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3DO: The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system
("3DO") was the first of the 32 bit CD-based video games consoles, arriving in late 1993 but flopped, achieving world-wide sales of less than 2 million units despite having unprecedented power and attractive
development terms. It is no longer manufactured.
16 bit, 32 bit, 128 bit etc.
To place a single character on the screen (such as the letter 'A') a computer needs to process 8 binary digits - 8 bits of data. (In other words 8 sets of 1's and zeros). A 16 bit computer - is powerful enough to deal with two letters of the alphabet simultaneously. A 32-bit computer can cope with four letters in one go and a 64 bit machine can process eight characters etc... Bits have occasionally been used to identify console cycles eg. SNES and MegaDrive were 16 bit consoles, PlayStation a 32bit console.
AAA (or "Triple A"): A title that has
sold or is likely sell in large volume typically in excess of 1m units at retail.
Advance: A lump sum usually paid to developers by
publishers and/or distributors. Advances are usually non-refundable and made on royalties from sales of a game.
AI: Artificial Intelligence is technology that
seeks to emulate the random and complex nature of human thought and behaviour rather than following a set course of stimuli and responses.
Arcade Games: As distinct from console and
computer games, arcade games, or "coin-ops", are machines in which players must put coins in order to play a game. Arcade games usually represent the cutting edge of games technology and can cost arcade
operators up to £20,000 per machine.
Atari Jaguar: The Atari Jaguar was a 32 bit
(although it was advertised as 64 bit) cartridge-based console launched in 1994. It failed spectacularly with world-wide sales of around 250,000 only.
Beta / Beta Testing: The term beta refers to a
stage near the end of a programme's development. Beta testing is the process of checking a programme at this stage for errors.
Bug: A software or hardware error. A popular
story is that the term was coined in the early days of computing when insects used to clog up large machines causing lengthy stoppages
Bundling: Including a unit of software with every
unit of hardware shipped for a low royalty rate. Often known as OEM budling.
Cartridge: A removable silicon (rather then
optical or ferromagnetic) storage medium that was the main medium on which the majority of 16 bit games software was available. It is still used on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
Coin-Op
: A coin operated console normally found in public arcades.
Completion bonds: debt instruments occasionally
used by games publishers to take development costs away from their balance sheet and transfer development risk onto a third party. See the Publishing section for more information.
Console: A dedicated video games machine such as
the Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlaysSation
Cross-collateralisation: Where there is a
multi-title development deal, the developer would not receive any royalties until the aggregate of the advances for all products in the deal has been recouped, and not on a title by title basis.
Developer: A company whose primary business
activity is writing (developing) computer games. Developing games requires a diverse range of artistic and technical expertise including game design, music composition, graphical art/design, AI and programming
(coding) ability. Some publishers have in house development teams, some use third party developers - most publishers use a mix of the two. For a more complete explanation see The Development Process.
DirectX: The API (application program interface)
created by Microsoft for its Windows products and its Xbox console. DirectX allows developers to more easily program games for Windows and Xbox by using common hardware and software protocols.
Distributed server:
Distributed server networks comprise servers that are proliferated throughout a network to the widest possible extent, as distinct from a central-server based network where the servers are located in one or a limited number of locations on a network
Distributor: A company that distributes products
to retail. For a more complete explanation see The Distribution Process.
Dreamcast: Sega's last console achieved over 5m
hardware sales following its Japanese release in 1998 and its western release in late 1999. The console features a propretary GD-ROM delivery format and a modem. Sega has also launched Dream Arena, its online
service and has already gained over 1m subscribers. No longer manufactured.
DS: Nintendo's
latest handheld gaming device due to launch in late 2004 and early 2005.
DTH:
Direct To Home satellite broadcast services such as Sky Digital.
Edutainment: Refers to leisure programs that
educate as well entertain. e.g.: talking books, interactive encyclopedias and geographical games.
ELOC: Equity Line of Credit is a form of funding
for listed companies where the company draws down from a pre-agreed cash facility provided by the ELOC company and issues new shares in return. The facility is usually used over a period of time and the shares are
issued at a discount to the company's share price.
ELSPA:
European Leisure Software Publishers Association - The UK industry's primary publisher trade body with a membership of seventy publishers.
