Introduction To Video Games Development
I am a gamer who really enjoys playing video games as well as a student games developer who enjoys learning all the aspects of games.
What Are Video Games?
Video games are a form of modern day digital entertainment for people of all ages. It requires the use of an electronic device such as a mobile phone, computers or gaming consoles. gaming is like an image that alters based on how the person or player interacts with the game.
The above image shows a very popular game in the present time of this article
History Of Video Games
The general ideas for video games were being put into place by inspired computer scientist since the early 1950s. But the first official video game that was developed is Pong by William Higinbotham. However, video games only began to show its true potential to the people beginning in the early 1970s and 1980s where consoles where consoles were invented to support the games and the use of what is called a "Joystick" was required to play the games on the console. From then on video games began to evolve from basic games such as the original Pac Man to the popular Esports games of today. With that said, even now the games continue to evolve and grow and it is very high demanding in the public especially towards children and teenagers.
The above image is an example of the game Pong. Please take note that this is not the first version of the game.
How Are Games Developed?
When developing a game some of the most important asset a person needs is to be creative and imaginative. As this will be helpful with the first step of making a game which is the idea generation. When a developer has a clear idea on what type of game he wants to make the rest of the requirements will come easily.
Next, once a base or general idea has been constructed its time to get assets for your game. Assets can include things like characters, materials, environments and elements that will be implemented in the game. These assets can be downloaded easily using online sources or the developer can create them himself by using softwares that specialize in creating 2D and 3D assets or models.
Here is an example of 2D and 3D assets that were created by me and my group of friends. Please note that everything in this image was created by my team aside from the individual
Once the assets are completed, its time to bring them to life by using the masterminds of developing games which is the game engines. Game engines are used to put everything you have created together to form your game with the help of animations, visuals and some programming. Aside from that the game engines is also a tool used to design the UI of the games with its UI engine. A UI is basically a HUD that is inside the game but not a part of the game. an example of this would be a mini map or a main menu screen.
Once a developer is done with the overall creation of the game, it is time for the final step which is exporting the game and sharing it with the public to have fun and enjoy the game that was developed.
Modelling Softwares
As mentioned before, modelling softwares are used to develop and create 2D or 3D assets for the game depending on the type of game the type of game the developer plans to make. On that note, here are some examples of 2D and 3D softwares that are commonly used by developers.
2D Softwares
Adobe Photoshop
The above image is the logo for Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
The above image is the logo for Adobe Illustrator
Difference Between Adobe Photoshop And Illustrator
| Adobe Photoshop | Adobe Illustrator |
|---|---|
Focuses on Pixels for Image creation | Focuses on Vectors for image creation |
The above table only covers the main difference of the two softwares when it comes to its impact on games development. however there are a few more differences between the softwares as well which i did not cover
3D Softwares
This section will cover 3D softwares
Blender
The above image is the Logo for Blender
3DS MAX
The above image is the Logo for 3DS MAX
Maya
The above image is the Logo for Autodesk Maya
Difference Between Blender, 3DS MAX And Maya
| Blender | 3DS MAX | Maya |
|---|---|---|
Mainly for animations and visual effects | Mainly for modelling | Mainly for animation and texturing |
Usage is quite tricky | Usage is fairly easy | Usage is quite tricky |
Mostly for start up companies or developers | Most useful for games development | Preferred by Larger game or production companies |
Game Engines
The game engine as mentioned is the most important software or tool for developing games as it is the main key in compiling and bringing all the game assets to live or in other words it helps with gamifying the assets. There are a number of game engines that can be used. However only 2 game engines are mostly preferred by developers. These engines are Unity and Unreal engine.
Unity Engine
Unity is considered to be a cross-platform game engine. Meaning it can develop games for all types of operating systems. This reduces the stress of the developer needing to add in extra scripting to the game in order for it to port to multiple platforms. It is also the world’s number one platform for developing and maintaining interactive real-time 2D or 3D content. It is also the main game engine used to develop indie games. It is an engine that is very easy to use. Besides that, Unity requires and understanding of the C# programming language in order to use its development (Unity Technologies, 2005).
The above image shows the Logo for Unity Engine
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine is a game engine that can also be considered a competitor to Unity engine. Unreal Engine was primarily created for the development of first-person shooter games. However, in current times, it has also been used to developed games with other type of genres. The programming language used for games development for this engine is C++. Besides that, Unreal Engine is also used as a tool for film development. It has created popular series such as The Mandalorian (Epic Games, 1998).
The above image is the Logo used by Unreal Engine
Difference Between Unity and Unreal Engine
| Unity Engine | Unreal Engine |
|---|---|
Uses C# | Uses C++ |
Better for game developers who are beginners in developing games | Better for game developers who have some experience in developing games |
Better for 2D games development | Better for 3D games development |
More integrations for cross platform | Lesser integrations for cross platform |
Conclusion
In my opinion developing games can be a great challenge at first and it does take some getting used to. But, once a developer can master the basic techniques of each software and is creative and innovative, it can be mastered in no time.
On that note, if you are striving to be a game developer my advice is to not give up and keep pushing as you will be able to master it eventually.
