8 answers
Savion
Student
Chandler, Arizona
7
Questions
Asked
581 views
What is the best possible way to learn more about technology, making games, or designs online.
Best way to make games or designs.
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8 answers
Tony Cheung
Business Analyst
3
Answers
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Updated
Tony’s Answer
There's a world of exciting opportunities in the realm of game creation, with roles like game designer, animator, and game developer, just to name a few. If you're thinking of pursuing this as a hobby, you're in luck! You can easily acquire the fundamental skills you need through platforms like YouTube, Udemy, and many others. Game engines like Unity, Unreal Engine, and Game Salad offer tutorials and learning resources to help you get started.
If coding is your passion, you can always team up with a partner who can handle other aspects like sprite creation, design, or animation. Or, if you're more interested in specializing, you can focus on mastering one component, learn all its basics, and then secure an entry-level job in that area. Remember, creating and designing games is a unique experience, entirely different from just playing them. It's a journey of discovery and creativity that's waiting for you to embark on.
If coding is your passion, you can always team up with a partner who can handle other aspects like sprite creation, design, or animation. Or, if you're more interested in specializing, you can focus on mastering one component, learn all its basics, and then secure an entry-level job in that area. Remember, creating and designing games is a unique experience, entirely different from just playing them. It's a journey of discovery and creativity that's waiting for you to embark on.
Rebecca Tang
Banking
1512
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. I am glad to hear that you have interest in Technology. You can start doing some simple programming first.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Identify some simple programming languages to start first, e.g. Python, Scratch, etc.
2. Find out the language syntax and structure. There are plenty of resources online.
3. Start doing some simple programming. After you familiarize with the language, you can use it to d, to some simple projects, e.g. control robotic arm, toy car, etc.
4. You can try to learn another programming language after you familiarize one.
5. Explore the entry criteria of computer science course in the college
6. Explore any intern opportunities working in Game companies, Web business companies, etc.
Hope this helps1 Good Luck!
Below are my suggestions :
1. Identify some simple programming languages to start first, e.g. Python, Scratch, etc.
2. Find out the language syntax and structure. There are plenty of resources online.
3. Start doing some simple programming. After you familiarize with the language, you can use it to d, to some simple projects, e.g. control robotic arm, toy car, etc.
4. You can try to learn another programming language after you familiarize one.
5. Explore the entry criteria of computer science course in the college
6. Explore any intern opportunities working in Game companies, Web business companies, etc.
Hope this helps1 Good Luck!
Leonardo Grabau
Fx TD
7
Answers
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Updated
Leonardo’s Answer
Hi Nesi
Successfully received
Please extend my gratitude to the entire team for their time, effort. I would also appreciate it if you could keep me in mind for future opportunities that may arise within Digital Domain.
I remain enthusiastic about the possibility of returning back to work with such a remarkable team and contributing to the success of your Studio.
Once again, I want to thank you for the opportunity given to be part of the ROC team during this time.
I wish you and the entire crew team of Digital Domain continued success in all your endeavors.
Kind regards! :)
Successfully received
Please extend my gratitude to the entire team for their time, effort. I would also appreciate it if you could keep me in mind for future opportunities that may arise within Digital Domain.
I remain enthusiastic about the possibility of returning back to work with such a remarkable team and contributing to the success of your Studio.
Once again, I want to thank you for the opportunity given to be part of the ROC team during this time.
I wish you and the entire crew team of Digital Domain continued success in all your endeavors.
Kind regards! :)
Uma Manorama
Technical Executive
8
Answers
Princeton, New Jersey
Updated
Uma’s Answer
Everyone absorbs knowledge in unique ways. Here are some practical steps you can take:
a) Utilize YouTube as a learning tool. There are countless videos available on any technology you're interested in mastering. The best part? It's completely free.
b) Consider enrolling in courses on platforms like Udemy. While there's a subscription fee, it's generally quite affordable.
c) Engage in pro-bono or volunteer projects. Websites like volunteermatch.org list numerous projects that you can join and contribute to.
d) Share your knowledge with others. Whether you're teaching someone directly or creating a blog/vlog about what you've learned, this can reinforce your understanding of the subject.
e) For core programming, you can also consider contributing to open source projects/ github which will also allow you to build a programming portfolio that will come in handy when you are looking for a job.
