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PIGE : Platform Independent Game Engine Overview: My master's thesis will deal with creating a game engine, incorporating technologies such as OpenGL (graphics) and OpenAL (sound & audio). Following the Java methodology, the intended purpose of PIGE is to write the necessary platform dependent tools for various operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac), but to allow the core code to remain virtually untouched, so the only modification when compiling for another platform is to change a library name or file header in the main file. It will not be TRUE platform independence, but the game engine will be supported on the top three or four operating systems out there which include Mac OS (8, 9, X), Unix/Linux, and Windows. On Macintosh the file header might appear like this: #include < pige_mac.h > Whereas the Linux file header would appear like this: #include < pige_linux.h > Purpose: When I decided to move away from the Dark Side of computing (anything Microsoft related), I began to use Linux and Macs much more frequently, but there was one thing which forced me to either use Windows on a rare occasion, whether on a PC, or through an emulator like Virtual PC: Games. It is no secret that Windows games have a much larger market than that over Macs or Linux, and with small wonder since it is estimated that around 90% of the computers used have Windows, so it makes only good economic sense to produce games first and foremost for Windows. As much as Microsoft would like to claim that it isn't a monopoly, they have such a strong hold on the computing community, that there aren't many alternatives. However, with PIGE, an alternative will be available. By creating a game engine which will enforce the idea of code reuse, the core code can help reduce the time to make new products, and will cover the major OS bases to allow the games created with PIGE to be exposed to an even larger audience. Granted, 10% of the computing community is only a small piece of the pie, but it is a significant portion, and it will provide a gateway for other people to play games on other platforms. Page created: 22. January 2001 Last modified: 29 July 2012