Minimum Requirements to be a Game Programmer


To begin with, you need to know how to program in some language. The
preferred languages for game programmers are C and C++. I have no
opinion on which is better, either one will take you far. If you are
just getting started, and you haven't learned C or C++ yet, you can
write games in another language. Lots of perfectly good games have
been written in BASIC, Pascal, and Delphi. Years ago I wrote some
pretty games in Fortran. It doesn't matter that much what language
you use, as long as you have mastered it.

Some knowledge of assembly language programming is important if you
are planning on writing your own low-level graphics routines. If you
not ready to tackle assembly language yet, don't worry about it. You
can use a commercial graphics library, such as Fastgraph to
accomplish the desired result.

You will need a (legal, not borrowed copy of a) compiler. If you
don't have a compiler, click here for some suggestions.

You will need some way to generate artwork for your program. A paint
program is good. A rendering program is better. A talented artist is
better yet. Whether you create your pictures yourself, scan them, use
clip art, or pay big bucks to a professional artist, plan on having
some source of artwork.

That's it! That's all you really need to get started. If you are
reading this online, then I will assume you also have a good, fast
computer, a modem, and some form of online communication. These are
valuable and will help you a lot.

Of course, there is one other element which I haven't discussed, and
that is talent. You have to be a good programmer, with creative
problem-solving skills. I assume you think you have that, because
otherwise you wouldn't still be reading.

As the game programmer, it is good to keep in mind that the more of
the other game development roles you can fill, the better. That is,
if you can do some of the other jobs involved in game development,
then you will own more of the final product. Let's consider what
other jobs game developers do.

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What Game Developers Do
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1- Programmer
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The whole world revolves around the programmer. The
programmer is the one who takes the unrealistic expectations of
everybody else and finds a way to make them work. If the producer
wants to change the user interface at the last minute, it's the
programmer who stays up all night making the change. If the artist
can't figure out how SVGA palettes work, it's the programmer who
writes a color-reducing and palette-matching utility. Without the
programmer, there would be no computer games.

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2- Artist
*********
Artists are important too. In some games, such as Myst, I will
grudgingly admit the artists played a more critical role than the
programmer. This is the exception however, not the rule. The rule is,
the programmer is the pivotal element in all game development.
These days, many artists prefer to be called "animators". Many
garbagemen prefer to be called "sanitation engineers" too, but it
doesn't make a bit of difference in what they actually do.

***********
3- Musician
***********
They make music. They can make sound effects too. There are a lot
of them, and there is barely enough work to go around. Most of them
are starving.

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4- Producer
***********
The producer oversees game development and makes sure all the
elements of the development are in place. A producer may, for
example, acquire resources for programmers and artists, may hand out
money, and may give orders. Sometimes a programmer or an artist may
play the role of producer, which often works well. Sometimes a
producer is a low-level manager with no particular game development
talent, who nonetheless involves himself in micro-managing the
development process. This occasionally spells disaster.

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5- Designer
***********
This is a nebulous term. Sometimes the producer thinks he is the
designer, when actually the programmer is the designer. The artist
should be the designer, being that he has the creative talent, but
nobody pays attention to the artist. Sometimes a person comes out of
nowhere and declares himself to be designer, and asks for millions of
dollars for selling a title and a story line. Ha! Fat chance.
If you are a programmer and you need design help, look to an
experienced designer with a track record in the type of game you want
to develop. There are people who actually excel at designing levels,
puzzles, likeable characters and entertaining story lines. Tom Hall,
formerly of id Software, comes to mind as a successful and well-loved
game designer. Really good designers like Tom are rare.

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6- Play Tester
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Play testers sometimes also act as beta testers. Technically
speaking, the beta tester tests for bugs and the play tester tests
for playability. But since most games are under-funded and behind
schedule, both functions are generally ignored more often than they
should be. If you want to break into game development, and you live
in the Silicon Valley area, you may be able to get a job as a play
tester. It's kind of like breaking into rock 'n roll by being a
roadie. Sure you're there, but you'll never be the star.

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7- Publisher
************
This is the guy in the suit who smokes a cigar and
blows the smoke in your face. He is very good at telling you why his
part of the job is really the hard part, and since he is taking all
the risks, he should keep 95% of the profits and you should be
grateful for your 5%. Less deductions. Paid 6 months after he gets
paid. Which is 9 months after the game hits the shelves.
It's a good job, if you can get it.

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8- Lone
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Wolf This is a programmer like we people. Now I have learned where
my strengths lie, and I find other people to give me artwork, music,
design help and publishing help. But I still take over each job when
I need to. If the artwork isn't perfect, I fire up my paint program
and make adjustments myself. If I can't reach a deal with a
publisher, I self publish on the web . Sometimes I even make my own
sound effects by hooking a cheap microphone up to my Sound Blaster
card. The point is, I don't take a salary, I am not dependent on
anybody else, and I have the freedom to choose and abandon my own
projects, and to move on when I feel like it. Being a lone wolf isn't
for everybody, but to me it is the best of all possible worlds.