Software Engineering for Computer Games

Computer games and game engines – crash course

Game engine

Computer game = infrastructure + content

Game engine = infrastructure layer of game development process

Game engine

Same infrastructure, several games Example: Unreal engine (

http://www.unrealtechnology.com)

Dozens of games developed using Unreal Big business: Unreal license can cost

US$750,000

Game engine – Unreal

Unreal games (a few examples):

Game engine

“Technical” issues encapsulated in infrastructure

“Artistic” issues (i.e. content) released from technicalities

Game engine

generic

usef

ul

Usefulness versus Genericity

Game engine – 2D engines

2D games are (just) slightly simpler to develop and implement, including technical issues

2D game engines have (just) slightly less problems with which to deal

2D game engine – example

Gamemaker by Mark Overmars http://www.gamemaker.nl Written in Delphi v.7 About 40 thousand lines of code Project started in 1999 First public release took about 4

months Present version: 6.1

2D game engine - example

Hints: Follow the simple game construction

example in the next slides From that, infer some basic features your

game engine must present Check the material at

http://www.gamemaker.nl Build your requirements

2D game engine – example

WARNING: Your project cannot be too complex –

otherwise you will not complete the required steps in time

Your project cannot be too simple – it MUST keep the whole team busy, and it MUST be such that a smaller team could not complete it

Gamemaker

A maze game

Gamemaker

Graphic elements (“sprites”) – wall

Gamemaker

Graphic elements (“sprites”) – goal

Gamemaker

Graphic elements (“sprites”) – agent

Gamemaker

Objects – wall (no associated event)

Gamemaker

Objects – goal

Gamemaker

Objects – agent(I): move according to arrows

Gamemaker

Objects – agent(II): grid alignment

Gamemaker

Objects – agent(III): stop when hitting wall

Gamemaker

Rooms:

Gamemaker

Rooms:

Game engines

Additional information:

Game Engine Anatomy 101 – http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,594,00.asp

Your lecturer Your teaching assistants http://www.ime.usp.br/~lidet