ABSTRACT
With the advent of ActionScript 3, Flash has started to attract a lot of attention among developers from more traditional programming backgrounds as a viable game platform. The rapid development cycle, ubiquity of the Flash Player, and the variety of tools that work seamlessly with Flash are all appealing to game developers. However, like Hollywood and the mainstream console game industry, there’s the ever-looming possibility of stagnation. For every original, interesting Flash game on the Internet, there are a dozen Sudoku, Bejeweled, or Tetris clones taking up way more of the spotlight. They’re cheap and quick to produce, and many interactive marketing agencies see them as easy fi ller to sell their clients. I know — I used to work at agencies like that. Those games have their place, but we as a development community can do better.
