Game engineA game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games, and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software industry. Furthermore, game engine may also refer to the integrated development environment as an interface behind the given framework, typically a suite of visual development tools and features for developing video games. Game developers can use game engines to create and...
Epic GamesEpic Games, Inc. is an American video game and software developer and publisher based in Cary, North Carolina. The company was founded by Tim Sweeney as Potomac Computer Systems in 1991, originally located in his parents' house in Potomac, Maryland. Following its first commercial video game release, ZZT (1991), the company became Epic MegaGames, Inc. in early 1992 and brought on Mark Rein, who has been its vice president since. After moving the headquarters to Cary in 1999, the studio changed its name to Epic Ga...
C++C++ is a high-level, general-purpose programming language created by Danish computer scientist Bjarne Stroustrup. First released in 1985 as an extension of the C programming language, adding object-oriented (OOP) functionality and later expanding significantly with the addition of functional programming features. It supports low-levelmemory manipulation for systems like microcomputers and has been used for the creation and maintenance of Microsoft Windows. C++ has also added support for generic programming throu...
Unreal (1998 video game)Unreal is a 1998 first-person shooter game developed by Epic MegaGames and Digital Extremes and published by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows. Set in a science-fiction universe, the player controls a prisoner whose prison spacecraft crash-lands on a mysterious planet, where they must find a way to escape while combatting the occupying alien empire. It is the first entry in the Unreal game series and was powered by the titular Unreal Engine. The game reached sales of 1.5 million units by 2002. Since the relea...
3D computer graphics3D computer graphics, sometimes called 3D computer-generated imagery (3D-CGI), refers to computer graphics that use a three-dimensional (3D) representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering digital images, usually 2D images but sometimes 3D images. The resulting images may be stored for viewing later (possibly as an animation) or displayed in real time. 3D computer graphics, contrary to what the name suggests, are most often displ...
Software portabilitySoftware portability is a design objective for source code to be easily made to run on different platforms. An aid to portability is the generalized abstraction between the application logic and system interfaces. When software with the same functionality is produced for several computing platforms, portability is the key issue for development cost reduction.
Personal computerA personal computer (PC), or simply computer, is a computer designed for personal use. It is typically used for tasks such as word processing, web browsing, email, file management, spreadsheets, and video calling. Personal computers are meant to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert, administrator, company or technician. Unlike large, costly minicomputers and mainframes, time-sharing by many people at the same time is not used with personal computers. The term "home computer" has ...
Mobile phoneA mobile phone or cell phone is a portable wireless telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones (landline phones). This radio frequency link connects to the switching systems of a mobile phone operator, providing access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Modern mobile telephony relies on a cellular network architecture, which is why mobile phones are often referred to as 'cell...
Video game consoleA video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a television or other display devices and controlled with a separate game controller, or handheld consoles, which include their own display unit and controller functions built into the unit and which can be played anywhere. Hybrid consoles combine elements of both h...
First-person shooterA first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game focused on weapon-based combat seen from a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the main character. This genre shares multiple common traits with other shooter games, and in turn falls under the action games category. Since the genre's inception, advanced 3D and pseudo-3D graphics have proven fundamental to allow a reasonable level of immersion in the game world, and this type of game helped to push technology ...
Virtual realityVirtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs 3D head-mounted displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), education (such as medical, safety, or military training), research and business (such as virtual meetings). Currently, standard virtual reality systems use either virtual reality headsets or multi-projected environments to generate some realistic images, sounds, and other sen...
Desktop computerA desktop computer, often abbreviated as desktop, is a personal computer designed for regular use at a stationary location on or near a desk (as opposed to a portable computer) due to its size and power requirements. The most common configuration has a case that houses the power supply, motherboard (a printed circuit board with a microprocessor as the central processing unit, memory, bus, certain peripherals and other electronic components), disk storage (usually one or more hard disk drives, solid-state drives,...*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.