Adobe Shockwave Player: Browser Plug-In for Multimedia Content
If you want to play online games in your browser, there's a good chance you'll need Adobe Shockwave Player, which is an essential gaming plug-in. This player allows you to view both Shockwave and Flash content over the Web, making it a good solution if you've been having problems with your Flash plugin. Adobe Shockwave Player is compatible with all major web browsers including Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer.
Installation is very quick, and you should be seeing content within a few seconds of restarting your browser. However, compared to Flash, Shockwave is quite resource heavy. Unfortunately, Adobe has not yet created a 64-bit version, which may disappoint users of Snow Leopard. Those using Safari in Snow Leopard have no choice but to run in 32-bit, which is unacceptable from a company like Adobe.
Despite its drawbacks, Adobe Shockwave Player remains an essential download for those who love online gaming.