THE DEVELOP
FOR WARD PL ANNER DICTIONARY
Our new guide to games development terminology brings you the best and the worst of industry jargon, starting of course, with the letter A
AAA(abrv.) –The wrong way to format ‘triple-A’. What is triple-A? It’s a game that’s better than a ‘double-A’ release, but not as good as a ‘quadruple-A’ title. And, yes, we really have received press releases that use ‘quadruple-A’ like something that exists.
Action Game (noun) – Apparently a genre, but so loose fitting and subjective its merits as a genre classification are arguably redundant, unless you consider any game with any kind of action in a genre. See also:Adventure Game.
Adventure Game (noun) –A game genre that really used to apply to ‘point ‘n’ click games (i.e., the Monkey Island series) but now seems to be applicable to any kind of game with a narrative. See also:Action Game.
Affordance (noun)– A system of predictable functionality that should always be applied to your game’s interface; for example, the implication of a certain stick movement should make sense within a system that encourages the player only to consider interaction supported by the interface.
Aliasing (noun) – The simple process of image pixilation upon display of said image.
Alpha-beta pruning (noun) – A routine within the remit of artificial intelligence that evaluates a potential move only in circumstances where that move’s possible outcomes are equal to or better than a previously considered move
Anchor point (noun) – The point at the start or end of a Bézier curve (you’ll have to check back next month for that one).
Ancillary rights (noun) – Keeping hold of these lets you profit from merchandise and other products derived from your game. In a post-Moshi Monsters world, it’s something you shouldn’t ignore
ASIC (acronym, noun) – Application Specific Integrated Circuit. A non-versitile hardware chip designed for a very specific task
Asynchronous gaming (noun)– A way of making a game hugely compelling for a few days, before users lose interest and rarely return.
Asymmetrical objectives (noun) – In game design, a pair of non-identical objectives for a pair of players that force those usesr to meet different criteria to progress in within the game system
Attract mode (noun) – Remember arcade cabinets? When the game would run a demo mode to showcase how to play a game and what it offered, in an attempt to tempt consumers to part with small amounts of cash, it was in attract mode. Relevant today because numerous mobile and social games need to show everything to a player in a few seconds.
Auto-aim (noun) – A feature that makes games a little bit too easy, but much more rewarding for low-to-mid skilled players (i.e. Develop editors).
Auto-patcher (noun) – A component piece of software that will help you force updates upon your users, whether they like it or not.
AUGUST 2012 Develop Awards 2012 Retrospective We look back on this year’s awards ceremony and tell you who the big winners were
BUILD Special Feature: Apps & Mobile Games Dev Tech An investigation into the tools that underpin the increasingly important smartphone games space
Regional Focus: Sweden We examine a sector that’s home to some of the world’s biggest hits and most distinct tools
Events: Edinburgh Interactive 12 – August 9th to August 10th GDC Europe – August 13th to August 15th Gamescom – August 15th to August 19th
SEPTEMBER 2012 User Interface Tools & User Interaction Touch-screens, motion controllers and gesture inputs have changed how gamers interact – but how have they changed how games are made?
BUILD Special Feature: Graphics & Rendering An update on the tools and applications for cutting edge graphics and on-screen beauty
Regional Focus: Germany We delve into the thriving development hub from one of Europe’s most powerful economies
Events: Develop Quiz – September 19th Tokyo Game Show –September 20th to September 23rd
OCTOBER 2012 Start your own studio Setting up on your own? We can help out with a range of features written by experts in business, finance and law
BUILD Special Feature: Character Animation This head-to-toe guide examines what’s new in the technologies that make game characters walk, run and save the world
Regional Focus: South & Latin America We take a look at one of the most talked about, and least explored emerging markets
Events Apps World Europe – October 2nd to October 3rd MCV / Xbox 360 pub quiz – October 4th GameCity 7 – October 20th to October 27th
NOVEMBER 2012 Regional Focus: Canada Our yearly look at the games dev firms operating in British Columbia, Quebec and everywhere in between
Events: Montreal International Game Summit - November 13th to November 14th
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