Understand software technologies for game platforms

Platform dependency
This refers to applications that run under only one operating system and run in only one series of computers for example, windows running on x86 hardware, Solaris running on SPARC hardware or Windows 98 running DOS games. In some cases this can also mean hardware dependant or machine dependant.
Platform independent applications are the exact opposite. The can also be known as cross platform and multi platform. It means that the applications can run on different operating environments. They can be divided into two types one needs separate building for each platform it supports and the other can run on any platform For example, applications written in Java are a perfect example.


Operating systems
Linux
Linux is an Open Source computer operating system and was designed specifically for the PC but also available for a wide range of other systems. The software isn’t as compatible with PC drivers unlike Windows XP
Apple inc
Apple is a corporation that designs, manufactures and markets a range of devices from personal computers to digital music and video players. They are currently rivalling against Microsoft. with its exclusive editing features and inovative interface.
Microsoft
They are also a corporation which specialise in the same thing. Currently a step ahead of Mac Microsoft’s software has by far the most compatible operating systems on the market.


Drivers
This is a computer program that allows higher level computer programs to interact a specific hardware device. It communicates with the device through either the computer bus or communications subsystem and that is what the hardware connects. Drivers are also hardware dependant and operating system specific. The reason why people have drivers is because they simplify programming. You could say that it translates between the hardware device and the applications that use it. Every version of a device like a printer needs its own specific commands.


Application software
This is basically is computer software designed to help the user to perform a particular task. In this case I will discuss the different types of video game languages.
Visual basic is a high level language and apparently is very easy to lean. It’s mainly used for war based real time strategy games and board games. Its obvious advantages is that it can simultaneously manage processing and graphics.
Java is very good at managing motion, character movement and visual speeds are easy to handle. It handles processing over the internet and in becoming more popular for interactive games.
C++ is the standard for games. It handles graphics and objects a great speeds and it is a processor based language.



Graphical API
The name API means and stands for a collection of application programming interfaces. It’s used for handling tasks in multimedia such as, game programming, Microsoft platforms, and video. All APIs began with Microsoft Direct like Direct Music, Direct Draw and Direct Play.


Sound API
OpenAL stands for Open Audio Library. It’s a free cross platform audio API, appropriate for use with gaming applications and many other types of audio applications. The basic OpenAL objects are a Listener, a Source, and a Buffer. There can be a lot of buffers that also have audio data. Each buffer can be attached to one or more Sources, which represent points in 3D space which are emitting audio.

Television
Conditional access module (CAM) is an electronic device that creates a slot for a slot for a smart card, this then equips a set up box with the right hardware to view conditional access for example SKY digital viewing channel ITV.

Understand hardware technologies for game platforms

Human-computer interface
The meaning of Human-computer interface is the interaction between people (users) and computers, this can also be used in a simple term called interface. This consists of hardware and software like objects and symbols graphically displayed on a computer screen. Users input are received to the computer by using hardware such as mouse, keyboard and microphone. Of course PCs are not the only systems out there; as technology has evolved to mainly cater for user satisfaction. This is also for the reason of user created design which is a widely and modern practiced design. Designers and users work together to create the structure of an operating system, including the wants, need and limitations. This is also known as user cantered designs; such as video game consoles (Xbox 360), portable devices (mobile phones) and MACs.
Central processing units
A central processing unit is an integrated circuit chip located on the motherboard, a component of the computer that carries out instructions of a programme from the computer and its primary function is to do so. It accepts input, interprets software and also provides output. There are two types of CPU’s, PC’s which are IBM compatible personal computers and MAC’s which are exclusive to itself or Apple. Throughout the durations of it’s existence CPU have drastically changed in appearance but its operation remains the same.
Graphics
A graphics processing unit (GPU) is quite a specialised processer that renders 3D objects from its micro processer. This is found a lot in PC’s, portable devices, video game consoles and more. These are also known as embedded systems. They are very good at managing graphics which makes them more effective then CPU’s.
Pixel art is a form of digital art with the use of raster graphics software. Very old video games, mobile games are pixel art. This is what 2D games was mainly consisted of.
Memory
The purpose of having memory is to store and use programmes for greater uses of applications, data storage provides one of the core functions of modern PC’s. This is random access memory (RAM) it takes the form of integrated circuits so you can store data and access it in any order you want. It can be moved anywhere within the memory or you could also choose to transfer the storage to another device, however the movement takes longer.
Display
Liquid crystal display is a thin and flat panel that is used for electronically displaying text, images. There are ranges of digital based products are humongous; digital clocks, calculators, telephones and more. But the most noticeable are the LCD TVs. Among other features, it’s lightweight, it’s portable and are able to be built in greater sizes than the cathode ray tube models and also consumes less power making LCD unique.

