This document contains a glossary of terms related to video game design. It includes over 30 terms with short definitions from online sources. For each term, the document provides a short description of how the term relates to the production practice of video games. The glossary covers topics such as game engines, testing, animation, physics, and user interfaces.

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
RELEVANC
E OF THE
RESEARCH
ED TERM
TO YOUR
OWN
PRODUCTI
ON
PRACTICE?
IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an
image and/or video link of said
term being used in a game)
VIDEO
GAMES
/
VIDEO
GAME
TESTIN
G
Demo A demonstration of a product or technique
ht tp://www.oxforddict ionaries.com/definition/english/demo
Demos are
used to
give
potential
customers
a taster
for your
game. It
also
allows
people to
create
early
reviews
to
support
your game
and
advertise
it for
free

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
Beta An unfinished version of a game, released before
the Alpha version of a game
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Beta
Beta is
used so
that
develope
rs can
discover
bugs and
glitches
in the
game
before
they
develop
it more.
Alpha Alpha footage comes before the full release of a game;
it allows people to see what they are buying before
they pay for it.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=alpha
It
allows
customer
s to
playtest
the game
before
they buy
the
complete
thing
Pre-Alpha The term for a milestone in a games development
to show customers how far along the game is.
http://www.whatgamesare.com/pre-alpha.html
It al lows
cus tomers
to fol low the
progress of a
ga me ’s
developmen
t.
Gold When a game has been fully developed and has made a profit in pre-orders
http://www.gamespot.com/forums/playstation-discussion-
1000002/what-does-it-mean-when-a-game-goes-gold-26614050/
It al lows the
developers
to know i f
there game
has made a
profi t before
i t comes out

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
Debug Debugging is the routine process of locating and removing computer
program bugs, errors or abnormalities
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/16373/debugging
It prevents
dangerous
gl i tches and
errors in a
games code
from being
released
Automati
on
the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system
operate automatically
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automation
It al lows
developers
to make sure
that all the
game
mechanics
work well.
White-
Box
Testing
White box testing i s a method of testing software that tests internal
s tructures or workings of an application, as opposed to its
functionality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-box_testing
Ensures that
the internal
s tructures of
a game
work.
Bug a defect or imperfection, as in a mechanical device,computer program,
or plan; glitch
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bug
They can
harm a
games
developmen
t or release.
GAME
ENGIN
ES
Vertex
Shader
Vertex shaders are run once for each vertex given to the graphics
processor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Vertex_shaders
They are
used to
generate the
games
graphics

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
ENGIN
ES
Pixel
Shader
Pixel shaders, also known as fragment shaders, compute color and
other attributes of each fragment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Vertex_shaders
They colour
the assets in
the game
Post
Processin
g
pos t-processing (or postproc for short) i s used in the video/film
bus iness for quality-improvement image processing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_post-processing
They
improve the
image
quality of
the game
Renderin
g
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a 2D or 3D model
http://modeln.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_(computer_graphics)
They
generate the
models in
the game
Normal
Map
In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or "Dot3 bump mapping", is
a technique used for faking the lighting of bumps and dent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
It i s used to
generate
more
realistic
textures
Entity enti ty i s a dynamic object such as a non-player character or item.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity_(disambiguation)
It i s used to
implement
items and
characters
into a game

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
UV Map UV mapping is the 3D modelling process of making a 2D image
representation of a 3D model's surface.
It i s used to
give models
textures
Procedur
al 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, s tone, and others.
Used to give
a realistic
texture to
objects in a
game
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
di s crete values.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
They are
es sential to
a game
because i t
prevents a
player from
cl ipping
through
objects
Collision Col l ision detection typically refers to the computational problem of
detecting the intersection of two or more objects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_detection
It prevents a
player from
walking
through an
object and
al so makes
sure that the
don’t fa ll
through the
map
Lighting
Lighting i s one of the most important and influential elements in
envi ronments. It has the power to make or break the vi suals, theme
and atmosphere.
Without
l ighting, a
player

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
http://www.moddb.com/tutorials/lighting-in-game-envi ronments-the-hows
-and-whys
woul dn’t be
abl e to see
where they
are in the
game
AA – Anti-
Aliasing
Wel l anti-aliasing detects rough edges and smooths them out using a
quick scan of them.
https ://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100420031929AAO
N6YB
It smoothes
out rough
edges in
games that
were missed
by the
developers.
Thi s can
make a
game look
more
realistic
LoD –
Level of
Detail
As you get further away from an object, it takes up less of your vision
(and less dots of resolution on your monitor). Therefore, you can drop
i ts level of detail saving memory and computation power
It can
dras tically
improve the
speed of a
game
Animatio
n
A s imulation of movement created by displaying a series of pictures, or
frames
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/animation.html
It i s used in
every aspect
of a game to
make
characters
move and
the
envi ronment
realistic

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
Sprite a sprite i s a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into
a larger scene
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(computer_graphics)
They are
used to
represent
as sets in
games. This
can include
characters,
items and
envi ronment
s
Scene A sequence of continuous action in a play, film, opera, or book
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/scene
They are
used to
show an
area,
character or
any other
aspect of a
game
Library A 2D as set storage area used to store assets for a 2D game They are
used to
s tore assets
for 2D
games
UI The way a person interacts with a computer, tablet, smartphone or
other electronic device
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53558/user-interface
They al low a
player to
interact with
the game

8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
Frames The amount of images shown in a game, usually known as FPS (frames
per second)
It affects the
quality of
animations
in a game,
the higher
the FPS, the
better the
quality
Concept An idea, plan or Intention It i s used to
plan every
aspect of a
game
Event Anything that happens in a game is known as an event They are
inputted
into a game
to caus e
things to
happen
Pathfindi
ng
Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a computer application, of the
shortest route between two points
Al lows
character to
move