Game Programming: Level One: Industry

A Brief History of Time:


Pong: an early game

Video games started out with humble beginnings. Before the invention of home consoles or microcomputers, games were created on a variety of machines, ranging from oscilloscopes to the massive computers used in the 1960's, which required several tons of air conditioning equipment. The earliest games were very primitive and uncreative at first, and the video game industry found its first real start with the creation of Pong. As the arcade industry collapsed and the home consoles moved ahead, video gaming sprung up all around America and other countries, becoming less of a luxury and more of an appliance with steadily dropping prices. Games have since then increased in complexity and popularity, as game platforms compete, and elaborate graphics, intricate physics, and detailed stories appear better and better to make up exhilarating virtual worlds.

Art of the online game Prototype

The video games industry is steadily ascending with no decline in sight, generating billions of dollars in America alone. This is a risky business though, as no one factor guarantees success, and development cycles are expensive and span for years, so developers must target future audiences, not those today.Understanding the market demographic is vital to the game industry; the average age of a player is 33, with only 30% of gamers under the age of 18, and just 38% of gamers are female. Half of the games created are rated "E" for everyone, as the publishers must consider the possibility of large retailers not retailing a game due to its content, since that could be devastating to them.

Killzone graphics

Today's games are more than just cool; they are being considered to be a separate art form. They are incredibly complex simulations of virtual worlds, comprised of many varied elements, such as detailed animation, special effects, environments and characters, intricate and engaging story lines providing both linear and non-linear play, realistic physics, lengthy musical scores, networking for multiplayer game play, and advanced artificial intelligence to govern in-game characters.

Kingdom Hearts wallpaper

Creating a game is an incredibly in-depth and difficult process, however much of the game development isn't knowing how to put the pieces together, but rather what pieces to put together. On the contrary, despite all the components that make up a game, its success is determined by how good of a game it is; how fun it is to play. While a game may have a great core concept, if it was not developed properly, the game will not be enjoyable and therefore will not sell. The trick of game development is putting these concepts together in a well-developed fashion, free of unresponsive play control, unconvincing in-game animations, confusing user interface, or the wrong level of difficulty.



The Twilight Princess scene



Three separate groups have emerged within the game development industry, due to the highly divided nature of the different roles in generating a game and getting it onto the shelves. The developer is responsible for the creation of the game, and handles the art and code that make a game run and look good. The publisher typically funds the product and handles all the business aspects, such as marketing and manufacturing. The retailer handles physically placing the packaged game into the hands of the consumer.This trio of groups form what is known in the game industry as the "circle of life", as it represents the three phases in the "life" of a game. The family includes, producers/directors, game designers, game programmers, 2D/3D artists, sound engineers, game testers, each specializing in certain jobs.

 

The famous battling game of Brawl

 

With so many diverse roles in mind, there are quite a few jobs to be filled, also bringing many benefits such as a good salary and lots of new opportunities arising. However, this field isn't all fun and games, as the constant demand for new and innovative ideas is overwhelming, and the hours will probably be long and arduous. Ultimately, though, having the passion for the job is the key to a long and satisfying career. Is this the type of job that you would still be doing without pay?