1. Task 1
Handheld Consoles
Console
PS Vita
NVidia Shield
Nintendo 3DS XL
Specs
Comparison
- CPU – ARM Cortex A9 core (4
core) 800MHz – 1GHz
-GPU – SGX543MP4+, 33
million polygons
-RAM 512MB
-Stereo speakers, built in
microphone
- 960 x 544 resolution, screen
is 5 inches wide diagonally
-No internal storage media and
PS vita card is not included. You
have to pay more if you want to
store things on your device.
-Battery life 3-5 hours
- Front and rear 0.3MP cameras
-Digital only backwards
compatibility
-7.17 inches wide
-PS Vita OS
-Screen resolution 1280 x 720,
screen is 5 inches wide
- Internal storage 16GB
-Stereo speakers with built in
microphone
-Rechargeable Li-polymer
battery
-CPU – NVIDIA Tegra 4 Quad
Core Mobile Processor with
2GB or RAM
-GPU - 72 GeForce graphics
cores(24 vertex shaders + 48
pixel shaders )
-OS – Android 4.2.1
- 4 – 5 hours of battery life
playing top games but up to 10
hours playing android titles.
- 3D Display
- 800 x 240 Resolution on top
screen and 320x240 on bottom
screen
- Uses SD card as portable
memory
- Stereo Speakers, built in
This is the second most
powerful of the three. It can
easily play console-quality
games, plus it has the internet
and apps such as facebook,
aswell as music and video
features.
However, despite having the
best looking games, it can be
argued that these games are
not as good as Nintendos
games for the 3DS. It can also
be very expensive as it does not
come with any storage, so you
will have to buy a memory card
for it too.
This handheld beats all others
hardware wise. It can play
console-quality games faster
than the PS vita and it also
supports a 1280x720 LCD, so
will make games look even
better. The majority of games
on the android store are also
cheap.
Due to it being the most
powerful, it is also the most
expensive of the three. It is also
targeted to more casual gamers
as there are tons of games on
the google play store for use on
the system.
This console is the least
powerful of the three. Its major
advantage is that it has two
screens and the top screen,
which is the main viewing
screen, supports glasses-less
3D.

2. microphone
- Screen size – 4.88 inches
- ARM11 dual core 268Mhz CPU
- Digital media professionals
pica 200 single core 15.3 million
polygons – GPU
-RAM 128MB
- 2GB internal storage + 2GB SD
card for external storage.
- Battery life 3-5 hours
-Front and rear 0.3MP cameras
- Full support towards
backwards compatibility
-5.3 inches wide
-3DS OS
However, it cannot produce
graphics as good as the other
consoles but it is said that it has
the best games due to
Nintendo having many popular
franchises such as Zelda or
Mario. This can be debateable
however as most games
designed for the 3DS are said to
be designed for children whilst
games on the Vita or Shield
have a range between all ages.

3. Consoles
Feature
GPU
Xbox One
853 MHz AMD
Radeon GCN
architecture
Wii U
550 MHz AMD
Radeon Latte GPU
Play Station 4
Semi-Custom
AMD Radeon
GPU
CPU
Custom 1.75 GHz
AMD 8 Core APU
1.24 GHz Tri-core
IBM PowerPC
Espresso
Semi-Custom 8core AMD x86-64
CPU
RAM
8GB DDR3 ( 5GB is
available for
games)
2GB DDR3
8GB GDDR5
Video Display
4K, 1080p and
720p resolution
HDMI supports
480p – 4K
Audio
7.1 Surround sound
480p – 1080p
from console
158ppi from
gamepad
5.1 Linear PCM,
analogue stereo
Software Kernel
Xbox OS, Windows
custom Kernel
Wii U OS
Orbis OS
Power Supply
Fan assisted PSU
100 – 240 V AC
Power supply unit
DC12V 3.7A
Fan assisted PSU
Storage Media
500 GB internal
hard drive
Allows USBs
8GB for basic set
and 32GB for
deluxe
500 GB internal
Hard Drive
Allows USBs
Comparison
The Second most
powerful, beaten
by the PS4 which is
a bit more
powerful. Both the
Xbox One and PS4
have a lot of similar
hardware though
such as 500 GB of
memory and the
video display.
The Wii U is the
least powerful of
the three. It is
focused more
towards family
games, therefore
does not need top
graphics, but it is
strongly beaten by
the others in
power.
The PS4 is said to
be the most
powerful, but
only slightly
compared to the
Xbox One. The
PS4 uses a much
better ram than
the Xbox one and
Wii U. Most other
elements are the
same except the
GPU and CPU
which have been
semi-custom built
for the PS4
7.1 Surround
sound

