When playing a console game or even a simple browser game it can be hard to imagine everything going on behind the scenes and that there is so much going on that we can’t even see in terms of coding languages and gaming frameworks.
Coding languages are also evolving all the time. The languages used in the earlier days of computer games are certainly not so popular anymore and there are always updates to them. Coding is an important skill for virtually anyone who wants to work as a video game developer. Within small gaming companies, people can wear a lot of different hats meaning that they may be involved in different aspects of the development process.
The Early Days with Assembly and C
The journey has been a fascinating one and if we look at the top PS5 games and console games now they are commonly made using UnrealEngine which relies on C++ – this is an evolution of earlier coding languages that had been used to make some of the early games and as PS5 games and other console titles have become more advanced the code has had to become more flexible and functional. It is not long ago that these PS5 and Xbox titles would have been far more restricted and basic…
This is an industry that is relatively new compared to a lot of the other different industries out there that have hundreds of years of history! In fifty years or so we have seen an incredible number of changes but in the early days of game development, the primary language used was Assembly language. Assembly is a low-level language that interacts directly with a machine’s hardware. Early arcade games like Space Invaders or Pac-Man were coded using Assembly because it allowed developers to fine-tune their programs for maximum performance. There are a lot of other coding languages now but the most popular arcade games on the market back then were made using these basic languages. Things now work differently (they don’t rely on hardware so much) but Assembly was a language that was necessary given the hardware limitations at the time.
Assembly language is notoriously difficult to learn and use. It is highly specific to the machine’s architecture which means every single instruction must be written out with little abstraction from the hardware. It requires a deep understanding of how the computer operates making it tough for beginners.
Evolving technology brought a need for more accessible and flexible programming languages. Enter C. This is a high-level language that started gaining traction in game development during the 1980s. C was easier to learn and read compared to Assembly and it allowed developers to write more complex programs faster.
Classic games like Doom and Quake were written in C – showing that even though C is higher-level it could still produce cutting-edge and graphically intensive games for the time.
Modern Coding Languages
The landscape has definitely changed. C++ emerged as the dominant language for game development. Building upon the foundation of C, C++ added object-oriented programming which made it easier to structure large-scale game projects. Games like Half-Life and World of Warcraft owe much of their complexity and longevity to C++. These sound like older games but is still used in the development of AAA games.
C++ is powerful but it’s also notoriously difficult to learn. Its syntax can be confusing and managing memory manually presents challenges even for experienced coders.
Another major player in today’s game development world is C# which became widely used through the rise of the Unity game engine. Unity is one of the most popular game development platforms and C# is its primary scripting language. While not as powerful as C++ in terms of performance C# is significantly easier to learn
Loads of games are made with Unity and people who want to be able to understand this software should definitely try to get to grips with C# as a main coding language.
Browser Games
Browser-based games are also very popular in the modern age and these games are capable of as much as some older consoles. It goes to show how far technology has come.
With this rise of online and browser-based gaming, there have been web development languages that have carved out their place in the gaming world. JavaScript and CSS are often used for simple web-based games. These languages are easier to learn compared to C++ or C#, and they allow developers to create lightweight games that can run directly in a browser. Games like Slither.io and Cookie Clicker were built using these languages and went on to be pretty big!
People who want to start learning this language can check out the simple Hello World program that gives them an idea of what the language involves.
These web languages don’t offer the same power as C++ or even C#. They are ideal for creating casual games that can be played by anyone with a web browser and offer wide compatibility. JavaScript’s ease of use and the flexibility of HTML5 make it a popular choice for game developers just starting out.
Conclusion
Many different approaches can be taken by those who are interested in working in gaming or making their own game. Most game developers have knowledge of multiple coding languages but these are some excellent starting points.
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