2 answers
Price
Student
Boca Raton
1
Question
Updated
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Where would a good starting point be if I wanted to start learning game development or design?
I have little knowledge on this topic and would like to know if there are any suggested places to start!
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2 answers
Harmit Singh
Game Developer
17
Answers
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Updated
Harmit’s Answer
Hi Price! There are many good places to start learning about game development or design.
If you wanted to learn the ins and outs of design or one of the other aspects that go into making a game, various post-secondary programs at many schools would teach you how to create, design, develop, and make games. This would involve researching a school that you would like to go to, applying for the program, and studying there.
If you would like to learn on your own, there are resources online that would teach you as well! On YouTube, many great channels teach you about creating games. For example, Brackeys is a great channel that teaches all about developing games in the Unity engine while Unreal Sensei teaches about working in Unreal Engine. Game Maker's Toolkit is another great channel that has many videos about designing games, and there are a lot of GDC talks by various developers about game development and design.
For books, there is a plethora of knowledge out there as well. "The Art of Game Design" by Jesse Schell and "Game Design Workshop" by Tracy Fullerton are two I believe are essential. "Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals" is another book that I highly recommend.
Good luck on your journey!
If you wanted to learn the ins and outs of design or one of the other aspects that go into making a game, various post-secondary programs at many schools would teach you how to create, design, develop, and make games. This would involve researching a school that you would like to go to, applying for the program, and studying there.
If you would like to learn on your own, there are resources online that would teach you as well! On YouTube, many great channels teach you about creating games. For example, Brackeys is a great channel that teaches all about developing games in the Unity engine while Unreal Sensei teaches about working in Unreal Engine. Game Maker's Toolkit is another great channel that has many videos about designing games, and there are a lot of GDC talks by various developers about game development and design.
For books, there is a plethora of knowledge out there as well. "The Art of Game Design" by Jesse Schell and "Game Design Workshop" by Tracy Fullerton are two I believe are essential. "Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals" is another book that I highly recommend.
Good luck on your journey!
Jim Carlone
Compliance Officer
18
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Jim’s Answer
Hi, Price! I'm going to give you a very specific answer based on my experience with my oldest son, who graduated college with a Computer Science/Game Design degree. There is a game developer's association called Playcrafting that is based in New York City. This group provides many resources for developers, physically and virtually, including networking, lectures, seminars/conferences, and classes. Check out their offerings at their web site. Career Village won't let me list the web address but its just their name followed by the usual domain; you can Google it easily enough. The focus is on supporting the independent developer so I'm sure you can find some valuable information from attending their events and networking online.
I know you're in Florida but I will mention that Playcrafting holds a convention in Manhattan every summer where hundreds of developers showcase their games, from alpha versions to market-ready versions they are shopping to gaming companies. Think of a convention hall packed top to bottom with gamers that you can talk to personally. I went to two of those and it really was an amazing experience, and I'm not a computer guy at all (just what I need for work). If you could swing a trip at some point, it would be well worth it. However, there are good resources available aside from that. Hope that helps and good luck!
I know you're in Florida but I will mention that Playcrafting holds a convention in Manhattan every summer where hundreds of developers showcase their games, from alpha versions to market-ready versions they are shopping to gaming companies. Think of a convention hall packed top to bottom with gamers that you can talk to personally. I went to two of those and it really was an amazing experience, and I'm not a computer guy at all (just what I need for work). If you could swing a trip at some point, it would be well worth it. However, there are good resources available aside from that. Hope that helps and good luck!