There are a thousand important things to optimize in a game engine, but perhaps the most important optimization we can make is the renderer. The reality is that even though we have a bunch of fun new tools available to help squeeze a few more frames out of the Flash Player, it still sucks in [...]

Very few games can escape the need for an Entity framework. An Entity framework defines the core pieces of interactivity for your game. Over the years, I have implemented and reimplemented Entity frameworks dozens of times. In the interests of easing the development process and providing stable libraries on which to rapidly build games (rather [...]

How’s your relationship with your game loop? Is it a relationship based on mutual love and respect? Do you recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses? Understanding the Game Loop is a critical element in programming interactive entertainment and utilizing it effectively can undermine or help support your development goals. In Frame Based Code Sucks!, I [...]

If you don’t know the difference between time-based code and frame-based code, chances are you’re using frame-based code and the quality of your game is suffering as a result. If you ever thought the turbo-button on your XT machine was the most-badass invention ever because it could make your computer games play in slow motion, [...]