Computer games appeared in the second half of the 20th century. Since the industry of information technology has constantly evolved, now it has turned into an independent and very promising business.

Each game developer is fighting for the audience’s attention, trying to grab more and more new users. Creators attract gamers with good physics and luscious graphics, fascinating plot, and memorable soundtrack.

Modern games are developed on specialized or self-written game engines to ensure high-quality graphics. The most common of these engines are Unity 5, Unreal Engine 4, and Corona. They actually allow 2D and 3D games development.

Difference Between 2D and 3D Games Development

2D, also known as two-dimensional graphics, is a section of computer graphics that works with an image formed in two dimensions, which has only two parameters - width and height. 2D is also called “flat image”.

ЗD represents the three-dimensional graphics, the object of which is an image formed in three dimensions: width, height, and depth. Thus, 3D is a volumetric image.

3D allows us to estimate the size of an object and the distance to it due to the ability of our eyes to perceive perspective. When using 2D animation, the features of our brain contribute to a realistic perception of the picture: the eyes read a flat image, and the brain draws the representations in three-dimensional format. Therefore, we are able to assess which of the objects on the screen or photograph is farther, which is closer, which is located at an angle to the viewer, to evaluate the angles. More differences between 2D and 3D games are listed below.

Motion
2D games run in a flat linear motion. Even though your character runs in various directions, in the end, you are leading it to the endpoint (for instance, Mr Mario). Character development occurs with a change in the entire screen. Contrary to 2D games, 3D games have deeper graphics allowing a character to move freely and without limits (as in GTA: Vice City). It makes games addictive and fun.

Physical Environment
The 2D gaming space is flat in size and consists of a sole layer. That is a single place where your character can move and interact. Due to its even size, it cannot depict a live interactive panorama of the game. The 3D environment is multi-layered and allows for deeper penetration. Thanks to this, the three-dimensional environment is visually appealing, exciting, and hypnotizing. The 3D world allows deep immersion and imagination.

Production
Since the creation of a 3D game is a complex process, it is more time-consuming and costly than creating a 2D game. Data arrangements, design means, math - all this is much more complicated and exhausting to manage than in a 2D game. Building a 3D environment, you need to move step by step carefully, especially when it comes to physics. One single mistake can make your character stuck in this world or disappear without a trace.

Graphic Arts
3D games have stunning beautiful graphics. Usually, a large team of developers works on a single game, including experts in visual art, light, animation, texture and level artists, 3D modelers, etc. To create a 2D game, developers only need to fill an even palette with backgrounds and sprites, while in a 3D environment, developers must continually and accurately coordinate actions to match all compositions, animations, and light.

Engines for 2D and 3D Games Development

Nowadays, there are various tools for the creation of 2D and 3D games on the market. Each of them is good in its own way. Let’s consider the most popular of them.

Unity
This one is the most popular engine for creating 2D and 3D mobile game development. The Unity editor itself has ports for OS X and Windows while it was originally intended for OS X. Unity includes support for DirectX 11, which opens the way for your applications to the worlds of Windows. Unity 5 was released in 2015, and since that moment it has become free for everybody. The Unity engine is especially valuable for its low barrier to entry for novice users. Thanks to this, as well as the fact that the indie version is free, a huge community has been organized around the engine. The low threshold of entry is the result of a competent design of the application: many things can be done using various editors without writing a single line of code.

Torque 2D/3D
It was once a leader, but under the onslaught of Unity lost its position. Nevertheless, many successful projects are still being developed on it, as it is actively developed by the community. The differences between the 2D and 3D versions are quite significant, but there are also common elements, such as an advanced network subsystem. After entering the open-source world, T3D retained and even increased its capabilities, while T2D, on the contrary, lost a lot. For example, it lost absolutely all built-in editors, which, obviously, were removed due to certain legal agreements.

CryEngine 3
CryEngine 3 dates back to 2001 when the first Far Cry game developed on it was announced. The developers of this engine from the very beginning pursued the goal not to create games on it themselves, but to sell it as technology. Although it is available for free to study, in order to develop commercial projects on it, you must pay a certain fee ( the price is not publicly announced). As a result, the licensee receives the engine, documentation (training materials), source code, and operational support.

Unlike the previous engines in the line (which were purely PC-oriented), CryEngine 3 is focused on creating cross-platform games for PC and consoles. Currently supported platforms are Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3-4, WiiU, as well as desktop Windows rendering technologies - DirectX 9-11. As you can see, there is no support for mobile platforms. It initially has support for global multiplayer (MMO) games.

Final Word

The gaming industry is rapidly merging into human life. Game developers release more and more games every year. Video games have even been recognized as an art form by the US government through the National Arts Support Program. Just think about all the investment opportunities a business can have in this industry!

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