Game Engine Terminology Glossary

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:
Joshua
Ridett
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 or
technique.
https ://www.google.co.uk/search?q=defini
tion%3A+demo&oq=definition%3A+demo
&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58.11208j0j7&sou
rceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8
When a game I am making nears
compl etion I may desire for i t to be
tes ted or shown to the public. A demo of
the game would be the easiest way to
accomplish this.

IG2 Task 1
2
Beta Beta is usually a trial version of a game for
a company. Betas are usually experimental
and often have problems w/ them.
https ://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/in
dex?qid=20081019143302AAIBseY
After an alpha test I may want a larger
volume of people to test a more
compl ete, more stable game. When the
game reaches a near complete stable
bui ld I may want to do a beta test. A beta
tes t would have people playing through
the game and seeing i f there are any
minor bugs that need addressing before
the complete launch. It would also be a
good way to see how the public react to
the game and how they feel about where
i t s tands.
Alpha The alpha phase of the release life cycl e is
the fi rst phase to begin software testing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_rele
ase_life_cycle#Alpha
An alpha is the first point at which I
would either release the game then
continue updating i t, or invite people to
perform an alpha test to see what needs
changing (if anything) and if there are
any obvious bugs
http://wccftech.com/leaked-destiny-alpha-gameplay-appears-internet/
Article link
Pre-Alpha Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed
during the software project before testing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_rele
ase_life_cycle#Pre-alpha
? http://kotaku.com/http-www-youtube-com-watch-v-dzmqr-pcbocpre-alpha-
gam-1540267288
Article & Video link

IG2 Task 1
3
Gold A game has "Gone Gold" when the final
mas ter copy has been produced at the
developer and sent off for replication,
packaging and shipment.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p
hp?term=Gone%20Gold
?
Debug Identify and remove errors from computer
hardware or software.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/def
ini tion/american_english/debug
If the software that my game utilizes
s tops working for some reason, a debug
program will be needed to fix the
problem.

IG2 Task 1
4
Automation The technique of making an apparatus, a
process, or a system operate automatically
http://www.merriam-webs
ter.com/dictionary/automation
White-Box Testing White-box testing i s verification technique
software engineers can use to examine if
thei r code works as expected.
http://agile.csc.ncsu.edu/SEMaterials/Whit
eBox.pdf
A game may be wanted to pass through a
white-box test to see if the code
functions as it is meant to before more
progress is made.
Bug A bug, also referred to as a software bug, is
an error or flaw in a computer program
that may prevent i t from working correctly
or produces an incorrect or unintended
result.
http://www.metaboli.co.uk/gaming-
In the early s tages of my game there will
be bugs that must be dealt with. Some
bugs will be easy to identify whilst others
wi l l be more subtle.
http://culturedvultures.com/wp-content/
uploads/2014/08/ikfmGW73AeBn0.gif

IG2 Task 1
5
dictionary/defnition-of-bug.htm
GAME
ENGINES
Vertex Shader A programmable function in display
adapters that offers a graphics application
programmer with flexibility in rendering an
image.
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.co
m/Vertex+shading
Vertex shading is a realistic shading s tyle
that may be a applied to a game using a
photo realistic art s tyle or a game that
adopts a realistic play s tyle or s etting.

IG2 Task 1
6
GAME
ENGINES
Pixel Shader Pixel shading executes various functions
affecting how pixels on a computer s creen
wi l l display
http://www.ehow.com/info_8764308_pixe
l -shading.html
Pixel shading i s simple and may be better
for a de ve loper’s first game due to i ts
s implicity.
Post Processing Usually encompasses bloom, blur, and
depth-of-field.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/99114
2-kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/
61749545
Pos t processing may be beneficial for
2.5/3D shooters since they add a realistic
battl e quality to a game.
Rendering In 3-D graphic design, rendering is the
process of add shading, colour and
lamination to a 2-D or 3-D wireframe in
order to create life-like images on a s creen.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/re
ndering
A game may utilize rendering if there is a
lot of resources to load at once

IG2 Task 1
7
Normal Map Thes e RGB values translates to x, y, and z
coordinates, allowing a 2D image to
represent depth.
http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/art
icles/gamedev-glossary-what-is-a-normal-map--
gamedev-3893
Entity A dynamic object such as a non-player
character or item.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity
I wi l l need entities in my game to make it
interesting and enjoyable.

IG2 Task 1
8
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_te
xture

IG2 Task 1
9
Physics Computer animation physics or game
phys ics involves the introduction of the
laws of physics into a simulation or game
engine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physic
s

IG2 Task 1
10
Collision Col l ision detection is used to detect the
contact of objects within a game.
http://relativity.net.au/gaming/java/Simpl
eCol lisionDetection.html
My game will need good collision
de tection so that i t doesn’t l ook like Fifa.
Al so, good collision detection will make a
game more realistic and fun to play.

IG2 Task 1
11
Lighting The rendering of computer graphics scenes
use lighting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-
range_rendering
AA – Anti-Aliasing Antialiasing i s a way of smoothing edges.
http://compreviews.about.com/od/PC-Gaming/
a/What-is-antialiasing-in-PC-games.
htm

IG2 Task 1
12
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/11
791/level-of-detail-lod
Animation Art and animation in video games refers to
how things physically look.
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/feature
s /413/game_art_and_animation_an_intro
duction.php

IG2 Task 1
13
Sprite In computer graphics, a sprite i s a two-dimensional
image or animation that is
integrated into a larger scene.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(comp
uter_graphics)
Scene A divi sion of an act presenting continuous
action in one place.
http://www.merriam-webs
ter.com/dictionary/scene
Library A l ibrary i s a useful framework to tackle a
specific need within a game engine.
http://gamedev.s tackexchange.com/questi

IG2 Task 1
14
ons /10770/whats-the-difference-between-a-
l ibrary-and-an-engine
UI The point at which a user or a user
department or organization interacts with
a computer system.
http://www.answers.com/topic/user-interface
Frames A s ingle step in a sequence of programmed
ins tructions.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/frame

IG2 Task 1
15
Concept An idea or invention to help sell or
publicize a commodity.
https ://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=
Kr4FVOLjJ_HH8genvIHABA#q=Define%3A+
concept
Event A thing that happens or takes place,
especially one of importance.
https ://www.google.co.uk/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=
Kr4FVOLjJ_HH8genvIHABA#q=Define%3A+
event

IG2 Task 1
16
Pathfinding Pathfinding in the context of video games
concerns the way in which a moving entity
finds a path around an obstacle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding#I
n_video_games

Game Engine Terminology Glossary

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