Become a Computer Game Developer: Do You Have What it Takes?
Chapter 1
Do You Have What it Takesto Be
a Game Developer?
Beauty, brains, talent, a
computer...
I've always thought game developers were born,
not made. True greatness comes from within. If it isn't there, it can't be
learned, and if it is there, it can't help but be discovered. To be a game
developer, you must truly love games. Not just playing games, but
understanding games. You must love the whole concept of dissecting a game,
breaking it down to its smallest parts, and visualizing how the pieces fit
into the whole.
The chapters in this web site deal with the programming aspects of game
development. It should be noted, there are other careers in game
development besides that of programmer. A typical game passes through many
hands on its way to final release. But the programmer is the critical
element. Without the programmer, there is no game. Period. And since I am
a programmer, this site will focus on game development from the point of
view of the programmer, with all other related occupations considered
ancillary.
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.
The Things Game Developers Do
Programmer
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Play Tester
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.
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.
LoneWolf
This is me. At some point in my career, I have
performed all of the above roles and more. 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 (see my latest effort, Diana Gruber's 3D Casino Las
Vegas). 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.
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. I recommend
you get a recent version of a compiler. Most all of the modern compilers
are very good, so it doesn't really matter which one you use. Use what you
are comfortable with. In case you are interested, I use the Watcom C/C++ compiler for 32-bit
protected mode DOS, Windows, and Windows 95 programming.
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.
Now I suggest you give your eyes a little break, go to the fridge and
get yourself a can of Jolt cola, and come back in a few minutes and read
Chapter 2.
My first retail project:
Click here for a
description.
Home Page | Contents
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8
Glossary | Author | Books | Links
This site created and maintained by Diana Gruber .
Graphics designed by Susan
Kelleghan .
Copyright © 1997 Ted Gruber Software, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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