terminology

1. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
1
Produce a glossary of terms specific to the methods and principles of Video Game Design and Video Game Terms. Using a provided template,
you must research and gather definitions specific to provided glossary terms. Any definitions must be referenced with the URL link of the
website you have obtained the definition.
You must also, where possible, provide specific details of how researched definitions relate to your own production practice.
Name: RESEARCHED DEFINITION (provide short internet researched
definition and URL link)
DESCRIBE THE RELEVANCE
OF THE RESEARCHED TERM
TO YOUR OWN
PRODUCTION PRACTICE?
IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image
and/or video link of said term being
used in a game)
VIDEO
GAMES /
VIDEO
GAME
TESTING
Demo You can demo the game without downloading or buying it.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/demo
Beta A beta version of a program, game etc... is an unfinished version
released to either the public a select few or whoever signs up to
beta test it for bugs or glitches.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Beta
Alpha A very early version of a software product that may not contain
all of the features that are planned for the final version.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/alpha_version.html

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
Pre-Alpha Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed during the software
project before testing. These activities can include requirements
analysis, software design, software development, and unit
testing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp_g9dv
qwY0
Gold The game has completed the development cycle and is off to be
manufactured for selling
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/playstation-discussion-
1000002/what-does-it-mean-when-a-game-goes-gold-26614050/
Debug Identify and remove errors from (computer hardware or
software
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/debug
I use this debugging process a
lot because the script is never
perfect
Automation The use of machines and technology to make processes run on
their own without manpower.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/automation
White-Box
Testing
a method of testing software that tests internal structures or
workings of an application, as opposed to its functionality
(i.e. black-box testing).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-box_testing
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsK3mU
5tdmY
Bug A malfunction of undetermined origin in
a computer or other electronic device.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bug
I have had several bugs in a
game that I created. E.g. my
character would fall through
the ground and then spawn
back on the ground and repeat.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
GAME
ENGINES
GAME
ENGINES
Vertex Shader A Vertex Shader is a GPU component and is programmed using a
specific assembly-like language, like pixel shaders, but are
oriented to the scene geometry and can do things like adding
cartoony silhouette edges to objects.
http://s tackoverflow.com/questions/832545/what-are-vertex-and-pixel-
shaders
Pixel Shader A Pixel Shader is a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) component
that can be programmed to operate on a per pixel basis and
take care of stuff like lighting and bump mapping.
http://s tackoverflow.com/questions/832545/what-are-vertex-and-pixel-
shaders
Post
Processing
improves HDR
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/263189-33-what-post-processing
Rendering Rendering is the process of generating an image from
a 2D or 3D model (or models in what collectively could be called
a scene file), by means of computer programs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_(computer_graphics)
Normal Map In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or "Dot3 bump
mapping", is a technique used for faking the lighting of bumps
and dents – an implementation of bump mapping.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
Entity A dynamic object such as a non-player character or item.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity
I have created buildings in a
landscape that I also created.
UV Map UV mapping is the 3D modelling process of making a 2D image
representation of a 3D model's surface.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping
Procedural
Texture
A procedural texture is a computer-generated image created
using an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation
of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal, stone,
and others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture
Physics Game physics involves the introduction of the laws of physics
into a simulation or game engine, particularly in 3D computer
graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real
to the observer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
I have used physics in the
games I have made to make
boulders fall and bounce
Collision Collision detection typically refers to the computational
problem of detecting the intersection of two or more objects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_detection
I have used collision to make
my character bump into things
so that they fall over.

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
Lighting per-pixel lighting refers to any technique for lighting an image
or scene that calculates illumination for each pixel on a rendered
image.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per-pixel_lighting
I have added light over a
mountain into a landscape that
I created.
AA – Anti-
Aliasing
Anti-aliasing (AA) is the process of smoothing edges so they
don’t appear jagged. The number associated with it (2x, 4x, 8x,
16x, 32x) is the number of samples taken to smooth it. to make
it appear smoother, pixels around an area are added together
then an average colour is found
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_does_anti_aliasing_mean
I have used this to make my
character smooth in some
areas.
LoD – Level of
Detail
Level of detail is a general design term for video game
landscapes in which closer objects are rendered with more
polygons than objects that are farther away.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod
Thi s works on most game
makers, I have used it to make
more detailed grass and trees.
Animation Animation in video games refers to how things physically look,
which includes everything from the packaging on a retail video
game, to the texture of the skin on each character, to the
graphical user interface, to the way a character rolls her ankle
when she walks.
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/413/game_art_and_anima
tion_anintroduction.php

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
Sprite a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a
larger scene. Initially including just graphical objects handled
separately from the memory bitmap of a video display, this now
includes various manners of graphical overlays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(computer_graphics)
Scene A scene is a general data structure commonly used by vector-based
graphics editing applications and modern computer
games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scene_graph
Library Libraries take care of key tasks of game programming. Some
libraries can handle sound processing, input, and graphics
rendering. Some can even handle some Ait asks such
as pathfinding. There are even entire game engines that handle
most of the tasks of game programming and only require
coding game logic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_programming#APIs_and_libraries
I have used the library of games
maker to list all of the objects
in my game.

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
UI Short for User Interface. Often related to games. Some
games have the opportunity to install add-ons to change
the user interface.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=UI
Frames Frames per second (FPS) is a unit that measures display device
performance. It consists of the number of complete scans of the
display screen that occur each second. This is the number of
times the image on the screen is refreshed each second
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/7297/frames-per-second-fps
The game I have created runs
at a smooth speed.
Concept Concept art is a form of illustration used to convey an idea for
use in (but not limited to) films, video games, animation,
or comic books before it is put into the final product.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_art
I have created concept art for
my character using illustrator.
Event Whenever something happens in the game the instances of the
objects get events (kind of messages telling that something has
happened). The instances can then react to these messages by
executing certain actions.
http://gamemaker.info/en/manual/111_00_events

8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
Pathfinding Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a computer
application, of the shortest route between two points. It is a
more practical variant on solving mazes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding