Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 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: Brienna hick

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 sample playable demonstration of a game that is intended to entice the player to purchase the full version.(http://www.factmonster.com/science/computers/video-game-glossary.html#c)

A demo is a extract of the game that is released before the full game to allow people to play through aspects of the game and decide whether or not they want to purchase the full game when it is released. It also allows the game developers a chance to perfect any bugs that appear in the demo. It can also be a short video to demonstrate the graphics or designs of the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_fyOkrteqM

This is a video clip from E3 that was used to demonstrate the new Zelda wii u game.

Beta A beta is software still under development that is made available to a select few to test, examine, and report problems they face.(http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/beta.htm)

A beta is when the game has not been yet released and is available to a few people that play through the game to test and inform the games developers of any bugs or problems that they encounter o help them fine tune the game.

http://eso-guides.com/eso-beta-test/this is an image that is advertising the need for people to sign up for the beta testing of the game.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abw_XaloKm4

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

this is a quick video showing someone playing a beta version of a game.Alpha The software is complete

enough for internal testing. This is typically done by people other than the software engineers who wrote it, but still within the same organization or community that developed the software.(http://blog.codinghorror.com/alpha-beta-and-sometimes-gamma/)

Alpha testing is when the game is not ready for public release but is ready enough for people within the company to test, usually this is done by people who are not involved with the writing of the game but are still a part of the organisation.

http://www.twowar.com/community/community_view.asp?Num=1882&Sort=T01 this is an image that is advertising to people who may have been following the games development that it has entered alpha testing and when the testing will end and the game will move on to beta testing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCp3_DgWs3othis video shows someone playing through an alpha test of a video game.

Pre-Alpha The software is still under active development and not feature complete or ready for consumption by anyone other than software developers.(http://blog.codinghorror.com/alpha-beta-and-sometimes-gamma/)

Pre-alpha is when it is tested by the software developers as it is not yet ready for anyone else to test and is still very basic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUc7FqF8hHMThis is a video of someone going through a pre-alpha test of a game.

Gold A game has "Gone Gold" when the final master copy has been produced at the developer and sent off for replication, packaging and shipment.(http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gone%20Gold)

When a game has gone gold this means that the game is complete and had been sent off to be replicated and shipped to be sold to the public.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt3LIl8JJTgThis video shows a game that has gone gold and the leaked images of the game from when it went gold.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Debug debugging is the process of locating and fixing or bypassing bugs (errors)(http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/debugging)

Debugging is when they find a bug through testing and then start the process of fixing or eliminating the bugs or errors

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896647.aspxThis is an image of the coding for a debughttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSvE3Uo6_DUthis video give a tutorial on how to run a debug software.

Automation the technique of making an apparatus, a process, or a system operate automatically(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automation)

This is when you make the program run automatically.

http://www.precisetestingsolution.com/functional-automation-testing.phpThis image is an example of a device that operates automatically.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb6Xj1gfljcthis video goes into more detail as to what automation is.

White-Box Testing

A software testing technique whereby explicit knowledge of the internal workings of the item being tested are used to select the test data.(http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/White_Box_Testing.html)

This is a testing technique that uses in depth knowledge of how the item works to select the areas that need to be tested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bJcvBLJViQThis video explains what white box testing is in further detail.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Bug Faults in the programming which cause unintended effects both good and bad – crashes, unintentionally high character advancement, etc.(http://www.theaveragegamer.com/terminology/)

An error or fault in the program that could cause damage to the program and/or cause it to crash

http://www.socialphy.com/posts/computers-technology/6506/The-top-8-bugs-in-the-history-of-videogames.htmlThis is a good example of a bug or glitch occurring in a game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3g2840zXKYThis video is a top ten list of glitches or bugs in video games.

GAME ENGINES

Vertex Shader A programmable function in display adapters that offers a graphics application programmer flexibility in rendering an image.(http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/53754/vertex-shader)

A vertex shader is a display function that allows the programmer using it to flexibaly change the shading and shape if an image.

http://www.pcformat.pl/Lepiej-niz-w-realu,a,34This is an example of an image created using a vertex shaderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KElJA_gieYQthis is a video of an ocean that was created using vertex shaders.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

GAME ENGINES

Pixel Shader Pixel shaders are tiny programs that can do operations on a single pixel on the screen. The most common use for pixel shaders is 'shading', approximation to real world lighting. (http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/22286/what-is-a-pixel-shader)

