Data Science and Math in Video Games [+5 Surprising Facts]
Data Science and Math in Video Games [+5 Surprising Facts]
In recent years, data science and math have become vital aspects in the successful development of video games. Game creators use math In video games to power the game graphics through a series of mathematical operations on the backend. Though players are only able to see the beautiful visuals.
According to Statista, the gaming business is valued at 178 billion dollars in 2021 and has the potential to grow to 267 billion dollars by 2025. As the game business continues to grow (with over 2 billion gamers worldwide), future gaming companies are working swiftly to keep up with gamer expectations.
Data science has been used to improve gamers’ acquisition, engagement, and retention through the collection of information such as playing time, quitting points, rank, scores, and more. This data allows gamers to start up where they left off.
Data science also enables programmers to develop computer Artificial Intelligence that players can play against.
This article covers the most frequently asked questions concerning data science and math in video games.
Is data science used in game development?
The process of planning, developing, and distributing a game is referred to as “game development.” Data science is now a critical component in the development of video games. The cost of making a game is extremely high. And no company wants to invest in a game that will be a waste of time and money. This is where data science enters the picture.
When creating a new edition of a game, game developers first create data mining video games (usually a beta test version) or use data gathered from users via surveys. This ensures that the most recent games are improved compared to the old version in terms of gameplay and engagement.
How data science is used in gaming
Data science has numerous applications in gaming. Here are some of the most important data science applications in gaming.
- Game improvement
Developers create data mining video games (usually beta tests version) to improve game development. And in order to do that, data mining in video games is used to learn more about a player’s preferences, as well as to track game issues, and time spent. This information is further interpreted by video game analytics to get insight from previous and beta versions. This analysis allows them to develop new gameplay concepts, news stories, and models that will keep gamers engaged.
- Design
No one wants to play a video game with poor graphics in 2021. The majority of the industry’s big names are stepping up and creating attractive game ideas. Because it is the first thing a gamer sees, hence, they believe design is critical to the success of their game. Game developers use data science to create animations and visual effects that appeal to the majority of players.
Video game developers use motion capture, real-time rendering, and photogrammetric techniques to build in-game characters with realistic facial expressions, emotions, and movements.
- Personalized Marketing And Ads
Experts in the subject are tapping into the game industry, which is a booming billion-dollar industry. Developers don’t make games for the sake of it, do they? Because of the vast amount of resources necessary to develop and deliver a game, monetization is as important. In the gaming industry, there are a few business models that can help creators monetize their games: pay-to-play, digital stores, and targeted advertisements.
Data science is used to predict how gamers will react to ads and customize ads according to their interests. Furthermore, in-game personalized marketing increases user activity while also enticing new players. This is done by using video game data analytics to adjust the advertisement frequency.
- Fraud Detection
Playing against a cheater can be quite frustrating. That is why game makers employ data science to detect and prevent cheating. For example, after PUBG mobile was released, gamers began to play it on their desktops using various simulators. Because of the use of peripheral devices such as a mouse and a keyboard by computer users. it was a little easier for them to beat the mobile device players. PUBG created an algorithm that could recognize and ban such activity.
Which game is based on data science
In the video game industry, data science is a hot topic. Almost every video game makes use of data science in some way to improve the gaming experience.
You will be surprised to know that over 2 billion gamers worldwide generate over 50 Tb of data per day. Electronic Arts (EA) hosts around 2.5 billion game sessions per month, equating to about 50 billion minutes of playtime.
Words With Friends, Scrabble Go, Pokemon Go, PUBG, FIFA, Call Of Duty Warzone, Monopoly, Grand Theft Auto, and more utilize data for game development and marketing.
Is data science still in demand?
Data scientists have been in demand for quite some time now. And there are so many reasons why data science is among the top 3 rated jobs in the world right now. One of the reasons is the demand for data science jobs.
For a long time, data scientists have been in high demand. And there are numerous reasons why data science is currently ranked among the top three careers in the world. The need for data science jobs is one of these factors.
All industries are competitive. And, in order to manage a successful firm in the twenty-first century, one must embrace data analytics. Businesses used to keep and analyze data using Excel spreadsheets, which were slow to process little data and time-consuming. Anyone can analyze video game big data with tools like Google Analytics, TensorFlow, and Python. Data scientists work with large amounts of data by using the data-solving tools above.
Apart from the game sector, large companies such as Google, Amazon, IBM, Facebook, and others employ data science to improve their services. Therefore, data science demand is high and the supply of data scientists is low. This is due to the fact that the field is still in its early stages of development.
