Above: Frame from a video demo of Delta Strike from Pro3Games

As HTML5 looks more and more like the future of multimedia content on the web, Adobe today positioned new versions of its Flash Player and AIR software in the 3D gaming market, rather than mainstream content creation. In an announcement touting the Flash/AIR combo as “the game console for the web,” Adobe predicted developers would use a mix of Flash, HTML, and code in creating cross-platform applications that it described as “console-quality.” The new versions of Flash and AIR will be available early next month.

New features in the programs include the Stage 3D hardware-acceleration architecture for 2D and 3D graphics, which is ready for Mac OS, Windows, and Internet-connected TVs and in “pre-release” form for Android, iOS and BlackBerry Tablet OS. Native extensions for AIR – which can now be automatically packaged with downloadable applications – let developers access data from devices like magnetometers and light sensors, and to control tactile feedback like vibration. The new versions support full-frame-rate HD video on iOS using H.264 hardware decoding, and 7.1-channel sound for television viewing.

The announcement came with endorsements from companies including the social games specialist Zynga and the independent Czech developer Amanita Design as well as traditional game-makers EA Interactive and Ubisoft.

Adobe reiterated statistics indicating that more than 98 percent of Internet-connected PCs today have Flash installed, and said mobile devices including iOS would support “Flash-based applications” via AIR. Those apps are being sold through the Android Market, the itunes App Store, the Samsung SmartTV Store, and BlackBerry AppWorld. Adobe claims that about 70 percent of all web-based games are powered by Flash.

The news came one day after Adobe announced Q3 results that executives said showed it was on track for revenue growth of 10 percent and earnings growth of 20 percent for the fiscal year. Adobe has had a strong year to date, generating net income of $659 million (21.5% when expressed as a percentage of revenue) on revenue of $3.064 billion compared to the same period last year, when it had net income of just $506 million (18.1%) on revenue of $2.792 billion. Margins were a little tighter in the fiscal quarter ending September 2, as Adobe showed net income of $195 million (19.2%) on revenue of $1.013 billion compared to net income of $230 million (23.2%) on revenue of $990 million for the year-ago period.

For more information: www.adobe.com.