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Class is in session.
If you have ever played a game and wondered how it works behind the scenes, or you felt like you could improve upon your favorite game, then it might be a good idea to try your hand at making your own games.
Let me introduce you to being a game developer.
Game development is incredibly fun and enriching, and it’s a great way to express yourself. Here’s what you need to know.
Where to Start
GameMaker Studio: If you are just starting out, GameMaker Studio is a great tool to begin developing your first game. GameMaker is beginner-friendly because you don’t need to have programming knowledge to use it. Several famous developers got their start on GameMaker, including Matt Thorson (Celeste) and Toby Fox (Undertale)!
Udemy: Udemy is a great resource for learning more about game development and programming. There are a number of great game development courses on game development for sale on Udemy. Sales come around frequently on the site, and you can get some big discounts.
YouTube: YouTube is full of great resources on game development. If you have a specific question on how to do something, it is always a good idea to search YouTube for the answer. There are also quite a few channels solely devoted to tutorials and educational content. A few of my favorites are the following:
Additionally, Just do it!
It can feel very confusing and overwhelming at first, but the more you make the games, the better you get. Start with a small project or follow along with a tutorial and slowly work your way up to your bigger ideas.
Game jams are a great way to meet other developers and get new projects under your belt, while working under a time crunch. Jams happen all over the place. Two of the biggest are Ludum Dare and the GMTK Game Jam.
Different Roles in Game Development
Design: Design levels and core game mechanics.
Programming: Work with designers to code gameplay and mechanics.
Narrative Design: Write stories for games.
Art: Create the visuals for their game. This includes art for the characters and setting as well as special effects.
Sound/Music: Create the music and/or sound effects for their game.
QA (Quality Assurance) Testing: Search for bugs in the game and report them to the designers and programmers.
Different Roles in Game Development
If you want to keep working on your own projects, then you should consider going indie. Indie game studios are much smaller than big companies like Nintendo. Often, indie dev teams consist of just a handful of team members. Sometimes, the whole team is made up of just one person.
Here is a list of games made by small indie teams:
Return of the Obra Dinn (Luca Pope)
Being part of an indie studio is a bit like being part of a startup. It can be hard to stay afloat while you make your game without a guarantee on selling, but you also get to have a lot more creative control over your project and do things your own way. Indie studios are known for releasing original games because they have the freedom to experiment without many boundaries.
If you are working on an indie project, you are wearing multiple hats. Since there are fewer people on a team, it might be necessary for you to be both the game designer and programmer. Meanwhile, one of your other teammates might be handling both the visual art and music for your game.
At a big studio (also known as an AAA studio), your role is clearly defined. AAA (or Triple-A) games have huge development teams, so it usually is not necessary for people to split time doing multiple different jobs.
Some AAA franchises include the following:
Game development is a great way to let out your creativity and express yourself; it allows you to tell stories and get in touch with your inner child.
The industry is constantly changing, so it’s important to stay up to date. Gamasutra is a great place to get news as well as search job boards. You can also follow your favorite game developers on social media to get updates on their projects.
Game on,
PBJ, Jox Digital Educator
info@jox.digital
A Jox Thought: The Xbox Games Showcase is bringing back childhood memories of playing my favorite video games, with the Halo franchise topping the list. What games are you excited about? Watch the full showcase here.
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