This document contains a glossary of terms related to video game design produced by a student at Salford City College. It includes definitions of over 30 terms sourced from online references and relates each term to the student's own game production practice. The terms cover areas such as video game testing, game engines, physics, animation, and more. For each term, the student provides a short definition, a URL linking to where they found the definition, and a brief description of how the term relates to their work or an image supporting the term.

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:
Aiden Kelly
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 A demonstration of a product.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/demo
This means that you are able
to play the game before the
full version of the game has
been released.
This video shows us what the game will look like when released by showing us a
demo (a clip) of the game.
http://youtu.be/sm9z0WlcG2w
Beta A trial version of a game for a company. Betas are usually experimental
and often have problems with them.
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081019143302AAI
BseY
Beta is when outside
developers are usually
allowed to test the game
before released to the
public.
This shows us how gaming companies
will let you play the game if you have
already bought it. They do this so they
can get feedback on the game before
the game is released.

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
Alpha
An alpha test is performed by the programmers themselves to ensure
they got everything right in their eyes.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110119184650AAfwy7
x
This is when only the
developers of the game test
the product to see if
everything is in the game
that they wanted.
This image shows how
gaming companies want
people to help them with
finding bugs. Also this is
like a demo but the
players will expect to find
bugs.
Pre-Alpha This means that the game is in a very early stage of development before
everything is finalised.
http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/440511.page
A Pre-Alpha is when they
test the game to make sure
everything is finalised.
http://youtu.be/gNv9PbRxg14
This link shows you some footage of someone who played a pre-alpha game.
Gold A game has "Gone Gold" when the final master copy has been produced
by the developer and sent off for replication, packaging and shipment. The
game is not yet released, but it will typically be around 2-3 weeks
(sometimes less) before it begins appearing on store shelves and online
pre-orders arriving at doorsteps.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gone+Gold
Gone Gold means that the
final representation of the
game has been sent off to
produce more of the discs.
This is an example of an
album that has ‘gone gold’
Debug
Debugging is the process of locating and fixing or bypassing bugs.
http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/debugging
This means that the
developers will have fixed
certain things within the
game that they were having
problems with.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
Automation Automatically controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by
mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human labour.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automation
This basically means that
non-humans are able to
control what is happening.
For example a machine.
White-Box
Testing
Is a method of testing software that tests internal structures or workings
of an application.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-box_testing
This is a test of the internal
structure of the game.
This image shows a basic
understanding of what white-box
testing is
Bug An error in a structured system. It is usually applied to electrical and
computer systems.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Glitch
This is usually something
that is wrong with the game
that the developers usually
sort not long after the bug is
found.
This image below
shows a bug in the
game

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
GAME
ENGINES
GAME
ENGINES
Vertex
Shader
A programmable function in display adapters that offers graphics
application programmer flexibility in rendering an image.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Vertex+shading
This is a programme that
adapts the graphics to
render an image faster.
This image shows us how
vertex Shaders work
Pixel Shader How pixels on a computer screen will display. Executed from a computer's
graphics card, pixel shaders make many special effects seen in gaming and
other visually complex programs possible.
http://www.ehow.com/info_8764308_pixel-shading.html
This makes any special
effects and other visually
complex programs shown to
the user by using the
graphics card and pixels.
This image shows us the
difference between using
pixel shader and not using
pixel shader.
Post
Processing
Post-processing is the sort of "slow Mo-blur" effect of the
surroundings when you're pitching/yawing your mouse.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/263189-33-what-post-processing
Post-Processing means that
when you look down your
sight for example, it will
make the surroundings look
blurred to give more focus
on where you are aiming.
This image shows an image
before and after post-processing.
It shows how it
can add more colour to an
image than it had before it
was post-processed.

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
Rendering The graphics in a 3D action game are rendered in real-time by the
computer's video card. This means the graphics are updated so quickly,
there is no noticeable delay experienced by the user.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/realtime
To render something means
that it loads another part of
the world or map when you
look in that direction.
This shows us the difference
between rendering and not
rendering.
Normal Map This is a technique used for faking the lighting of bumps and dents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
By using normal mapping it
means that it can make
things have different
textures so it looks 3-D.
This shows us what
normal mapping can do
to chane ow things
look.
Entity
An entity is a grouping of things w ith rules or data in common. An
entity of ten represents a group of people (eg children, applicants,
stakeholders) but it can also represent a group of objects (eg
textbooks), activities (eg assignments) or concepts (eg school
terms).http://docs.oracle.com/html/E27551_01/Content/Data%20model
/Define_an_entity.htm
Entity means it is a group of
objects.
This video shows you how to use Entity.
http://youtu.be/59lWmDqwBdI