Good Luck !
a) Utilize YouTube as a learning tool. There are countless videos available on any technology you're interested in mastering. The best part? It's completely free.
b) Consider enrolling in courses on platforms like Udemy. While there's a subscription fee, it's generally quite affordable.
c) Engage in pro-bono or volunteer projects. Websites like volunteermatch.org list numerous projects that you can join and contribute to.
d) Share your knowledge with others. Whether you're teaching someone directly or creating a blog/vlog about what you've learned, this can reinforce your understanding of the subject.
e) For core programming, you can also consider contributing to open source projects/ github which will also allow you to build a programming portfolio that will come in handy when you are looking for a job.
Good Luck !
Laura Mills
Graphic Designer
37
Answers
Lenhartsville, PA
Updated
Laura’s Answer
Hello Savion,
What a great question! I take it from being curious about technology, designing, and video game design it is something you want to pursue for a career? In that case, that is awesome you are curious to learn more about these subjects to learn or further develop your skills to become more proficient. My recommendation for the best starting point to get a basic understanding of these subjects is using YouTube. It's a resource that is widely known by many, free to use, and covers a wide variety of subjects including the topics that you want to learn about.
If you are interested in expanding upon your knowledge in any of these areas I highly recommend SkillShare. This platform does cost to use, but once you do you have access to thousands of courses that are videos from a variety of subjects, including the topics that you are interested in pursuing. Pretty much you can think of the SkillShare platform as a more detailed option than YouTube. Also, the courses are focused on teaching the audience that particular subject you are interested in learning that is completely new or further your skill.
The last option that I recommend is looking into the program called Coursera. It's an online program, and it offers certificates, degrees, and free courses that you need to advance your career or learn a new skill that is required in your career. You can look into it more if you Google the program 'Coursera' and other online learning platforms by Googling 'online learning platforms'.
Once you feel you have learned about these skills, I highly recommend you just start creating. The best way to build your own technique and skill level is by experimenting with design and playing with different tools in software programs that are offered. If you can afford it and want to purchase the software used for design, I highly recommend purchasing the annual membership for Adobe Creative Cloud to have access to ALL of their software. This way, whether you are video game designing or graphic designing, you will have access to all the software that will need.
I hope this helps you get started, and I wish you the best of luck on your design journey!
-Laura M.
What a great question! I take it from being curious about technology, designing, and video game design it is something you want to pursue for a career? In that case, that is awesome you are curious to learn more about these subjects to learn or further develop your skills to become more proficient. My recommendation for the best starting point to get a basic understanding of these subjects is using YouTube. It's a resource that is widely known by many, free to use, and covers a wide variety of subjects including the topics that you want to learn about.
If you are interested in expanding upon your knowledge in any of these areas I highly recommend SkillShare. This platform does cost to use, but once you do you have access to thousands of courses that are videos from a variety of subjects, including the topics that you are interested in pursuing. Pretty much you can think of the SkillShare platform as a more detailed option than YouTube. Also, the courses are focused on teaching the audience that particular subject you are interested in learning that is completely new or further your skill.
The last option that I recommend is looking into the program called Coursera. It's an online program, and it offers certificates, degrees, and free courses that you need to advance your career or learn a new skill that is required in your career. You can look into it more if you Google the program 'Coursera' and other online learning platforms by Googling 'online learning platforms'.
Once you feel you have learned about these skills, I highly recommend you just start creating. The best way to build your own technique and skill level is by experimenting with design and playing with different tools in software programs that are offered. If you can afford it and want to purchase the software used for design, I highly recommend purchasing the annual membership for Adobe Creative Cloud to have access to ALL of their software. This way, whether you are video game designing or graphic designing, you will have access to all the software that will need.
I hope this helps you get started, and I wish you the best of luck on your design journey!
-Laura M.
Robert McAdams
Software Engineer
30
Answers
Roseville, California
Updated
Robert’s Answer
There is no single "best" way to learn or design.
Some people 100% cannot learn something without having their hands on it and doing it. Others have to sit in a classroom, study and have tests. Others need a mentor. Others need books on tape. Etc. etc.
