Challenges and Opportunities on Software Engineering for Computer Games

Fabio Petrillo
Fabio Petrillo
Department of Software Engineering and IT at École de Technologie Supérieure - (Canada)

The computer games (CG) are essential part of the software industry, encompassing a wide range of advanced software products that are also intricate works of creativity and art. With the games market generating billions of dollars, contributing CD$ 3.7 billions annually to Canada's GDP, and supporting over 40,000 jobs, it holds significant economic importance. However, despite its significance, the field of software engineering (SE) often overlooks computer games, leading to a dearth of research in this area, primarily due to the perception that it involves more art than engineering. In this keynote, we aim to shed light on the state-of-the-art in Software Engineering for Games (SEGA). By exploring the challenges and opportunities for researching SEGA, we hope to emphasize its relevance and encourage greater attention from the SE community. Computer games present a diverse range of themes, genres, and products, each with distinct requirements and business goals. Understanding and addressing the unique challenges posed by game development can contribute to the advancement of software engineering practices overall. By bridging the gap between art and engineering, we can unlock new possibilities and insights that benefit both industries.