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
UV Map UV texturing permits polygons that make up a 3D object to be painted
with colour from an image. The image is called a UV texture map, but it's
just an ordinary image.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping
UV-Map means that it makes
up a 3-D image that is
coloured form an image.
This shows how all the textures come
together but you have to do each section on
its own first.
Procedural
Texture
The term procedural refers to the process that computes a particular
function In computer graphics, procedural generation is generating
content algorithmically rather than manually. In video games this means
graphic content for a game can be created by the host computer, instead
of pre-rendered artwork being included with game package.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_generation
This basically means that the
content of the game can be
created by the host
computer, rather than
artwork included with the
game.
This image shows how each section is
added separately and is also shaped
separately.
Physics A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate
simulation of certain physical systems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_engine
This is computer software
that simulates certain
physical systems.
This image shows how a
physics engine works. It
shows how the car can
get damaged if it crashed
into a wall.
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
This means that it detects
when to objects hit each
other.
This image shows how the collision
detection would work. It shows us where
about the ball will hit the wall.

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
Lighting It is a computer graphics effect used in video games, demos and high
dynamic range rendering (HDR) to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world
cameras.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom_(shader_effect)
Lighting is used to make
rooms or objects look better
or to make them stand out
from other objects.
This image
shows what a
room would
look like with
and without
lighting.
AA – Anti-
Aliasing
Antialiasing is a way of smoothing edges.
http://compreviews.about.com/od/PC-Gaming/a/What-is-antialiasing-in-
PC-games.htm
This is just a way of
smoothing things.
This image shows how anti-aliasing
works. For example it
shows how all the edges are
rough when not using anti-aliasing.
LoD – Level
of Detail
Level of detail is a general design term for video game landscapes
in w hich closer objects are rendered with more polygons than
objects that are farther away.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod
Level of Detail means how
much detail they would put
into objects.
This image shows the different
steps they take to make the
object have a lot of detail
towards it.
Animation Animation is picture that has more than one frame and manages to depict
movement of some form or another.
http://animation.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/animatedgraph_def.ht
m
Animation is how characters
and objects move with the
game.
http://youtu.be/M4xJaXLE_98
This video shows how they put together a person running by animating it.

8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
Sprite A sprite is a bitmap graphic that is designed to be part of a larger scene. It
can either be a static image or an animated graphic.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite
A sprite is a bitmap image
that is made up of pixels.
This is an image to show what a sprite image looks like.
Scene
A cut scene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game
movie) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only
limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot,
strengthen the main character's development, introduce characters, and
provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutscene
A cut scene is where
something would happen
that you had no control over.
This video is a video to show what cut scene would look in game.
http://youtu.be/aJwu2F9X8kg
Library A library is a 2D-Game development with Scala. So far it is a collection of
helpful classes, file loading, collision detection, images, sprites…
http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/10770/whats-the-difference-
between-a-library-and-an-engine
A library is an engine that
makes 2D games.
This is a video to show what a library engine does.
http://youtu.be/NBogC7V9-60
UI The definition of UI is "User Interface"
http://www.internetslang.com/UI-meaning-definition.asp
The User Interface is what is
shown on the screen. This is
usually to show how much
health you have or how fast
you are driving.
This is an image to
show what the UI
shows on screen.
Frames Frames per second (FPS) is a unit that measures display device
performance.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/7297/frames-per-second-fps
FPS is how smooth the game
runs when running the
game.
This is a video to show what frames per second does when in a game.
http://youtu.be/utQEUKMojRY

9. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
9
Concept
An idea or invention to help sell or publicize a commodity.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=gioogle&oq=gioogle&aqs=chrome..6
9i57j69i60l3j0l2.640j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-
8#q=define:+concept+
An idea that you have
developed from a game that
you have been playing.
This is a video that show an example of a concept game.
http://youtu.be/wmMXXC_TdU0
Event Occurrence happening at a determinable time and place, with or without
the participation of human agents.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/event.html
An event is something that
takes place at a venue that
shows things off.
This is an image to show what
a gaming event that would
look like.
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.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=the+dfinition+f+Pathfinding&oq=the
+dfinition+f+Pathfinding&aqs=chrome..69i57.4515j0j7&sourceid=chrome
&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8#q=the+definition+of+Pathfinding&spell=1
Path finding is where it finds
a path around an object or
finds a way through a maze.
This is an image showing
how path finding would
work.