I can't say for certain what way would work "best" for you, or anyone else. But what I can say is what worked for me: doing it. The way I learned was to start doing little projects -- copying what I admired from what others did, then building my own. Then I built bigger projects, then bigger, and on and on it went.
It is really no different than learning any other skill. You have to walk before you run. You have to learn to snow plow on the bunny slope before you are hitting those black diamond slopes. As you attempt larger and more complicated projects, you will naturally encounter issues which you will need to solve, and that will lead to learning and experience. Experience is what gets you hired.
As for the best way to design a game, again, there is no "best" way -- but, unless you plan to do a text-only adventure, or you have a team ready and willing to work for you for free for years, most likely you will need to use middleware if you will be a team of one. There are lots of options out there, the most popular right now are Unreal, and Unity (which is currently suffering from some PR issues). There are plenty of other middleware engines as well, based on the project you want to do.
Middleware is great because it gives you a platform, similar in concept to something like Photoshop, where you already have tools coded and ready to use to make your game. So, instead of having to code the physics, lighting, game space, camera movements, and 100 other tiny details to make a character walk across a screen, you can simply drag and drop a character in the Middleware engine onto your game space, and use one of the tools to set a destination point, and a script to tell it to walk, then load your game and BAM you have a background character walking around on an errand. All with no coding needed by you.
Now, obviously, just like with Photoshop, learning the Middleware will be enough of a challenge on its own to get proficient at it -- and the major studios don't stop there, they also will pay to obtain the source code for the Middleware, so they can tinker with the game mechanics themselves. But you can start small with the sandbox available to you in the Middleware, and build your way up to that.
I would suggest you start with an extremely simple game: like a 3 room RPG which mostly involves talking and a couple of fetch quests, to get going. Once you have that mastered, try adding a little light combat, then a change from indoors to outdoors, etc. Every time you add more to the game, you will be gaining experience. And remember, experience is what gets you hired ;)
Some people 100% cannot learn something without having their hands on it and doing it. Others have to sit in a classroom, study and have tests. Others need a mentor. Others need books on tape. Etc. etc.
I can't say for certain what way would work "best" for you, or anyone else. But what I can say is what worked for me: doing it. The way I learned was to start doing little projects -- copying what I admired from what others did, then building my own. Then I built bigger projects, then bigger, and on and on it went.
It is really no different than learning any other skill. You have to walk before you run. You have to learn to snow plow on the bunny slope before you are hitting those black diamond slopes. As you attempt larger and more complicated projects, you will naturally encounter issues which you will need to solve, and that will lead to learning and experience. Experience is what gets you hired.
As for the best way to design a game, again, there is no "best" way -- but, unless you plan to do a text-only adventure, or you have a team ready and willing to work for you for free for years, most likely you will need to use middleware if you will be a team of one. There are lots of options out there, the most popular right now are Unreal, and Unity (which is currently suffering from some PR issues). There are plenty of other middleware engines as well, based on the project you want to do.
Middleware is great because it gives you a platform, similar in concept to something like Photoshop, where you already have tools coded and ready to use to make your game. So, instead of having to code the physics, lighting, game space, camera movements, and 100 other tiny details to make a character walk across a screen, you can simply drag and drop a character in the Middleware engine onto your game space, and use one of the tools to set a destination point, and a script to tell it to walk, then load your game and BAM you have a background character walking around on an errand. All with no coding needed by you.
Now, obviously, just like with Photoshop, learning the Middleware will be enough of a challenge on its own to get proficient at it -- and the major studios don't stop there, they also will pay to obtain the source code for the Middleware, so they can tinker with the game mechanics themselves. But you can start small with the sandbox available to you in the Middleware, and build your way up to that.
I would suggest you start with an extremely simple game: like a 3 room RPG which mostly involves talking and a couple of fetch quests, to get going. Once you have that mastered, try adding a little light combat, then a change from indoors to outdoors, etc. Every time you add more to the game, you will be gaining experience. And remember, experience is what gets you hired ;)
Casey Koon
Senior Director of Business Applications
13
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Casey’s Answer
Creating and playing games are two distinct activities! Here's what you'll need to get started:
- Technical abilities: To build the game, you'll need to be proficient with technology. Begin by learning a tool such as Unity or Unreal, which offer free licenses for creating your initial game. This will likely involve acquiring programming skills.
