Become a game developer

[Squ1zZy]

This discussion is more for someone from triangle studios ;)

Im 32 years old, born in Holland and an IT professional for quite some years now. I'm playing video games since the age of 4 and I was always interested in developing my own video games. If you're over the age of 24 you probably remember the Commodore time where you spent days and days typing to get an animation or game using a book :)

If you're over the age of 25, not having a game development background and having full time job, is it realistic to dream about ever getting a job in game developing? Even if you're willing to move to the US? If so, what would be smart to start with? I know some Maya, Poser and 3DMax for 3D Modeling and C# as a programming language, but seeing the engines changes to, is it still smart to get your way around an engine like Unity?

I would love to see more about the development of CotD. Screenshots, video's, modelling, designing, programming etc.

[Remco]

Well, if you want to know more about the development of CotD, of course you've come to the right place :-) I'm sure there will be many more articles about how we've tacked certain problems, probably even long after we've finished development of the game. We're in this for the long run!

As for your chances of making it in the games industry, I would say they are better than average. If you're an experienced programmer, it means you're able to easily cope with new platforms and environments. It also means that you're used to working in a team, and that gives you an advantage over those who have just graduated college.

What you would probably need is information on how one would go about developing videogames. Some very good sources for that are the "Programming Gems" books. The series were written by industry veterans, people who are responsible for technology that runs most modern consoles. Of course it helps if you're able to put something together on your own, because most game developers won't see much relevance in 5+ years experience in ASP.NET or something similar. However, if you come up with a graphics prototype that shows something cool that is well built at the same time, it doesn't even have to be a game for it to convince a company to give you a shot.

Programmers are in high demand right now, especially in the games industry. Oh and by the way, you probably won't have to move stateside either :-)

[Rawr]

Asking in this thread because i don't see the use in making another. Gunna use some dutch specific words, sorry for all the English speaking people.

At this very moment i'm going into my exam period (4th year VMBO-TL) and i got accepted at the GLR ( Grafish Lyceum Rotterdam) to actually study for game developer. My questions are as follow: Do you guys have any opinion on the school, or the course? Since i already got into the developing scene, i know the basics of some of the languages. What language is most common to write in when developing a game? (C++? And is it sensible to start with learning python?

Those are most of my questions! Any tips for someone just starting?

[Remco]

Actually my cousin is has also started at the GLR, and is choosing between web and gaming for his second year right now. I don't have any experience with the school personally, but it is always important to get to know your teachers and make sure they have the drive to stay on top of the game, and keep with the latest trends in game development.

C++ is a nice language to learn, because it is a little bit more low-level than alternatives such as C# and Objective C. Remember however that the decision for a programming language itself won't help you become a game developer. Once you know your way around one language, a second one will just be a matter of adjusting to new limits and possibilities, and should not take you much longer than a week for instance.

You could use Unity to get yourself familiarized with many aspects of game development, coding, scripting, assets, performance, lighting, textures, etcetera. In Unity you can start scripting with Javascript, or in C#. Don't disregard Javascript too quickly, because it can teach you a great deal about programming very quickly.