“Do You Even Game?”: How Game Development Is Set To Change

Future of Industry


Gaming is a popular form of entertainment in today’s world. In fact, this USD 300 billion behemoth, larger than the movie and music industries combined, is one of the first places where most technological advancements can be seen put to practical use. From coin-operated arcades that adorned restaurants and entertainment stores to personal computers that are capable of running games of very high quality of graphics, the gaming industry has come a long way, impacting the lives of millions around the world. Game development is a lucrative affair, with most game developers being in very high demand, thanks to the development of games for immersive extended reality devices and the inception of the metaverse. Today, we look at how game development tools have changed the way we design games.


Gaming Platforms


Before we go into the details of game development and the various tools associated with it, it is important to know about the different gaming platforms. Most games are designed and developed for use on mobile, PC or console. It is easier to develop games for mobile devices since it has the least amount of resistance during entry into the market. Understanding how to capture the audience’s attention, making the game light-weight but interesting enough, and the right kind of marketing strategies are of utmost importance when it comes to developing mobile games. PC games are not limited by storage since most PC gamers depend on multiple storage devices and hardware specifically designed for gaming purposes. Most PC games are designed to be played by multiple users (multiplayers) and have extensive updates or pay-for-use elements, which are better known as DLCs. Console games have the highest level of entry barrier, an absurdly high level of quality-checking, and require developers to use custom toolkits for game design and development. Most console developers also develop games that can be played on PCs as well.


Game Development


Game development is equally art as well as science (well, programming is kind of a science!). To become a game developer, you need to either know programming or design (including animation, modeling, character design etc). However, knowing both is a rare combination and is highly sought-after. Some of the most popular programming languages for gaming include C++, C#, Javascript, Java, and Python. Of these, C++ is considered to be one of the most commonly used programming languages for game development and design. C++ offers abstraction at a high-level where it provides direct control over hardware and graphics. When it comes to game development, some of the most popular gaming platforms include,

  • Unity
  • CryEngine
  • Unreal Engine
  • Cocos2d-x
  • Godot
  • Construct 3
  • Amazon Lumberyard

These platforms provide game developers with the necessary tools to simulate environments, create graphics that can be used in films, create 2D and 3D games, and manage game logic. Some of these tools do not require one to know programming at all – meaning, anyone can develop games using drag and drop controls!

While the above are game development tools, graphic designing tools are also utilized by game developers for the development of models, animations, character design, 3D modeling, and layout design. Some of these tools are,

  • 3Ds Max
  • Maya
  • Blender 3D

Blender 3D also supports exporting STL files, which are used for 3D printing purposes.


But how does any of this change things?


You have probably heard of Roblox? It is an online gaming platform that allows you to play games from anywhere. However, Roblox isn’t just that – it also allows its users to create and publish their own games. Basically, anyone who is creative enough can design their own games and let other users play them. What’s even more appealing is that Roblox has very serious moderation rules to protect all types of users. The same way, most platforms are offering game development capabilities that can be used by anyone to create games.

We spoke about gaming platforms earlier. However, a fourth kind has had a steady growth in popularity over the years – the video game digital distribution services! Game streaming services aim to solve the problem of having to run games on desktops or consoles that are not very powerful. With game streaming services such as Xbox cloud gaming, Amazon Luna, Steam, Origin and Nvidia Geforce now becoming popular amongst gamers, one could game from any device at any time.

With the arrival of the metaverse, the list of possibilities where gaming concepts can be used has become endless! Immersive experiences in gaming has become the most popular area of research currently and game development, as a whole, is slowly headed towards this reality (think of the chaos Pokemon Go! created). Extended reality has improved the way people interact with each other. Virtual environments that have been developed using the latest development tools, artificial intelligence-based systems, and state-of-the-art haptic technologies are being combined to offer a one-of-a-kind immersive experience to users. As cloud gaming picks up momentum, game developers are set to make a paradigm shift to designing games exclusively for cloud platforms. For now, we only ask you to gear up!



Date added
04.04.2022

Filed under:

Future of Industry

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