Why Were Shadows Like That? #Shorts #Gaming #GamingHistory #RayTracing #Shadows
2,365Ever wonder why older games had simple circle shadows under characters instead of realistic ones? It wasn’t just a stylistic choice—it was a clever trick to save computing power!
In the early days of gaming, rendering realistic shadows required more resources than consoles and PCs could handle. So, developers used flat, semi-transparent discs that scaled and moved with the character to mimic shadows. This trick freed up resources for bigger levels, smoother gameplay, and better textures.
Today, with powerful GPUs and techniques like shadow mapping and ray tracing, we can render realistic shadows in real time. Gaming has come a long way!
💬 What’s your favorite example of clever tricks in game development? Let us know in the comments!
#GameDevelopment #ShadowsInGames #RetroGaming #GameDesignTips #RayTracing