M/C - Media and Culture Home
M/Cyclopedia Home

Computer Games - Ethics: Game Engine

From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

Definition

The game engine is used as a software application that handles all fundamental elements needed to develop a game. The game engine is used to power the entire game. The game engine not only handles graphical rendering, but also includes Artificial Intelligence (AI) (Wikipedia 2005). Harrison (2003, p.1) states that a game engine is normally designed for a particular game such as first personal shooters, real-time strategy and vehicle simulations. One advantage of a game engine is that it can be reused to the development of many different kinds of games, in an automated way, saving a lot of programming time. Some popular commercial game engines such as Torque Game Engine, 3D Red and 3D GameStudio have been used by many game developers (DevMaster 2005).

Functions of Game Engine

Graphic Rendering

  • Two Dimensions (2D): The game engine was first used by game developers to create the first generation of video games with two dimensional (2D) environments. In the 2D game world, there had only two axes at most including up- down and left-right. That is, the game engine enabled game developers to draw objectives in an X-Y scale as if they had been drawn on paper. Today, 2D games have mostly been replaced by three-dimensional (3D) computer games, however, it is still widely used by developers of 2D mobile phone games ( Dalmau 2004, p.317).
  • Three Dimensions (3D): At present, the game engine provides sophisticated graphical rendering capabilities for game developers to create the highest possible performance of computer games for three dimensional games. In the 3D game world, objects are in three dimensional spaces where the objects can be rotated like real objects (Answer 2005). Games like First Person Shooters (FPS) and Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) are the result of using the 3D game engine (Wikipedia 2005).

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Another function game engines provide is the computer simulation of intelligence. Dalmau (2004, p.150-153)states that AI provides game players with the stimulation and challenge of actually being involved with the gaming world. Foundationally, the game engine establishes a baseline for the behaviour of virtual characters in the game world. Usually AI controlled characters are enemies, but can also be Non-Playing Characters such as sidekicks or animals in a field. The game engine models its characters behaviours on logical and realistic structure so as to make it possible and even desirable for the game players to implement interaction in a virtual world (Dalmau 2004, p.150-153). Three important elements have been identified in building artificial intelligence (AI) for the computer games (Simpson 2005).

  • Stimulus-response: the game engine determines how a Non Player Character reacts when he hears something or is attacked by someone.
  • World awareness: a NPC will interact with its environment, therefore it will enable more human-like activity.
  • World navigation: AI interacts and understands the virtual geography. It helps a NPC know where it is in the game world and allows it to move from point A to point B. Hence, a NPC can navigated itself through the world.

Consideration

The enhancement of game engines has benefitted many game players as it enables game developers to create games with excellent graphics features and sophisticated AI components. Yet the advantage of the game engine may be perceived as negative. Barbara (2000) states that after September 11 in 2001, Flight Simulator 2000 which is a highly realistic and graphically advanced flight simulation computer game was considered as a main source used by terrorisers to hone their flying skills. In addition, the graphic violence in some computer games are generated when the game developers create extremely realistic graphics. For example, one of the first person shooters titled Soldier of Fortune (SoF) had very violent graphics of disturbing deaths for enemies. In the game, a lifelike portrayal of violent death scenes are activated when an enemy gets shot by a game player (LinuxGames 2005).



External Link

Gamer’s Manifesto


References

Answer.com. 2005. 3D computer graphics. http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=3D+computer+graphics&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=3D (accessed October 2, 2005).


Barbara, K. G. 2002. Kodak Moments, Flashbilb Memories: Reflection on 9/11. http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:eRni-j0QbrAJ:www.nyu.edu/fas/projects/vcb/case_911/pdfs/kodak.pdf+airplane+simulation+game++911+ethic+issue&hl=en (accessed October 21, 2005)


Dalmau, D. S. C. 2004. Core Techniques and Algorithms in Game Programming. US: New Riders. ISBN 0-1310-2009-9



DevMaster. 2005. 3D Engines Database. http://www.devmaster.net/engines/ (accessed October 2, 2005)


Harrison, L. T. 2003. Introduction o 3D game engine design using DirectX 9 and C#. New York: Apress. ISBN 1-59059-81-3


LinuxGames. 2005. Solider of Fortune. http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=/reviews/sof/ (accessed Octeber 4, 2005)


Simpson, J. 2005. Game Engine Anatomy 101. http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,594,00.asp (accessed October 3, 2005)



Wikipedia. 2005. Game Engine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_engine (accessed October 2, 2005)


The link to key entry:Computer Games - Ethics



--Chang I-Jung 18:15, 21 Oct 2005 (EST)

Retrieved from "http://wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Computer_Games_-_Ethics:_Game_Engine"
Personal tools