Game Development Prelims

Reviewer Prelims

Arcade

are stand-alone game systems found in public venues

Console

usually played in the home

Computer

played on desktop and laptop

Online

played on a computer platform or through a console system connected to the Internet.

Handheld

lightweight, portable game console with a built-in screen, game controls, and speakers.

Mobile

games designed for mobile devices. smartphones, tablets, etc. small size of handheld

Tabletop

played on top of tables. Board, card, and dice games.

Time intervals

time-dependent elements that affect the pacing of the game.

Turn-based

allow each player, whether artificially generated or human, to take a turn.

Real-time

there is no time interval between turns.

Time-Limited

limit the time each player has for their turn.

Single Player

Any additional players (usually opponents) in the game are known as artificial intelligence (AI) characters or non-player characters (NPCs)

Two-Player

Early in the industry, players took turns playing against the game itself.

Local multiplayer

all players sit in the same space and play the game on the same machine.

LAN-Based mulitplayer

allow players to share the game on a local area network without sharing the screen or input device.

Online Multiplayer

players connect their devices to the Internet and share the game.

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, MMORPG

persists 24 hours per day and maintain a subscription-based revenue model in which players pay a monthly fee to continue playing it.

Entertainment

These allow players to take part in creating entertainment experiences.

Social

When more than one person is playing a game, the players might be motivated to interact socially with their opponents or team members.

Educational

Games are developed to teach while they entertain.

Recruitment & Training

Games have also been used by the military, government, and even for-profit corporations for recruitment and training purposes.

Health and Fitness

Many exergames-a subcategory specifically related to fitness.

Consciousness and Change

Games created for social consciousness and change (sometimes termed "games for change") might be created by non-profit, political, or religious groups to raise awareness of certain beliefs, attitudes, values, lifestyles, and causes.

Aesthetics and Creativity

Some games are created to elicit creative expression or aesthetic appreciation from players or are developed to express or share artistic ideas.

Marketing and Advertising

Some games are created to market a product or service to consumers.

Advergames

are specifically designed as advertising tools and used as an alternative to other web-based advertising, such as banners.

Genres

are categories based on a combination of subject matter, setting, screen presentation/format, player perspective, and game-playing strtegies.

Action

involves quickly destroying your enemies while avoiding being destroyed yourself.

Platformer

focuses on players moving quickly through an environment, often jumping and dodging to avoid obstacles, and sometimes collecting items along the way.

Shooters

focuses on combat between a player and the other characters in the game world usually in the form of shooting with guns and other weapons controlled by the character's hands.

First-person shooters (FPS)

cannot see his or her character onscreen.

Third-person shooters

Allow players to see their characters, along with the rest of the game world.

Racing

involves a player's vehicle (usually a racecar)

Fighting

two-person games in which each player controls a figure on screen and uses a combination of moves to attack the opponent and to defend against the opponent's attacks.

Adventure

about unravelling stories, exploring worlds, collecting, navigating mazes, decoding messages, and solving puzzles.

Action-Adventure

is the only hybrid genre that has distinguished itself as an accepted genre.

Casino

has been shown to be addictive.

Puzzle

tetris—one of the most popular puzzle games of all time—is played in real-time, involving a fast-paced game-playing experience.

Role-Playing Games

are characterized by containing strong storylines.

Simulations

attempt to replicate systems, machines, and experiences using real-world rules.

Vechicle Simulations

usually operates complicated machinery (often vehicles such as jet fighters, ships, or tanks).

Sports and Participatory Simulations

Engages the player to experience the simulation as a participant within it.

Process Simulations (Construction & Management)

involve real-world systems or processes. These games are also known as construction and management sims (CMS) or toy games.

Strategy

games have their origin in classic board games such as chess, where players are required to manage a limited set of resources to achieve a particular goal.

Turn-Based Strategy (TBS)

in this game, resource management involves discrete decisions such as what types of resources to create, when to deploy them, and how to use them to the best advantage.

Real-Time Strategy

These games incorporate a real-time interval.

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMO)

These games enable hundreds or thousands of players to interact in a game world simultaneously they are connected to via the Internet.