Editing Game engine (section)

==Game middleware==
In the broader sense of the term, game engines themselves can be described as middleware. In the context of video games, however, the term "middleware" is often used to refer to subsystems of functionality within a game engine. Some game middleware does only one thing but does it more convincingly or more efficiently than general purpose middleware.

The four most widely used middleware packages<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/programming/the-engine-survey-technology-results |title=Gamasutra Engine and Middleware Technology Survey |publisher=Gamasutra.com |date=2009-05-08 |access-date=2011-01-17}}</ref> that provide subsystems of functionality include [[RAD Game Tools]]' Bink, Firelight [[FMOD]], [[Havok (software)|Havok]], and [[Scaleform]] GFx. RAD Game Tools develops Bink for basic video rendering, along with Miles audio, and [[Granny 3D]] rendering. Firelight FMOD is a low cost robust audio library and toolset. Havok provides a robust physics simulation system, along with a suite of animation and behavior applications. Scaleform provides GFx for high performance [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] UI and high-quality video playback, and an [[Input Method Editor]] (IME) add-on for in-game Asian chat support.

Other middleware is used for performance optimisation—for example '[[Simplygon]]' helps to optimise and generate [[Level of detail (computer graphics)|level of detail]] meshes, and '[[Umbra (3D technology company)|Umbra]]' adds [[occlusion culling]] optimisations to 3D graphics.

Some middleware contains full [[source code]], others just provide an [[application programming interface|API]] reference for a compiled binary [[library (computer science)|library]]. Some middleware programs can be licensed either way, usually for a higher fee for full source code.