Anyone can work as a data scientist. The majority of people that enter the profession do so after working in other fields such as business, psychology, or even life sciences. The majority of people who made the switch learned their abilities through reading books and attending online courses.
However, you can learn data science from top data scientists and become certified.
How is math used in video games?
Every video game is built on a mathematical principle. Mathematics in video games is employed in every aspect of game creation, from the simplest to the most complicated (EA, PUBG, Grant theft). 3D tools, such as Unity 3D, have been developed to allow developers to build 3D characters without requiring a strong understanding of mathematics. Nonetheless, every video game has a backend that involves a series of computer mathematical operations.
Here are some instances of how math is used in video games.
Object dynamic
The importance of math in determining object dynamics cannot be overstated. Making a ball bounce, Moving an object with a certain level of force, Colliding with momentum, are all incorporated by the mathematics of games. The purpose of this is to give your game a feeling of ‘realism’, something which avid gamers are keenly observant and fond of.
Vector knowledge helps you determine how to make a character walk in a certain direction, or maybe towards what player, during game development.
However, basic arithmetic is used to determine a player’s power or “lives.” In addition, if a character fires a bullet from a gun, the distance, momentum, and impact are all calculated using mathematics.
To determine the game result
In games, math concepts can also help determine who wins. The winner in the racing game (for instance Asphalt) is usually determined by who crosses the finish line first. These distances are determined using vector mathematics, in which positions relative to the finish line are calculated in milliseconds to determine a player’s place in the races. To calculate these distances and award players, formulas such as the Pythagorean Theorem are frequently used.
Other instances can be seen in games like Grand Theft Auto, in which car movement, explosions, and day and night changes are all continuously occurring. All this boils down to mathematical calculations in the game.
Do video games help with mathematics?
Video games and mathematics are closely related. According to studies, it is said that kids who spend more time playing video games do better in math. This can be backed up by a Stanford study that appeared on Forbes. The study proved that mathematical improvement can be aided by video games. This, however, does not apply to every video game. Puzzle, Sudoku, Chess, Checkers, Monopoly, Uno, Rapid Arithmetic, and other math games have been shown to help teenagers and adults enhance their math skills.
A fun math game usually includes clear rules, objectives, and competition either against the clock or against other players. The top math games offer exactly the right amount of difficulty. The gamer chooses and employs different strategies that are required to solve problems and make decisions fast in the game.
What math do you need for video game design?
Math and video games are pretty much interchangeable. Math is used to enable movement, running, shouting, explosions, and the creation of characters in video games. A video game cannot function without math, just as math cannot function without you learning and applying the rules. Typically, when you play a game, you are solving arithmetic problems.
Here is some important video game math you need for video game design.
Linear Algebra
Without a thorough understanding of linear algebra, no one can understand advanced mathematics. As a result, a basic understanding of mathematics and arithmetic is required to fine-tune the programming that takes place behind the scenes. This is useful in all types of programming and isn’t confined to game development.
Geometry
Geometry is concerned with the study of various shapes. Knowing how to draw a point, a line, a plane, and a solid shape will help you build video games. The point, line, and plane shapes are simple to grasp. A solid shape, such as a cube, cuboid, or cylinder, is more difficult and requires more attention.
Vector
A vector is a mathematical expression of a point. In video games, characters and objects are represented by vectors, which are simply defined as the direction and speed of any item. A game developer can use vector calculations to move an object and achieve various goals according to the rules, such as walking, running, or swimming by a specific character.
Other game development math include:
- Discrete Mathematics
- Trigonometry (sine and cosine)
- Pythagoras (measuring distance)
- Calculus
- Applied mathematics
5 Shocking Facts about Videos Games
There are a few things that you might not have imagined about video gaming and the industry. Here are five.
- Playing video games daily can reduce your chances of making mistakes by 37% and helps you complete tasks 27% faster, study shows.
- In 2020, there were over 2.7 billion gamers in the world, according to the New York Times. That’s over 34.6% of the world’s population and about twice the population of Africa, the world’s second largest continent.
- 97% of teen boys play video games but only 83% of teen girls do, according to the Pew Research Center.
- Atari ET is the worst video game of all time.
- According to a study by psychologist Daphne Maurer, playing Medal of Honor could improve the eyesight of children with cataracts.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, the video game industry generates a massive amount of data every day. And this information is a reflection of the amount of money that is made in the gaming sector. You can work in this growing sector if you have a knowledge in data science and math.
To become a qualified data scientist, you can take advantage of our Data Science training courses and community of scientists. Join SDS Club to have full access and advantage
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