Game Engine terminology

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:
Sam
Duxbury
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 vers ion of something such as computer software produced
to demonstrate i ts capabilities or for use as a trial.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/dem
o
I would use a demo in my own
practice to see how the audience
respond to a short preview of my
game before the full version is
released.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMDyXTUJqOs
Thi s is a demo of the newest UFC games to be released.
Beta A quality-control technique in which hardware or software is
subjected to trial in the environment for which i t was
des igned, usually after debugging by the manufacturer and
immediately prior to marketing.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/beta+test
I’d re l ease a beta of the game to
see all the bugs within the game
and how the audience l ike and
reacts to it.
Alpha A very early version of a software product that may not
conta in all of the features that are planned for the final
vers ion. It’s often performed only by users within the
organization developing the software.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/alpha_version.html
I’d re l ease a n alpha to
demonstrate an early example of
the game to see i f the audience
l ike it and what changes should
be made.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJrZkNVwNTs
Thi s is an early alpha footage of a car game.

IG2 Task 1
2
Pre-Alpha Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed during the
software project before testing. These activities can include
requi rements analysis, software design, software
development, and unit testing. In typical open source
development, there are several types of pre-alpha versions.
Mi lestone versions include specific s ets of functions and are
released as soon as the functionality i s complete.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle#Pr
e-alpha
Whe n cre ating a game I’d use a
pre-alpha when developing i t to
be able to see which other
re qui rements or s oftware I’d
have to use to make the game
more successful.
Gold A golden master, or GM, i s the final version of a software
program that is sent to manufacturing and is used to make
reta il copies of the software. The golden master follows
several other s tages in the software development process
including the alpha, beta, and release candidate stages. The
final release candidate (RC) becomes the "release to
manufacturing" (RTM) version, which is also called the
golden master.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/goldenmaster
The gold stage within the game
making is extremely useful as i t
marks the end of the production
with a complete and finalised
game.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY7PKMgztyw
Thi s is a short cl ip explaining the gold definition within
gaming and using gta 5 as an example.
Debug Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing
the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a
piece of electronic hardware, thus making it behave as
expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various
subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause
bugs to emerge in another.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging
When creating my game
debugging will come in handy
when trying to figure out and
resolve bugs which cause the
game to mess up.
Thi s is an image of a debug menu within a game, with
thi s the player is able to fix and make changes within the
game.
Automation the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a
sys tem operate automatically
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automation
Automation within my game
would be a useful tool i f I was to
ha ve re sources and stamina e tc…
Thi s is an example of automation as in this game items

IG2 Task 1
3
automatically reproduce.
White-Box
Testing
White Box Testing i s a software testing method in which the
internal structure/design/implementation of the item being
tes ted is known to the tester. The tester chooses inputs to
exerci se paths through the code and determines the
appropriate outputs. Programming know-how and the
implementation knowledge i s essential. White box testing i s
tes ting beyond the user interface and into the nitty-gritty of
a system.
http://softwaretestingfundamentals.com/white-box-testing/
White box testing within my
game production would come in
helpful when testing the software
to make sure it is s table for the
game and other items within it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bJcvBLJViQ
Thi s is a short cl ip explaining and demonstrating the
techniques of white-box testing.
Bug A bug i s a short-lived fault in a system. It is often used to
des cribe a transient fault that corrects itself, and i s therefore
di fficult to troubleshoot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitch
Bug i s n’t a thing you’d want in
your game so the earlier you find
them within the testing s tages
the better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3g2840zXKY
On the cl ip is a varied amount of video games bugs
showing you what is it and how i t can effect the game.
GAME
ENGINES
GAME
ENGINES
Vertex
Shader
Vertex shaders are run once for each vertex given to the
graphics processor. The purpose is to transform each
vertex's 3D position in vi rtual space to the 2D coordinate at
which it appears on the screen (as well as a depth value for
the Z-buffer). Vertex shaders can manipulate properties such
as position, color and texture coordinate, but cannot create
new vertices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Vertex_shaders
Whe n cre ating my ga me I’d use a
vertex shader when creating
items and s cenery within the
game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U11LnAYMu-c
Thi s is a cl ip of different vertex shades within a 3D game
envi ronment.
Pixel Shader
Pixel Shaders create ambiance with materials and surfaces
that mimic reality.
http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/feature_pixelshader.html
I’d us e a pixel s hader within my
game to add higher levels of
deta il to the surrounding scenery,
the useable items and characters.
Post
Processing
Pos t processing allows different effects to be performed on
the s cene after i t has been rendered, but before outputting
i t to the viewport. The post process framework in Unreal
Engine 3 allows for artist-configurable post process effects,
through groupings of post process elements forming an
overall effect. Examples of elements and effects include
bloom (HDR blooming effect on bright objects), depth of
The re ason I’d used post
processing is to make sure those
final bits after rendering are done
so the game looks better in a
whol e.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5PhrBr_gvM
On thi s clip i s goes into detail about the effects and why
the game industry use post processing.

