Adobe Systems has announced Adobe Flash Player 11 and Adobe AIR 3 software (video posted below), which will power the next generation of immersive application experiences across devices and platforms including Android, Apple iOS (via AIR), BlackBerry Tablet OS, Mac OS, Windows, and  web-connected TVs.

According to the company, Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 allow game publishers to instantly deliver console-quality 2D and 3D games over the internet, to nearly all PCs as well as many other devices. Media companies can take advantage of new features to produce protected feature-length, cinema-quality HD video through the web, in mobile apps and even with surround sound for connected TVs.

Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 provide a cross-device entertainment platform, enabling online gaming and premium video, whilst also assisting content publishers to reach the broadest possible audience. Adobe stated that Flash Player is supported on over 98% of internet connected PCs available today and by the end of 2011, the company expects more than 200 million smartphones and tablets (including Apple iOS devices) to support Flash-based applications via Adobe AIR.

By the end of 2015, the number of devices that will support Adobe AIR is expected to increase to 1 billion. Adobe Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 will be launching in early October.

Flash Player 11 and AIR 3 offer many new features including:

• Accelerated 2D/3D graphics: Full hardware-accelerated rendering for 2D and 3D graphics enable 1000 times faster rendering performance over Flash Player 10 and AIR 2. Developers are able to animate millions of objects with smooth 60 frames per second rendering and deliver console-quality games on Mac OS, Windows and connected televisions. A pre-release brings these same accelerated 2D and 3D capabilities to mobile platforms including Android, Apple iOS and BlackBerry Tablet OS, with a production release for mobile platforms expected in the near future.
• AIR native extensions: With support for thousands of highly-optimised, open-source libraries, developers are able to tap into unique software and hardware capabilities including access to device data, vibration control, magnetometers, light sensors, dual screens, and near field communications (NFC). Native extensions also allow developers to more deeply integrate AIR applications with other business software.
• Captive runtime: Developers can automatically package AIR 3 with their applications to simplify the installation process on Android, Windows and Mac OS in addition to Apple iOS. Users no longer have to download and update AIR separately on any of these platforms, or BlackBerry Tablet OS, which includes AIR built in. Using the captive runtime option developers can manage version updates to their application independent of general AIR updates by Adobe.
• Content protection: Premium video content can now be protected using Adobe Flash Access 3 across all supported platforms, including new support for mobile platforms.
• HD video quality across platforms: Full frame rate HD video can now be displayed within AIR applications on Apple iOS devices using H.264 hardware decoding. Rich applications on TVs are also able to deliver HD video with 7.1 channel surround sound.
• Rental and subscriptions support: With support for Adobe Flash Access and Adobe Pass, content publishers can take advantage of rental and subscription options for more flexible business models and offer TV Everywhere content to over 80% of US pay TV subscribers.
• Compatibility: 64-bit support on Linux, Mac OS and Windows ensures a seamless experience with the latest 64-bit browsers.

“With this milestone release Adobe pushes the envelope of what is possible on the web with a typical PC and opens up a new world of immersive, high-performance gaming experiences,” said Danny Winokur, vice president and general manager of Platform for Adobe.

“Flash offers the best way for content owners to deliver their most demanding experiences, including games, premium video and sophisticated data-driven apps, to all of their users, while HTML 5 tools such as Adobe Edge and Dreamweaver are ideal for building interactive web pages, rich ads, branded microsites and general-purpose mobile applications.”