Unit 20 - Computer Game Platforms & Technology - Software Technology

Unit 20 - Computer Game Platforms & Technology - Software Technology

An Operating System (OS) is software that basically allows the computer the run, it communicates with the hardware and allows other programs to run.

PC – Windows 10	Apple Mac – MacOS	Iphone/Ipad – IOS 10	Samsung Galaxy S7 – Android 7 (Nugget)	Playstation 4 – Unix-like Orbis OS	Xbox One - Hyper-V and Windows 10
You can browse the internet, download and run different software.	You can browse the internet, download and run different software. Make sweet music.	You can browse the internet and download apps to run them. You can also send text and answer calls.	You can browse the internet and download apps to run them. You can also send text and answer calls.	You can browse the internet and run games from a disc.	You can browse the internet and run games from a disc.

Windows 10 has probably the most functionality out of these options because other make game platforms that you can download for it, for example Battle.net.

Windows 10 isn't exactly built for games, however it has certain apps that help with this. For example Steam and Origin are separate things that you can use to play games. There is also a Windows store that you can buy or download games from. There is also a Xbox app so you can link up with you Xbox account to control it from your PC.

Platform dependency is where software is made for only one platform and so can only be used on that one. Examples of this would be PlayStation games and Xbox games, they each wouldn't be able to run on the other console. There are also several games that are platform independent for example Bloodborn. Platform independence is where you can run a program and it isn't restricted by the OS. An example of this is the language Java, this is because when we execute the code it generates a .class file which comprises of the bytecodes. These bytecodes are easily interpreted by JMV which is available in every OS we install.


A device driver is a certain program that can control a device that is connected to your computer. There are several device drivers for example, they have one for printer, displays and CD-ROM. The device drivers are usually built into the operating system.

Application Software

Interpreted Languages

 An interpreted language is where the program that has been written is being executed line by line, this can be done on any operating system, however it is often slower than a complied language. Examples of these are Java, Python and C#. The reason Java can run on most operating systems because when the machine executes the code it generates a .class file which is comprised of bytecodes. Examples of games made in Java are Wolfenstien: RPG and Minecraft. Bytecodes can be interpreted by JMV which is available in ever OS. An example of a game made in python in Civilisation IV this is because most of the tasks are quite simple.

Complied Languages

A compiled language changes the  source code into machine code, that is directly specific to the target machine, before executing the action. This code will be specific to the given processor and OS. Advantages of this is that they will run faster because there area already in the native code. However the code isn't very portable and it is impossible to write in machine code. C/C++ are both compiled languages and an example of a game made in C++ is Doom 3.

Game Engines

The code for GameMaker didn't want to be too complex for new people and so has its own in built language called GML or Game Maker Language. Example of a game made in GM is Hotline Miami and Hotline Miami 2. Unity uses C# and a Javascript like code called Unityscript, which are supported by the source code in C++. Examples of game made in Unity are Pathfinder online and Cities:Skylines. Unreal is coded in unrealscript which is made to be a simple yet high level language. Unreal 4 however is coded in C++, this is because it is the base to add other languages like C# and Javascript. Examples of games made in Unreal are Batman:Arkham Knight and Battleborn.

Graphical API

API or application program interface, are the tools we use when building software applications. The API specifies how the software should be used in conjunction with each other. A good API provides all of the materials needed to make developing a program easier. Some examples of API are Google Maps API this lets developers embed Google Maps on their webpage, it is designed to work on both mobile devices and desktop browsers. One of the most used graphical API is called OpenGL, it is used for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics. It is also used for achieving hardware-accelerated rendering by interacting with the GPU.











http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1326071/is-java-a-compiled-or-an-interpreted-programming-language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Java_platform_games
http://www.programmerinterview.com/index.php/general-miscellaneous/whats-the-difference-between-a-compiled-and-an-interpreted-language/
http://www.cplusplus.com/forum/beginner/114882/
https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-stellar-examples-of-games-created-with-Game-Maker
http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/604180/what-type-of-coding-does-unity-use.html