The Thrifty Gamer

Video games can be played on personal computers, online, cell phones and in arcades and have a long and interesting history. The concept of a video game was conceived and patented by Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann and the first computer video game, 'Spacewar!' was created in 1962.

If you wonder how your favorite video games Dungeon Siege II or Grand Theft Auto: Vice City were developed then here is an overview of the interesting process. Creating video games can be quite challenging as the developer always needs to focus on creating something new and would prefer to ensure that there is a good demand for the kind of video game he or she is planning to create. Like all good things creating video games is essentially centered on a great idea which is then designed and formatted in a manner that players will find interesting and will want to play over and again.

Before a video game is designed developers first survey and research the market for existing video games, often they explore ideas from their favorite games and consider ways to make it more advanced, exciting and addictive. To ensure that players continue to play a certain video game it is important for it to have a clear story line and focus, next the developer would need to conceptualize what the game will look like and how the characters in the game will react and then they will consider the various technical aspects that are essential to create the right effects.

Creating Video Games

Once a developer has created basic sketches of what he wants the game to look like, they are refined and are then ready to be converted into 3D characters. The final sketches are scanned and a digital exoskeleton is created. Thereafter different layers are added to get the right color and texture that the designer desires. The programmers now bring the figures or characters to life, sometimes a human actor may even don a suit of sensors to provide the 3D characters a more realistic movement.

Special attention is paid to the world around the characters, for instance if an enemy soldier in a tropical forest steps on a twig then the corresponding sound could alert the player. The idea is to create as realistic a scenario for the player so that the video game is absorbing enough to encourage the players to return to it.

The programmers code the video game to provide the right effects and reactions and basically control all aspects of the video game. The code is also responsible for the logic in the game or the artificial intelligence that supports it. Once a video game is complete it is then tested to take care of any glitches. Usually testing is done on two phases, the alpha version is done by select testers who focus on major problems with the game and fix it. Next, in the Beta version of testing a larger group of testers are involved and often the public is also allowed to participate in this phase of the testing.

Software for Creating Video Games

It has now become much simpler to create video games as developers have plenty of tools available to them in the form of software. Graphics, images and sound can be easily added to the game by using good software. Of course the creativity of the developer is what the video game finally depends on. There are several software types that a professional developer can choose from in the market and C++ and Microsoft Direct X top the list.

Amateurs Creating Video Games

Development of video games is not just restricted to big companies but players are also getting interested in creating their own video games. Who can design a video game better than hard core players, right? After all you have played enough video games to know what works and what doesn't and moreover it is great fun to make one. And who knows you may choose to make a career of it also.

The Games Factory, The Reality Factory and Dark Basic may be considered when creating video games. Once players have a basic functional knowledge of video games and what makes them work they can select to use more advanced software that gives them insight into programming and professional development of video games. Most software has tutorials to guide developers through the process of creating video games.

For more details go to http://www.gamecode.funurl.com