While Macromedia Flash was required for Newgrounds in order to play specific games, the site also brought together members who were introduced in producing flash games, and gained "considerable online influence" as a result.[13] As a result, Newgrounds became one of the most "active Flash creator communities in the English-speaking Internet" and served as a place that game developers could begin their careers.[13] Flash was once described by Newgrounds as the "driving force" behind the site.[17] Even so, those on the site had a "low tolerance for poor quality work," mainly judging humor and storytelling instead of animation, and by the early 2000s, some of the most talented animators on the site had moved to YouTube.[18]