3 answers
Wyatt
Student
Canton, Georgia
2
Questions
Asked
628 views
A few questions about getting started as a Video Game Developer
I'm a freshman in high school and have some basic knowledge of HTML and JavaScript languages.
1. What tools/coding languages do you recommend starting out as a game designer?
2. What is the hardest kind of challenge you have faced during development?
3. What is the best genre of game to start out developing as a beginner?
4. How do you market your game successfully?
5. Do you have any regrets or things you wish you had done differently when you stated out?
3 answers
John Everson
Software Engineering Manager at Visual Concepts
14
Answers
Austin, TX
Updated
John’s Answer
AAA game developer here, these are some fantastic questions! You seem like you're ready to take your next step down the path to becoming a game developer!
1. This depends on how comfortable you are with CS fundamentals. HTML and JS are a good start, if you're looking to get more into game dev a good next step might be C#. It has a much gentler learning curve than languages like Java and C/C++ but shares many of the important fundamentals with those languages. It's also well supported in Unity Engine, which is a great beginner game engine to work with and one that is commonly used for developing indie, mobile, and HTML5 games.
2. There's quite a few. Deadlines, scope creep (adding more features to the game than planned over time), and just generally things not going as planned. It's very much a career that revolves around solving hard problems, and you always have to be ready for new challenges.
3. I'd recommend starting with something modest in scope. Start with a simple core concept, something you would enjoy playing, and branch out from there. If you try to do too much too quickly, you could find yourself bogged down and burned out. Avoid things like larger scale multiplayer games, as those are generally the most resource intensive to work on!
4. This is a tough one, the reality is there are a lot of smaller games that go unnoticed, and when you are starting out that's ok. Very few small devs make smash hit games that get viral attention and take off. Most successful games are propped up by huge marketing budgets, where the goal is to get enough value out of users to cover the cost of all the marketing. For beginners, this likely is not feasible. Sharing games with your friends, family, or online communities is a good way to network starting out though!
5. Is been a windy road but I can't say I have regrets. You may have to be ready to take some risks though. I took a few positions I was not sure I'd enjoy long term, but they ended up being very rewarding. Don't be afraid to try new things, and you may not always get to walk the path you envisioned. But if you work hard and keep trying, you will get there.
1. This depends on how comfortable you are with CS fundamentals. HTML and JS are a good start, if you're looking to get more into game dev a good next step might be C#. It has a much gentler learning curve than languages like Java and C/C++ but shares many of the important fundamentals with those languages. It's also well supported in Unity Engine, which is a great beginner game engine to work with and one that is commonly used for developing indie, mobile, and HTML5 games.
2. There's quite a few. Deadlines, scope creep (adding more features to the game than planned over time), and just generally things not going as planned. It's very much a career that revolves around solving hard problems, and you always have to be ready for new challenges.
3. I'd recommend starting with something modest in scope. Start with a simple core concept, something you would enjoy playing, and branch out from there. If you try to do too much too quickly, you could find yourself bogged down and burned out. Avoid things like larger scale multiplayer games, as those are generally the most resource intensive to work on!
4. This is a tough one, the reality is there are a lot of smaller games that go unnoticed, and when you are starting out that's ok. Very few small devs make smash hit games that get viral attention and take off. Most successful games are propped up by huge marketing budgets, where the goal is to get enough value out of users to cover the cost of all the marketing. For beginners, this likely is not feasible. Sharing games with your friends, family, or online communities is a good way to network starting out though!
5. Is been a windy road but I can't say I have regrets. You may have to be ready to take some risks though. I took a few positions I was not sure I'd enjoy long term, but they ended up being very rewarding. Don't be afraid to try new things, and you may not always get to walk the path you envisioned. But if you work hard and keep trying, you will get there.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer this!!
Wyatt
Alex Rivadeneira
Software Engineer
2
Answers
Alameda, California
Updated
Alex’s Answer
Hi Wyatt - that's exciting that you are interested in video game development!
There's lots of great advice here already, and I would add that it's great you already know HTML and some JavaScript, because with those technologies alone you can design some great games. I would research how to create animations and drawings using the JavaScript canvas, and how to use a JavaScript objects to control your game state (like, what is the current score, what is the position of different elements of the game on the screen, who are the players...etc).
Personally, one of the greatest challenges I have with coding is simply lack of persistence. For me, coding can be very challenging. I wish that earlier in my career when I reached a roadblock, instead of giving up and procrastinating, I was better at asking questions and getting help. I also think it's important to create habits where you work on a little bit of training or coding on a regular schedule!
Especially for game development, I hope you are able to make games that you think are fun and you would want to play!
Best of luck,
Alex
There's lots of great advice here already, and I would add that it's great you already know HTML and some JavaScript, because with those technologies alone you can design some great games. I would research how to create animations and drawings using the JavaScript canvas, and how to use a JavaScript objects to control your game state (like, what is the current score, what is the position of different elements of the game on the screen, who are the players...etc).
Personally, one of the greatest challenges I have with coding is simply lack of persistence. For me, coding can be very challenging. I wish that earlier in my career when I reached a roadblock, instead of giving up and procrastinating, I was better at asking questions and getting help. I also think it's important to create habits where you work on a little bit of training or coding on a regular schedule!
Especially for game development, I hope you are able to make games that you think are fun and you would want to play!
Best of luck,
Alex
Atul Bhankharia
Sales
456
Answers
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
Atul’s Answer
I know too many people including my son who wanted to be a game developer only to realize that there are many other opportunities that pays well and it is very satisfying experience.
Should you still want to pursue, it helps to know hardware programming experience to write device drivers and C or Assembly language knowledge.
You can use social media to promote your app? Have written any games yet? If so, how did people/friends reacted?
Your uphill battle is how easy it is to use your game and what kind of reception do you get.
Keep in mind there are many people in this field who wants to be next designer of a killer game.
Keep in mind Apple and/or Android will take 30-40 pct your game revenue. Your $0.99 game - you will only get $0.60.
First get a degree in Computer Sc or Computer Eng. You have plenty of time to develop a game and see what are the reactions of your game once you learn few languages.
Should you still want to pursue, it helps to know hardware programming experience to write device drivers and C or Assembly language knowledge.
You can use social media to promote your app? Have written any games yet? If so, how did people/friends reacted?
Your uphill battle is how easy it is to use your game and what kind of reception do you get.
Keep in mind there are many people in this field who wants to be next designer of a killer game.
Keep in mind Apple and/or Android will take 30-40 pct your game revenue. Your $0.99 game - you will only get $0.60.
First get a degree in Computer Sc or Computer Eng. You have plenty of time to develop a game and see what are the reactions of your game once you learn few languages.
Thank you so much, Atul!
Wyatt
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