Sound
A sound card can also be known as an audio card. Its an expansion card for the computer and supports the audio signal from a computer which is then under control of computer programmes. A lot of computers support this but some will require this expansion for compatibility. Mono/ monophonic sound system is when all of the audio signals are mixed together and routed through one single audio channel. Stereo/ stereophonic sound systems have two separate audio signal channels.
Game storage medium
Game storage has grown over the years for bigger, better and more interesting games. In the 4th generation of games, game cartridges were used and could only hold up to 4MB which was more than enough back then because games were made up of pictures. With today’s 7th generation games, not even 1GB is enough to hold a game. With the Xbox 360 that uses DVDs a total of 9GB is just about sufficient enough to manage most games. The Sony PS3 however uses blue ray disks that hold up to 50 GB of space. This is very convenient because games will take less time to load off a disk. Though very handy, they also have their disadvantages. Piracy is the main issue here. Disks have been code protected but can just as easily be decoded by people who have the software. The only real way to prevent this from happening is for games to be sold online.
Interface devices
There are plenty of devices at our disposal to enhance our experience. For example; Joystick: this is device consists of a stick that pivots o a base and can be tilted in any direction. Eye toy: this is a colour digital camera device that is quite similar to the web cam. Wireless controllers: preventing the hassle of tangling up your controller and being able to sit back and play simply because the wire is too short. There are hundreds of modifications made to enhance our experience.
Connectivity
Connectivity is one of the primary feature of today’s gadgets with different purposed and ranges from, extra controller ports enabling multi playing fun on one system, wireless features like local area connection (LAN) which connects people under one network and wide area connection which connects people from across the globe enabled through broadband or dial up connection.
Power supply
Modern devices with Power supplies usually have their own battery powered by an external source.

Understand game platform types

Game Platform Timeline
As you can see the wide range of console development was around 1975-1995. Afterwards the productions start to narrow down until 2004 where only three companies remain moving forward with software instead of hardware.


