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Video game streaming service Twitch is ditching Flash and switching to HTML5

Video game streaming service Twitch is ditching Flash and switching to HTML5

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Company is moving toward a full HTML5 player

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Video game streaming powerhouse Twitch is becoming the latest big-name company to ditch Adobe's ageing Flash in favor of better alternatives. The streaming service today announced that it was rolling out a redesign to its video player controls, replacing the old Flash versions with new Javascipt and HTML5 options. This isn't the end for Flash on Twitch just yet — for now the site's videos still use the software — but the streaming service says this is a step toward releasing its "much-anticipated" full HTML5 player.

Flash was already seen as inefficient, but in recent months, Adobe's software has come under sustained assault. YouTube dropped the player as its default option in January, switching instead to HTML5, while earlier this month, Facebook's chief security officer called for its execution. Flash has not had an excellent safety record in general, but major security vulnerabilities in the software, uncovered after the Hacking Team leak earlier in July, have amplified calls for its death.