This document contains a glossary of terms related to video game design. It includes definitions for terms like demo, alpha, beta, gold master, debugging, white-box testing, bugs, vertex shaders, pixel shaders, and more. For each term, the document provides a short definition from an online source, and describes how the term relates to the author's 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: 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 noun
a demonstration of a product or technique
https ://www.google.co.uk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=5XIJVJyz
O8SN7QbA94HoCg&ved=0CAcQ1S4#q=demo+definition
Closest to the finished product. This would help me find out what people
think of my game and also any bugs that need to be fixed.
Beta the be ta (β) of a n investment is a measure of the ri sk
ari sing from exposure to general market movements as
opposed to idiosyncratic factors. The market portfolio of
al l investable assets has a beta of exactly 1. A beta
below 1 can indicate either an investment with lower
volatility than the market, or a volatile investment
whos e price movements are not highly correlated with
the market. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_(finance)
Thi s is similar to a demo however a demo is close to the finished product.
Thi s is next state to the game proceeding from it’s alpha state.
Alpha Alpha is the s tage when key gameplay functionality i s
implemented, and assets are partially finished.[152] A
game in alpha is feature complete, that is, game i s
playable and contains all the major features.[153] These
features may be further revised based on testing and
feedback.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_development
An a l pha openly distributes ga mes in it’s unfinished state and this would help
me fix bugs, add or remove certain features and finish the game according to
pe ople’s opinion a nd what they want.
Pre-Alpha Beta is feature and asset complete version of the game, An even earlier version of alpha. The game is in a very early s tate I could use

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
when only bugs are being fixed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_development
thi s release to find out whether people l ike the game and I would carry on
developing.
Gold Gold master is the final game's build that is used as a
mas ter for production of the game
I can release the game in i ts finished state.
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
i t 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
I could use this as a behind the scenes
White-Box
Testing
White-box testing (also known as clear box testing, glass
box tes ting, transparent box testing, and structural
tes ting) is a method of testing software that tests
internal structures or workings of an application, as
opposed to i ts functionality (i .e. black-box testing).
https ://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&s
ource=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQFjAB&u
rl=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FWhite-box_
tes ting&ei=UXUJVNbYPIay7AbJnoDwDg&usg=AFQj
CNHeMlU1-icHNjTi7Qn-4DdFjcJ-xw&
s ig2=4AXceUKLgZpLFi7ouaVtHg&bvm=bv.74649129
,d.d2s
I coul d test the game’s workability while i ts in a running s tate this would help
me fi nd a nd remove and bugs or things that don’t work.
Bug A software bug is an error, flaw, failure, or fault in a
computer program or system that causes it to produce
an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in
unintended ways. Most bugs arise from mistakes and
errors made by people in either a program's source code
or i ts design, or in frameworks and operating systems
used by such programs, and a few are caused by
compi lers producing incorrect code.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug
I would find any bugs and glitches in the game to either remove them or use
them to create an extra entity / ability.
GAME
ENGINES
Vertex
Shader
A Vertex Shader i s also GPU component and is also
programmed using a specific assembly-like language,
l ike pixel shaders, but are oriented to the scene
geometry and can do things like adding cartoony
s i lhouette edges to objects, etc.
http://s tackoverflow.com/questions/832545/what-are-vertex-
and-pixel-shaders
Vertex shading can be used to change entire textures of things which would
help me shade things faster.

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
GAME
ENGINES
Pixel Shader A Pixel Shader is a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit)
component that can be programmed to operate on a
per pixel basis and take care of stuff like lighting and
bump mapping.
http://s tackoverflow.com/questions/832545/what-are-vertex-
and-pixel-shaders
Thi s would help me change individual textures of things so I can add more
deta ils.
Post
Processing
The term post-processing (or postproc for short) is used
in the video/film business for quality-improvement
image processing (specifically digital image processing)
methods used in video playback devices, (such as stand-alone
DVD-Video players), and video players software
and transcoding software. It is also commonly used in
real -time 3D rendering (such as in video games) to add
additional effects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_post-processing
After the game i s complete I could go through some post processing to make
i t look better.
Rendering Rendering is the process of generating an image from a
2D or 3D model (or models in what collectively could be
cal led a scene file), by means of computer programs.
Al so, the results of such a model can be called a
rendering. A s cene file contains objects in a s trictly
defined language or data structure; i t would contain
geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading
information as a description of the vi rtual scene.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_(computer_gra
phics)
Thi s can be done while the game is in development so I can test the objects
and he game i tself and it can also be done after the game is complete. I
would render it so all the objects, Npcs and functions are put in the final
game and nothing i s missing.
Normal Map In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or "Dot3
bump mapping", is a technique used for faking the
l ighting of bumps and dents – an implementation of
bump mapping. It is used to add details without using
more polygons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
Instead of putting in loads of high quality and large sized texture files I could
use this to create decent looking textures and bumps without putting more
pres sure on the graphics.
Entity I would use this to put Npcs in the game both neutral, good and bad ones.
Without their entity fi le existing they cannot be in the game therefore leaving
the game not functioning properly.
UV Map Thi s process projects a texture map onto a 3D object.
The letters "U" and "V" denote the axes of the 2D
texture[note 1] because "X", "Y" and "Z" are already
used to denote the axes of the 3D object in model
space.
I can us e this to create 2d looking levels in a 3d 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
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,
marbl e, granite, metal, stone, and others. Wikipedia
Procedural textures can be used to make the game look realistic and
beautiful. Unlike Normal Mapping, this procedure uses large files to import in
high quality textures that ultimately give the game a realistic feel.
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
clos e approximation to real physics, and computation is
performed using discrete values.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
Without physics my game would be broken. No matter what kind of game I
need physics. Unless my game is a character just existing and not moving, I
would use physics to make things move and work.
Collision Col l ision detection typically refers to the computational
problem of detecting the intersection of two or more
objects. While the topic is most often associated with its
use in video games and other physical simulations, it
al so has applications in robotics. In addition to
determining whether two objects have collided, collision
detection systems may also calculate time of impact
(TOI), and report a contact manifold (the set of
intersecting points)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_detection
I woul d use collision detection to make walls a hard material so things don’t
jus t cl ip through them.
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.
Lighting i s often forgotten or underestimated. Designers
often add i t quickly and without much love. While in the
pas t that was partially excusable by the weak hardware
and game engines, these excuses just won't hold up
anymore. Lighting is just as important as geometry.
Without l ighting there is no environment but just a
group of 3 dimensional objects. Lighting has the capacity
to bring life to a group of objects and take them to the
next level of quality. Its purpose goes further than just
giving the players the ability to see where they are
going. http://www.moddb.com/tutorials/lighting-in-game-
environments-the-hows-and-whys
I would use lighting to make things look brighter or dimmer. This can be used
to create an atmosphere. It i s also necessary for the players to be able to look
at the world because without the lighting props wont be fully vi sible as the
developer intended them to look.

