How Science Makes Gaming Realistic
When we look back at the advancements in gaming over the past 50 years, it’s truly stunning to see how far the sector has come. Once upon a time, video games were nothing more than pixelated 2D experiences, but they were still a technological breakthrough. Whether you’ve played games like Pong and Space Invaders or not, you’ve likely seen videos of their gameplay, which featured simple mechanics and graphics. Fast-forward to today, and we’re playing games with near-photorealistic worlds and lifelike characters.
If you wonder how we’ve come this far, you can thank a combination of science and technological advances for making these impressive gains possible. Creating a video game involves several scientific disciplines, including physics, biomechanics, artificial intelligence (AI), and computer programming. Technologies like motion capture, ray tracing, and AI have given developers the tools to make games that will make you feel like you’re in the middle of the game universe you’re exploring. In this article, we look at the role of science in making our gaming experiences feel so real.
Scientific Foundations in Strategy Games
While poker isn’t what we’d think of as a traditional video game, its transition to the online world and some of the features found in online casinos have caused some to place it into that category. While online poker doesn’t use advanced graphics like other gaming titles, there’s still a component of science at work every time you play the popular card game on a virtual platform, especially AI. In a game of virtual poker, AI algorithms are busy making the interactions feel real by simulating human-like decision-making. AI can credibly imitate different playing styles, which can make a game more challenging and realistic. Virtual platforms use a combination of statistical models and machine learning that allow AI opponents to adapt based on a player’s behavior; that way, no two games are ever alike.
The same thing happens in other strategy games, where the scientific principles we see in virtual poker are applied to make the experience feel more realistic. Titles like Civilization and StarCraft use AI to manage their complex in-game systems and anticipate what players will do next. AI opponents in Civilization do just about everything; they adapt to the decisions a player makes about diplomacy, military, and resource management, ensuring that each time a player plays the title, it feels unique. AI-powered enemies adjust their tactics in real time in Starcraft based on the choices a player makes, creating an environment where things are always changing, which helps keep players on their toes.
Physics Engines: Making Virtual Worlds Move Like Reality
When we talk about what makes modern video games feel so real, the discussion almost always starts with physics engines. As the name suggests, these engines simulate the laws of physics, so objects in a video game move in the same way they would in the real world. Features like gravity, momentum, and collision detection play a big role in some of today’s most popular video games. When you see a ball rolling down a hill or a character jumping from a ledge, the game’s physics system is what makes that possible. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Fortnite take this even further, using fluid dynamics and realistic object deformation. Physics engines just keep getting better, making everything from the splash of water on the surface of a lake to car crashes more believable and immersive.
Graphics and Visual Accuracy: The Role of Optics and Mathematics
Advanced rendering techniques like ray tracing have taken video game graphics to new heights in recent years. Ray tracing works by simulating how light behaves and is what makes the shadows, reflections, and textures in modern video games look so real. Not long ago, this technology was too computationally expensive for developers to use in real-time; however, technological advancements have made it common in today’s high-end gaming, producing virtual worlds that are visually stunning. Beyond lighting, developers use mathematical algorithms to improve texture mapping and animation, ensuring that surfaces and characters look lifelike.
Even though these are just a couple of examples it is easy to see how important science and technology is in the design and development of our favorite games. As a fun exercise, next time you play any game, take a moment to think about what science would have had to be done to create that experienc!
