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How We Rebuild the Creative Playground That Flash Took to the Grave

Remember when Flash ruled the web, and you could build mind-bending interactive experiences without battling WebGL shaders, fighting scene graph hierarchies, or summoning dark forces to debug matrix transformations? Good times.   

Now, 3D web development is back—with WebXR, Three.js, and WebGPU leading the charge—but where’s the tooling to match? 

In this talk, we’ll explore how modern devs can reclaim the golden age of interactive 3D without losing their sanity, diving into the pain points of today’s workflows and the solutions that are making immersive development fun again.

This talk has been presented at JSNation 2025, check out the latest edition of this JavaScript Conference.

FAQ

Flash was a runtime and creative development environment for delivering interactive web experiences, notable for enabling animations, games, and videos on web pages at a time when browsers could only handle text and images. It significantly influenced internet history by providing entertainment and innovative web experiences for a generation.

Flash became obsolete due to several factors: security vulnerabilities, lack of responsiveness for mobile devices, and the shift of content creators to mobile app stores. The iPhone's lack of Flash support and advancements in web technologies like HTML5 also contributed to its decline.

Security issues were a major factor in Flash's demise. It was initially deployed with ActiveX on Windows, which had vulnerabilities allowing malicious code execution. Over time, security concerns persisted, making it difficult for Flash to remain viable in a web environment.

HTML5 and modern web technologies replaced Flash by providing similar functionalities with greater security and compatibility. Technologies like the Canvas element, WebGL for 3D graphics, and improved scripting environments enabled developers to create interactive web experiences without the need for Flash.

MatterCraft is a modern content development tool created by Zapper, designed to build interactive web experiences using contemporary web technologies. It carries forward Flash's legacy by providing a creative environment with animation, scripting, and modularity features, optimized for the web with no need for external installations.

Flash didn't work well on mobile devices because it wasn't designed to be responsive. Its fixed-size canvas and lack of support on iPhones meant it couldn't adapt to different screen sizes, leading developers to seek alternative platforms like native mobile apps.

During its heyday, Flash was used for a wide range of applications, including online games, interactive web experiences, and streaming video services. It powered popular platforms like YouTube for video streaming and was integral to many online gaming sites.

The community was disappointed and mournful when Adobe declared Flash end of life in 2020. Many communities that had grown around Flash-based content, such as Miniclip and Congregate, were saddened by the loss of this pioneering platform.

Progressive complexity allows users to start creating content with basic features and gradually use more advanced functionalities as needed. Both Flash and MatterCraft support this concept, enabling beginners to create simple experiences and advanced users to develop complex interactive content.

Flash played a significant role in online video streaming by being the technology behind platforms like YouTube until 2015. It allowed videos to be streamed over the web, which was a critical development in the evolution of internet media consumption.

VR and AR

Connell Gauld

20 min

16 Jun, 2025

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Video Summary and Transcription

Conall, CTO at Zapper, pays tribute to Flash, highlighting its impact on internet history and accessibility to entertainment. The discussion covers Flash's legacy, technical features, demise due to mobile responsiveness issues, and the rise of HTML5 as its successor. The evolution of web technologies post-Flash is explored, focusing on tools like MatterCraft that bridge runtime and development environments. MatterCraft revolutionizes content creation by offering scripting in TypeScript or JavaScript, enhanced modularity, and features like real-time preview and AI assistance for seamless development.

Available in Español: Cómo Reconstruimos el Patio de Juegos Creativo Que Flash Llevó a la Tumba

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