4. Task 2
Item
Piece of
Hardware/Tech
Price
Why
(Roughly)
RAM
8 GB DDR3-1600
£70
CPU
AMD FX-8120
£111.80
GPU
AMD Radeon R7 260X
£139
Video display
TV
Sound/audio
Startech 7.1 Channel PCI
digital surround sound card
24
£50 – 500
This is an
external cost
and I will not
include it in
the total cost
for the
console.
£30
Internal storage
WD AV-GP 250GB Internal
hard drive
£20
I would like the console to have a
lot of RAM so that the player can
perform multiple actions such as
playing a game whilst having a
movie or video playing on the side
of the screen. I would also like
games to be able to run faster by
allowing a lot of RAM storage
space for the games to use, so that
it doesn’t get clogged an slow the
games down.
This CPU is quite good and is not
over the top in terms of power. I
also need a quick CPU so that
processes can be carried out
quicker and the player will have to
wait less and experience no
stuttering in games.
This GPU Is able to perform at
1080p, which is good as I want the
graphics to be able to reach high
standards, but the price tag can be
quite expensive.
1080p – 720p would be the best
resolutions I would like my console
to work at
I believe 7.1 surround sound it
best for the console as sound is
great for immersion in games and
should be at its best.
I believe that 250GB is reasonable
and quite large as I have never
taken up that much space on my
Xbox 360 I have had for 5+ years.
This is the standard storage space,
but I think it would be best if we
could add a second option with a
500GB however that might be too
expensive.

5. Portable
storage media
Custom USB memory sticks
can be bought and they will
be able to store 30 GB
£16
Power supply
Fan assisted PSU
£10
Connectivity
Wifi adapter included
inside machine
£5
Software Kernel
Custom kernel
I believe that 30 GB is enough for a
memory stick to hold. It could hold
a lot of information and if you are
using a memory stick, most of the
time you never really use the full
amount of space especially if yours
has 30GB of it.
A fan assisted PSU is best as I do
not want it to over heat
Wifi is a must for consoles and
devices nowadays, so a built in wifi
connector should be added so
users can browse the internet, you
tube or stream videos.
The kernel I would use would have
to be a custom made one. I would
make it to be similar to the Xbox
ones kernel in the sense that it
uses tiles to display programs.
Estimated Total = £408.80
This price tag can be expensive
but it would be roughly in the
middle of the PS4 and Xbox ones
prices.