A Pixel shaders is a small program that is used on a single pixel at a time to create shading that is close to real world lighting .

http://forum.donanimhaber.com/m_7468596/tm.htmThis is an example of an image created using a pixel shaderhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL8T7uw7EREThis video shows the various things you can achieve using pixel shaders

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-discussion-1000004/what-does-quotpost-processingquot-do-27432407/)

Post processing is adding and special effects to the frame after it has been rendered or processed.

http://gamingdead.com/2013/05/24/silicon-studioss-new-yebis-2-middleware-showcases-xbox-one-graphical-possibilitiesThis image shows the difference made by using post processing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4S__Nyi3t0This video shows the effects of post processing

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Rendering The Renderer is what does all the work of calculating how to draw the 3D scenegraph to the 2D screen(http://hub.jmonkeyengine.org/wiki/doku.php/jme3:terminology)

Rendering is a program that calculates how to put the 3d scenes into a 2d screen

http://geekszine.com/best-animation-tools-that-every-animation-artist-loves-280.htmlThis image shows a character going through the rendering processhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgnNgBwlz6cthis video takes you through the process of rendering an object for a video game

Normal Map normal maps consist of red, green, and blue. These RGB values translates to x, y, and z coordinates, allowing a 2D image to represent depth.(.http://gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com/articles/gamedev-glossary-what-is-a-normal-map--gamedev-3893)

A normal map is made up of red, green and blue values which when translated into x,y and z allow the 2d image to represent the depth of a 3d image.

http://www.filterforge.com/filters/879-normal.htmlThis image represents what a normal map could look like.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-6Yu-nTbUUthis video explains what a normal map is in more detail.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Entity A unique ID that tags each game-object as a separate item(http://entity-systems.wikidot.com/)

An Entity is a ID tag that allows each game object to function as a separate item.

http://www.raywenderlich.com/24878/introduction-to-component-based-architecture-in-gamesThis image shows an example of an Entity’s ID tag.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FGR9HYh0sYthis video takes you through the steps of creating an entity for a video game.

UV Map This process projects a texture map onto a 3D object. The letters "U" and "V" denote the axes of the 2D texture because "X", "Y" and "Z" are already used to denote the axes of the 3D object in model space.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UV_mapping)

A UV map is when a texture map with the objects image design on it is projected onto a 3d object to create the item.

http://goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au/~gl/teaching/Interactive3D/2012/lecture9.htmlThis shows what a UV map does and looks like.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIvTUDgaXikthis video takes you through the basics of UV mapping.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Procedural Texture

A procedural texture is generated from repeating one small image, plus some pseudo-random, gradient variations (called Perlin noise). Procedural textures look more natural than static rectangular textures, and they look less distorted on spheres.(http://hub.jmonkeyengine.org/wiki/doku.php/jme3:terminology)

Procedural textures are created by layering an image with a gradient variation called perlin noise to create a realistic texture for grass, soil, rock, rust or walls

http://forum.devmaster.net/t/fun-with-texture-generation/16000This image is of a generator that can be used to create a procedural texturehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkTIZ1GldgQthis video shows what effects you can achieve using procedural textures

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.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_physics)

Games physics is when you introduce the laws of physics into the game engine to allow the game to become more realistic.

http://www.fun-motion.com/physics-games/nekofight/This image shows an example of someone trying to make a model react in the way it would if real world physics were applied.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpeANrZdSX8this video link explains the history and development of physics in games.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Collision Detecting an intersection between one or more objects in your game. Player & enemy, enemy & weapon, player & wall, etc.(http://www.creepyed.com/2012/09/game-development-101-glossary-part-0/)

When a game detects an interaction between items within the game.

http://www.silverlightshow.net/items/XNA-for-Silverlight-developers-Part-7-Collision-detection.aspxThis image shows how the collision detection should work.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGh-Vh_NYO0this video shows someone testing that collision detect works within there game.

Lighting a computer graphics effect used in video games, demos and high dynamic range rendering (HDR) to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world cameras.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom_(shader_effect))

An effect that is created using computer graphics and HDR to reproduce real world lighting.

http://gmc.yoyogames.com/index.php?showtopic=576962This image shows the different effects you can get on an object with different lighting techniqueshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b7jbqwlW4cthis video shows an example of realistic lighting within a game.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

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)

Anti-Aliasing is when you can make a jagged edge of an image appear to be smooth using shading and colour.

http://people.cs.clemson.edu/~tadavis/cs809/aa.htmlThis is an example of before and after and image has used anti-aliasinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqi0114mwtYthis video explains what anti-aliasing actually is.