Arcade
Arcade machines have always been innovative in some way. In the 1970s they were extremely popular because there was nothing like it at the time; everyone came to think of arcade as virtual simulators.
Features: since machines couldn’t be constantly monitored, it has to be coin operated. Before there was only vector based graphics arcade games. Some of the most memorable arcade games from the 1980s are the hardest to emulate with modern raster-scan monitors. Big successes like Asteroids, Tempest, Battlezone and Star Wars use vector graphics which consisted of straight lines and dots to generate futuristic images that scroll smoothly across arcade displays. The fact of the matter was that home consoles were moving in giving consumers no reason to play at the arcade.
Consoles
SEGA Mega Drive is a 16 bit fourth generation console. Its sleek design and featured games took home console gamming experiences to the next level. Graphics were crisp and visually stunning at the time. The option to save your game wasn’t present back then so the alternative method was to use password/activation codes. Most games were structured as an arcade game so the same rule still applied with being unable to save. The hardware used to play games was cartridges.
Sony Playstation is a 32 bit fifth generation console. The CD format is a CD-ROM add-on called SNES-ROM. Reason being is because Sony and Nintendo had signed a contract. These CD featured the necessary space to include CGI and Pre rendered cut scenes. It was unlike anything else on the market. It was the first console to have rumble included in the controller. It can also play music from a CD included with a visualization screen. External memory support was also a new feature introduced as Memory Cards. System link support and wired controller adapters made larger in-game battles possible.
Ports: memory card x2, controller x2
Microsoft XBOX is a 128 bit sixth generation console. It was the most powerful machine out of the rest. Containing the processing power of a hi en PC the XBXOX surprised people with its astonishing graphics from titles like Halo, Half Life and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butch Bay. The biggest feature about the console was its X BOX Live feature. It did what previous consoles could not perfect which was playing with other people from all over the world. It also features huge internal memory for music, game saves and on top of that the console included DVD player. That being said, it wasn’t the most popular console because it didn’t have as many exclusives as other consoles like the Playstation 2.
Ports: memory card x2, controller x4
XBOX 360 is the second instalment in Microsoft’s console production. This is an example of one of the best multimedia devices today. Features include: an ongoing online system constantly evolving with new ways to play, party systems and broadcasting networks making XBOX Live the leading innovation for online gaming. Hi resolution games and fully supported sorrowed sound brings games a step closer to virtual reality.
Ports: USB x3, HDMI, memory card x2
Television
Modern television is unique. They were modified from bulky standard definition models to sleek HI definition introducing new features. From their sleek design to the new adjustments they have include; sharper screens with high resolution. This is possible because more pixels have been used to increase the visual quality. Audio has improved by being able to connect wireless speakers to the TV for surround sound. Settings can adjust the TV to suit your preferences like contrast, colour modes, sharpness, etc.
Previous standard TVs have included 2 extension sockets and given their own channel named AV along with 2 SCART sockets. Now instead of 2 extensions there are 4 the extra two included called HDMI ports which are specifically used for HD purposes. You can even plug in tour headphones. Another feature is being able to install a satellite dish via coaxial cable. Unfortunately even with their thin designs, it still isn’t portable. This obviously drastically restricts where you can use a TV.
Mobile device
Mobile devices are the answer to computers, television and other machines that cannot be transported easily. Laptops have everything you need for media entertainment, video, games, music, contacting people and online viewing. The GPS device can be used anywhere because it gets its signal from satellite. Handheld devices like the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP have been proven quite useful. Their good features include; local network connectivity, using WIFI both devices can wirelessly and receive data from further locations. In addition for the PSP, Bluetooth can be used to feed information from another device with Bluetooth. Though these devices include the features they do, they are merely scaled down machines only featuring a fraction of their larger counter parts.
Personal Computer
Early PCs were specifically used for scientific problem-solvers such as the classic IBM personal computers. Computers have evolved into the ultimate multimedia devices we know today. Its features include:
Internet explorer is a standard programme that comes with every PC connected to the internet via phone line, dongle, or broadband and introduces you to the World Wide Web. You can browse through the infinite content at your disposal and even download or upload content.
Music can be played by different programmes such as Windows media player. Unlike using an mp3 player that is designed for the purpose of playing music, a computer features thousands of tools that meet the requirements in their design to play music.
Movies can also be played by thousands of programmes but it isn’t as simple as playing music. Some movie files require extra Codecs. A codec is software that is used in this case to compress or decompress a video. Content creators use codecs because a compressed file takes up less storage space on your computer and can be transferred across the Internet more quickly and smoothly. A codec can consist of two components, an encoder and a decoder. The encoder compresses a file during creation, and the decoder decompresses the file so that it can be played. That’s why people use them to help transfer files over, and when needed in higher quality, just change it back.
This should only be needed when transferring/uploading larger video files like movies as a DVD to keep the quality.
While others files simply won’t play because the programme doesn’t reach the requirements of a format such as Blue-ray.
Games are playable online or from a CD-Rom. There are far fewer formats out there for playing games, which is why this is usually left to the professionals.
Photos can be viewed with default programmes such as Picture Viewer. For any reason should you choose to edit a picture, Microsoft Paint is there as a standard feature.