Many people out there think that being a game developer is a great job, and it is not a surprise, as the video game industry is growing with each passing year. In the United States alone, the value of the video game market exceeded sixty-eight billion dollars in 2020!
However, becoming a game developer is not easy. On top of reading articles comparing different game engines, such as this Unreal Engine vs. Unity Engine article, you will need to figure out what the latest trends in the industry are, learn a programming language, and get your hands on many costly pieces of software, among other things.
It might sound a bit overwhelming, but do not worry – this article will help you figure it out! Here, you will find a short guide to learning game development, including what game development is and the things that you just have to learn in order to become a great game developer. Check it out!
What Is Game Development?
In a nutshell, game development is the process of creating a video game. It can take months, but it can also take years to complete. It can be divided into three major areas – conceptualization, development, and publishing.
The first phase is about brainstorming different ideas. The writers create an outline of the main story, while the concept artists create rough designs of the main characters and key locations. In addition to that, the developers need to have a general idea of what the gameplay mechanics will be and list the features and assets that they will need to take care of while creating the game.
The second phase is about building the game itself. It involves writing code, designing the interfaces that the players will be interacting with, and creating character models, among other things. Finally, the third and final phase is about marketing the game and releasing it.
If that does not sound too scary and you really want to become a game developer, there are a few steps that you will need to take in order to achieve your goal. Here are the first three out of the bunch!
Learn Your First Programming Language
If you want to become a game developer, your first step should be to learn how to program. Many people believe that game development is about art skills only, but that is not really true. Each of the stages of creating a video game requires people with different sets of skills, including marketing specialists, project managers, digital artists, and programmers.
The programmers are the people that most people think of whenever they hear about game developers, and they are not wrong. They are the ones who write the instructions that your computer will abide by in order to allow you to enjoy the game. If that set of instructions is not present, there will be no game to play.
There are many programming languages out there, but the ones that are most commonly used in game development are C++ and JavaScript, as well as CSS and HTML5. If you want to, you can learn each of these languages on your own. There are thousands of tutorials that you can use to do just that!
Get Familiar With Game Engines
Once you have learned the basics of coding and are able to program basic applications, you can start getting familiar with game engines and libraries. In order to make a video game, you will need a special tool called a game engine.
What is a game engine? It is a set of software tools that were specifically designed for creating video games and interactive 3D graphics applications. It will allow you to work on the mechanics of your game and its physics, as well as the way it renders graphics to a screen.
The most popular game engines in the world are Unreal Engine and Unity. Unity is one of the most popular game engines in the world, with an estimated market share of forty-eight percent, while Unreal Engine has a market share of thirteen percent.
Learn How to Design
Game development is more than writing code. There are many other skills that you will need in order to create a game of your own. You will have to be able to create the characters, the plot, and the locations for your game, among other things.
If you manage to create concept art of these things, you will need to create animations for your characters. Next, you will have to work on the interface of your game and make it look appealing and easy to navigate.
Lastly, there is the soundtrack. If you do not know how to make music and want to create a game quickly, hire someone to do it for you! In case you do not have the money, you can always collaborate with a friend and have that friend take care of the soundtrack.
In Conclusion
To sum up, if you want to learn game development, you will need to familiarize yourself with different programming languages and types of software. Then, you will be able to put your knowledge to the test and create games of your own!
Game development is an interesting and ever-evolving field that makes use of many different types of technology, including artificial intelligence and 3D rendering. Because of that, it might be difficult for you to create a game on your own, but it is not impossible! You just need to do your research and do your best!
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