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Quite a few large games have (or still do) use Lisp or Lisp-like languages for scripting.

I work only a few offices away from the Xbox developer support team, so I've heard a few war stories about game scripting. Artists and designers at one huuuuge studio (I won't mention their name) have been using Lisp for runtime tweaking of weapon, AI, and vehicle behavior (among other things) for well over a decade without even knowing that it is Lisp.

Naughty Dog used their own GOAL (Game Oriented Action Lisp) for Jak and Daxter, which you can read all about at http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20020710/white_02.htm

I think the bottom line is that you need to use raw C/C++ for the fast core graphics stuff, but once you stitch your engine together in a way that supports easy COMPOSITION, then you need a scripting language. Most studios with custom engines choose Lua or similar. Big engines like Unreal and Doom use their own. Some clever teams write their own Lisps.




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