Video game graphics

Part of a series on
Video game graphics
Types 2.5D & 3/4 perspective First-person view Fixed 3D Full motion video based game Graphic adventure game Isometric video game graphics Side-scrolling video game Stereoscopic video game Text-based game Third-person view Tile-based video game Top-down perspective Vector game
Topics 2D computer graphics Parallax scrolling Pixel art Sprite 3D computer graphics 3D rendering Polygon Pre-rendering Skybox Animation Cel shading Digitization Rotoscoping Computer graphics Real-time graphics Game art design Graphics engine First-person shooter engine Tile engine Virtual camera system Voxel
Lists List of four-dimensional games List of FMV-based games List of FPS engines List of stereoscopic video games List of text-based computer games Category:Video game graphics
v t e

Art and video games
Video games as an art form Arthouse game The Art of Video Games (exhibition) Alternate reality game
Artistic expression within video games Video game art Non-game Machinima Interactive movie
Video game art creation Game art design (artists) Video game graphics (pixel art) Video game music Storytelling
Video games portal
v t e

A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions such as the processing power of central or graphics processing units.

Text-based

Some of the earliest video games were text games or text-based games that used

Text games are typically easier to write and require less processing power than

Vector graphics refer to the use of geometrical

Games utilizing

Top-down perspective

Top-down perspective, also sometimes referred to as bird's-eye view, Overworld, Godview, overhead view, or helicopter view, when used in the context of video games, refers to a camera angle that shows players and the areas around them from above. While not exclusive to video games utilizing parallel projection, it was at one time common among

A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the viewpoint is taken from the side, and the onscreen characters generally can only move, to the left or right. Games of this type make use of scrolling computer display technology, and sometimes parallax scrolling to suggest added depth.

In many games the screen follows the player character such that the player character is always positioned near the center of the screen. In other games the position of the screen will change according to the player character's movement, such that the player character is off-center and more space is shown in front of the character than behind. Sometimes, the screen will scroll not only forward in the speed and direction of the player character's movement, but also backwards to previously visited parts of a stage. In other games or stages, the screen will only scroll forwards, not backwards, so that once a stage has been passed it can no longer be visited. In games such as shoot 'em ups like R-type, the screen scrolls forward by itself at a steady rate, and the player must keep up with the screen, attempting to avoid obstacles and collect things before they pass off screen.

Examples of side-scrolling games include

With the advent of

Voxel engines

Instead of using triangle meshes, voxel engines use voxels.

Fixed 3D

Fixed 3D refers to a three-dimensional representation of the game world where foreground objects (i.e. game characters) are typically rendered in real time against a static background. The principal advantage of this technique is its ability to display a high level of detail on minimal hardware. The main disadvantage is that the player's frame of reference remains fixed at all times, preventing players from examining or moving about the environment from multiple viewpoints.

Backgrounds in fixed 3D games tend to be

Pre-rendered backgrounds are also found in some isometric video games, such as the role-playing game The Temple of Elemental Evil (Troika Games) and the Baldur's Gate series (BioWare); though in these cases the form of graphical projection used is not different.

First-person perspective

First person refers to a

Games with a first-person perspective are usually avatar-based, wherein the game displays what the player's avatar would see with the avatar's own eyes. In many games, players cannot see the avatar's body, though they may be able to see the avatar's weapons or hands. This viewpoint is also frequently used to represent the perspective of a driver within a vehicle, as in flight and racing simulators; and it is common to make use of positional audio, where the volume of ambient sounds varies depending on their position with respect to the player's avatar.^[5]

Games with a first-person perspective do not require sophisticated animations for the player's avatar, and do not need to implement a manual or automated camera-control scheme as in third-person perspective.^[5] A first person perspective allows for easier aiming, since there is no representation of the avatar to block the player's view. However, the absence of an avatar can make it difficult to master the timing and distances required to jump between platforms, and may cause motion sickness in some players.^[5]

Players have come to expect first-person games to accurately scale objects to appropriate sizes. However, key objects such as dropped items or levers may be exaggerated in order to improve their visibility.^[5]

Third-person perspective

Third person refers to a

Stereoscopic video games use

The graphics for virtual reality gaming consist of a special kind of stereo 3D graphics to fit the up-close display. The requirements for latency are also higher to reduce the potential for virtual reality sickness.

Multi-monitor setup

Many games can run multi-monitor setups to achieve very high display resolutions. Running games in this way can create a greater sense of immersion, e.g. when playing a video racing game or flight simulator or give a tactical advantage due to the higher field of view.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality games typically use 3D graphics on a single flat screen on a smartphone or tablet, or in a head-mounted display. When playing an AR game on a head-mounted device, the visuals are displayed on transparent glass that overlays the real world and has 3D depth through stereoscopic display.

See also

References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Video game graphics" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)