After a tiring day at school and an extracurricular activity, you finally arrive home. You quickly finish your homework while you enjoy a nutritious dinner. When you finally have some free time to relax, you grab a controller and prepare to embark on a virtual adventure or defend a planet from an alien invasion.
Playing video games is a popular hobby for children of all ages. For most kids, the video game journey begins at the video game store and ends on the couch. But have you ever stopped to think about all the effort that goes into creating the video games you love?
Some people view video games as simple electronic toys that are quickly produced. However, in reality, the most popular modern video games are intricate productions that rival the biggest summer blockbusters made by Hollywood movie studios. It can take a year or longer to develop a video game!
Video games may have started as simple games of chasing a moving dot on a black screen, but today’s modern games are interactive wonders that resemble movies and offer complex gameplay in various settings.
Every modern video game begins with a story. Whether it’s a simulation of a historical event or a role-playing scenario in a futuristic fantasy world, the story drives the action of the video game and creates a strong connection between the player and the game’s characters.
Writers, artists, designers, and programmers must collaborate to create all the components of the story, including the characters, the settings, the music and sound effects, and the possible paths the story can take. Unlike movies, which have a single storyline, video games must account for all the potential paths that intense gameplay can lead to.
Today’s gamers expect realistic video games with top-notch graphics. Characters are expected to move and behave like real people, and objects are usually expected to follow the laws of physics to some extent. Settings must resemble the real world or whatever fictional world exists in the video game. Achieving the level of detail required by artists and designers is a challenging task. That’s why it often takes a team of over a hundred people to develop a single video game!
Once all the elements of the video game have been designed, it is the responsibility of computer experts to bring them all together and make them function effectively as a video game. All the characters, settings, sounds, and gameplay elements must be programmed to seamlessly work together.
Computer programmers must write millions of lines of code, which are instructions in various computer languages such as C++, Python, Visual Basic, and Perl. This code controls every aspect of the game. When you think about controlling a specific character in a game, you realize that there are countless possibilities for what you can do with that character. Code must be written to account for all the potential choices you can make. Each action you take leads to changes in the setting and presents a whole new set of options for your next move. Complex computer code manages all these factors and ensures that playing the game is a smooth experience for the user.
Once a video game is near completion, it goes through a testing phase where players try out every aspect of the game to identify and fix any errors, known as bugs, before the game is released. Once the game is released, it is marketed to the general public, and you can enjoy the results of the countless hours spent developing the game!
Give It a Try
Are you ready to level up? Make sure to explore the following activities with a friend or family member:
- After reading today’s Wonder of the Day, we know there’s something you really want to do, so go ahead and do it! That’s right, play a video game! You can play at home, at a friend’s house, or at an electronics store. As you play, pay attention to the different elements mentioned in today’s Wonder of the Day. What story is being portrayed in the game? Who are the characters? What is their environment like? What details do you notice now that you might not have noticed before?
- Ask an adult friend or family member to take you on a field trip to a local video game store. Explore the shelves and see the wide variety of video games available today. Choose a few video games that you’re not familiar with. Based on their packaging, can you guess what kind of story they tell? How expensive are the video games? Do you think the cost of video games is justified, considering what you now know about their production? Why or why not?
- Have you always wanted to create your own video game? Now is your chance to start. You already know what you need to begin: a story. So tell the story that you would like to turn into a video game. You can write your story on paper if you want. You can also share your story with a friend or family member. What feedback can they provide about your story? Think about the characters and environments you would include in your video game.
Sources of Wonder
- http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/inside/how/ (accessed 27 June 2022)
- http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/making-a-video-game.htm (accessed 27 June 2022)
- http://arstechnica.com/features/2005/11/crossplatform/1/ (accessed 27 June 2022)
- http://www.madehow.com/Volume-5/Video-Game.html (accessed 27 June 2022)
FAQ
1. What is the process of developing a video game?
The process of developing a video game involves several stages. It starts with the concept and design phase, where the game idea is brainstormed and the overall gameplay mechanics, storyline, and visual style are decided. Then, the development team creates the game’s prototype, which includes basic gameplay elements and features. After that, the actual coding and programming take place, where the game’s mechanics, graphics, and sound are implemented. Once the game is fully developed, it goes through a testing phase to identify and fix any bugs or glitches. Finally, the game is ready for distribution and can be released on various platforms.
2. What skills are required to develop video games?
Developing video games requires a combination of different skills. Programmers are essential, as they are responsible for coding the game and implementing its functionality. Artists and designers are needed to create the game’s visuals, including character models, environments, and special effects. Sound designers and composers contribute by creating the game’s audio elements, such as music and sound effects. Additionally, game designers are crucial for creating engaging gameplay mechanics and balancing the overall experience. Collaboration and communication skills are also important, as game development is typically a team effort.
3. How long does it take to develop a video game?
The time it takes to develop a video game can vary greatly depending on its scale and complexity. Smaller indie games can be developed by a small team or even a single developer within a few months to a year. On the other hand, larger and more complex games developed by big studios can take several years. Factors that contribute to the development duration include the size of the team, the resources available, the scope of the game, and any unforeseen challenges that may arise during the development process.
4. What software and tools are used in video game development?
Video game development involves the use of various software and tools. Game engines, such as Unity and Unreal Engine, provide a framework for creating the game’s mechanics, graphics, and physics. These engines often come with integrated development environments (IDEs) that assist in coding and debugging. Designers use graphic software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator to create visual assets, while 3D modeling software like Autodesk Maya or Blender is used to create 3D models. Sound designers utilize digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Ableton Live or Pro Tools for creating and editing audio. Version control systems like Git are also commonly used to manage and track changes in the game’s source code.
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