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)

Level of detail refers to the method of rendering closer objects in game landscapes with more polygons than those which are further away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfxWC9j5cMYthis video is a good example of achievable detail within a game.

http://hydrogen2014imac.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/lod-level-of-detail/This image shows how the number of polygons or triangles used in the image changes the level of detail that can be achieved.

Animation In 3D games, Skeletal Animation is used for animated characters, but in principle the skeleton approach can be extended to any 3D mesh (for example, an opening crate's hinge can be considered a primitive joint).(http://hub.jmonkeyengine.org/wiki/doku.php/jme3:terminology)

Animation is a key factor in Games development and design it is the base for any moving aspect of a game. It is primarily used for animating the characters within the game using skeletal animation however it can also be used for any object that moves.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/11/05/informative-infinity-ward-animator-talks-fps-design-animations/

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

This image shows the development of animation within a video game.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaYcpqD_LVwThis is a video of an animation reel for a video game.

Sprite A sprite is a bitmap graphic that is designed to be part of a larger scene. It can either be a static image or an animated graphic.(http://www.techterms.com/definition/sprite)

A Sprite is a graphic that is used in larger scenes these are usually bitmap graphics.

http://www.deviantart.com/morelikethis/artists/210117947?view_mode=1This image shows a sprite sheet.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKjeBV_zPPQthis video gives a tutorial on how to place a sprite sheet within your game.

Scene 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.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutscene)

A Scene or Cutscene in a game is an area of the game in which the player has no or limited control over the characters. These help to progress the storyline and develop the characters and also inform the player of information that could help them beat the game.

http://piratesofbrooklyn.deviantart.com/art/Organic-Panic-Cutscene-Storyboard-Pencils-361860262This image shows the development of the storyboard for the cut scene.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44kVDy02h4Uthis video is the opening cut scene to Kingdom Hearts 2

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

Library A library is a useful framework to tackle a specific need within a game engine.(http://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/10770/whats-the-difference-between-a-library-and-an-engine)

A library is a hub that holds all the downloads and information pertaining to your game engine.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132234/sponsored_feature_xbox_live_.php?print=1This image is an example of a games library that is used by Xbox live.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6synhhD7e0Ythis video is an example of someone’s game library within their Xbox 360

UI UI refers to menus, buttons windows and such(http://www.brawsome.com.au/blog/index.php/2011/04/15/gui-ui-and-hud/)

UI or user interface is the area that the user can interact with such as buttons and menus.

http://www.crystalxp.net/galerie/en.4.12.scat.43.htmlThis image is an example of the user interface used by the PlayStation 3.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gJr5YPYa3wThis video shows hoe the user interface on the Xbox one can be personalized and edited to suit your preference.

Frames A frame is a single still picture on a display screen such as a television set or computer monitor.(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_fighting_games#Frame.28s.29)

Frames are a still shot that when put together in order can create a moving image much like a flipbook.

http://www.vitac.com/news_blog/vitac-blog.asp?post=425This image shows how a higher frame rate can result in a clearer image.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4z4igRnlLQ

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

this video compares the frame rate of a game on a pc ps4 and Xbox oneConcept the development of images

from imagination to show what does not exist on this world.(http://moberly.k12.mo.us/Forms/MATC/wd/siteww/defart.html)

The original ideas that will gradually develop to become the final designs or ideas for the finished piece.

http://bucharrest.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/nintendo-the-legend-of-zelda-hyrule-historia/this image shows the development of a character through its concept art as you can see there are a variety of designs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3utqdMqEbwthis video goes through the process and the behind the scenes of what concept art is.

Event The core concept in an event driven game engine is the message loop.http:/cboard.cprogramming.com/game-programming/122082-event-driven-game-engine.html)

An event is a sequence within a game that follows a script and is planned out for the player.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5h0-UyJeM8This is an example of an event scene that happens within a video game.

Pathfinding Pathfinding or pathing is the plotting, by a computer application, of the shortest route between two points.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinding)

Pathfinding is a computer application which finds the shortest route to get between two points.

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Salford City CollegeEccles Sixth Form CentreBTEC Extended Diploma in GAMES DESIGNUnit 73: Sound For Computer GamesIG2 Task 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfindingthis image explains what path finding ishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19h1g22hby8this is a video of a path finding algorithm working.

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