6. Task 3
Item
RAM
CPU
Description
Uses in game
technology
Random Access Memory is the most known
form of computer memory. This type of
memory can be accessed randomly by the user
without touching any preceding bytes, so say a
user wanted to open a certain byte of memory
( For example a word document ) on their
system, RAM allows them to do that and open
or use any other programs whilst keeping any
other programs open if the user needs them to
be. There are 2 main different types of RAM,
DRAM and SRAM
DRAM – Dynamic Random access memory is
the most common and needs to be refreshed
thousands of times per second. This means
that the data in the RAM needs to be refreshed
so that it doesn’t contain old data of programs
that the user is not using any more for
example.
SRAM – Static random access memory does
not need to be refreshed which makes it
faster, but is more expensive.
Carrying on from the RAM
description box, this means
that if you are a games
designer and are currently
making a game, it is vital to
make sure you have a lot of
RAM as this enables you to
keep a range of programs
open at the same time. I have
2 x 4096MB RAMs, which
means I am able to use a lot of
programs fluently and
efficiently, but if you had 1GB
of RAM in total and were
creating game models in one
program, rendering them in
another and adding them to a
3D world in another, your
computer might struggle at
performing all these tasks as
the programs might need to
use too much memory.
They can come with different sizes of memory
to, such as 8MB, an you will usually need to
install 2 in your system, so you would get a
total of 16MB from 2 RAMs. The size of the
RAM is important however because take the
8MB RAM for example, 8MB means that
approximately 8 million bytes of memory can
be used by programs from that RAM.
The Central Processing Unit can be referred to
the ‘main brain’ of the computer as the
majority of calculations and decisions are
made here. It sits in the mother board and all
other programs or hard ware components
must go through the CPU before they can
function. When a function, piece of data or
program is called, the CPU pulls it from the
RAM in order to process it. It reads any
instructions it finds and sends it back to the
RAM. Then the ‘system bus’ is carried out
where the CPU uses the instructions to
transport data or calculations around the
system to where they are needed. The CPU is
then tasked to guide the data as it flows
through the system and then the CPU makes
sure that at every ‘stop’, the right piece of data
All gaming computers usually
have top end CPUs as well as
GPUs and RAM. They require
such an expensive CPU as they
need the computer to be able
to process and transport data
or functions as fast as it
possibly can so in games, the
game will move as quick as
possible, having a high FPS and
reducing any stuttering whilst
improving game loading times
and overall speed. Also, for
game developers, a top CPU
enables them to be able to use
programs quicker, load them
much faster and perform

7. GPU
Video
display/output
leaves at the right area and every piece of data
gets where it needs to be in the correct order.
The images on a screen are made up of
millions of very small pixels, and a part of the
computer much dictate and calculate what
colour these pixels should be to show the
images on-screen. It needs the Graphics
Processing Unit to ‘translate’ binary data (
‘1001011’ for example) and turn it into a
picture on the screen for us to see.The GPU is
known as the main brain of the card it sits on,
the graphics card. A better GPU means better
graphics as usually they are more powerful and
faster. On the graphics card, a RAM is also
present usually as the GPU will need a place to
store any just-made data as it builds the image.
When the CPU sends information to the GPU
telling it that an image needs to be made, the
GPU decides how to use the pixels on the
screen to construct the image. It uses binary
data that is received by the CPU and translates
it into a colour, before placing it on the right
pixel. Once created, the GPU sends the info to
the monitor for display to the user.
LCD – Liquid Crystal display is a flat panel,
electronic visual display that use light
modulating properties of these ‘liquid crystals’,
meaning they are used to light up the screen.
TFT-LCD is the most common and advanced
type of display and is usually given the
nickname ‘flatscreen’ due to its common
appearance. LCD technology is now used in the
vast majority of TVs, monitors or phone
screens that are manufactured and uses the
following items to display any images:
actions such as rendering
much quicker.
Graphics cards are very
important when it comes to
gaming. Without one, you
couldn’t play any games at all
as there is nothing to process
the pixels and create images.
The GPU is used to create
images out of pixels. The
better the GPU, the more
powerful and faster it is at
creating these images,
therefore, in game elements
such as buildings can be
constructed faster and full
textures and materials will
appear much quicker in the
game world.
Monitors are used in game
technology to display the
game world for example or
programs to make it. Without
a monitor, you would see
nothing, therefore could not
be able to make or play games.
In game development, TFT-LCD
monitors are used most
commonly as they are more
advanced that CRT monitors.
CRT monitors were said to
cause eye strain too which will
not help developers. Monitors
use the information given from
the GPU to display the images
the GPU has created to the
viewer or user.

