Game Development

Engines
CCS16 – Game Console Integration
Game Development Engines
• A game engine provides you with tools and programs to help
you customize and build a game.
• It gives you a head start in creating your very own game.
• Some of the popular game engines available today are:
• GameMaker Studio 2
• Godot Engine
• Unity Engine
• Unreal Engine
GameMaker Studio 2
Game Development Engines
GameMaker Studio 2
• GameMaker 2 is a popular game
maker for creating games for PC and
mobile and is specialized towards 2D
games.
• It is very popular for indie game
development for 2D games.
• It has a free version with full features,
but if you would like to publish your
game for various platforms you will
need to apply for a subscription:
• https://www.yoyogames.com/en
Features of GameMaker Studio 2
• Some of the features of GameMaker Studio 2 are as follows:
• Room Editor
• GameMaker provides tools for customizing “rooms” or levels in a game. Rooms can then
also be linked and combined.
• Workspace Customization
• GameMaker allows the workspace to be adjusted to fit the preferences of the developer.
• Object Editor
• GameMaker provides tools for creating and defining object behaviors. This allows one to
edit the behavior of various objects in the game.
Features of GameMaker Studio 2
• Some of the features of GameMaker Studio 2 are as follows:
• Image Editor
• GameMaker has tools that allow the editing of asset images in the editor itself, eliminating
the need of using third-party tools for editing art or sprites.
• Sprite Editor
• GameMaker provides tools for editing and animating sprites, animations, backgrounds
and tile sets.
• Sequence Editor
• GameMaker has a built-in animation software allowing for the animation of various in
game sprites and assets within the editor.
Features of GameMaker Studio 2
• Some of the features of GameMaker Studio 2 are as follows:
• Drag and Drop (DND)
• GameMaker features a DND system which allows for quickly creating a game without
having to code or learning coding algorithms or logic. This can then be enhanced by
directly adding custom code to a game.
• Custom Language
• GameMaker has a custom coding language called GameMaker Language (GML) which is
meant to be easy to learn and object oriented. Compared to other game types, this is meant
to be specialized towards game development.
Godot Engine
Game Development Engines
Godot Engine
• Godot is a free open-source game
engine oriented towards both 2D
and 3D game development.
• It is a more recently created game
engine but has been growing in
popularly thanks to community
contributors.
• It is completely free and open-
source, and can be downloaded
from the link below:
• https://godotengine.org/
Features of the Godot Engine
• Some of the features of the Godot Engine are as follows:
• 3D Graphics Support
• Godot comes with features for 3D graphics such as lighting systems, physics systems,
material support and support post-processing effects. It also supports shaders and
particles.
• Fully-Dedicated 2D Engine
• Godot offers a 3D engine with can handle 2D backend calculation effectively, and deal
with pixel-based units. It also features tile map editors, 2D physics support, and 2D
lighting systems.
• Project Optimization
• Godot is built upon an object-oriented design and makes use of a node and scene
architecture.
Features of the Godot Engine
• Some of the features of the Godot Engine are as follows:
• Multiple Platform Support
• Godot allows for deployment to different platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS
and Android. It also supports HTML5 for creating web-based games.
• Multiple Language Support
• Godot allows for coding a game in multiple languages, with main language being
GDScript, a scripting language made specifically for Godot. Godot also supports coding
with C++ and C#.
• Animation System
• Godot offers many tools for animation. It allows developers to rig their 2D graphics and
animate their graphics with full bone support. It also supports imported 3D animation as
well as 2D sprite sheets.
Features of the Godot Engine
• Some of the features of the Godot Engine are as follows:
• Godot Community
• Godot’s community is small but quickly growing and is active on the GitHub page of the
project. The community is also helping with creating tools and assets for the engine on the
Godot Asset Library.
• Open Source
• Godot is an open-source engine, which means the source-code is publicly available. This
means that the engine is not only free to distribute but also modify to fit the needs of the
user without constraints.
Unity Engine
Game Development Engines
Unity Engine
• Unity is one of the most popular game
engines used for indie-game
development.
