How to Become a Video Game Developer

The entertainment industry has had a great evolution in recent years, because thanks to technology, it has had to transform itself taking into account the needs of modern people. One of the most in-demand is precisely the video game industry since the trend has become so widespread that, today, it is not only a matter of children; video games have been taken so seriously that adults also participate in major competitions at a professional level.

With this trend, video games have become one of the most profitable markets at this time. Their shares generate millions of dollars every year and their demand is increasing. This, in labor terms, translates as a great opportunity that has a lot to explore for you.

So, if you are interested in focusing professionally in the area of video game programming, today’s post will surely interest you. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about this career. Pay attention!

Video game programming as a profession

What should a person study to become a video game programmer?

Here are the two options you have if you want to focus on this field:

1. Pursuing a degree. The degree that allows the person to develop the necessary bases to develop in the programming area is Computer Engineering. Throughout this program, you will study subjects such as computer graphics, one of the most important subjects for this work. Moreover, you can buy term papers online to spend more time on practical assignments.

With it, you will acquire knowledge in programming and applied mathematics for image processing and interface creation. In addition, you will learn all about virtual realities and digital environments.

In addition to this degree, you will also be able to take some specialized programs in everything that encompasses the design and creation of video games.

2. Self-employed training. There are many cases in which people make the decision to study on their own; all thanks to the passion they have for video games. However, it is important to take into account the high level of demand that a video game programmer represents.

Programming is a discipline that can be perfectly learned independently; whether you have already studied computer engineering or you are going to learn it from scratch, the career will give you a better basis to start preparing on your own.

To begin your process, you can do some reading on the subject. For example, Jesse Schell’s book, The Art of Game Design, a text that focuses on C++ programming processes applied to video games and scripting. Then, you can practice developing small interactive programs with SDKs, 3D programs, Orge, or Source… Spend a lot of time practicing.

What are the most used programming languages?

Over the years, the world of video game programming has evolved significantly thanks to the emergence of new technologies.  Today, there are different devices on which a video game can be played.

Below, we will tell you how video game programming languages are classified according to the playback medium:

Video game programming for PC or consoles

In this case, programming is carried out through the C# language. To learn how to develop it, there are many resources that you can easily find in any digital library.

Although many people recommend the C++ language, it will not be necessary initially, unless you want to specialize in graphics engine development.

Video game programming for the web

The program that is leading the way in programming for this type of format is JavaScript, although many of the main Facebook games are developed in Flash. However, programming with Flash may be a drawback because Adobe’s platform will not provide support for mobile devices.

Programming video games for mobile devices

Smartphones with the Android operating system mainly use Java programming. It is also possible to use Python, although it is less common.

On the other hand, for devices that use Windows as an operating system, the programming language used is C#. Meanwhile, for mobiles with IOS operating system, the language will be Objective-C Swift.

Final words

The digital world is a reality that we live in every day. In any context or environment, we find ourselves face to face with technology. And it is, inevitable, that these media have not become part of our lives, if the present is focused on them, in the most everyday things like reading news or playing video games.

To become a professional game creator, you have to be really interested and enjoy what you’re doing.  Now that you know how it works… do you have a game in mind to create?