How A Game is Created


Primary Stage - a sketch - www.ffxii.com
sketch becomes 3D; character from Final Fantasy XII - courtesy of www. ffxii.com

Storyboard and Characters

It all starts with a storyboard. After this, the designers begin to create the characters. This would take a while since characters have to be perfected and refined. There is a need for this because making changes after the characters are finalized will be costly for the production. Once finalized, the characters are transformed into 3D characters. It may take a few days to program a character.

The character sketches are usually scanned into the computer. A digital exoskeleton is then made to come up with the character's shape. This would also allow the computer to create points in order to animate the figure. In order for the character to be more realistic, the exoskeleton should be very detailed. The layers of skin are added to create texture and color.

 

 

Creating A Program

At this point, the programmers create a program to instruct the computer to move the character. It's like creating puppets, having strings to make it move. In this case, the program will make the characters move. In some cases, the motions of a human actor are captured using a special suit with sensors that would be the control points of the character's skeleton. The movements can be mapped onto the character's skeleton to produce realistic motions of the character's shape.

 

The Environment

The environment to which the game is placed, creates a realistic approach to game playing. Very specific details can propel the gamer to go forward, like a sound can foretell an approaching danger.

"Texture Mapping" also allows games to have that 3-D environment that players can interact in real time. It's like opening a present wherein each character's movement is enclosed in a polygon that the computer controls.

 

Making the Code

The code makes it all possible for the game elements to work together. It's composed of detailed instructions and most games are written in C language.

Another important aspect of making the code is the artificial intelligence component. This creates the logic of the game, as well as establishes the physics of the game. It can detect the interactions and collisions between objects and, as well as, controlling their movement.

 

The Postproduction

This phase occurs when the game is finished. It includes extensive testing, review, marketing and distribution.

 

Testing

The job of the testers is to play the game repeatedly in order to find all the mistakes, or "bugs. When a problem is discovered, a detailed report is then sent back to the developers and the error is corrected.

There are two versions of testing. The first version sent to testers is called the "alpha" version. This is tested to detect any major flaws in the game while they are still easy to fix. The second version is called "beta." If all of the major flaws are corrected, a "beta" version is released to a larger group of testers that includes the public.

After the testing phase, a copy of the game is sent to the Entertainment Software Rating Board to be given a rating. The ratings would give players an idea of the game and what age group it is intended.

 

Selling the Game

After all the technicalities of the game, the game is now ready to be distributed to the market.