video game creation

20 video game development terms

Video games are a big part of the digital industry. It's a branch of programming, but is more creative in the process. It contains terms from programming but also got some of its own. this glossary is made to understand the creation process as well as communicate better with the team issues or ideas.

avatar: A representation of a user, the user's character, or a persona. It can be 2 dimensional (2D) or 3 dimensional (3D).
bug: It's a defect in a computer software.
CPU: It means central processing unit. It's the primary processing component in a computer that executes Instructions, of a program like arithmetic, logic, controlling, input and output operations.
cross-platform: Describes the ability of players using different hardware/consoles.
Easter egg: It's a message, an image, or a feature hidden.
gameplay: It's the specific way players interact with the game.
GPU: It's a component designed for digital image processing and accelerating computer graphics. In video games, it calculates various tasks like the rotations of a 3D object, and other programs like Shaders.
hitbox: It's an area that can inflict effects to a character or object.
indie: It's a shorter term for independent, which means the project is created by individuals or smaller development teams, and typically without the financial and technical support of a larger publisher. often focus on innovation, experimental gameplay and takes risks.
lag: It's a delay between the action of a user and the reaction of the server, which has to be sent back to the client. It's measured in milliseconds and is caused by the ping time and the frame rate.
metaverse: It's a type of game which players are interacting with each other while being represented by avatars, typically in a 3D space, with the experience focused on social and economic connections.
ping: It's a computer network administration software used to test how reachable a host is on an intern protocol network.
playtest: Testing the game to find and fix bus and flaws.
python: It's a program coding language.
RAM: It means random-access memory. It's a form of memory and can read and write the data in the memory quickly. It's typically used to store working data and machine code.
software: It consists of computer programs that leads instructions of the execution of a computer.
sprite: A 2D image integrated to a scene, often in a 2D video game.
texture: An image file we put on objects to give them texture and create an environment.
tripe-A or AAA: It's a term used to classify video games produced or distributed by a mid-sized or major publisher, which typically have higher development and marketing budgets.
VR: It means Virtual reality. It's a simulated experience on a 3D head-mounted display (or more commonly named VR headset) using body to give the user the immersion of a virtual world.