It's also needed for certain types of interactivity. Complex games with scripted actions, for instance, can't (yet) be done in pure HTML.
You're right of course... which is why i highlighted 'vital' (as online games aren't such for me).
If someone wants to play interactively, or shop at a website with fancy wiggling special effects... let THEM download flash. The rest of us news-watchers and you-tubers should be free to enjoy basic (normal) video, delivered via some standard protocol, etc.
