Why Game Devs Don't Merge Files
9 days ago
- #binary-assets
- #version-control
- #gamedev
- Game development primarily deals with binary files (textures, models, audio, etc.), which cannot be merged like text files, leading to exclusive file locking.
- Perforce is the dominant version control system in game development due to its handling of large binary files and centralized locking mechanism.
- Binary files (e.g., Blueprints in Unreal Engine) require exclusive checkouts, preventing simultaneous edits and forcing human coordination to avoid conflicts.
- Game projects often span terabytes in size, making traditional Git workflows impractical due to storage and bandwidth constraints.
- Lock-based workflows enforce modular design (e.g., Actor Components in Unreal) to minimize blocking team members during development.
- CI/CD in game development is complex due to massive file sizes and long build times, requiring specialized infrastructure (e.g., Runreal for Unreal Engine).
- Game development teams are often artist-heavy, with programmers playing a supporting role in enabling creative workflows.
- Human coordination rituals (e.g., releasing locks, negotiating overwrites) are essential in lock-based workflows to avoid bottlenecks.
- Testing in games relies heavily on manual QA due to the difficulty of automating real-time, interactive experiences.
- Game development workflows are optimized for binary assets, making them fundamentally different from text-based software development.