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Sim, Render, Repeat – An Analysis of Game Loop Architectures
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Description

Sim, Render, Repeat – An Analysis of Game Loop Architectures,
2410

Programming, Lecture

Daniel Martin
Technical Director, Electronic Arts

Michael Balfour
Technical Director, Electronic Arts
From the dawn of videogames to the present, most game architectures have gravitated towards a relatively small set of choices for their fundamental essence – the game loop. The game loop is the highest-level subsystem that keeps the game running from start to finish. However, game loops contain several nuances, from design to timing, that can fundamentally impact the architecture of the entire codebase. This session offers an analysis of the current single-threaded game loop architectures, and then proceeds to cover how the architectures can be expanded to successfully transition into a Next-Generation multi-CPU hardware environment. With a focus on maximizing game performance, the analysis covers the general loop layout, variances based on timing requirements, and architectural (and performance) limitations that each variance imposes. In addition, the session digresses into the notion of time, including methods of measuring and profiling loops, and how to extend the timing concepts for multi-threaded designs.

Attendees learn the common game loop architecture choices, the often-misunderstood subtleties of game loop timings, and extensions of loop architectures for Next-Generation multi-CPU platforms. After leaving the session, the attendee will have a functional knowledge of how to choose and implement the most appropriate single-threaded or multi-threaded architecture for their current-generation, next-generation, or cross-generation game.

This session is designed for intermediate to advanced programmers who have at least a fundamental knowledge of software architecture. Multi-threading is discussed extensively, but a specific background in developing multi-threaded applications is not required.

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