video game – Vocabulary List | Vocabulary.com

tetri

100 tetri equal 1 lari in Georgia

Space Invaders,
Tetris and Doom were original, inventive and didn’t have a number after their name.

differentiator

a person who (or that which) differentiates

Perhaps the real
differentiator between good and bad games is the time and effort spent on creating them.

ocarina

egg-shaped terra cotta wind instrument with a mouthpiece and finger holes

Titles such as Final Fantasy VII, Streefighter II, Legend of Zelda:
Ocarina of Time and Call of Duty, Modern Warfare all come with a history of releases behind them.

video game

a game played against a computer

There are some vintage
video games that will live long in the collective memory.

guillemot

small black or brown speckled auks of northern seas

There is maybe one new idea a year,” said Michel
Guillemot, CEO of games company Gameloft, earlier this year.

churn out

produce something at a fast rate

It is releases that are ”
churned out” that truly incur gamers’ ire.

leveraging

investing with borrowed money as a way to amplify potential gains (at the risk of greater losses)

This summer sees the return of Harry Potter, Cars and Transformers and big games publishers are following suit,
leveraging an existing audience to ensure the games are profitable.

play around

work with in an amateurish manner

“The video game industry has always
played around a limited number of themes.

follow-up

a piece of work that exploits or builds on earlier work

But
follow-up games have been around since the days of Ms Pacman, and players appear to be endorsing them with their wallets.

utilise

put into service

Sometimes new devices require innovation to
utilise new features

Many of the most successful game are hardy perennials.

big game

large animals that are hunted for sport

This summer sees the return of Harry Potter, Cars and Transformers and
big games publishers are following suit, leveraging an existing audience to ensure the games are profitable.

safety net

a large strong net to catch circus acrobats who fall or jump from a trapeze

Films often become more popular over time and enjoy the financial
safety net of DVD and television sales.

use up

use up (resources or materials)

‘One idea a year’

One theory is that all the good ideas have been
used up.

dried-up

depleted of water

But does that mean innovation has
dried-up?

gaming

the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning

The biggest titles at the E3
gaming expo were sequels

“The best way to think about it is the franchise is the star,” says James Binns, head of Edge International.

expo

a collection of things for public display

The biggest titles at the E3 gaming
expo were sequels

“The best way to think about it is the franchise is the star,” says James Binns, head of Edge International.

follow suit

do what someone else is doing

This summer sees the return of Harry Potter, Cars and Transformers and big games publishers are
following suit, leveraging an existing audience to ensure the games are profitable.

far cry

a disappointing disparity

Gears of War 3,
Far Cry 3, Uncharted 3, Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 – along with countless other sequels – are being released this year.

chance on

find unexpectedly

But taking a
chance on a new title seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

cod

major food fish of Arctic and cold-temperate waters

“[
CoD publisher Activision has] done a good job building a good game, continuing to release each year and I think the fans feel like it’s a good thing that they do that,” he told IGN.

take a chance

take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome

But
taking a chance on a new title seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

game

an amusement or pastime

There are some vintage video
games that will live long in the collective memory.

shooter

a person who shoots

Looking at yet another first-person-
shooter, it is easy to believe the old saying that “there is nothing new under the sun”.

best-selling

selling in great numbers

In fact, half of the global top 10
best-selling list is made up of sequels.

subject matter

what a communication that is about something is about

But each has found fresh ways to re-interpret its
subject matter.

bet on

place a bet on

“Anything that a producer can do to reduce the risk in a project, they will do, and sometimes that means taking a safe
bet on a character they already know.”

reviewer

someone who reads manuscripts and judges their suitability for publication

“It lets us improve products, incorporate feedback from
reviewers and people that play the games.

invader

someone who enters by force in order to conquer

Space
Invaders, Tetris and Doom were original, inventive and didn’t have a number after their name.

Willis

English physician who was a pioneer in the study of the brain (1621-1675)

No Bruce
Willis

The growing scale of the games industry means it is often compared to the movie business.

developer

someone who develops real estate

Big games become brands that extend to films and merchandise

“I think it does give the
developers a chance to innovate, as once the core gameplay is locked down from the original game you can look to push in other areas.”

marketplace

an area in a town where a public mercantile establishment is set up

Critics have bemoaned the relentless rise of sequels, some going as far to say they will “harm the
marketplace irrevocably”.

