Introduction to Long-Term Game Development
When a game like The Elder Scrolls is in development over a span of 4-5 years, maintaining technological relevance is a critical challenge. This article explores how game developers adapt to technological advancements to ensure their projects remain cutting-edge and engaging for players.
Game Engines and their Role in Staying Current
The utilization of game engines is a cornerstone in modern video game development. While game developers do not necessarily develop these engines from scratch, they often modify and optimize them to suit their needs. As new versions of game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine are released, developers can integrate these updates into their projects to benefit from new features and performance improvements.
Adapting to New Capabilities with Engine Updates
When a new version of a game engine is released, developers are often able to “slide it in” very seamlessly. This process involves replacing the old engine files with the new ones, allowing the game to take advantage of any new features or optimizations. These updates can significantly improve the game’s performance, visual quality, and overall user experience.
Managing Assets Across Generations of Hardware
One of the significant challenges in long-term game development is managing assets, such as 3D models and textures, to ensure compatibility with different generations of hardware.
Dynamic Asset Management
Game developers often start with high-poly models and textures that can be downgraded for the initial release. As new hardware that can handle more detailed assets becomes available, these models can be re-exported and updated. This approach ensures that as hardware capabilities improve, the game can be optimized to take full advantage of it without significant rework.
For example, a 3D model might start as a high poly version but is downsampled for the game’s release. If a new, more powerful hardware becomes popular, the models can be re-exported with a higher poly count. Similarly, textures are created at high resolutions and then downsampled for the game’s release. When better hardware becomes available, these textures can be re-exported in higher resolution to enhance the visual quality.
Regenerating Assets for Major Upgrades
While downgrading is a common strategy, there are instances where assets must be completely regenerated. This can happen when significant changes in hardware put old assets out of relevance. Developers will likely need to rework certain elements to ensure they fit the new technological landscape. This process is often extensive and requires a high degree of flexibility and creativity.
Planning ahead and Proactive Strategies
Game developers are continuously aware of and plan for upcoming technological advancements. In the planning stages, they aim to select game engines and hardware platforms that can be enhanced and improved upon over the development cycle.
Hardware and Software Innovations
The key areas of focus in game development include both hardware and software innovations:
Hardware Innovations: Next-gen consoles, new processors, and video cards for desktops.
Software Innovations: Advanced game engines like Unreal Engine and Amazon’s new engine. These platforms are the backbone of game development and must be carefully selected to ensure they can support future hardware improvements.
Selecting a forward-moving software platform is crucial. If the current platform is not capable of supporting future hardware upgrades, developers may face significant costs and delays in redesigning and porting their project to a new platform.
Conclusion
Maintaining technological relevance over the extended development cycle of a game like The Elder Scrolls requires a proactive approach to both hardware and software innovations. By leveraging game engines, planning ahead, and dynamically managing assets, developers can ensure their projects remain cutting-edge and engaging for players.
The key to success lies in the ability to integrate new technologies, manage assets across different hardware generations, and adapt to future advancements. With careful planning and strategic execution, developers can create games that exceed players' expectations despite the challenges of long-term development.