!
Understand the changes that influence games
Explain some of the latest technological changes
Year after year computers have continued to get more powerful. Computers are measured in several metrics, for example we can compare a computer based on the number of Floating Point Operations Per Second (FLOPS) it can perform or by comparing the number of frames per second (FPS) it gets in a certain game.
Comparing computers this way is called benchmarking them.
But aside from performance of computer systems, there are other ways in which computer systems have changed.
Emerging technologies refers to technologies that are relatively new and are changing the way computer systems are used or perform.
The bigger the storage capacity of the hard disk, the more likely it is to fail. For example, a 4 terabyte hard disk drive is far more likely to fail than a new 250 gigabyte one.
Typically there is one read and one write head for each disk surface and a special arm is used to move the heads across the across the surface of the disk so that they can read and write data to the disk.
Hard disks offer more storage at a lower price that their successor, the SSD, but are much slower and more prone to damage.
Ray tracing technologies – use an incredibly efficient algorithm, hard coded into modern Nvidia and AMD graphics processors to accelerate calculations and reduce bottlenecks.
Artificial intelligence – makes NPCs/enemies smarter in video games, even sometimes learning your skills.
Machine learning graphics - improves the look of games using machine learning strategies
Now let’s discuss other emerging technologies that exist out there.
In pairs discuss what other new technologies you might have come across that are becoming more common in the games industry
Create a slideshow about 3 pieces of gaming technology, giving details about what the technology was, what it did for gaming and why it disappeared.
