I have seen a lot of the talk in the media that the Chrome Web Store is been about pushing the web forwards with just HTML5 and JavaScript.
For example, there are some awesome HTML based games in the store, such as Canvas Rider, Shredder Chess and Sinous all accessible in any modern web browser written using HTML.
It seems to me at least that Flash has been missed by the media elements reporting on the Web store. Flash is an unbelievably important part of the Web Eco-system and because of this is fully accessible though the Chrome Webstore.
In my eyes, an excellent example is Vyew or Paltalk which have a heavy emphasis on Flash and are amazing applications that do a lot of things we can't do just yet in HTML (web cam access for instance).
If you have a Flash app or game it is really simple to get in the store, and you have two options:
- You can use Appmator to take your site and create the package you need to get into the store, it literally takes about two minutes and your app is still hosted on the web and under your domain.
- The second option, and a really powerful option is to package your SWF into the zip file that you upload to the store. Once it is in the store, we distribute it for you, bandwidth and all.
Think about it for a minute, if you package your game and upload it to the store, we distribute that for you! And we also make sure that if you do an update it is delivered to all users of your app. If you had an amazingly popular app like Canabalt and that was hosted entirely in the store, you would have no bandwidth costs.
I must strongly note, that the Web store is a platform for users to discover great applications. Users are in control here, if they like your app it will be rated highly, if not then it won't be. It is important that you create high-quality apps and games for the store.
Here are my tips….. actually it is a single tip for creating awesome Flash games for the store, heck it is not even just Flash, all apps and Games regardless of tech.
Make it as immersive as possible. I test a lot of apps and games, and when I see them in a little box it makes me weep a little. You have an entire screen to work with – use it. When I see a menu bar and site navigation, I cringe a little.
Canabalt is a great example of this – it is all game.
If you have a Flash game or app, let me know and I can help you get it into the store.
I lead the Chrome Developer Relations team at Google.
We want people to have the best experience possible on the web without having to install a native app or produce content in a walled garden.
Our team tries to make it easier for developers to build on the web by supporting every Chrome release, creating great content to support developers on web.dev, contributing to MDN, helping to improve browser compatibility, and some of the best developer tools like Lighthouse, Workbox, Squoosh to name just a few.
I love to learn about what you are building, and how I can help with Chrome or Web development in general, so if you want to chat with me directly, please feel free to book a consultation.
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