Flash Games (a tribute to TG Motocross)

Quick History of Flash Started in 1995 by FutureSplash, released in 1996 First used by MSN, Fox, The Simpsons websites Acquired by Macromedia in 1996, renamed Macromedia Flash Macromedia acquired by Adobe in 2005

Started in 1995 by FutureSplash, released in 1996

First used by MSN, Fox, The Simpsons websites

Acquired by Macromedia in 1996, renamed Macromedia Flash

Macromedia acquired by Adobe in 2005

What’s Flash? The name Flash can refer to the authoring environment, the player, or the application files It is a technology for making web pages more interactive by adding animation Uses Vector based graphics The authoring tool lets you create animations visually, then script when they occur with the scripting language ActionScript It is executed “client side” as opposed to “server side” Flash applications can also run in the standalone flash player

The name Flash can refer to the authoring environment, the player, or the application files

It is a technology for making web pages more interactive by adding animation

Uses Vector based graphics

The authoring tool lets you create animations visually, then script when they occur with the scripting language ActionScript

It is executed “client side” as opposed to “server side”

Flash applications can also run in the standalone flash player

What’s Flash used for? Webpage components like navigation In some cases, whole webpages Animations/Intros Advertisements Games Movies

Webpage components like navigation

In some cases, whole webpages

Animations/Intros

Advertisements

Games

Movies

What Flash should and shouldn’t be used for? *SHOULD* Movies Games Certain Web Applications *SHOULDN’T* Web pages (except for a few special cases) Compatibility problems Stray from HTML standards Promote poor usability Take up too much space Intros They take too long, they don’t allow interaction, user has to skip them every time they go to the website

*SHOULD*

Movies

Games

Certain Web Applications

*SHOULDN’T*

Web pages (except for a few special cases)

Compatibility problems

Stray from HTML standards

Promote poor usability

Take up too much space

Intros

They take too long, they don’t allow interaction, user has to skip them every time they go to the website

Perfect for Movies and Games Flash was created to make animation run fast, and be created easily for web browsers Movies YouTube etc. use flash videos instead of avi/mpeg etc. Smaller video size (better compression) Streaming video/audio Fast playback Standardized video format (forget complicated codecs to watch a video!) Run server-side, so client doesn’t need to download a playback program Protects content Games Heavy use of animation Completely interactive Lots of scripting events Small file size Easy to create Shareable High performance animation for a browser (vs. html + javascript to make a game)

Flash was created to make animation run fast, and be created easily for web browsers

Movies

YouTube etc. use flash videos instead of avi/mpeg etc.

Smaller video size (better compression)

Streaming video/audio

Fast playback

Standardized video format (forget complicated codecs to watch a video!)

Run server-side, so client doesn’t need to download a playback program

Protects content

Games

Heavy use of animation

Completely interactive

Lots of scripting events

Small file size

Easy to create

Shareable

High performance animation for a browser (vs. html + javascript to make a game)

Some Flash Game Evolutions The first Flash games were in Flash 3.0. The problems were low FPS, not much detail Then came 3D games Then came physics in games Over these advancements, the level of detail and complexity of the games went up.

The first Flash games were in Flash 3.0. The problems were low FPS, not much detail

Then came 3D games

Then came physics in games

Over these advancements,

the level of detail and complexity of

the games went up.

A-Blast Came out for Flash 3.0 One of the first games to have high FPS and prove that Flash was a good platform for games. Very representative of all of the type of games that were being created at the time Mostly 80’s arcade games converted to Flash like Pacman etc. There were also a ton of point-and-click shooter games The gameplay is essentially galaxia + space invaders + asteroids meets a top-down scroller Fly through space, navigating with the mouse, shooting with the mouse clicker, and shoot all of the incoming enemies Kill bosses at the end of stages

Came out for Flash 3.0

One of the first games to have high FPS and prove that Flash was a good platform for games.

Very representative of all of the type of games that were being created at the time

Mostly 80’s arcade games converted to Flash like Pacman etc.

There were also a ton of point-and-click shooter games

The gameplay is essentially galaxia + space invaders + asteroids meets a top-down scroller

Fly through space, navigating with the mouse, shooting with the mouse clicker, and shoot all of the incoming enemies

Kill bosses at the end of stages

A-Blast 3D This game was one of the very first 3D flash games It came out in 2002 – only 4 years ago Surprisingly bad Not true 3D… couldn’t move ship Same idea as the first A-Blast, except now it’s 1 st person The creators were recognized for creating the first 3D engine (that was fast) for Flash, and spoke at a lot of Flash events 3D Flash games have progressed a lot since then

This game was one of the very first 3D flash games

It came out in 2002 – only 4 years ago

Surprisingly bad

Not true 3D… couldn’t move ship

Same idea as the first A-Blast, except now it’s 1 st person

The creators were recognized for creating the first 3D engine (that was fast) for Flash, and spoke at a lot of Flash events

3D Flash games have progressed a lot since then

Physics in Flash Made in 2003/2004 Twin Blades Pinball was first game to have physics Important, because so many flash games have physics now Before this game no one thought Flash was powerful enough to process physics

Made in 2003/2004

Twin Blades Pinball was first game to have physics

Important, because so many flash games have physics now

Before this game no one thought Flash was powerful enough to process physics

Rigid Body Physics Rigid body physics uses a collection of point masses to determine the correct torque and direction of force to be applied to an object The best examples are with humans – if a human were to go limp and fall to the ground their knees would bend as they go down This was applied to physics games, and it is now a very popular type of Flash game The best examples are at www.teagames.com !!

Rigid body physics uses a collection of point masses to determine the correct torque and direction of force to be applied to an object

The best examples are with humans – if a human were to go limp and fall to the ground their knees would bend as they go down

This was applied to physics games, and it is now a very popular type of Flash game

The best examples are at www.teagames.com !!

Flash Versions Flash 3 was the real beginning of basic games Flash 4 began full scripting and was the blossoming age of flash games. The net exploded with releases Flash 5 began true ActionScript with object oriented coding capabilities… looked more like C code Flash 6 improved upon ActionScript, and made it more similar to JavaScript code Flash 7 was the next huge change with ActionScript 2.0 Flash 8 is what we are on now, and it introduced some significant performance enhancements, improved font handling, and most importantly for games, support for bitmaps Flash 9 will also be another leap with AS 3.0

Flash 3 was the real beginning of basic games

Flash 4 began full scripting and was the blossoming age of flash games. The net exploded with releases

Flash 5 began true ActionScript with object oriented coding capabilities… looked more like C code

Flash 6 improved upon ActionScript, and made it more similar to JavaScript code

Flash 7 was the next huge change with ActionScript 2.0

Flash 8 is what we are on now, and it introduced some significant performance enhancements, improved font handling, and most importantly for games, support for bitmaps

Flash 9 will also be another leap with AS 3.0

Conclusion Flash is a perfect technology for games Easy to do animation Fast on browsers Small file size Has it’s own scripting language Allows for 3D and physics Easy to share games Don’t use flash for websites, please. (Unless it doesn’t detract from usability (but it usually does)).

Flash is a perfect technology for games

Easy to do animation

Fast on browsers

Small file size

Has it’s own scripting language

Allows for 3D and physics

Easy to share games

Don’t use flash for websites, please.

(Unless it doesn’t detract from usability (but it usually does)).