How does the concept of a game loop facilitate the real-time updating of game states, and what are the common components of a game loop?

The game loop is the core mechanism that ensures the game runs smoothly by continuously updating the game state and rendering frames. Common components of a game loop include initialization, input handling, updating the game state (e.g., physics, AI, game logic), rendering the frame, and handling timing to maintain a consistent frame rate. This loop runs repeatedly, allowing the game to respond to player inputs and update the game world in real-time.