Video Game Design and Programming

Summary

Video game design and programming combines artistic and computer programming skills to create products for a variety of gaming platforms, including smartphones, personal computers (PCs), and consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation. Whereas the products of video game design and programming were once primarily electronic amusements for children and adolescents, a number of factors have resulted in video games being used for other purposes, such as medical or military training, fitness, and physical rehabilitation. The popularity of video games has also resulted in the growth of game design and programming curricula in education.

Definition and Basic Principles

Video game design and programming is the field of computer science involved in the creation of video games to be played across a variety of electronic and digital platforms. This field combines artistic skills such as computer graphics, writing, and traditional drawing with computer programming skills to produce games ranging from casual games, a term denoting simple games designed for quick diversions, to elaborate games featuring immersive worlds, multiple levels, complex storylines and character development, and a fair amount of skill development for play.

Since their early history, video games have grown from being simple, entertaining diversions that could be experienced on occasion (such as arcade machines found in restaurants, bars, and arcades in the 1970s) to full-scale entertainment systems that are playable from almost any type of consumer electronics device with audiovisual capabilities. The mass adoption of video games in contemporary culture has resulted in the creation of a highly influential industry that rivals the sound-recording and motion-picture industries and may even surpass those industries in terms of profitability and user bases.

Since the mid-1990s, the widespread popularity of video games has given rise to game design and programming curricula in higher education. There are also game design programs in some high schools, but these are not as common.

Background and History

The first video games were created by computer scientists and programmers after World War II. However, it was not until the 1960s and 1970s that the combination of graphics and audio capabilities produced what the modern user would recognize as a standard video game. For many years, the earliest games, such as Spacewar!, Pong, and Tank, provided a generic model for many copycat games. However, by the mid-1980s, many genres of video games had been created, including first-person shooters, adventure games, role-playing games (RPGs), and even the earliest versions of online games, most of which were adaptations of popular board or pencil-and-paper games.

The massive growth of this industry since the 1980s is in part because of the continuous improvements made to the hardware and software with which games are created and on which they are played. Personal computers and communications devices (smartphones, for example) follow the rule of Moore's law. According to the law, which is named after Gordon E. Moore, the co-founder of Intel, the power and speed of computer chips doubles about every eighteen to twenty-four months. Thus, a computer that sold for a thousand dollars in the 1990s has far less processing power and speed than a computer selling for the same price in the 2020s. This increase in processing power allows games to be created using far more elaborate programming and design tools than were used in the past. Thus, video games have become far more realistic than before, although the cost has remained roughly the same.

How It Works

The development of video games can be divided into several phases, from initial concept to design and programming to final product. Each of these phases has a number of processes.

Concept. The initial idea for a video game is known as the concept. The design document, whether a single sheet of paper or a complicated, multipart document, will spell out all the important information that the entire design and programming team will follow for the duration of the game's development. The simplicity of the initial concept will not necessarily have any impact on how complex the final product will be, but it can guide certain decisions along the way. These include the size of the design team, the tools and resources to be used, the platform for which the game is being designed, and who the target audience will be. Early phases of game development involve decisions about the intended plot and style of the game, the language(s) of the game, the design of the game world and environments, and the characters that will populate the game world. Much of this is guided by designers and programmers as they oversee game development during each of its phases.

Design and Programming. Once a concept has been envisioned, the next phases involve the production of the game in the desired video game format and platform, such as a video game console or PC. This involves many different steps with many levels of expertiseprogramming of game elements for the chosen platform, selection of the game engine or software used to program the game and the modeling and other tools to create characters and environments, and creation of the earliest models of the game so it may be tested. The roles of each development team member at this point are fairly fixed, and they work together to make sure that each element of the game matches the other elements to ensure proper gameplay (all experiences during a player's interaction with game systems). Major considerations during this phase include determining which game engine or software and audio and graphics tools to use. The programming languages commonly used in game design include C++, C#, Java, and Python. Some companies make development kits available to budding game designers. At some point in this process, a version of the game is tested to find software defects, also known as bugs, and eliminate them so the game works as intended.