Entertainment software: See 'Leisure Software'
Form Factor:
The physical properties of a product, ie its size, shape etc...
Game Boy: Ironically, the Nintendo Game
Boy was the first of the handhelds and is the only one to still be retailed now. It uses 8 bit processing and a monochrome LCD screen to run its cartridge games. The Game Boy has sold over 70 million units and, in
the UK continues to sell 750,000+ units per year despite being a decade old. This has been helped substantially by the release of the Game Boy Pocket, a 30% smaller version of the original hand-held console and the
Game Boy Color, a colour version of the Game Boy. Game Boy Advance, the true 32bit successor to the original Game Boy was launched in 2001 with a revamped model with front-lit screen and rechargeable battery, the
GBA SP, following in Q1 2003.
GameCube:
Nintendo's 128bit games console launched in 2001.
Game Gear: Sega's Game Gear was a colour
handheld. The Game Gear achieved moderate success selling around 3m units in Europe since its launch in 1991 but is no longer manufactured.
Genesis: See 'Mega Drive.'
Genre:
Most games fall conveniently into a specific type or genre of game.
Goldmaster Funding:
A method of funding games development through the use of completion bonds.
Handheld: A type of video games machine that is
small enough to be powered by batteries and is therefore portable. An example is the Nintendo DS.
Hardware: See 'Platform'.
HMD or Head-Mounted Display: A piece of hardware
that is strapped over the eyes and presents the user with two screens. Such technology can also feature tracking so that where the user turns his head, the image being displayed adjusts accordingly.
Interactive games: generic
term used for video games and computer games.
Leisure Software: Software used for leisure
purposes, normally at home. The sector includes games (95%) plus music, film, edutainment, infotainment, sports and associated types of software.
LPOG: A limited player online game, as distinct
from a MMOG which can up to several million concurrent players, LPOGs are games designed to allow between 2 and 256 concurrent players.
Mega-CD: This was a CD-ROM drive that plays 16
bit Sega CD games when attached to a Mega Drive unit. In many ways it was the forerunner to the Sega Saturn (with which it is incompatible). The Mega-CD was never particularly successful, managing pan-European sales
of only 500,000 units compared to the installed base of Mega Drives of around 8 million units.
Mega Drive 32X: This was another add-on to the
Mega Drive that was launched in late Autumn 1994 by Sega. It allowed players to use dedicated 32 bit cartridge games that only played on the 32X/Mega Drive combination. Even before launch however, the 32X was
described as a short-term 'bridge' to the next generation of Sega console technology, the Saturn. It undoubtedly suffered because of this as Sega appeared to be making half-hearted attempts at promoting the 32X
whilst the Saturn development at the time was eagerly being followed. Sales were very poor as a result.
Mega Drive: Also known in the US as Genesis, the
machine wass a highly successful 16 bit console launched by Sega in 1989. The Mega Drive had an estimated world-wide installed base of 22 m+ units.
MMOG: Massively multiplayer online game, a game
that is designed to support 256 or more concurrent online gamers and is run as an ongoing games service (for which a subscription or other payment mechanism is employed).
MMORPG:
A massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Multimedia:
The enabling technology and resulting applications that facilitate the display and manipulation of video images, graphics, and audio on a computer. Multimedia is frequently used to describe lifestyle software that does not fall into the categories of games or edutainment.
(A) Multiple: A chain of retail stores.
Multiplayer game:
A game that is played by a number of people either against each other or in co-operation with each other. This is as distinct from a single-player game in which the user plays against the computer/console/mobile device etc… See LPOG and MMOG.
N64: Nintendo's N64 console entered the UK market
in early 1997. It is cartridge based and achieved over 15m hardware sales worldwide but has now been superceded by the GameCube.
N-Gage:
Mobile handset market leader Nokia's mobile phone games device, now defunct.
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): This was the
Nintendo's first and most successful video games console to date and it is estimated that more than 50 million NES consoles have been sold world-wide. The machine is based on 8 bit technology but represented a true
leap in technology when introduced in 1985. The NES was superseded by the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1990 and is no longer made or supplied.
Nvidia
: A leading designer of games oriented 3D graphics technology
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturers are
computer (and other technology) hardware companies.
Offshoring:
Outsourcing to third party service providers located overseas.