IG2 Task 1
4
field, motion blur, ambient occlusion, and material effects,
which are custom materials run on the final s cene image.
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/PostProcessEffectsHome.
html
Rendering In 3-D graphic design, rendering is the process of add
shading, color and lamination to a 2-D or 3-D wireframe in
order to create life-like images on a s creen. Rendering may
be done ahead of time (pre-rendering) or i t can be done in
on-the-fly in real time. Real-time rendering i s often used for
3-D video games, which require a high level of interactivity
with the player. Pre-rendering, which is CPU-intensive but
can be used to create more realistic images, is typically used
for movie creation.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/rendering
When creating my game the
rendering part of i t will be a huge
part when wanting to create
higher detailed models within the
game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XZboPRGVvc
Thi s is a cl ip of someone using sony vegas to render a
video clip out in its best quality.
Normal Map A 2D texture map is an image added to a 3D model that
provides a higher level of detail, wrapping around whatever
3D art you have to apply or modify certain attributes like
color, transparency, shininess, reflection, and higher detail.
http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/gamedev-glossary-
what-is-a-normal-map--gamedev-3893
I’d us e normal mapping when it
came to creating characters so I
have the ability to create higher
and most precise detail within
them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz_JqJgxA48
Entity An Enti ty re presents a concre te “thing” i n the world, such as
a Tank. However an Entity has no Tank-specific logic; indeed,
an Enti ty barely has any logic at all, and is little more than an
ID.
http://piemaster.net/2011/07/entity-component-primer/
Whe n cre ating my ga me I’d us an
enti ty to create an unique ID tag
for each item created so no
duplicates are there causing less
bugs to occur.

IG2 Task 1
5
UV Map UV mapping is the 3D modeling process of making a 2D
image representation of a 3D model's surface.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping
Within the stages of creating my
ga me I’d use UV mapping when
wanting to creating a realistic and
deta iled surface for my i tems and
s cenery within i t.
Procedural
Texture
Procedural textures are textures that are defined
mathematically. They are generally relatively s imple to use,
because they don't need to be mapped in a special way -
which doesn't mean that procedural textures can't become
very complex.
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Doc:2.4/Manual/Textures
/Types /Procedural
I used this to create quick and
easy texture because I am able to
place this to the whole item or
map I am creating.
Physics Computer animation physics or 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.
Typically, simulation physics is only a close approximation to
real physics, and computation is performed using discrete
values.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
Whe n cre ating my ga me I’d make
sure I placed real physics within it
so the movement and actions
taking place in the game are a lot
more realistic.
Collision Col l ision detection algorithmically calculates impact time by
identifying two or more object intersection points. Collision
detection is also a vi rtual interface that determines user and
object distance for collision prevention.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/4778/collision-detection
I’d ma ke sure when creating I’d
have a detailed and realistic
col l ision factor within it so i t
creates more realistic actions.

