How do you define a game-engine?

#1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_engine

not to be confused with a rendering engine

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendering_engine

The wiki would be a good place to start.

#2 Thanks Ed, but I had already read that actually. I'm looking for something more on the level of "how would you describe it at the family-reunion barbecue?"

I find myself trying to "elevator-pitch" the concept of game-engines to family, friends, potential business-partners etc, to better define what I do with Torque. And I stumble for words.

#3 Honestly, when it comes to family I've resigned myself to just saying "the thing that makes the game work" when talking about the engine. It saves a lot of time, especially when a movie called Torque comes out around the time you're working on a project and your relatives think that you're making the game of the movie. I wish I could say I was making that last bit up.

#4 @Scott: HAHA! That's awesome! Tell me how the Torque movie game comes along.

I just end up telling my less-than-tech-savvy relatives and friends that I sell the "software that video game companies use to make games." I say people can either build a game from scratch like you would a car (by making all the parts themselves and molding it together), or they can start with our engine with pre-built features. That seems to do the trick. I'm not saying it's the most accurate analogy, but then again, my grandma can't even figure out a 1990s-era answering machine, so I figure, meh, whatever. :P

#5 While we are sharing anecdotes, I had to explain game engine technology over the weekend as well. I was at a family reunion (not mine).

When asked what I do by anyone older than 36, I told them that I worked in the game development industry as a programmer and technical writer. I left it at that. Why throw in scary words like "game engine" and "documentation engineer?"

However, most of the yutes ("youths") actually had a pretty good idea what I do. They were actually fascinated and asked question after question about gaming and game development.

I even met a 3D modeler who worked in the industry at one point. Though, the most interesting person I met when talking about games was a cousin named Rhonda. Turns out she games more than I do, and has invited me to join her guild in AoC. Rock on!

Moral: if they don't ask questions, keep it simple because they are either too confused from the get go or they simply do not care. Deborah's analogy is probably the best I've heard, so if you can get that out in the first minute, you should be good to go.

#6 I totally agree. Most people over 36 or so have no clue about what the gaming industry is, let alone why anyone would want to develop games, or that there is actually a market for it.

I get the "deer in headlights" look from most people, even technology people, when I talk about game development. It's a hidden area of our economy, despite the fact that the game industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, most people have NO context for it at all.

I usually quickly say what I do, then voluntarily change the subject , since people's brains start to turn off once I mention anything about it anyway.

#7 It doesn't seem people I know are too interested in game engines, like my brother who plays games kind of knows what a game engine is but he was gone for about almost a year on business, and my sister doesn't really play games.

Though I haven't used an engine, I know as far as Unreal and such goes it's an alignment of scripting and animation sofware that merges into a "game maker", which me and my brother have used in the past.

The fact between a game maker and game engine is one is for non-technical types who want to make an rpg or arcade game in their spare time, while a game engine you can do mostly anything while keeping the core technology such as rendering, etc intact.

#8 I'm only 36 for another 3 weeks, so I guess i'm gonna have to go get a new job or something :(

#9 My quote:

Quote:
Most people over 36 or so have no clue about what the gaming industry is, let alone why anyone would want to develop games, or that there is actually a market for it.

I did not mean most game developers over 36, I meant most people.


By the way, I just turned 38 on Saturday.
None of my non-techie peers know what it is.

#10

Quote:By the way, I just turned 38 on Saturday

Still a kid. :lol:

When my realitives ask, I just give them the car analogy. The game is the corvette body, torque is the horse power to makes that car fly down the road.

#11 Eh, I find myself explaining the industry to youth more than I do my elders. There's nothing magical about this industry over any other. Only jargon seperates any given industry from another. Just consider your audience and their respective industry and convey accordingly.

#12

Quote:
Only jargon separates any given industry from another.

Touche. Puts my original statement in context. I think it will help me correct my attitude when explaining this industry to others. Thanks.

#13 I usually go with Mike Rowley's analogy when I have to explain it to anybody, any age unless they are interested in learning it.

I think it's pretty funny that I know more people above 40 that work with/have worked with game development than under. Alot of them are actually friends parents or past teachers.

#14 All my relatives or friends usually pretends to understand the word "game-engine", but non of them really cares, i am on my own so i dont care if i can't explain :-)

otherwise,,, yeh i am defining it as: "I am making video games, for short" (gee wish i was!)

#15 I think it's easier just to make up something about ancient tomes of dark magic, an occasional voodoo doll or two, the always necessary eye of newt, and a bubbling cauldron of pixels. Whip them up with a cookie crumb crust and bake on 350* (F) and sometime several months or years down the road a game comes out the other end.

#16 Mmmm...cookie crumb crust....mmmm....

I'm now one step further away from being able to describe my new job. Explaining that I create games using 3rd party game engine technology was difficult enough.

If I were to give an honest description of my new job, I would say something along the lines of "...documentation engineer that creates resources and doc systems that allow other developers to make their games..."

To which, I know at least someone is gonna say "...sooo, you don't actually...make games?"

So, I'm going to use the phrase: "I make video games. Awesome, huh?! High five anyone!?!"

#17 Sounds like a good plan Michael! I think I'll start saying, "I create video game technology"!

#18 @ Mich

Or you could just say "I write documentation for a game engine." ;)

#19 @Scott, at least with me, most people I have to explain to don't know what "game engine" means at all. You might as well replace "game engine" in the sentence with words describing a "hyperflux-nuclear-fusion-based-super-duper-crazy-anti-gravity-warp-drive".