This document is a glossary of terms related to video game design created by a student at Salford City College. It contains definitions for 14 key terms, including demo, beta, alpha, pre-alpha, gold, debug, automation, white-box testing, bug, game engines, entity, UV mapping, procedural texture, and frames. For each term, the student provides a short definition from an online source as well as a description of how the term relates to their own production practice and an image to support the term.

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)
DESCRIB
E THE
RELEVA
NCE OF
THE
RESEARC
HED
TERM
TO
YOUR
OWN
PRODUC
TION
PRACTIC
E?
IMAGE SUPPORT (Provide an image and/or video link of said term being used
in a game)

2. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
2
VIDE
O
GAM
ES /
VIDE
O
GAM
E
TESTI
NG
Demo to try out or exhibit the use of (a product, process, or the l ike):
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/demo
a demo
vers ion of
the game
wi l l be
made to
tes t
things out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-5v25RHiOk
Demo gameplay of FIFA 15
Beta Beta software refers to computer software that is undergoing
tes ting and has not yet been officially released
http://www.techterms.com/definition/beta_software
The beta
wi l l help
me tes t
out any
bugs in
the game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlQvhy-Ozc4&list=PLXcw5nak8ySI03xo-
KKu1i jJHMJUgE3if
Beta footage of Half-Life
Alpha A very early version of a software product that may not contain
al l of the features that are planned for the final version
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/alpha_version.html
Alpha will
be able to
showcase
tes ts
Picture shows Half-Life in Alpha

3. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
3
Pre-
Alpha
Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed during the software
project before testing.
http://eloisecorke.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/definition-pre-alpha-
alpha-and-beta/
The Pre-
Alpha
s tage will
al low me
to plan
ideas on
how the
game will
be made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJw7OaLhMfE
Gold In software and application development, a gold version is the
final s tage of software development and follows the alpha and
beta testing cycles of software development
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/G/gold_version.html
Researchi
ng hi s will
give me a
better
idea of
what final
products
look like
http://p.playserver1.com/ProductImages/0/8/5/9/5/3/3/3359580_300x300_1.jpg
Example of a completed gold product

4. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
4
Debug Identify and remove errors from (computer hardware or
software)
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/debug
Wi l l be
helpful to
help
el iminate
bugs and
any errors
with the
game
http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3073/image_307317_fi
t_940.jpg
Debug menu in Earthbound
Autom
ation
The automatic operation or control of equipment, a process, or
a system
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/automation.
Shows me
what
automati
on i s and
what i t
does
https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAXGbPcFQbo
White-
Box
Testing
White-box testing (also known as clear box testing, glass box
tes ting, transparent box testing, and s tructural testing) is a
method of testing software that tests internal structures or
workings of an application
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-box_testing
Wi l l be
helpful to
show why
white-box
tes ting i s
imoptant
White Box Testing process

5. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-
2d13VG_AALA/US3OhpRuXCI/AAAAAAAAAms/X4ilYtj4ld8/s1600/white-box-testing.gif
5
Bug An error in a computer program or system
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/bug
Wi l l help
me
recognize
what a
bug in a
game is
and how
to deal
with
them
Cosmetic bug in Call of Duty
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/Jakerod80/Error3.jpg

6. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
6
GAM
E
ENGI
NES
GAM
E
ENGI
NES
Vertex
Shader
The vertex shader i s used to transform the attributes of vertices
(points of a triangle) such as color, texture, position and
di rection from the original color space to the display space. It
al lows the original objects to be distorted or reshaped in any
manner
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53754/vertex-shader
Wi l l be
us ing
vertex
shaders
during
the
creation
of models
Example of a Vertex Shader
http://web.media.mit.edu/~gordonw/OpenGL/images/teapot_vertexShader.jpg
Pixel
Shader
The pixel shader is another programmable function that allows
flexibility in shading an individual pixel.
http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53754/vertex-shader
Wi l l be
used to
make my
models a
higher
s tandard
Before and after pixel shader
http://ic.tweakimg.net/ext/i.dsp/1134643127.jpg

7. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
7
Post
Process
ing
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-discussion-
1000004/what-does-quotpost-processingquot-do-27432407/
Help me
recognise
how using
pos t
processin
g affects a
game
With and
without Post Processing
http://a.fsdn.com/con/app/proj/gameposteffect/screenshots/188686.jpg

8. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
8
Renderi
ng
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model
by means of computer software
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=17940930&siteI
D=123112
Help me
understan
d what
rendering
i s used
for and
how long
i t takes to
render
certa in
things
A map that has been rendered in Minecraft
http://i1-mac.softpedia-static.com/screenshots/TOGoS-s-Minecraft-Map-
Renderer_3.png
Normal
Map
In 3D computer graphics, normal mapping, or "Dot3 bump
mapping", i s a technique used for faking the lighting of bumps
and dents – an implementation of bump mapping
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
Wi l l again
be used
in models
and will
help me
understan
d the
benefits
of us ing
thi s
Di fferences between bump maps and normal mapping
http://thezedlab.com/wp-content/uploads/QR-Baking-Normals-from-Bump_Bump-and-
Normal-Comparison.png

9. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
9
Entity In computer games and game engines, entity i s a dynamic
object such as a non-player character or item.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entity
Enti ties
wi l l be
used in
my game
as
enemies
and i tems
NPC’s a re e ntities
https ://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/images/thumb/c/cd/Npc_combine_s.jpg/500p
x-Npc_combine_s.jpg
UV
Map
UV mapping is the 3D modeling process of making a 2D image
representation of a 3D model's surface. UV mapping[edit] This
process projects a texture map onto a 3D object.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping
Wi l l help
me
understan
d
texturing
Example of UV Mapping
http://goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au/~gl/teaching/Interactive3D/2012/images/uv-unwrap.jpg

10. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
10
Proced
ural
Texture
A procedural texture is a computer-generated image created
us ing an algorithm intended to create a realistic representation
of natural elements such as wood, marble, granite, metal,
s tone, and others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural_texture
Shows me
the varies
of
textures I
can use
Example of procedural textures
http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~pcozzi/OpenGLInsights/chapterfigures/71.jpg
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,
s imulation physics is only a close approximation to real physics,
and computation is performed using discrete values.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics
Help me
understan
d how to
implemen
t phys ics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MjD-vUfxdI
Phys i cs i n Portal 2’s physics engine
Collisio
n
An ins tance of two or more records being assigned the same
identifier or location in memory.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/collision
Helps me
understan
d what
collision is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKRt0OHn7tI
Col l ision detectors
Lighting high-dynamic-range l ighting, i s the rendering of computer
graphics scenes by using lighting calculations done in a larger
dynamic range.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-dynamic-range_rendering
Helps me
understan
d the
technique
of l ight
rendering
Example of light rendering
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_SyHZijCdJBI/Ra9p8oHaUYI/AAAAAAAAABE/AmXvCJjkbL8/s1
600-h/hdrrendering01.jpg

11. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
11
AA –
Anti-
Aliasing
ntialiasing is 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 l ines don't show easily or at all
http://compreviews.about.com/od/PC-Gaming/a/What-is-antialiasing-
in-PC-games.htm
Helps me
realise
how
Antialiasi
ng works
Example of Anti-Aliasing
http://www.build-your-own-computer.net/image-files/display-properties-03-
aaexample.jpg
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 is dictated by the game's system
requi rements. Given the power of modern processors, very little
degradation in the level of detail is noticeable anymore.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/11791/level-of-detail-lod
Gives me
an idea
on how to
use LoD
in my
work
Comparing the different Level of Detail
http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/news/wp-content/
uploads/2013/03/LOD_combined.jpg

12. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
12
Animati
on
Art and animation in video games refers to how things
phys ically look, which includes everything from the packaging
on a reta il video game
http://www.gamecareerguide.com/features/413/game_art_an
d_animation_an_introduction.php
Shows me
how I can
use
animation
to
improve
my work
Animation in street fighter
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/Files/3798/5/Games_img027.jpg
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. Examples of sprites include objects in 2D video games,
icons that are part of an application user interface, and small
images published on websites.
http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite
Gives me
an idea of
what
sprites to
use and
how
Super Mario sprites
http://media-cache-ec0.
pinimg.com/236x/72/dc/f2/72dcf240f3daf39c28cee25ec2ae9ec7.jpg
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, strengthen the main character's
development, introduce characters, and provide background
information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutscene
Shows me
how
cus cenes
are used
in games
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz6Rpw1cNVk
Cuts cene in Tomb Raider

13. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
13
Library . A l ibrary i s a useful framework to tackle a specific need within
a game engine
http://gamedev.s tackexchange.com/questions/10770/whats-the-
difference-between-a-library-and-an-engine
Tel ls me
how a
l ibrary
works
and how
to use i t
to my
advantag
e
Video game framework/library
http://www.eecs.ucf.edu/isuelab/research/images/worldwriter.png
UI Short for Us er Interface. Often related to games. Some games
have the opportunity to install addons to change the user
interface.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=UI
Shows me
how I can
implemen
t a ui into
a game to
make it
look
better
Borde rlands 2’s User Interface
http://www.thewanderlust.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/borderlands2.jpg

14. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
14
Frames computer video displays, the frame rate is the number of
frames or images that are projected or displayed per second.
http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/frame-rate
Makes
me get
the idea
that the
frame
rate i s an
important
game
mechanic
FPS counter
http://www.photonstorm.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/hires_stats.png
Concep
t
The concept of a game is an idea of what the game could
pos sibly be
Shows me
that
concept
art i s
important
for giving
me
inspiratio
n
Concept art
http://www.marcgabbana.com/upload/img/46_Bajajbots_lineup_2.jpg

15. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
15
Event In video games, a quick time event (QTE) is a method of context-sensitive
gameplay in which the player performs actions on the
control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen
prompt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_time_event
Helps me
understan
d how
events
are used
in game
Example of a quick time event
http://www.gameinformer.com/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-
Components-ImageFileViewer/CommunityServer-Blogs-Components-WeblogFiles-00-
00-00-00-06/8420.Di s cussionQuickTimeEvent_5F00_610.jpg_2D00_610x0.jpg
Pathfin
ding
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#In_video_games
Gives me
an idea of
what
pathfindi
ng i s

16. Salford City College
Eccles Sixth Form Centre
BTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGN
Unit 73: Sound For Computer Games
IG2 Task 1
How pathfinding works
http://cdn2-
b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/cf/de/cfdea9c12
fabb7c8cff9e6a3ef8a07d1.png?itok=YeGvnSPJ
16