Unity vs Flash vs HTML5

What is your opinion of Unity vs Flash vs HTML5?

Adobe Flash may be used for a lot of cute little addictive games, but it is getting phased out.

I thought Adobe was still a big company. You still see Adobe Reader and PDFs everywhere.

Adobe Flash has almost as many security holes as Java but far more alternatives like Microsoft Silverlight.

Microsoft is phasing out Silverlight.

Both are getting replaced by HTML5.

I know HTML5 is the standard for web design, removing a lot of elements for the appearance of a website and replacing it with cascading style sheets instead. I do not know if that’s an improvement, though.

From a web design standpoint, replacing all the CSS sheets for the website in one mass replacement is way easier than editing the font and colors on each page.

But what do you think of HTML5 in terms of game development?

Unlike Adobe Flash, HTML5 games will work on all mobile phones that can handle a webpage. That alone makes it a serious contender for mobile gaming.

While mobile is everywhere, it is not everything.

HTML5 is a good thing to get into just because there are so many resources on how to create the websites, link to scripts on the servers or embed JavaScript code in the page for a faster game load.

You make it sound like HTML5 is easy to use.

Khan Academy has free online lessons on how to create HTML5 code and games, in conjunction with JavaScript. If teenagers can learn how to create platform-agnostic games with HTML5 as a distraction from algebra, you can figure it out.

That puts HTML5 above Adobe Flash, then. How does it compare to Unity?

Unity costs more.

HTML5 does not cost anything.

Free is a big point in HTML5’s favor. Heck, many of the lessons on sites like Khan Academy are free, too.

How does Unity compare on performance? Sometimes you do get what you pay for.

Unity is much easier to use than say CryEngine, but it is a little harder to use than HTML5.

HTML5 has the added bonus of being easier to use if you already know HTML and the mass of free code online.

Unity lets you import advanced graphics, skins and landscapes from things like Maya, Blender, Cinema 4D and almost anything else.

If I have to learn how to use all those tools to do anything in Unity, that’s beyond me.

Of the tools you listed, use HTML5 for the cute little 2D games to rival Bejeweled and Pong. Use Unity for the big stuff like first person shooters and adventure games.

Then Unity’s strength is that I can use it for everything, assuming I can learn it.

Go take the HTML5 lessons on Khan Academy, and you can graduate to Unity when you can afford it.