IG2 Task 1
6
Lighting High-dynamic-range rendering (HDRR or HDR rendering),
al so known as high-dynamic-range lighting, i s the rendering
of computer graphics scenes by using lighting calculations
done in a larger dynamic range. This allows preservation of
deta ils that may be lost due to l imiting contrast ratios. Video
games and computer-generated movies and special effects
benefit from this as i t creates more realistic s cenes than with
the more simplistic lighting models used.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_rendering
Lighting i s a huge part when
creating my game, without
l i ghting we won’t s ee anything,
AA – Anti-
Aliasing
Antialiasing i s a way of smoothing edges. Computer monitors
di splay pixels, but real objects have curves and lines. In order
to di splay these on a computer monitor, the edge is often
jagged. Antialiasing helps reduce the problem by s lightly
blurring edges to the point where jagged lines don't show
easily or at all.
http://compreviews.about.com/od/PC-Gaming/a/What-is-antialiasing-
in-PC-games.htm
I would use Anti-Aliasing nearer
to the final s tages of completing
my games to smoothen out the
rough e dges s o it doesn’t look
unrealistic.
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. Generally
speaking, the level of detail i s dictated by the game's system
requi rements. Given the power of modern processors, very
l i ttle degradation in the level of detail is noticeable anymore.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-deta
il-lod
Level of detail would be how
much rendering I use when
finalizing my items and
landscape. Another example of
thi s is how far my map is render
even past the playable parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu_K2YHb_j8
Thi s is a short cl ip showing an example of the different
levels of details applied to a game object.
Animation A s imulation of movement created by displaying a series of
pictures, or frames.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/animation.html
When making a game you might
create unique animation for a
certa in character to make them
s tand out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfnceZO1seQ
Thi s clip shows a demonstration of how to make an
animation and the end design.

IG2 Task 1
7
Sprite A spri te is a bitmap graphic that is designed to be part of a
larger s cene. It can either be a s tatic image or an animated
graphic.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite
You would apply these when
creating 2D games to represent
the characters within the game.
Scene A non-interactive portion of a game. A Cut Scene normally
divides the action of a video game up a bit, and allows the
s tory l ine to be presented more clearly. Areas of the game
referred to as Cut Scenes are non-playable segments of the
video game.
http://vgs trategies.about.com/od/strategyglossary/g/cutsce
ne.htm
I would use a cut s cene in a game
to represent a important s tory
tel ling part within the game, this
would usually involve characters
interacting.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huRvwBf7qhY
Thi s is a short cl ip showing all the different stages of
creating a s cene within the game the last of us
Library
UI The way a person interacts with a computer, tablet,
smartphone or other electronic device. The user interface
(UI) comprises the s creen menus and icons, keyboard
shortcuts, mouse and gesture movements, command
language and online help, as well as physical buttons, dials
and levers. Also included are all input devices, such as a
mous e, keyboard, touch s creen, remote control and game
control ler.
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53558/user-interface
An UI i s a very important part
within a game because without
thi s the user wouldn’t be able to
navigate around the game.
Frames Frames per second (FPS) is a unit that measures display
device performance. It consists of the number of complete
The higher the frame rates the
fas ter and smoother the games
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEtiNxlTJ8I
Thi s is a short cl ip explaining the what frames are and

IG2 Task 1
8
s cans of the display screen that occur each second. This is
the number of times the image on the screen is refreshed
each second, or the rate at which an imaging device
produces unique sequential images called frames.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/7297/frames-per-second-
fps
runs without lag occurring. why we us e them.
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 i t is put into the final product.[1]
Concept art is also referred to as visual development and/or
concept design.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_art
Concept i s the ideas generation
part of the game making project,
thi s would involve sketches and
other methods to demonstrate
the future designs within the
game.
Concept art is the drawing made in the creating process
of the game to provide an example of the characters and
game looks.
Event A thing that happens or takes place, especially one of
importance.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/event
An event i s something which will
occur within the game, usually
have high importance within the
game.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDYcA_KvAlc
Thi s is a short cl ip of the game Destiny giving an example
of the special events which take place within the game.
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. This field of
research is based heavily on Dijkstra's algorithm for finding
the shortest path on a weighted graph.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding
Pathfinding would be where you
set the movement for other
characters and events happening
in the game when something
happened.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_AurmdOnw4
Thi s clip shows a tutorial of pathfinding within the
gamemaker software.

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