A future version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer web
browser will drop support for plug-ins that include Adobe Flash, the
current de facto platform for Facebook games.

As part of a series of Windows 8-related announcements at this week's
Build developer conference, the company announced that its upcoming
operating system will ship with two versions of Internet Explorer 10:
one will be an iteration of the traditional desktop browser, complete
with plug-in support, while the other will run in the tile-based Metro
interface Gamasutra reported on this week.

That latter browser, which appears to be the operating system's default, will be entirely plug-in free, the company said.

"For the web to move forward and for consumers to get the most out of
touch-first browsing, the Metro style browser in Windows 8 is as
HTML5-only as possible, and plug-in free," said Microsoft's Dean
Hachamovitch in a blog post. According to Hachamovitch, the plug-in experience is "not a good match with Metro style browsing and the modern HTML5 web."

"Running Metro style IE plug-in free improves battery life as well as
security, reliability, and privacy for consumers," he continued.
"Plug-ins were important early on in the web’s history. But the web has
come a long way since then with HTML5. Providing compatibility with
legacy plug-in technologies would detract from, rather than improve, the
consumer experience of browsing in the Metro style UI."

While the company will still offer its alternative interface for desktop
users, the news comes as a blow to developers who depend on platforms
such as Flash and the Unity 3D engine for games. Microsoft is pushing hard
for the adoption of this Metro interface, which resembles the current
Windows Phone 7 GUI and is designed to run the same on both desktops and
tablet environments.

According to Microsoft, the Metro version of the browser will have a
"Use Desktop View" button to switch browsers for sites that require it.

Flash maker Adobe has been taking steps
to insure its survival as the web transitions from plug-in dependence
to a more universal HTML5 protocol, including building tools that allow
traditional Flash media to be easily exported to other formats.

Many of the most popular sites on the internet have already begun
offering alternative experiences for those running Flash-free browsers,
such as the version of Safari on Apple's iOS devices. YouTube famously
launched an HTML5 version of its website recently, and Facebook has been
teasing Project Spartan, an HTML5-based app distribution platform.