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
5
AA – Anti-
Aliasing
An anti -aliasing filter is a filter used before a signal
sampler, to restrict the bandwidth of a signal to
approximately satisfy the sampling theorem. Since the
theorem s tates that unambiguous interpretation of the
s ignal from i ts samples is possible when the power of
frequencies above the Nyquist frequency i s zero, a real
anti -aliasing filter can generally not completely satisfy
the theorem. A realizable anti-aliasing filter will typically
permi t some aliasing to occur; the amount of aliasing
that does occur depends on a design trade-off between
reduction of aliasing and maintaining signal up to the
Nyqui st frequency and the frequency content of the
input signal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-al
iasing_filter
I could use this to make bumpy texture look smooth and give the graphics an
overall better look.
LoD – Level
of Detail
In computer graphics, accounting for level of detail
involves decreasing the complexity of a 3D object
representation as it moves away from the viewer or
according to other metrics such as object importance,
viewpoint-relative speed or position. Level of detail
techniques increases the efficiency of rendering by
decreasing the workload on graphics pipeline stages,
usually vertex transformations. The reduced visual
quality of the model is often unnoticed because of the
small effect on object appearance when distant or
moving fast.
Di fferent LoDs are very important because not everyone has a high spec pc
and i f the game only has high level of detail, people with mediocre or low
spec pcs wont be able to play i t without having significant frame drops .
Animation Computer animation, or CGI animation, is the process
used for generating animated images by using computer
graphics. The more general term computer-generated
imagery encompasses both s tatic s cenes and dynamic
images while computer animation only refers to moving
images.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_animation
I would use this to a nimate the npc’s, a ny things that move or things that
react when the player interacts with them.
Sprite In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other
names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional
image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene.
Ini tially including just graphical objects handled
separately from the memory bitmap of a video display,
thi s now includes various manners of graphical overlays.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(computer_graphic
In a 2d game everything has a sprite as a base to work from.

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
Scene A cuts cene or event scene (sometimes in-game
cinematic or in-game movie) i s 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, s trengthen the main character's development,
introduce characters, and provide background
information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues. Cutscenes
often feature "on the fly" rendering, using the gameplay
graphics to create s cripted events. Cutscenes can also be
animated, l ive action, or pre-rendered computer
graphics streamed from a video file
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutscene
I would use this to explain the story of the game or to show demos of how
certa in abilities work.
Library a l ibrary i s a collection of non-volatile resources used by
programs on a computer, often to develop software.
Thes e may include configuration data, documentation,
help data, message templates, pre-written code and
subroutines, classes, values or type specifications.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_(computing)
Thi s is a collection of resources that makes finding and using the assets
easier.
UI User interface design in games differs from other UI
des ign because i t involves an additional element --
fiction. The fiction involves an avatar of the actual user,
or player. The player becomes an invisible, but key
element to the story, much like a narrator in a novel or
fi lm.
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/AnthonyStonehouse/
20140227/211823/User_interface_design_in_video_ga
mes .php
Thi s has to be very well designed for the players to play the game properly. If
the Ui i s not well calibrated with the game, things will feel out of sync and
that wi ll ruin the gameplay and the overall experience.
Frames Frame rate, also known as frame frequency and frames
per second (FPS), is the frequency (rate) at which an
imaging device produces unique consecutive images
cal led frames. The term applies equally well to film and
video cameras, computer graphics, and motion capture
sys tems. Frame rate is most often expressed in frames
per second (FPS) and is also expressed in progressive
s can monitors as hertz (Hz).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate
The hi gher the game’s texture quality, the better specs a pc needs to run it. If
you run a game on high quality s ettings on a pc that cant handle i t, the
frames drop. Meaning there are less frames per second.
Concept an idea or mental image which corresponds to some
di s tinct entity or class of entities, or to i ts essential
features, or determines the application of a term
Without a concept I would not have a thorough understanding or plan for
what I am doing. A concept is an idea, a starting point and I would use this to
come up with new ideas for the game.

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
(especially a predicate), and thus plays a part in the use
of reason or language
https ://www.google.co.uk/webhp?tab=ww&ei=TH0JVKq
wBuuz7Qb44oKQDg&ved=0CAMQ1S4#q=what+is+a+co
nceot
Pathfinding Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a computer
application, of the shortest route between two points. It
i s 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
I would use this to find the shortest route between two points