The document is a glossary of terms related to video game design produced by a student at Salford City College. It contains definitions for terms such as demo, beta, alpha, pre-alpha, gold, debug, automation, and others. For each term, the student provided a short definition from an online source as well as a one sentence description of how the term relates to their own video game production practice.

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: Louis
Hughes
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 Demo means Demonstration. It gives you a clear idea
about the graphics, gameplay, s tory, skills, and a lot
more. You might check out the Demo of a particular
game that is liked by you or your friends, before buying
i t
https ://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2009
0423022627AA9nGkS
A demo is a trail like thing where it
gives the customer a free try of a
game before they buy i t and it give
the people who work on the game
more ideas to add to the game.
Beta Beta is usually a trial version of a game for a company.
beta s are usually experimental and often have
problems w/ them
https ://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20
081019143302AAIBseY
They are like demos but it helps the
makers of the game fix thing and
what they can do to make the
experience.
Alpha A game's Alpha build usually complies with the
fol lowing points:
The game is playable from s tart to finish. All the game's
features are implemented to at least first pass quality.
Some art may s till be place holder.
Crashing bugs may be present.
Thi s is the first version the game so
they can get feedback from
cus tomers.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsISJ6G7ze8

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
http://technicalgamedesign.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/al
pha.html
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. In typical
open source development, there are several types of
pre-alpha versions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cy
cle
Thi s is important because i t gives
us a better idea of what to expect
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTaIk7akOUw
Gold Goldmaster Games Consultancy understands the nuts
and bolts of the games business: Production pipelines,
technology delivery and optimisation, testing, training
and deadlines.
http://gmc-tec.co.uk/
Gold is where you test games and
other thing before letting the
public play.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzLG74ZWTTI
Debug In computers, debugging is the process of locating and
fixing or bypassing bugs (errors) in computer program
code or the engineering of a hardware device.
http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definitio
n/debugging
Where the people who make it fix a
bug or gl itch that is in a game.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWX97yngxOA
Automation The us e of computers to control a particular process in
order to increase reliability and efficiency, often
through the replacement of employees. For a
manufacturer, this could entail using robotic assembly
l ines to manufacture a product.
http://www.investorwords.com/6409/automation.htm
l
It’s a machine that makes thing for
you.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnsvaFQ3k20

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
White-Box
Testing
Is software testing method in which the internal
s tructure/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.
http://softwaretestingfundamentals.com/white-box-tes
ting/
A tes ting method to test designs
and many other thing this ban help
because i t will give me an idea
what the game i s goanna be l ike.
Bug Sometimes called a glitch, a bug is just something
wrong with the program.
https ://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2008
0622111127AAsXob5
Where there is a problem with
game and most the time i t gets
patched/fixed.
GAME
ENGINES
Vertex Shader Is also GPU component and is also programmed using a
specific assembly-like language, like pixel shaders, but
are oriented to the scene geometry.
http://s tackoverflow.com/questions/832545/what-are-
vertex-and-pixel-shaders
It can add effects to images and
thi s can help to make games look
better.

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
Pixel Shader Pixel Shading is a method used for rendering advanced
graphical features such as bump mapping and
shadows.
https ://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?re
f=4360-TPJL-2065
Thi s make the game look 10 times
more better l ike shadows and more
deta iled backgrounds
Post Processing Adds special effects like depth of field, motion blur,
bloom after the frame is rendered; thus, post
processing means after the frame is processed.
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/pc-mac-di
s cussion-1000004/what-does-quotpost-processingquot-
do-27432407/
Thi s makes an image look batter
when i t has been done to a picture
thi s will help because i t will make
the game I make better.
Rendering An image that’s cre ated or re ndered with a computer.
There are mostly 3D renderings.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=re
ndering
Thi s makes making images easier. https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00gAbgBu8R4
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/gamed
ev-glossary-what-is-a-normal-map--gamedev-3893
An image of a map or object that
has been drawn with a lot of detail
to the image to make i t look better.

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
Entity Software technique using Composition rather than
Inheritance to build high-performance code-architectures,
using a s tructure similar to relational-databases
and/or functional-programming.
http://entity-systems.wikidot.com/
Thi s helps you think of what you
need to do for the game and
getting i t at good performance.
UV Map UV mapping controls the way the texture wraps onto
the surface of the model.
http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Mesh/What-does-
UV-Mapping-do-exactly/td-p/1710229
The UV map gives us a better idea
of what something is goanna look
l ike therefore i t will help with
des igning characters.
Procedural
Texture
A computer-generated image created using an
algorithm intended to create a realistic representation
of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite,
meta l, stone, and others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture
Thi s can help build the maps of the
game which makes the game
background more applying to
people.
Physics Involves the introduction of the laws of physics into a
s imulation or game engine,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
Thi s makes the game seem more
realistic.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpeANrZdSX8

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
Collision To make the player actually hit walls and the like.
There's the 2D type and the 3D type, but they all
accomplish the same thing:
http://gamedev.s tackexchange.com/questions/26501/
how-does-a-collision-engine-work
Thi s makes the game more realistic
s o you don’t e nd up walking few
wal ls.
Lighting Lighting i s one of the most important and influential
elements in environments. It has the power to make or
break the visuals, theme and atmosphere.
http://www.moddb.com/tutorials/lighting-in-game-envi
ronments-the-hows-and-whys
AA – Anti-
Aliasing
Anti -Aliasing is a method of fooling the eye that a
jagged edge is really smooth. Anti-Aliasing is often
referred in games and on graphics cards.
http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/index.php?pageid
=antialiasing
It gives the image a better look and
looks more smooth and called
graphic cards.

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
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 can be used to landscape and
thi s is good because i t will give it
better looking image that the game
shows
Animation A s imulation of movement created by displaying a
series of pictures, or frames.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/animation.html
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfnceZO1seQ
Sprite Spri tes are 2D bitmaps that are drawn directly to a
render target without using the pipeline for
trans formations, lighting or effects. Sprites are
commonly used to display information such as health
bars . http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/
l ibrary/bb203919.aspx
Thes e are mostly health and power
bars which show the user how
much health he or she has.
Scene A s cene is a unit of drama. A sequel is what follows; an
aftermath. Together, s cene and sequel provide the
bui lding blocks of plot for short s tories.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scene_(drama)
Thi s will give the game more of an
interesting feel to it i f there is a
s tory behind i t.
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXY1MzMM06c
Library An ins titution or foundation maintaining such a
col lection. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/library
It i s a folder that keeps or the data
i n i t this will help because i t’s a way
of s toring information.

8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
UI The us er interface (UI) is everything designed into an
information device with which a human being may
interact.
http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/user-interface
Thi s is where a human can interact
with the game.
Frames A combination of the image to be displayed and the
time the image is to be displayed. A sequence of
frames makes an animation.
http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/animation/fr
ames_and_layers.html
Frames are used to make
animations therefore I could make
a s toryboard to go with i t.

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 A clear, detailed description of the attributes and
benefits of a new product that addresses the needs of
the ta rgeted customers.
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/concep
t.html
Thi s helps with getting a detailed
view of what the game will look
l ike.
Event A public assembly for the purpose of celebration,
education, marketing or reunion. Events can be
classified on the basis of their s ize, type and context.
http://www.eventeducation.com/what-is-event.php
An event can be held to show of
the game and get reviews on i t.
Pathfinding The plotting, by a computer application, of the shortest
route between two points.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding
Thi s links in with the game because
i t shows the way to get from A-B.