- Design: This encompasses level design, fundamental gameplay loops, and aesthetic elements. Consider what makes a game enjoyable and engaging, not just intriguing.
- Storytelling: A compelling story with well-written content is essential to keep your players entertained!
- Marketing: Contemplate how potential players will discover your game and play it for the first time.
- Monetization: Major games require considerable effort. Consider how you'll sell the game and make it financially sustainable.
Now is the perfect time to create your own indie game, with platforms like Steam available for distribution. However, remember that large-scale games often require thousands of people and budgets larger than many movies to develop.
- Technical abilities: To build the game, you'll need to be proficient with technology. Begin by learning a tool such as Unity or Unreal, which offer free licenses for creating your initial game. This will likely involve acquiring programming skills.
- Design: This encompasses level design, fundamental gameplay loops, and aesthetic elements. Consider what makes a game enjoyable and engaging, not just intriguing.
- Storytelling: A compelling story with well-written content is essential to keep your players entertained!
- Marketing: Contemplate how potential players will discover your game and play it for the first time.
- Monetization: Major games require considerable effort. Consider how you'll sell the game and make it financially sustainable.
Now is the perfect time to create your own indie game, with platforms like Steam available for distribution. However, remember that large-scale games often require thousands of people and budgets larger than many movies to develop.
Juney Dijkstra
Business Development / Production / Project Management
39
Answers
Hilversum, North Holland, Netherlands
Updated
Juney’s Answer
Most critically: Make games!
You can start doing tutorials in Unity, Unreal Engine or Game Maker any time, and the more you work on your projects, the more you'll learn. These engines have ample tutorials available for you to practice.
Try different genres (platformers are a good place to start!), art styles (from pixel games to 3D), themes (something that's personal to you, maybe?) and be inspired by everything you see around you. What do you see, hear, smell, or touch around you that could be turned into a game?
Discover which pieces of the work appeal to you most. Maybe you spend most of your time finetuning the level design, or perfecting the art. Maybe you like creating truly innovative new tech, or you want to connect to a community of players to get their opinions & experiences. There are many roles & responsibilities in our beautiful industry, and you don't have to like all of them. If you've found a role that appeals to you, look up more information about that particular role to see if you want to learn more, as there are plenty of resources online. You could take a free online course, as suggested above. You could even reach out to someone that currently works in the game industry in that role to learn more about the day-to-day.
As a quick warning: Be prepared for considering your first, second, tenth, twentieth and beyond games being terrible. It's okay, as a creative we're incredibly critical of what we make! It's part of the learning process, and every game, feature, design, piece of code or art you make will boost your next to be even better :)
Do tutorials in Unity, Unreal Engine or Game Maker
Make games! & Ask players for feedback every time :)
Do further research into the roles & responsibilities that appeal to you most, by finding more information online, in specialised communities, or online courses
You can start doing tutorials in Unity, Unreal Engine or Game Maker any time, and the more you work on your projects, the more you'll learn. These engines have ample tutorials available for you to practice.
Try different genres (platformers are a good place to start!), art styles (from pixel games to 3D), themes (something that's personal to you, maybe?) and be inspired by everything you see around you. What do you see, hear, smell, or touch around you that could be turned into a game?
Discover which pieces of the work appeal to you most. Maybe you spend most of your time finetuning the level design, or perfecting the art. Maybe you like creating truly innovative new tech, or you want to connect to a community of players to get their opinions & experiences. There are many roles & responsibilities in our beautiful industry, and you don't have to like all of them. If you've found a role that appeals to you, look up more information about that particular role to see if you want to learn more, as there are plenty of resources online. You could take a free online course, as suggested above. You could even reach out to someone that currently works in the game industry in that role to learn more about the day-to-day.
As a quick warning: Be prepared for considering your first, second, tenth, twentieth and beyond games being terrible. It's okay, as a creative we're incredibly critical of what we make! It's part of the learning process, and every game, feature, design, piece of code or art you make will boost your next to be even better :)
Juney recommends the following next steps: