The Illinois of Art, Chicago	Programming for the Artist
	Instructor: Lindsay Grace

 

Questions to Ask about Game Development Environments:

• How much does the development environment cost (per license, per sale, per install)?
  Some environments charge by number of developers programming with it,by the number of distributed copies, by royalty per copy solde, etc.
• Are games royalty free?
  Some environments may require that you pay royalties when you use their tool to develop your game.
• What games have been developed in this environment?
  Evaluate the quality of the games produced with the software and review the team's post mortem for problems they may have experienced.
• What is the tool's level of difficulty?
  Always try to match your level of experience with the environment. Advanced engines typically produce higher quality products, but they require a much better understanding of graphics, physics, and programming.
• What programming language does it use?
• Most environments use C++ or Basic derivatives. Professional environments use C or C++ derivatives, while amateur environments use Basic derivatives or their own proprietary languages. Proprietary languages typically have the least online support and community.
• What are the features set this game development environment apart from others?
  Does it have normal mapping, shadow systems, a physics engine, effects, etc? Some environments have pre built tools for effects, while others require additional programming to create standard effects like shadows.