The first step in creating a three-dimensional video game is creating a game engine that executes all of the calculations necessary to generate and display a game environment. When creating this game engine, software engineers must determine ways to keep track of objects and characters that exist in their environment and to make these objects move in a realistic manner. Following the development of the game engine, it is necessary for the software engineers to create levels and characters for their game that are interesting and stimulating. The finished product is an entertainment package that will provide hours of fun.
Introduction
There are many forms of entertainment that allow us to escape the hardships of life in order to have a good time. Books entertain us through intriguing and interesting descriptions and metaphors. Movies entertain us by showing characters performing actions that are dynamic and dazzle the eye. Three-dimensional video games, however, do something very different. Video games put us into an entirely different world where we are involved in the story and can often make decisions that affect the outcome of the game.
As technology continues to advance, video games are becoming more and more realistic. They now incorporate real world physics that allow characters to move realistically, lighting that adds atmosphere and realism, characters with facial expressions and voices, action that is far more dynamic than the movies, and best of all, they put someone into a fun situation they could never experience in the real world. With the increased awareness and use of video games, the curiosity around their creation has risen. So, how are these games created? How do the software engineers at video game companies create an amazing universe someone can virtually experience?
The General Process of Game Creation
When creating a game, a game producer must first create a game engine whose purpose is to execute all the calculations necessary to generate a three-dimensional world on a computer. In order to create a three-dimensional game, game developers create a virtual world. Therefore, they must consider all the elements of the real world when designing their game engine in order to make their game realistic and entertaining.
The first element that must be considered in games design is what should exist within the world they want to create and how objects such as characters, the environment, and weapons should be represented in three dimensions. Game programmers must determine a way for the computer to keep track of what the objects should look like, where they should be, how big they should be, and how they should move. Lighting is the second element that must be considered in game design. A game programmer must consider where the lights should be, how bright they should be, how they reflect off of and interact with the objects of the world, and how to create shadows of these objects. The final element of game design is sound. It is necessary to determine how loud sounds should be relative to a position in the world and what sounds should occur as things happen in that world. Once all of these elements are considered and a game engine is created, the video game engineers can use their engine to design environments and characters that are interesting, realistic, and that tell an engaging story.
