Reviving Web Games: From Flash Nostalgia to VIVERSE 3D Worlds
- VIVE Post-Wave
- Apr 9
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 10
If you were born in the '90s, you likely have fond memories of sitting at your computer and clicking a link to play your favorite mini-games. Neopets, Club Penguin, Miniclip, and Newgrounds—all you needed was that website! No installation. No device specs. Just you, friends if they weren’t grounded, and a basic home computer. Left-click the mouse, and a whole new world opened for you to explore, play, and enjoy (provided you didn’t have to call waiting and get kicked off your ISP).
Us, too! That’s why we’re passionate about VIVERSE being the portal for 3D content in this globally shared space we’ve grown up and alongside with. Our goals are to enhance and support next-gen web-based games and experiences—to serve as a centralized hub for its content. Doing our part in shaping how we connect through games, experiences, and interactions with each other honors the platforms that came before.
From Flash to HTML5: The Golden Era and Limitations of Web Games
On the websites we used in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, Flash was the backbone of web interactivity. It powered animations, chatrooms, and the mini-games we grew up with, and it delivered rich visuals and real-time interaction. As security issues arose and cross-platform needs increased, major platforms like Apple stopped supporting it, leading to Flash's gradual phase-out.
HTML5 soon took over, requiring no additional plugins and being supported directly by browsers. It promised a "no-download, cross-platform" future for mobile phones, tablets, and computers. Developers used HTML5 to create a new generation of web games, continuing in the spirit of instant play without installation and eventually venturing into 3D worlds.
Games like the multiplayer cell-eating game Agar.io and the endless cookie generator Cookie Clicker sparked a wave of simple yet addictive casual gaming. Lightweight multiplayer and idle clicker mechanics increased the compulsion to keep playing.
However, the mobile gaming market quickly rose with native app games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush, which surpassed HTML5 in graphics and smoothness, leveraging touch controls and push notifications for anytime, anywhere play. While HTML5 was technically Flash’s successor, it couldn’t overcome performance barriers to bring web games into the 3D or large-scale era of interactive gaming.
Today, as games and virtual worlds strive for higher realism, that simple joy seems distant. Forget AAA titles; even familiar virtual world platforms require app downloads. If you want to experience them on mobile, PC, or in VR, you must download a version to each device you want to experience it from and maintain updates across each. These platforms offer richer interactions, finer graphics, and more complete community experiences but also raise the participation bar.
HTC's VIVERSE Worlds brings back that familiar feeling—no downloads, no installations. Wherever you are, on any device, just open a browser, click a link, and step into a 3D world. This time around, we're not just players; we’re creators, developers, and artists building virtual spaces and inviting others to explore.
VIVERSE Delivers 3D Experiences on the Web?
Web-based 3D experiences have struggled to go mainstream. After Flash's exit, HTML5 took over, promising "no-download, cross-platform" experiences, but technical limitations hindered rich interactions. Complex games faced delays, slow loading, and compromised graphics. Web 3D remained a concept waiting for the right conditions for widespread use.
As foundational technologies, creation tools, and sharing methods matured, Web 3D has become practical. Borrowing AI's three pillars—computing power, data, and algorithms—Web 3D now stands on three key elements:
1. Performance Boosts to Power 3D Worlds
WebGPU, a new web graphics technology, has been gaining traction. In 2023, W3C released a stable draft standard, succeeding WebGL to fully utilize modern GPUs (like those in game consoles or high-end phones).
Web pages can now use the same level of technology as games or professional 3D software (like Vulkan, Direct3D 12, and Metal), offering smoother visuals, more details, and less device strain. It's like equipping browsers with a game-level graphics card driver, enabling it to turn previously impossible web feats into smooth, high-performance experiences.
However, hardware support alone isn't enough. VIVERSE's Polygon Streaming technology is crucial for running large 3D scenes efficiently. It breaks down massive 3D models into smaller pieces, loading only what's needed for the user's current view and allowing for seamless viewing and loading without full space preloading. Effects, once limited to high-end computers, are now accessible on regular phones and tablets!
2. Open Support for Rich and Easy Content Creation
No matter how good a platform is, it must keep users engaged with even better content.
VIVERSE Worlds supports various popular 3D engines and creation tools, allowing creators of different skill levels to publish their work without worrying about how to port it to different platforms. If you're a regular user, you can use VIVERSE Create to quickly build your 3D space on the web with drag-and-drop editing and templates, no coding needed. To create interactive scenes, you can use built-in Sketchfab assets, images, videos, and external links.
If you're used to professional tools, VIVERSE Worlds offers full support. Open-source 3D engines like PlayCanvas, WebXR-optimized Wonderland Engine, and even Unity for Web can publish 3D experiences directly to the platform, avoiding unnecessary work and format conversion hassles.
3. Publish and Promote to Get Your Work Seen
For 3D spaces to become widespread, they must be seen and shared, not just well-made.
VIVERSE increases exposure through themed curation and creator collaborations by launching themed zones and hosting challenges that spotlight outstanding creations. It also features a points reward system to encourage exploration, ensuring content isn't just published but continues to flow on the platform. This creates an organic ecosystem that brings Web 3D into more people's daily lives.
What PossibilitiesOpen Up When Sharing 3D Content Becomes Easy?
VIVERSE Worlds isn't about building a massive virtual kingdom or branding itself as a digital prototype of future society. It aims to solve the problem of 3D content being inaccessible due to tall barriers. For a long time, 3D experiences were seen as complex, exclusive to professionals in related fields, and difficult to share.
As we enter the AI era, and many barriers loosen due to open standards, 3D creations and experiences will become simpler and more widespread. In VIVERSE Worlds, 3D environments aren't just places to show off technology advancements; they’re spaces that will become a part of our daily lives, like sharing videos on YouTube and TikTok or images on Instagram.
Whether it's an exhibition, a product, a travel adventure, or an online teaching space, it can be presented in 3D on the web, accessible from any device in real-time. For brands, this can extend new product experiences. For creators, it's an upgrade in expression. For everyday users, it's a new way to share and socialize as naturally as posting photos or videos.
Rather than emphasizing which labels or concepts it falls under, VIVERSE Worlds continues the spirit of web games—now in a three-dimensional space. The platforms may change, and the visuals may be upgraded, but the need to share content and forge connections via the Internet has never disappeared. Now that the technology is in place and the conditions are aligned, it’s up to us to create new, exciting Worlds.
Join Us!
Interested in pioneering the next generation of web experiences? Check out our Creator Program and learn how you can be part of developing the future of 3D content.