DVD

a digital recording (as of a movie) on an optical disk that can be played on a computer or a television set

Films often become more popular over time and enjoy the financial safety net of
DVD and television sales.

mat

a small pad of material that is used to protect a surface

“Personally I don’t think sequels hurt the industry at all,” said
Mat Sneap, co-owner of software company Eurocom.

extend to

to extend as far as

Big games become brands that
extend to films and merchandise

“I think it does give the developers a chance to innovate, as once the core gameplay is locked down from the original game you can look to push in other areas.”

VII

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

Titles such as Final Fantasy
VII, Streefighter II, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Call of Duty, Modern Warfare all come with a history of releases behind them.

video

broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects

There are some vintage
video games that will live long in the collective memory.

wallet

a pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money

But follow-up games have been around since the days of Ms Pacman, and players appear to be endorsing them with their
wallets.

Spencer

English philosopher and sociologist who applied the theory of natural selection to human societies (1820-1903)

But Microsoft’s corporate vice president Phil
Spencer, who has previously been critical of quick, multiple releases, admits there is an audience for them.

Call

a special disposition to pursue a particular course

The ever changing roster of global soccer stars gives licence for a fresh Fifa title every 12 months, and
Call of Duty now follows a once-a-year release cycle.

licence

a legal document giving official permission to do something

The ever changing roster of global soccer stars gives
licence for a fresh Fifa title every 12 months, and Call of Duty now follows a once-a-year release cycle.

Mass

a sequence of prayers constituting the Christian Eucharistic rite

Gears of War 3, Far Cry 3, Uncharted 3,
Mass Effect 3 and Battlefield 3 – along with countless other sequels – are being released this year.

lovingly

with fondness; with love

Likewise,
lovingly crafted sequels should receive the same recognition.

first quarter

the first fourth of the Moon’s period of revolution around the Earth

In the US, over $2bn (£1.3bn) was spent on video games in the
first quarter of 2011.

Bruce

king of Scotland from 1306 to 1329

No
Bruce Willis

The growing scale of the games industry means it is often compared to the movie business.

studio

workplace for the teaching or practice of an art

“Hollywood
studios put a lot of money into a Bruce Willis film but there aren’t the same stars in video games, so what you rely on is the characters of the game instead.”

vice president

an executive officer ranking immediately below a president

But Microsoft’s corporate
vice president Phil Spencer, who has previously been critical of quick, multiple releases, admits there is an audience for them.

rely on

put trust in with confidence

“Hollywood studios put a lot of money into a Bruce Willis film but there aren’t the same stars in video games, so what you
rely on is the characters of the game instead.”

stand for

express indirectly by an image, form, or model; be a symbol

“That’s what that franchise
stands for.”

soccer

a football game in which two teams of 11 players try to kick or head a ball into the opponents’ goal

The ever changing roster of global
soccer stars gives licence for a fresh Fifa title every 12 months, and Call of Duty now follows a once-a-year release cycle.

CEO

the corporate executive responsible for the operations of the firm; reports to a board of directors; may appoint other managers (including a president)

There is maybe one new idea a year,” said Michel Guillemot,
CEO of games company Gameloft, earlier this year.

Modern

used of a living language

Titles such as Final Fantasy VII, Streefighter II, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Call of Duty,
Modern Warfare all come with a history of releases behind them.

each year

without missing a year

“[CoD publisher Activision has] done a good job building a good game, continuing to release
each year and I think the fans feel like it’s a good thing that they do that,” he told IGN.

selling

the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

In fact, half of the global top 10 best-
selling list is made up of sequels.

feel like

have an inclination for something or some activity

“[CoD publisher Activision has] done a good job building a good game, continuing to release each year and I think the fans
feel like it’s a good thing that they do that,” he told IGN.

nowadays

in these times

Nowadays, the market is saturated with sequels and franchises.

follow

travel behind, go after, or come after

But
follow-up games have been around since the days of Ms Pacman, and players appear to be endorsing them with their wallets.