Computer games - The Computing Universe: A Journey through a Revolution - page 184

representation of any object. A wireframe model uses points, lines, and curves
to show the edges of an object, including the opposite sides and any internal
features that would be normally hidden from view. A whole range of techniques
is now available to generate all sorts of complex shapes and curves. The file spec-
ifying the game scene contains the geometry of the objects in the scene and their
relative positions. The game designer also has the freedom to view the scene from
different perspectives and to specify different choices of lighting. The process of
converting the resultant three-dimensional model to a two-dimensional image
on a screen is called rendering . The computer has to calculate which surfaces
are behind any given object from the viewer's perspective and which should
therefore be hidden when the two-dimensional image is created. The render-
ing process also adds lighting and surface texture effects. The graphics research
group of Evans and Sutherland in Utah created the first hidden-surface algorithms to
realistically display overlapping objects - that is, sets of rules to determine which
surfaces would not be visible from a certain viewpoint and so should be hidden.
Computer graphics is now the foundation for whole new industries.
Computer animation is the process of using computers to create moving
images, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) is now a standard technology
for the movie industry. In 1995, Pixar Animation Studios released Toy Story , the
first full-length computer-generated animation movie. Computer-aided design
(CAD) uses computer graphics to assist the design process in many industries,
including automotive, aerospace, and shipbuilding. Computer graphics tech-
nologies also underpin modern scientific and information visualization.

The modern era of computer games

In 1991, Sid Meier's ( B.9.9 ) Civilization game was released for the PC. This is a
single- or multiplayer strategy game in which players attempt to build an empire
in competition from other civilizations and under attack from marauding barbar-
ians. Each player starts with one settler unit and one warrior unit and by explora-
tion, warfare, and diplomacy, attempts to become the dominant civilization. The
game begins in 4000 B.C. before the Bronze Age and can continue to 2050 with a
future space-age civilization expanding to settle new stars. As time advances dur-
ing the game, players can choose to invest in new technologies - from the wheel
and pottery in the early stages, to nuclear power and spaceflight near the end of
the game. Wise investments in science and technology can often bring decisive
advantages for a civilization, as in real life. In 1996, Computer Gaming World maga-
zine chose Civilization as the best game of all time, explaining:

While some games might be equally addictive, none have sustained quite
the level of rich, satisfying gameplay quite like Sid Meier's magnum opus.
The blend of exploration, economics, conquest and diplomacy is augmented
by the quintessential research and development model, as you struggle to
erect the Pyramids, discover gunpowder, and launch a colonization spacecraft
to Alpha Centauri. . . . Just when you think the game might bog down, you
discover a new land, a new technology, another tough foe - and you tell
yourself, “just one more turn,” even as the first rays of the new sun creep into
your room . . . the most acute case of game-lock we've ever felt. 7

B.9.9. Sid Meier on stage at the
Game Developer Conference in 2010.
Meier was born in Ontario, Canada,
and graduated from the University
of Michigan. He cofounded the game
companies MicroProse and Firaxis
Games. His hugely successful game,
Sid Meier's Civilization, was released
by MicroProse in 1991.