Methods of Creating Destructible Assets for Video Games

Abstract

Many of today’s big budget, “triple-A” video game titles take cues from the special effects and storytelling styles of Hollywood blockbusters. However, the major factor that sets the video game industry apart is the interactive nature of its products. While augmented reality, motion control, and stereoscopic 3D are changing the way the player interfaces with a game, other advances are being made with the content of the games themselves. Developers using lighting systems with ambient occlusion, lifelike terrain with foliage, and high-level shading networks are able to bring an unparalleled amount of realism to their products. In addition to these advancements, destructible assets are also being used in many different ways across multiple platforms and genres. Here the authors look at several ways these ideas are used currently and go into detail on a method of implementation.