Game Graphics: A Journey Through Visual Evolution

Phong shading is a technique for interpolating the colors of pixels on a 3D surface, while ray tracing, rasterization, and tessellation are all rendering techniques.

Quake, released in 1996, was the first game to use fully 3D polygon graphics, allowing for a more immersive and realistic gaming experience.

FMV (Full Motion Video) is the technique of using pre-rendered images or videos to create the illusion of 3D graphics, often used in cutscenes or interactive movies.

Mipmapping is a technique for reducing the size of textures in order to improve performance, while bump mapping, normal mapping, and parallax mapping are all techniques for adding detail and realism to textures.

Metro Exodus, released in 2019, was the first game to use real-time ray tracing, a technique that simulates the way light interacts with objects in a scene, resulting in more realistic and immersive graphics.

Procedural texturing is the technique of using mathematical equations to generate realistic-looking textures, often used to create natural environments or organic materials.

Anisotropic filtering is a technique for improving the quality of textures at oblique angles, while multisampling, supersampling, and temporal anti-aliasing are all techniques for reducing jagged edges on objects.

Parallax mapping is the technique of using multiple layers of transparent textures to create the illusion of depth and realism, often used to add detail to surfaces such as bricks or wood.

Minecraft, released in 2011, was the first game to use voxel-based graphics, a technique that represents the world as a collection of 3D voxels, or cubes.

Sprite-based graphics is the technique of using a series of still images to create the illusion of movement, often used in 2D games or early 3D games.

Procedural texturing is a technique for generating realistic-looking textures, while ambient lighting, diffuse lighting, and specular lighting are all techniques for simulating the way light interacts with objects in a scene.

3D modeling is the technique of using a 3D model to represent a character or object in a game, allowing for more realistic and immersive graphics.

Blender is a 3D modeling and animation software, while Unity, Unreal Engine, and CryEngine are all game engines used to create video games.

Procedural animation is the technique of using a series of mathematical equations to generate realistic-looking animations, often used to create natural movements or complex simulations.

Shenmue, released in 1999, was the first game to use motion capture technology, allowing for more realistic and fluid character animations.