Crunch Time and Postproduction. Once a video game is near its final, or completion, phase, it is adjusted by designers and programmers and undergoes further testing and quality assurance. Although the game is continuously tested and adjusted by programmers and designers throughout the development phases, it is up to professional game testers to see if the game works from a user's perspective. A marketing team is usually brought in at this level to prepare for the launch and release of the game. As the video game industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, these later phases can be just as important as the early phases of design and development.

Applications and Products

The games that existed before the boom in popularity of video games in the late 1970s—the era of video arcades and home systems—were relatively simple programs that had little compatibility beyond the specific gaming systems for which they were designed, such as the large, boxy coin-operated machines found at arcades. Therefore, these games were considered novelty pastimes that were enjoyed in specific places at specific times and by a fairly small percentage of the population. However, the evolution of video games, like that of motion pictures, is based on continuous adjustments to the technology used to create and consume them. The consequence of these improvements over time is a shift in the way that video games are perceived and an expansion of the market for these games to include consumers other than traditional gamers, who were typically male adolescents. This stereotype no longer held true by the 2010s, as women and people of all ages regularly played video games by this time. This shift in demographics prompted a significant diversification of the video game industry in terms of platforms, content, and design.

Video Games for All Ages. The primary purpose of video game design and programming is the creation of consumer goods for entertainment. Video games, once primarily entertainment targeted at male adolescents and young men, are increasingly played by people of all ages and are being adapted to train and educate people as well as to entertain them. In the 1990s and the early twenty-first century, many new applications were created that not only elevated the gaming experience but also enabled video games to be used for purposes other than pure entertainment. Video games have become valuable tools in diverse areas such as user interfaces, storytelling, training and education, the arts, marketing, medicine, physical rehabilitation, and the military.

Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the advent of video game production houses—and video game franchises such as Doom, Final Fantasy, and Super Mario Bros., which generated millions of dollars—game designers and programmers have constantly pushed the boundaries of computer science and graphic arts. Innovations in video game design and programming include the use of smartphones and personal electronic devices as important new platforms for gaming and the introduction of newer systems designed to appeal to nontraditional gamers, such as the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo Switch. These innovations reflect the creativity of game makers in carving out new markets for themselves.

Innovative Platforms. Video game programmers and designers have increasingly developed games to run on different platforms and use novel controllers, thereby drawing in consumers who historically have not been regularly associated with video gaming. In the case of handheld devices such as the Apple iPhone and Android smartphones, consumers recognize the utility of having a device that can be used not only for telecommunications but also for entertainment. Extended battery life, ease of purchasing mobile games, and user-friendly interface designs are also factors in drawing new users.

Similarly, the simple addition of a wireless, motion-sensitive game controller called the Wii Remote to the Nintendo Wii resulted in a new gaming environment for users and spawned a number of new game designs and concepts. Users could now control the game with physical gestures, prompting the development of games that encourage physical activity. The Wii Fit, introduced in 2008, contained a balance board that allows users to engage in yoga, aerobics, strength training, and balance games. The interactive nature of these fitness games has been noted by health and physical rehabilitation professionals, resulting in a burgeoning research field in which more and more innovative gaming technologies are being applied to serious health issues.

Games as Educational Tools. An important new field for video game designers and programmers is serious games, or those with a primary purpose other than pure entertainment. The idea of a video game environment being used to train pilots and soldiers (two of the more common occupations long associated with gaming) is not new, but the increasing realism, control, and complexity of the tools available for training make video games more and more attractive for a variety of applications. In the medical and health fields, for example, motion-sensitive controllers are useful for training physicians in surgical techniques and aiding in the rehabilitation of physical mobility in elderly patients, as well as those with limited physical movement because of congenital or age-related conditions.

