-style documents online.
Then, they began to display complex software stacks, advanced visuals (graphics), and network capabilities.
Over the years, the advancements grew dramatically, ultimately allowing for gameplay. These began with text-style attractions to GPU-style three-dimensional games.
As the preferred medium for hundreds of millions of players worldwide, browser-based games serve as a natural alternative to console-style games on Nintendo, Sony, and PlayStation.
We see evidence aplenty of this, with massive numbers of players preferring browser technology with its attendant multi-app accommodations.
Today’s websites cater to the discerning gamer, from a social-style game to a complex MMORPG-style game.
The computationally intensive nature of gaming, facilitated by powerful graphics accelerators, computer chips, and software features, delivers on expectations.
Browser gaming has come a long way in the 30 years since the 1990s. While Flash player facilitated video gaming directly off the browser, it also had its limitations.
Today, HTML 5-compatible games rule the roost, as evidenced by the proliferation of social gaming platforms on mega networks like Facebook and others.
It is true that browsers are making a spectacular comeback, and this is largely a result of developers preferring the comfort, cost, and inconvenience benefits of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, and others over platform fees. Developers simply don’t want to pay the exorbitant charges; neither do users.
But that’s not all; it’s also about WebGL – the erstwhile gold standard for high-performance browser-based graphical rendering.
WebGL is being ousted by WebGPU, a much more enhanced, improved, and optimized browser-based solution for gaming. Beyond the basics, we are seeing a proliferation of AI and AR tools available to indie developers.
These are facilitating the closing of the gap between well-heeled developers with loads of cash to burn through and up-and-coming developers with minimal budgets. AI tools enhanced the quantity and quality of output through game engine templates.
The App Store and Play Store are Safe for Now
For the App Store in the Play Store, there’s nothing to worry about just yet. The traditional publishers remain the benchmark of excellence.
Mainstream gaming aficionados will remain with these publishers, given the constraints that exist within browsers.
It’s unlikely that resource intensive video games like Elden Ring or Call of Duty will be deployed in a browser version any time soon. But upgraded versions of top titles like Genshin Impact may certainly enjoy browser compatibility.
Our Thoughts
It is clear that browser-based online entertainment is a mega money-spinner for gaming companies and a major convenience for players. The money shows that easily accessible browser-based games are the way to go, and that’s precisely what is happening.