8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidcrystal_display
Monochrome – This is a type of Cathode Ray
Tube display that is very old and only used
nowadays in cash register systems mainly. Old
monitors used a green phosphor screen to turn
any text on them into a green colour. The
background colour was usually black, but
phosphor screens could also be red or blue.
Each monochrome monitor could only have
one. Non colour CRTs had white text.
Sound/audio
Colour monitor –There are two colour displays
which are the CRT and LCD versions. CRT
monitors are big and blocky, whilst LCDs are
thin and have less flickering. LCD monitors
consume less power and take up less space, so
became more popular than CRTs.
The sound from a computer is produced in the
sound card and the card can make 3d audio for
games or surround sound play back for DVDs.
It can also be used to capture sound. In the
past, computers without sound cards could
Sound is used in game tech to
create immersion. 3D games
such as Grand Theft Auto 5 will
need a lot of sounds to be
created to simulate a real city.

9. Storage media
Power supply
Software
kernel
only produce a beep. This is why many retro
games create these beeping noises as this
could only be achieved at that time. Sounds
and computer data are different, so sounds are
‘analogue’ which means they are made of
waves that can travel through matter.
Computers are ‘digital’ though, so
communicate to other parts using impulses
representing 1 or no impulse which means 0. A
sound card translates between a computers
digital info and the outside world’s analogue
information. ADC (Analogue to Digital) and
DAC (Digital to Analogue) converters are used
here. The DAC converter is used to translate
and convert the digital code created into
analogue. ADC is uses to turn analogue sounds
recorded from external sources into digital
codes for the computer to read
A storage media can be an internal or external
component of a computer. The most common
types of storage media are internal and
external hard drives. An internal hard drive
should come with every computer and is the
computers main storage device, where all its
data is stored. On mid-high end PCs, there can
be a varying number of hard drives each with
varying capacities. For example, I have 2
internal hard drives in my pc, one can store
250GB whilst the other can store Almost 2 TB
(Terra bytes). An external hard drive is the
same as an internal, except it is on the exterior
of the machine and must be plugged into the
PC. There are also USB and disc forms of
storage media which are portable.
The power supply, of course, supplies the PC
with power so that you are able to use it. It
converts Alternating current AC to direct
current which in needed by the PC.
This is the main operating system of the PC.
The most common one is Windows, but MAC
OS is also used too, just not as much.
The kernel is a computer program that
manages input or output requests from
software and converts them into data
processing instructions for the CPU and other
hardware components. The kernel connects
applications to the CPU, memory and other
The sound card will have to be
used in an Xbox for example,
to turn the digital code from
the game into the appropriate
analogue sound when needed.
Storage media is used in game
technology to actually store
the game, for example, if it has
been downloaded from Steam.
This is usually stored on a hard
drive as games can be quite
large in size nowadays. They
can also be used to store
creations made in modelling
software for example. Another
thing people do is use USB
sticks to transport data from
the office to home, so they can
continue any work at their
own home.
This is used in gaming
technology to power the PCs
and the power supply might
need to be larger and deliver a
higher wattage in order to
deliver enough power to high
end PCs.
Many people use Windows as
they believe it is the best
kernel so far, however, people
have their opinions and many
believe that other kernels such
as MAC and Linux are better.
These kernels will help with
game technology as some
might be able to connect
applications to specific devices

