Shockwave Player

Adobe Shockwave Player

Adobe Shockwave Player is a plug-in for browsers in which developers can create videos and interactive games which can be played inside the browser. While there are a few other video players that can accomplish this feat, Adobe Shockwave is a completely free to download, widely compatible piece of software that is boasted by Adobe to be installed on over 450 million internet enabled devices.

About Adobe Shockwave

The Shockwave Director program is fairly unique in that it can publish games directly to iOS workflow, which means that games designed to be run in browsers can be run directly on iOS devices, and even supports touch and accelerometer data. This allows for access to an even GREATER array of devices and makes developing software much easier. Stereoscopy is another feature for the Shockwave director, providing access to 3D when developing games or videos, and can even be enabled or disabled by the user. The program also gives developers access to a wide variety of different shades, textures, and effects which allow for even more creativity on the side of the developer. Many other programs offer a wide variety of these features, but Adobe is very effective at compacting all of the tools needed for a single piece of software, while also giving access to a wide array of new features, and constantly updating features. For the developer, Adobe Shockwave is both a medium and a tool with many features, but these are just a few of the most relevant ones in comparison to the competition.

For the consumer, however, Shockwave Player stands at the top of the competition with a wide range of compatibility among many file types and many operating systems. Both the Windows Media format and Apple Quicktime 7 are supported as well as RealMedia support. This free program is nearly critical for a lot of systems and can be installed on nearly any device that connects to the internet, with a large number of them coming preinstalled with it. With support for HTML5, Javascript, and other common web browsing languages, Shockwave does it’s very best to cover any potential need of the consumer, rather it is a flash game, a job application, or a video on social media, all provided in a free download.

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, it’s clear that Adobe is a powerhouse, with enough features to accommodate the needs of nearly any user. If one tries to research alternatives to the software, very few even appear and many are dismally unequipped at combatting the mainstay that is the Shockwave Player. Both consumers and developers have a wide enough range of capability and compatibility that there really isn’t a need for an alternative. This software has been being perfected since 1993 and continues to this day to add more features and correct errors, all packaged within a completely free download that is available across nearly all platforms with minimal errors.