• It is low cost, has many features, and
has many guides on using and
maximizing the utility of Unity’s
capabilities.
• It has a free version for personal
development and a paid version with
both a subscription and permanent
license:
• https://unity.com/
Features of the Unity Engine
• Some of the features of the Unity Engine are as follows:
• 2D and 3D support
• Unity allows the creation of 3D and 2D assets along with different perspectives
depending on the type of game being created.
• Physics Engine
• Unity has a powerful physics engine that allows for realistic physics simulations. The
physics engine handles, object collisions, gravity, and other features.
• Code Scripting
• Unity makes use of C# code for scripting. It allows for object hierarchy and managing in
game events and scripts. It also allows for graphical effects and physics changes.
Features of the Unity Engine
• Some of the features of the Unity Engine are as follows:
• Audio and Video Tools
• Unity supports 3D special sound and provides tools for mixing and mastering sound with
effects. It also allows for adding video files to the game.
• Animation System
• Unity has the Mecanim Animation System, which provides an easy workflow and setup
of animations on humanoid characters. It allows for complex animations such as
animating different body parts with different logic.
• UI System
• Unity has the Unity User Interface which is a toolkit for developing user interfaces for
games and applications. This allows for multiple tools for designing how the UI functions
in the game world.
Features of the Unity Engine
• Some of the features of the Unity Engine are as follows:
• Unity Services
• Unity has Unity Ads which allows for easy advertising and monetization of the game.
Unity also has the Unity Analytics Dashboard for viewing user engagement with the
game.
• Unity Community
• Unity has one of the largest communities of users sharing assets and tools for other
developers to use. Assets can be bought on the official Unity asset store or downloaded for
free from other independent creators.
Unreal Engine
Game Development Engines
Unreal Engine
• Unreal Engine is a game engine
primarily owned by Epic games and is
another popular game engine.
• Its popularity is mainly due to its
extensive customizability,
multiplatform capabilities, and its
ability to create AAA games.
• It can be downloaded for free from
the Epic Games Store along with other
assets and components:
• https://www.unrealengine.com/
Features of Unreal Engine
• Some of the features of the Unreal Engine are as follows:
• Pipeline Integration
• This includes support for FPX (Autodesk), USD (Pixar), and Alembic (Python) support.
• World Building
• Unreal has the Unreal Editor, used for content authoring and game level development.
Unreal also includes asset creating, mesh editing tools, landscape and terrain tools, sky,
cloud, and environment lighting, and a water system.
• Animation Tools
• Unreal has character animation tools, animation blueprints, and the Sequences nonlinear
editing and animation tools.
Features of Unreal Engine
• Some of the features of the Unreal Engine are as follows:
• Rendering, Lighting, and Material Tools
• Unreal has Photoreal rasterizing and real time ray tracing capabilities, path tracing,
realistic lighting tools, Composure, used for composting and advanced shading models.
• Simulations and effects
• Unreal has tools for VFX such as fire, smoke, dust with customizable particles, realistic
clothes and fabric physics and a destruction system.
• Gameplay and interactivity authoring
• Unreal has a robust multiplayer framework, AI tools, the Unreal Motion Graphics UI
Designer, known as UMG, and the Blueprint system for visual scripting.
Features of Unreal Engine
• Some of the features of the Unreal Engine are as follows:
• Media Support
• Unreal has support for 4K UHD video and audio I/O, a comprehensive audio engine, and
a media framework for basic playback of videos.
• Virtual Production
• Unreal has tools for adjusting how content is displayed at what resolution and at what
type of monitor or screen, tools for VR filmmaking and a virtual camera system for a
virtual production environment.
• Content Library
• Unreal has a content marketplace for finding assets, multiple templates and sample
projects.
Features of Unreal Engine
• Some of the features of the Unreal Engine are as follows:
• Developer Tools
• Unreal can be customized with the use of the C++ source code, tools for tweaking the
performance of the engine and compatibility with C++ APIs.
• Platform Support
• Unreal has support for multiple platforms, such as Windows, MacOS, and Linux PCs,
Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X, Nintendo Switch and Android/iOS development
along with XR (AR, VR, and MR) support.