Flash is an adobe writing program and although the original design did not include this, is responsible for some of the coolest online applications today. Mix that up with the extremely popular and successful SEGA mascot, Sonic and what you have is a recipe for endless gaming. The games are broadly user generated, meaning that they are built and developed by fans, for fans. Using Sonic the Hedgehog, his attributes and "world" as a template, literally hundreds of games have been developed. The popularity of the Sonic character is unrivalled. The reason for the Sonic Flash rise to extreme online popularity stems specifically from the simplicity of the games. They are easy to download, or can be played directly online with a minimum of bandwidth. They appeal to a younger audience who may not be old enough to appreciate the sophistication of more violent or complicated strategy games.



There are many that feel that the overproduction of games in general and the easy access of flash games specifically are not conducive to proper child education. This is a melodramatic approach. Unless parents leave their kids in front of the PC all day, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a few hours of gaming a week. After all, these children are the next generation. The world will require them to be competent, fast thinking and above all, extremely computer literate. Over and above the obvious benefits like concentration, the Sonic Flash games are benign. The character is a cute anthropomorphic animal that possesses various powers. Through speed and agility he is able to reach various goals to achieve the next level. These principles give children a goal orientated mindset and help them to direct their concentration on a single task. As mentioned earlier, everything should be done in moderation. There is no point in allowing the novelty of a good new game or app to pall because you have spent 10 hours on it solid. Another interesting effect of the Sonic Flash phenomenon is that it is a good basis for young and budding programmers. Once they have gotten the hang of the basics of Adobe Flash, they can, with the help of several free online resources, develop their own games. Bata testing can be done with the hordes of existing online players where the game can be refined. Although older generations are skeptical of the applications of these basic open-source activities, they forget that video game development and programming remains an extremely lucrative and rewarding career.

The facts speak for themselves. Sonic Flash will continue to grow as newer, fresher minds enter the field. New players and more sophisticated requirements will mean higher quality gaming. When SEGA finally decides to replace Sonic with a newer mascot, the legacy of Sonic Flash games will not die out. There are way too many possible worlds, powers, permutations and designs that the character can go through. Apart from the obvious benefits to SEGA, from a branding perspective, Sonic will continue to evoke "retro appeal". There will always be an online resource and a large enough fan-base to carry the torch, well into the next 20 years of this impatient little blue characters' life.