Here's your proverbial nail in coffin for the Flash versus HTML5 debate. All Things Digital reports that Facebook plans to spread the good news of HTML5 to all of the social game developers living within its cushy walls. The norm today for social games is to be developed using Adobe's Flash, which many peg for being a resource hog that isn't cross platform. (My laptop's processor and cooling fan can attest to the former.) This means that developers like Zynga can't simply take FarmVille for Facebook and throw it on the iPhone--that version was built from the ground up.

But no more. The former CTO of Second Life-creator Linden Lab, Cory Ondrejka, gave a lecture at Facebook headquarters yesterday proclaiming the benefits of making the switch to HTML5. Now a member of the Facebook team, Ondrejka wrote this in a blog post:

With wide adoption and industry support, HTML5 will transform desktop and mobile gaming, creating amazing user experiences that are only a link away. Already, over 125 million people visit Facebook using HTML5 capable browsers just from their mobile phone, and that number skyrockets when we add in desktop browsers. The future is clear.

With HTML5, the next step for website development that can also handle pretty intense game creation, making several versions of the same social game would be a thing of the past. In fact, Zynga's recent release of Mafia Wars: Atlantic City across nearly all smartphones was thanks to HTML5. Using this fresh technology, it's possible that social games could look no different if played on Facebook through a computer or a smartphone. Ondrejka admitted that HTML5 still has a ways to go when rendering games. Despite this, he wrote "We want to help," referring to Facebook's mission to getting as many developers on the HTML5 bandwagon as possible. And that means more social games in more places for us.

[Image Credit: Buzzfeed]

How do you think Flash-loyal developers will respond to this effort? Do you think it's better in the long run for Facebook games to make the switch or are you against it? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.