Python's Contribution to Game Development

What is Python doing in Game Development?

As with other technologies, video game development and its industry have been on the rise since the creation of Pong. Programmers and non-programmers alike, in regards to gaming industry, share a common interest aside from just enjoying the pleasure derived from the entertaining stories and mechanics that make a well-received game. What is that interest you might ask? Well, to make our own, of course. So what is Python and why is its popularity booming amongst programmers of any experience?

For starters, Python by basic definition is a high-level programming language specifically designed to focus on beginner-friendly readability. Not only Python a dynamic language, its syntax is based around object-oriented programming and functional programming. Most gaming developers, in order to speed up production, tend to reuse basic templates containing reusable code that other team members can translate and build upon with less delay. This agile nature of Python of refactoring and altering with ease turns out to be a useful component in the language's capacity to quickly prototype ideas and machines. Thanks to it's syntax, of course.

Python’s readability and functionality are designed so that even non-programmers can delegate simple tasks from setting reminders and rendering lists of any sort to software testing, web development, and game development. However, our focus today will be scoped to Python’s increasing popularity among beginners and experts as well as its contribution to game development.

Python has become a more accepted language in game development due to its versatility as a high-level programming language and its portability across multiple devices. It’s because of Python’s simplicity that developers have more control over maintaining and optimizing the gameplay experience while “abstracting away the details on how the code is run”(Coralogix 2022). Therefore, Python’s syntax and interpreter has Python widely agreed on as an ideal language for beginners. However, Python, like all other programming languages, is separated by both its advantages and disadvantages. So let us now discuss what those pros and cons are and why they should be considered.

The advantages in Python’s role in game development range from its readability to portability which results in an improved speed in game development. This ease in which Python’s code is executed makes Python a viable candidate as a supportive tool for “inserting a scripting engine into an existing video game.”(Nex 2020) As for the main language, Python can also be used as a platform for simple game designs such as most “indie games, puzzle games, 2D games, some 3D games, top-down shooters, and platformers.”(GameDev Academy 2023)

With simplicity being a major convenience of Python, developers have more freedom to focus on the fundamentals of code and basic game development. This is fine when understanding is the main focus, however, this commonly result in one of Python’s biggest disadvantage. Python simply lacks intentional complexity for high-functioning games.

Unfortunately, the simplicity in Python’s game engines provides inherent limitations in a game’s performance. This means Python doesn’t allow developers the “flexibility to control how memory is allocated and released.”(Coralogix 2022) On top of that, to enhance Python’s user-friendly environment, the code is not compiled in advance meaning the code is interpreted at runtime. Another drawback that programmers tend to deal with is finding errors only seen at runtime. This is due to Python's dynamic nature, requiring frequent testing if mistakes are common in the work environment.

As a result of these limitations in maintaining control over the hardware’s resources, most high-end game development is left to programming languages such as C++ and C#. In comparison, Python just can’t maintain the level of performance of low-level languages (C++ and C#) where the learning curve is higher than Python but more efficient in the endgame for Class-A games.

If you have ever played games such as: Sims 4, Snake, Asteroids, Battlefield 2, Frets on Fire, or Civilization 4, then you have unequivocally enjoyed a product that was either made with or supported by Python. Not to mention the game engines provided for it such as Pygame, Crystal Space, Panda3D and Python-Ogre, the launching pad for game development is not far off if you are interested in a project of your own. However, it is important to keep in mind that not all game developers hold Python in high regards the quality and performance of games. Python, while it still is readable, productive, and contains an extensive library of modules, the majority of the game development community has issues agreeing on Python's relevance in the industry.

This ever-lasting debate tends to get heated and is brimming with subjective opinions on which is the most efficient language in the industry. From design restrictions, mobile computing, to speed limitations, most mainstream game developers still fall back on C++ and C# for higher-end games. Still, Python is still recommended by professionals for those who are new to programming and are interested in building a foundation in developing games. In conclusion, Python may not be a heavy hitter in the field just yet, but it's a helpful place to start one's programming journey in game development.