Glossary - Writing for Video Games - page 171

Player character (PC) : The character the player controls when playing the
game. The term avatar is becoming an increasingly popular alternative,
particularly as the abbreviation, PC, can be confused with personal
computer.
Plot :How the story is revealed to the player through the events and
information that is shown through the interaction with the game world
and the objects and characters within it.
Pre-rendered :A sequence or environment which is created in its final form
prior to the game being compiled. It is then displayed in the game exactly
as created.
Proposal :A document, or set of documents, that is used to sell the game
concept to the publisher. Proposals can consist of hundreds of pages of
story, design, concept art and technical information, but will also include
a short Synopsis section.
Publisher :A company that manufactures, distributes and markets the game
created by the developer.The publisher may also provide funding for the
development of the game. Some publishers also have their own internal
development studios.
Quality assurance (QA) : The testing of the game to ensure that it works as
intended. Approval of the game for it to be released on the consoles is
dependent on it successfully meeting the rigorous demands of that
particular console's QA department.
Real time : Graphics that are put together at the time of playing the game
from 3D information that has been loaded into memory is regarded as real
time rendering. Also, gameplay which continues, regardless of the player's
input, is said to be real time gameplay.
Recording script : The dialogue for the game formatted into a series of
documents from which the actors can easily read in the recording studio.
Replay value : Also known as replayability. The amount of encouragement a
game gives to the player to replay the game. This can be in the form of
unlockable content, different outcomes, variable gameplay, etc.
Script :This can mean a number of things - the document the writer creates
which contains the game's dialogue; the logic for the game; the high-level
coding language used to create the logic; the actual creation of the script
(as in, to script the dialogue).
Section design : Another term for level design.
Sequence :A series of scenes and/or visuals that play out at a key point in the
game, often triggered by the actions of the player.A cut scene may also be