Game Engine 

 

What is a game enginer? Well in simple terms a game engine is a software framework designed for creation and development of vidoe games. Below is a sample of the various components of a game engine for Linux: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before there were game engines, games were typically written as singular entities and poor graphics. Since then game engines were created as development of the computer was improved. Nowadays, game engines are everywhere, there are game engines that created the game that you play on your phone, there are games engines that create games for console and a lot of game for the PC.  Game engines are even being use to create games on web browers. Game engines have gone a long way. There is already evidence that game engines are also transferring into the 4-D game. The oculus rift, playstation kinect are just some indicators that the 4-D gaming is right at our doorsteps. 

 

Source Engine

 

Source engine is one of the most popular game engines that are used. Some games that were created by source engine include: Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike series, Portal series, Half-Life 2 series, Left 4 Dead series, and many more, all which are critically acclaimed and some in the top 100 video games including Team Fortress 2 at 4th place according to PC Gamer magazine. The source engine combines leadng-edge character animation, advanced AI (bots), real-wrold physics, shader-based rendering and highly extensible development enviroment. It was one of the top game engines that created the best video games. However, now the future is here and new technologies are being created and imporved. 

 

Currently source engine ranks 5th in top 100 most popular game engines (http://www.moddb.com/engines/top)

 

In fact video games are being taken to an all new level. From 2-D games to 3-D games. Now many companies are looking into 4-D types games. Using sensors from infarred lights have already begun. Video games have gone a long way since 8-bit acrade games. Looking at video games now, there are still a large population that favour PC over console gaming. Why? because nothing is better than the orignal. Video games are made from the computer using game engines. Computer games allow for more customization and easier access to coding and other things rather than a console. 

 

Although, the game engines are involving, there is one thing that does not change. Computers can only read binary, programming softwares therefore must convert to binary to the computer to read out codes. Programming softwares are also create from other programming softwares. The only way to make software is to use programming software. The most popular programming softwares for games are C, C#, C++, and Java. 

 

This source engine has its own speciality.. Although it may seem less important today, source engine is always updating and change ever so slightly. It also developed the SDK (source development kit) which allows users to use the code in their own proejects. Source engine also created TF2 replays which allowed me to record my own gameplay. Source Engine even created the Source Filmakers where people could make videos and movies based from source games.  Source engine is important to many games as well as for steam itself. It is the game engine that enables communication and chat windons on steam. It enable easy access to many servers. Over billions and billions of people use seem and play source engine games. As you can see, source engine is still relevant. 

 

For more in-depth information about source engine click on the button.

 

Other Game Engines

 

Although the source has had it time, there are many other better game engines out there that is possible because of technology and new different codes.

Newer and better game engines are created because of older game engines. New game engines such as CryEngine that created the game Far Cry, which has absolutely amazing graphics. Other advanced game engines include Frostbite for creating Battlefield, with good graphics on explosions, fires and detonations which feel and sound real. Sooner or later, there will be even better game engines with almost real-life graphics. I believe video games will get to the point when we cannot distiguish a real person from a video game person. The list for new and amazing game engine continues since there are just so many games coming out with such good graphics.

But source engine, I think is my favorite since TF2 is in fact the best game. Source engine was the best in its prime. It opened doors for oppetunity of better graphics. 

 

Graphics

 

 

The most popular gaming platform is microsoft. Today's graphics as mentioned is the most defining feature in most games. While games that are largely 2-D such as civilization v or chess are still presented with 3-D graphics.  There are also something called 

 

Coding

 

Like many advanced games today, there is a lot of code and a lot of advanced code. However most games follow a very basic surface as follows: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the main format that all game have. Even in the future of motion sensing games, the codes would have to follow the same concept since computers can only read binary. However different codes and technology may enable for more advanced code, but that will not change the basics. In computer engineering, which I took this semester, we had to create a game using Turing, a coding language. It took some lenght of code to make a very simple game and graphics (1000 + lines of code). Programming these intense multiplayer games required multiple programmers with mroe advance code and technology.