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A graphical effect used in video games where an object blocks light and around the edges of the object the light is significantly brighter than normal.
One of the smaller innovations in the gaming industry was making the player's targeting reticle change colours depending on the situation.
Small payments made with actual money which result in an in-game bonus, such as an extra item, character, etc...
Games that are in genres where the ability to jump is expected, but do not allow the player character to jump on command.
Occurs when a player kills an enemy using a sniper rifle without the aid of the scope. Generally in FPS games, sniper rifles are not equipped with crosshairs, thus making this feat impressive.
While most games feature achievements with gamerscore values in multiples of five, not all games do so.
Also known as the black box, the nuclear football is the method of authorization and activation of the U.S's nuclear weapons it can only be operated by the president of the United States. Somehow terrorists manage to get their hands on it at mayhem ensues.
Objective-based team gameplay occurs when one group attempts to accomplish some goal -- enter a base, capture or destroy some MacGuffin, rescue the hostages -- while the other tries to prevent it.
Games which allow players to interact with others over the internet.
Over-the-shoulder is a camera view point popularized by Resident Evil 4 that is featured in most modern third-person shooters and third-person action games.
Game bundled with gaming hardware (usually a console) in order to boost sales. Most often these games are first party titles, meaning that the hardware and software are products of the same company.
Various effects using "particles" (billboard/sprite planes or full models).
Everyone else can keel over as much as necessary, but if the party leader falls, it's game over. Sometimes this makes logical sense, like with perma-death battle systems. But more often then not the main character is one Phoenix Down away from a game over.
PhysX is a realtime physics engine middleware originally developed by Ageia and now maintained by nVidia. It is the only currently available physics engine that supports hardware acceleration.
The online service used on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita.
Trophies are an incentive-based system for the completion of various objective in PS3, Vita, and PS4 titles.
The political thriller is a story, often action-oriented, that tends to revolve around two or more nations struggling to gain power. Outcomes are usually found through military confrontations, covert wars, and back alley negotiating.
Who needs 2D when we've got 3D? 3D, or 3 dimensions, is what we're used to seeing in almost every game these days, letting us do all sorts of awesome stuff like run in circles!
From shields to car doors to entire vehicles, and even people, portable cover puts a unique twist on the cover systems commonly found in modern action games.
The ability to lie down on the ground.
A portion of a shooter or action game where players are forced into an on rail shooting sequence.
Games usually have numbered sequels, like Final Fantasy I through XIII, but some series like to stop numbering their sequels, then number them over again. This is the concept of games that had a numbered series, then stopped, then got numbered again.
Realism is where a game attempts to accurately mimic real life through gameplay mechanics and visuals. For example, realistic shooters, such as Operation Flashpoint, Full Spectrum Warrior, or Brothers in Arms, typically focus upon squad tactics, i.e. suppressive fire and flanking.
Games that make records. Often records like most played game, or critically acclaimed. There have been gaming records since the says of Pong and the Magnavox Oddysey.
Regenerating health is a gameplay mechanic which automatically refills the players health bar after successfully escaping damage for a set amount of time. It is typically seen in RPGs and modern first/third-person shooters.
Reloading is the action of replacing the ammunition magazine inside a gun. It adds a touch of realism to most modern shooters, and a certain amount of tension when a player is forced to reload while under fire.
Respawning is when a player or NPC dies and then reappears moments later - usually in a predetermined location or group of locations - while the game continues.
Scaleform is a software development kit used to integrate Flash based user interfaces with game engines.
SecuROM is a controversial form of DRM, most famously used on EA's strategy game Spore.
Shakey Cam is the use of shaking the camera in a game in order to give the feeling of chaos, disorientation or realism. It is usually used in action games when moving at fast speeds or when a large impact or explosion occurs.
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