Confessions of a Flash Game Developer

Well you see Flash, you and I have been together over a decade now. We’ve had good times and bad times, we’ve tried just about everything together. Not many people know you like I do.

We’ve gone from as1 to as2 and now to AS3. We started out making interactive content and websites way back when, but I grew restless and bored, always looking for the next big challenge and pushing the envelope and my skills. Several years ago we decided to focus our relationship on one purpose, to make games together.

We implemented collision detection, physics together and even brought back blitting. Things were going really good for a while. 3D even started to become possible and then you upgraded yourself to CS4, I was giddy with excitement with your new changes. A new animation system, a z axis, pixel bender … I though I had it all, and then one night…I met Unity.

I had seen Unity around before, but was a little intimated to talk at first. You see, I’d spent my whole life in 2D and on occasion I could fake 3D pretty well too, but this was a whole new ball game.

When you and I built a game, we did it one hack at a time. You know Flash, you can do just about anything for me, if I’m patient, persistent and just don’t take no for an answer.

With Unity it’s a completely different experience. When I want to try something with Unity, I don’t need to hack it, Unity has APIs and tools that know what I want and how to get the job done. I just think about the kind of game I want to build and things just seem to flow and fall into place. If I have a hunch on how to do something in Unity, more often then not my intuition is correct. Need collision detection, no problem, want physics, just ask for it.

I’m so used to fighting for every inch of ground when I build games with you Flash and because we have been together so long, I know how to bend you, I know how when you’ll break. We always win the war, but I takes a lot out of us. With I’m with Unity, I just don’t have to fight to get things done all the time.

Flash, I still remember when you and I first fell in love, and I still have strong feelings for you, but I feel alive again when I’m with Unity…like the good old days with you.

I’m not giving up on you Flash. I am not saying goodbye, but I need to be honest with you, I think I’m falling in love again, but with someone else. I hope you’ll understand and I hope we can stay friends.