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Video Game Design Foundations
bug report: Document that lists an error, its
location in the game, how the error occurs,
and how important the error is. (1)
bug type: Importance level of an error; also
called bug level. (1)
bump map: Texture assigned to the bump
property of a material. (10)
button combination: Two or more buttons
must be pressed at the same time to activate a
game command. (4)
byte: Unit of measure of storage capacity
of computer data or information; one byte
equals eight bits of information. (10)
C
camaraderie: Spirit of friendship between
two or more people, who may or may not be
friends. (9)
camera: Provides the perspective of the
game that is shown to the player on the
screen. (5)
canned sound: A prerecorded, standard
or stock sound that can be used in various
applications; comes from the physical metal
containers that were used to store tape
recordings. (8)
capture suit: Worn by the user and contains
sensors to read movements. (13)
case laws: Enacted when the first lawsuit
to deal with a problem has determined the
outcome; that case is then cited in other
lawsuits as an example of previous judgment
(called precedence). (10)
causal chain: Relates to a series of cause-
and-effect events that form an ordered
sequence. (6)
causality: Relationship in which one event
results in or is caused by another event. (6)
cel: Refers to cellulose acetate, which is
a transparent plastic on which animation
frames are drawn. (11)
cel animation: Technique where each frame
of the animation is drawn by hand on a cel
and photographed. (11)
central premise: Basic idea or situation of the
story. (2)
challenge escalation: When a player
performs new tasks that are more difficult
than in the previous challenge. (5)
challenge retracement: When a player
performs similar tasks from the previous
challenge or challenges. (5)
channel: Means of game distribution, such as
disc, online, as an app, or as a coin-operated
cabinet. (1)
channel of distribution: Chain of stops a
product makes from the publisher to the final
user. (1)
character: Motivated participant in the game;
also the makeup of talents, skills, abilities,
and physical attributes needed to achieve the
victory condition. (2)
character-design document: Document that
contains all of the information needed to fully
define the characters, from descriptions and
attributes of each character to model sheets
showing the character’s appearance. (3)
character profile: Question-and-answer
document, like an interview or matchmaking
questionnaire. (2)
cheat code: Command embedded in the game
and used during game development so a part
of the game can be properly tested without
having to play the entire game. (4)
checkpoint: Point on the gameplay timeline
to which the player will be returned if the
player character runs out of health or life. (4)