Operating Systems: The software upon which all
other programs run, containing programming routines that are needed to run the computer and otherwise would have to be included in each new program used. PC OSs are dominated by Microsoft first whilst console OSs
tend to be proprietary.
Outsourcing:
The use of third party service providers. Outsourcing of discrete games development needs such as low-level art and animation is now commonplace.
Overages: Royalty payments received or paid after
the royalty advance (normally used to cover development costs) has been recouped.
Platform:
Also known as hardware and format, this is the type of computer/console that a program or game can be played or used upon. For example the PC is one type of platform and the Sony PlayStation 2 is another. Most platforms need specifically written programs, thus one game might need to be re-written as many as five times to be played on five platforms.
PlayStation: Sony's 32 bit PlayStation (or
"PSX") console was released in the UK in 1995 and achieved world-wide sales of over 100 million. The machine has now been superseded by PlayStation 2.
PlayStation 2: Sony's 128 bit PlayStation 2 (or
"PS2") console was launched in Japan in March 2000 and sold just under 1m units in its first two days. The console has a worldwide installed base of over 100m units.
PlayStation 3:
Sony's next-gen console launched in late 2006 in North America and Japan and March 2007 in Europe.
PlayStation Portable:
Sony's first portable games device, sporting a large colour screen and multimedia capabilities, the PSP launched in late 2004/early 2005 and competes directly with Nintendo's Game Boy and DS range of handheld devices.
POS: Point of Sale i.e. a retail shop floor
Porting:
Converting software to run on another platform.
Publisher: A company that actually issues the
product to the consumer, rather like a book or magazine publisher. For a more complete explanation see The Publishing Process.
PSX/PSOne: The industry abbreviation for the
original PlayStation and the reduced form factor PlayStation released in 2001.
Real Time:
The process of computing a task immediately rather than via pre-preparation or at a deffered stage.
Rendering
: The process of creating graphical objects and scenery via computer generation.
Revolution:
Codename used for Nintendo's next-gen games console expected to launch in 2006. The Revolution has now officially be named Wii.
ROM: Read only memory. Permanent data storage
that does not allow any alterations or additions to the data stored in it. ROM-based data cartridges were used for consoles in the early 90s and late 80s and are still used for some handheld games platforms now.
Saturn: Developed and released around the same
time as the Playstation in 1995, the CD-based 32 bit Sega Saturn failed to last more than 3 years and died with only a tiny fraction of the sales that PlayStation achieved.
SDK: Software Development Kits are tools used by
developers to write games for specific platforms.
Sega Master System: This was the first 8 bit
console from Sega, launched in 1986. It sold over 11 million units since then but has now been superseded by three generations of console technology. It is no longer marketed or sold at retail level.
Super Nintendo Entertainment System ("SNES"): The
SNES (also known as Super Famicom) console was released in 1990 and sold some 30 million units world-wide. Now superseded by the N64.
SKU
: Shop Keeping Unit. Industry term that helps differentiate one game title into its different incarnations on several platforms.
Stereoscopic: Where an image or scene is
presented differently for each eye allowing a true 3D perspective. Some head-mounted displays offer stereoscopic vision to increase the effect of being in an artificially created environment.
Streaming games:
A technology, AKA Games on Demand, which allows games to be streamed in realtime via a broadband connection to games devices whilst not actually transferring the whole game. The technology in theory precludes the need for either CD-ROM or hard drives. In practice, most streaming games services need to cache substantial proportions of a streamed game on a local hard drive to function effectively.
Texture: Textures are 2D skins that are wrapped
around a 3D frame too allow, for example, a polygon head to have facial expressions portrayed upon it.
Thin publishing: Unlike traditional publishing in
which a company funds the development of a product from concept (or prototype) stage then markets and sells the finished product, thin publishing involves a company licensing finished products and simply undertaking
the marketing and sales responsibility.
TIGA: UK games development industry trade body.
Wii: Nintendo's latest games console and
successor to the Gamecube. The Wii launched in late 2006.
WAP: Wireless Application Protocol
Xbox:
Microsoft's games console launched in November 2001.
Xbox 360:
Microsoft's current console and successor to the Xbox. Xbox 360 was launched in November and December of 2005
Xenon:
Development code-name for Microsoft's Xbox 360
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