Serious games have been used to teach people about such social issues as the Arab-Israeli conflict and the guerrilla war in Darfur (started in 2003). For example, in the game Darfur Is Dying (2006), players could take on the identities of members of a refugee family to learn more about the hazards of everyday life in that region. Other serious games deal with peak oil scenarios, climate change, and a host of other situations that could benefit from more public awareness. In particular, the relationship between game design and military recruitment highlights a possible trend in serious games and occupational fields, in that in addition to scenario simulations, games may increasingly become a part of recruitment and training.

Careers and Course Work

One important result of the surge in video gaming since the 1980s and 1990s is the creation of video game design and programming curricula at universities and colleges. The overall framework for a degree in a video-game-related field is based largely on the student's focus. Most programs will include courses designed to create a general understanding of video games, such as the history of video games and an introduction to game design and game programming. After these lower-division courses, the focus narrows to more specific courses in aspects of design, such as level design, production and documentation, and methods for working with artists and programmers. Game programmers, on the other hand, continue coursework in computer science as applied to video game development, as well as specific programming tools for game development. A number of colleges offer game design and programming degrees, with some even offering master's degrees in management and production.

The career track for a video game designer or programmer could start with a job at a small company with only a handful of employees who create just a few games a year. In this environment, a designer should expect to work closely with other team members and to have occasional duties in other areas, such as programming. The alternative is to be hired by a much larger company in which there may be many departments simultaneously working on different game titles. In this environment, one should expect to maintain a high degree of focus on just one skill set. In either environment, the same levels of skill and workmanship are highly valued and can be quite rewarding for a talented game developer.

Social Context and Future Prospects

To understand why the video game industry has grown as rapidly as it has, one must look at the far-ranging applications that each new generation of game design and programming technology makes possible. Video games have a wider range of uses than ever before, and additional practical applications are likely to be developed as gaming increasingly becomes an important part of everyday life for millions worldwide. While some virtual-reality technology ranging in affordability for gaming was available to consumers by the 2020s, prospects included more immersive environments that expand game playing into levels of interaction and sensory experience that previously could be found only in science fiction. Other possibilities include powerful, relatively inexpensive displays and controllers, as well as tools that allow almost anyone to create their own video games on a typical home computer.

Video gaming became even more prevalent during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as it was increasingly used among people of all ages to stay connected during stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements. Many players have met a close friend or even a significant other through video games. Video games are increasingly used for nontraditional activities. These trends point to a broad change in the acceptance level of video gaming across all age groups.

In a slow but continuous trend toward health, fitness, and medicinal applications of gaming, fitness gaming, or active video games (AVG) continues increasing in popularity. The augmented reality game Pokémon GO emerged in 2016 and quickly gained a large and dedicated following. Users walk around the real world using mobile devices to find and capture as many characters as possible. Though its popularity was relatively short-lived, the revolutionary approach highlighted the importance of considering widely-held consumer values in video game development, like health. Current and future customers are increasingly health-conscious. Integrating well-being into video game development allows the industry to reach a new demographic and combat the negative, unhealthy image often associated with video games.

Many gaming apps intended for use in healthcare were developed in the early twenty-first century. In 2020, the Federal Drug Association approved EndeavourRX by Akili Interactive—the first medication video game intended to treat children aged eight to twelve with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The same year, the PuzzleWalk app became available to encourage individuals with autism spectrum disorder to exercise. In 2021, MindMaze became available to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's, and dementia patients to improve cognitive and motor skills. It also has applications for stroke patients. As virtual reality entered the industry, fitness gaming, such as virtual gyms and personal training sessions, gained popularity. Peloton released its gamified workout experience, Lanebreak, in 2022, allowing users to run or ride a bike in a simulated game. Still, many medical professionals recommend against too much gaming time for children and adults, citing ADHD and addiction links.

Other trends include cloud gaming, which does not require traditional hardware to play because games are hosted on remote servers that users access through the Internet. Metaverse gaming, which combines virtual reality and cloud gaming, allowing players an immersive socialization experience, is also gaining popularity. As platforms merged in the early 2020s, cross-platform gaming became possible, allowing players to interact regardless of their devices or systems. Other rising technologies include NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) gaming, Esports, and blockchain-based gaming.

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