Introductory Chapter: Game Development and Computer Science

1. Introduction

Nothing affects a person’s life more than the games he played in his childhood. Games open a wonderful world of colors, light, secrets, materials, and relationships. The feeling of the game carries with us even into adulthood, and our desire to play remains in the subconscious and regularly emerges. In the colossal change of the world caused by computers, it remains unchanged, but its modification appears—computer games [1]. In recent years, they have incredibly influenced children and adults.

The development of computer technology and its impact on our lives are striking. Entertainment, especially computer games, is no exception in this sense. Playing computer (including electronic) games is a substantial percentage of this area. Of course, the development of these games is closely related to this. The development of computer games requires in-depth knowledge in the field of computer science, starting with programming, software engineering, or computer graphics (in some cases, in this sense, also virtual reality), through databases, artificial intelligence, and ending with, for example, the physics of games [2]. In short, as computer games become more complex, sophisticated, and immersive, the role of computer science in game development becomes increasingly important.

In the secondary view, computer science is integral to every phase of computer game development. First, it provides computer game developers with the necessary tools to create, optimize and debug computer games, develop their game mechanics and gameplay, design interactive environments and characters, and create visual and sound effects [3]. Secondly, there is a close connection with the business aspect of computer games, including game marketing, distribution, or advertising [4].

Following that, from the view of current game systems, it is necessary to address several areas (Figure 1). This applies mainly to the following areas (in no order of importance): graphics, sound, game logic and design, user interface (depending on the type of game also 3D interface, including player motion tracking or, e.g., his gesture sensing), sometimes different kinds of simulations or training modes, including the possible use of digital twins technology (if there is a game session with a potential real world), possible in-game physics, dynamics processing including scripting, the most immersive gaming experience possible, single-user or multi-user game mode including a possible cooperative mode, educational or research potential of the game or possibly data processing, artificial intelligence, and of course the economic aspect.

Figure 1.

Game development, virtual reality, and computer science relationship.

In the opposite direction, the development of computer games also significantly influenced computer science as a discipline, mainly by pushing the boundaries of the current state of technology and supporting innovations in various areas. Computer games played a crucial role in introducing new technologies at the hardware level, such as graphics processing units (GPU and GPGPU technology), multi-core processors, or virtual reality, which further accelerated the progress of computer science. At the software level, computer games and their development have an impact on the fields of computer science mainly in the following ways:

• Computer graphics: Computer graphics and animations are primarily affected by computer games. They play an important role in game development and require programmers to use algorithms for transformations, rendering, shading or lighting effects, etc. This led to progress in this direction, but also in computer vision and image processing.

• User interface and user experience (UI/UX): An engaging and intuitive user interface/UX in games is essential for comfortable communication with a computer and thus constitutes an integral component of the success of a computer game. This has led to advances in human–computer interaction (HCI), interface design, and the use of user experiences in computer science. The impact of virtual reality and associated technologies in this direction is significant.

• Computer networks and multiplayer: Some computer games often involve communication and interaction between players, which requires network connectivity, communication protocols, security, and reliability. This led to progress in computer networks, distributed systems, and cyber security.

• Formalization and optimization techniques: Game development usually requires formalization and optimization techniques, such as processing game rules, game logic or reducing the number of calculations needed to render graphics, improving loading times, and improving the gaming experience. Formalization, especially with game theory, represents a direct link and enables more convenient algorithmization.

• Artificial intelligence and genetic algorithms: This part of computer science cannot be neglected nowadays. Some aspects of artificial intelligence have long been implemented, such as controlling characters in games, making decisions or moving them, and finding possible movement trajectories. Genetic algorithms are helpful, for example, for describing the behavior of some entities in the game.

The primary relationships between the development of computer games and computer science from the point of view of computer games are shown in Figure 1. Many aspects have been mentioned in the previous one, and we will cover some of them in the following text. Due to the innovative procedures brought by virtual reality and associated technologies, VR is also included in this picture.

Looking to the future for certain types of games, VR or related technologies are often implemented because they have the potential to push the development of computer games to an entirely new level [5]. In essence, the VR system represents an interactive computer system, creating the illusion of a non-existent, only synthesized space at the given time, or even more precisely, we can talk about the so-called perfect simulation in an environment of close human–computer system relation. In this context, the development of computer games on this basis includes creating digital games for entertainment, educational, or training purposes [6] that rely heavily on graphics, visuals, and interactivity. Thanks to advances in virtual reality technologies, game developers can now create games that offer the user an immersive and interactive experience. Players can now become active in the game’s story and explore living worlds that feel incredibly realistic. Thus, virtual reality enables complete immersion and blurs the line between the player and the game. The concept of Metaverse (https://about.meta.com/metaverse/) can bring the development of computer games to an even higher level. Metaverse refers to a virtual shared/collaborative space where users/players can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users/players in real time.

2. Conclusion

The ancient Roman demand for “bread and circuses” survived for centuries. Human playfulness got wings with the advent of computer games. They have become so popular among the population that masses of avid gamers (mainly children) succumbed to them quickly. The unceasing demand for computer games and the fact that more and more people are involved in this segment, creating, improving, researching, and analyzing computer games from a scientific point of view are behind the emergence of scientific directions oriented to computer games. Their mutual interaction with computer science reaches the stage where part of the results of this interaction is usable and is used in practice in areas such as medicine, therapy [7], services, transportation [8], or education [9]. Its further potential is enormous, which is good news for players, developers, and scientists [10]. Ultimately, we have an exciting future ahead of us in this area.

Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by Slovak KEGA Agency under grant no. 048TUKE-4/2022: “Collaborative virtual reality technologies in the educational process,” under grant no. 002TUKE- 4/2021: “Implementation of Modern Methods and Education Forms in the Area of Cybersecurity towards Requirements of Labour Market” and the APVV grant no. APVV-21-0105 “Trustworthy human–robot and therapist–patient interaction in virtual reality.”