10. HCI
LAN
GPRS
WAP
Cache
devices as the user, for instance, might want to
open word and save a document. The kernel
will connect the Word application to the
memory in order to save it.
Human computer interaction is the planning,
design and uses of the interaction between
humans and computers, and to what extent
are or are not created for successful
interaction with the users. This is where user
friendliness comes in and HCI seemed to be
ignored for a while, but is now stepping in.
Take windows 8 for example. In windows 7,
they kept the OS pretty much the same as it
have always been, but in Windows 8 they have
added a tiles feature where all programs are
displayed on tiles and it is believed that this
makes navigating and finding easier and more
likeable by humans when they interact with it.
Microsoft wanted to make it more user
friendly.
Local Area Network gives a networking
capability to all computers within close
proximity of each other. They are used in
schools so each computer can be connected
and on the same network. Here, you can easily
share files with other users in the same
building instead of having to send them via
email or USBs.
General packet radio service is a service for
phones in which enables users to send
information and receive it across a telephone
network anywhere in the world. This means I
could send a friend some important data if, for
example, we are working for the same
company.
Wireless application protocol is a web browser
application that is present in mobile devices
that use the protocol and it allows users to
access information on these devices
The Cache transparently stores data for that
processes in the future can be finished faster.
Its like making a batch of cakes, but only
needing 5, so the cache keeps the others in a
safe place until you need the cakes again. It
also works on the internet where it saves your
faster, meaning saving
creations for example could be
quicker and easier on some.
In game technology, some OS
might not be very user friendly
and if you are stuck with one
you don’t like, it might make
development of a game much
harder as finding applications
might be a pain.
LAN could be used to test
games by creating a ‘LAN
party’. In a game studio, a LAN
would be important if you
added a multiplayer aspect to
the game as you would be able
to test your product FULLY
before selling it to the public.
Also, the studio could easily
share its files. For example, if
one user saves a sound to the
network, every other user can
access it easily from their
computer
This could be used to allow
game developers to receive
information or items built
from somebody far away.
It is used on mobile phones to
allow users to look up
information about games and
they can even download them
Cache can be used in gaming
technology to save certain
preferences for example. The
cache can store information
like Field of view or store login
details.

11. MCP
2D vs 3D
Graphics
Subscription
TV
ETV
API
Interpreted
programming
languages for
games
Compiled
programming
languages
Objectorientated
programming
Scripting
languages for
games
email addresses when signing in to sites, so
that you do not need to type them out every
time you come back.
Media communications program is a program
which educates other about different type’s
media and is the process of human
communication.
2D graphics were mainly used in the past and
consist of the game being played on a flat
screen. This could be used to create board
games or platformers like Super Mario and
pieces or characters could only move up,
down, left, right or diagonally.
3D graphics allow real world movement in first
or third person games and the player is able to
move around a full 3D world if one is made. 3D
graphics are said to look more realistic if that’s
what the game wants to achieve and examples
of games that use it are Fallout 3 and The
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
This is where people would pay to have even
more TV channels. A lot of people pay monthly
for extended TV services such as Sky+ where
you get lots more channels with more
interesting content.
Enhanced TV is where a TV can not only just be
used to watch TV programs, but look at up to
date news, browse the internet, play games
and more. These smart TVs are becoming more
common and can do far more than regular TVs
Application Programming interface specifies
how software components interact and work
with each other. They are also tools for
building software apps. A good API makes it
easier to develop a program by providing all
the building blocks and tools.
This language executes instructions directly
without compiling a program into machine
language instructions
This programming language requires a
compiler program to turn source code into an
executable machine language binary program.
This language is used to also define the types
of operations that can be applied to the data
structure, as well as defining the data type of a
structure.
A scripting language is a high level language
that is interpreted by another program at
runtime rather than being compiled. C++,
The games designers could be
taught how to use certain
programs or elements on a
computer
Some games companies prefer
2D graphics to 3D, and other
companies prefer it vice versa.
It mainly depends on the
games you are trying to make
and which one suits it best,
and I believe both 2D and 3D
games are great.
A subscription TV services
could be used for TV games
that users can play on their
TVs. The people could pay a
monthly fee for tons of free
games.
Games developers could
create games for ETV users to
play.
This could be used to make
special soft wares which could
either advertise the game in
development or help it
This language allows for
platform independence such
as javas byte code.
Usually, when compiled, this
type is quicker than most.
People say that this type of
programming language is
easier to use and is more
structured.
This is great for games as it
allows many things to be
coded such as random events.

12. ALGOL and Cobra are all scripting languages
This is vital for games as not a
lot would be able to be added
without scripting.