Delphi Graphics and Game Programming Exposed! with DirectX For versions 5.0-7.0:The Lure of Game Programming
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New Arrivals
Delphi Graphics and Game Programming Exposed with DirectX 7.0
by John Ayres
Wordware Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 1556226373 Pub Date: 12/01/99
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CHAPTER 1The Lure of Game Programming
This chapter covers the following topics:
• The good and bad side of the game programming industry in general
• The requirements of a game development language
• The advantages and disadvantages of using Delphi as a game development platform
• Opportunities within the game programming industry
• The types of games currently under production
What pushes the advance of computing technology more than any other influence? Computer games. What provides a never-ending stream of content for dozens of colorful, flashy magazines? Computer games. What do hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people play in their spare time for entertainment and competition? Computer games. What do the technologically adept talk about in newsgroups, in person, and in e-mail? Computer games. What inspires producers to create major motion pictures that flop at the box office and embarrass the people that both worked on them and created the original concept from which they were spawned? Computer games.
Well, perhaps the computer gaming buzz isn’t quite that bad, but the computer gaming industry is a multibillion dollar industry that grows every year, and is filled with enough strife, antagonism, competition, and tactical warfare to fill several novels. Tens of thousands of web sites are dedicated to both the production and play of computer games. Dozens of magazines exist that also cover both sides of the gaming coin. Dozens of books have been written on game programming, such as this one, and even more books cover strategies and tactics for playing specific games. The gaming industry is very competitive and dynamic, and by this very nature, a little hostile. Gaming companies are formed and disbanded at an alarming rate, with new ones being born as others, both old and new, die miserable deaths.
As is true with just about anything in this world, the gaming industry comes with a light side and a dark side. There are many things about the gaming industry that would make most programmers cower in fear, yet there are just as many alluring attributes that serve as a powerful seduction towards pursuing a career in it. Although this book is not geared toward dwelling on the negative aspect of such things, let’s start by taking a reality check and examining the dark side of the game programming industry. Then we’ll look at why the light side is so attractive to intrepid and enthusiastic programmers.
The Dark Side of the Game Programming Industry
Game programming and the gaming industry in general have several negative aspects that may dissuade the casual programmer from doing much more than dabbling in it as a hobby. The items we’re about to examine should not be considered an exhaustive list of condemning attributes, nor should they be considered a list of excuses for not pursuing a dream. As a purchaser of this book, you’re at least a little curious about game programming, and perhaps considering a career change. Don’t let these things convince you otherwise. Use the discussion of the following topics merely as food for thought to keep your hopes and plans in perspective.
Difficult Learning Curve
Computer games push manufacturers to produce better, faster hardware because it is very difficult to produce some gaming effects that perform adequately enough to be believable. Although the PC is now capable of supporting some very intense graphics engines, it was never designed to do so. Without the assistance of dedicated hardware, some games would not be possible without very clever programming solutions.
They say knowledge is power, and that isn’t more true than in the game programming industry. A new algorithm for shading or texture mapping more polygons in a shorter amount of time can mean the difference between a best- selling game (and thus a profitable company) or a flop (and thus layoffs, bankruptcy, and failed businesses). Because of this, game programmers and gaming companies tend to guard game programming techniques as if it were a matter of national security. Application programmers benefit from the assistance that Delphi (or MFC) gives them, and they can almost always find some example of how to accomplish their goal somewhere on the web or in a book. Game programmers, on the other hand, are often left to their own devices when attempting to solve a problem. Sure, one can usually find a basic example of how to accomplish a desired effect, but only if it has been done before and the technology is a few months old.
Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC): Microsoft’s object-oriented component hierarchy, similar to Delphi’s VCL.
By its very nature, in order to create a commercial quality game that can compete with other games on a retail shelf, the programmers must employ advanced mathematical equations, professional quality music and sound, and highly detailed and artistic graphical images. Application programmers, on the other hand, usually have demands no greater than knowledge of client/server programming techniques, middleware, and database methodologies. These demands are by no means easy, but the knowledge for accomplishing these feats is usually more attainable than what a game programmer is called upon to know.
Long Hours
Everyone logs extended time at the keyboard when under crunch mode. However, game programmers tend to be in crunch mode longer and more often than application programmers. This is often due to promises that the marketing department makes that the engineering department is required to keep. Because the gaming industry is so volatile, game applications need to be completed and out the door before a competitor releases a similar title. This requires game programmers to put in long hours; 16-hour days as a norm are not unheard of. Crunch mode for application programmers typically means 10- to 12-hour days. For the game programmer, it typically means that they sleep in their cube for an hour or two each night, shower at work (if they’re lucky enough to have one), and get to go home after the title passes quality control.
Tip: If you’re touring a company’s offices during an interview, look for cots or blankets in people’s cubes. That’s a good indication of the type of hard work and dedication you’ll be expected to demonstrate.
Corporate Instability
The gaming industry is dynamic and cutthroat. Because there are so many game companies out there, with more appearing daily, competition is fierce. As technology marches on, generating better, more powerful machines, the demands on gamers rise at an ever increasing rate. The incredible burden on game developers to keep up with the demands of consumers, as well as to keep ahead of competitors, causes the production costs of mainstream game titles to approach that of Hollywood movies. The result is an ever narrowing profit margin.
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