The video game industry is one of the most profitable in the world, driven by a constant search for innovation and creativity. The field of game design involves creating and planning the elements, rules, and dynamics of video games. Part of this process involves conceptualizing the virtual environments where the game's action unfolds, placing players within detailed and character-rich virtual contexts. Whether replicating real, recognizable cities in meticulous detail or creating entirely new worlds, architecture and urban planning are vital tools for the game designer.
For architects, technology is a fundamental tool. Often, a new tool transforms how architecture is conceived and produced. Indeed, there are notable examples of digital tools emerging from the gaming universe that are now part of architectural practice—helping professionals assimilate new technologies to represent and study cities and architecture, such as rendering software and virtual reality. This is why this week's Arquicast invited game designer João Marcelo Beraldo, from INSANE Games, to discuss the common ground between these two professions.
