What Are The Equipments gonna use for either Game Developer or Artist ?

Hello,

A game development tool is a specialized software application that assists or facilitates the making of a computer or video game. Some tasks handled by tools include the conversion of assets (such as 3D models, textures, etc.) into formats required by the game, level editing and script compilation.

Almost all game development tools are developed by the developer custom for one game. Though tools may be re-used for later games, they almost always start out as a resource for a single game. While many COTS packages are used in the production of games—such as 3D packages like Maya and 3D Studio Max, graphic editors like Photoshop and IDEs like Microsoft Visual Studio—they are not considered solely game development tools since they have uses beyond game development.

The game tools may or may not be released along with the final game, depending on what the tool is used for. For contemporary games, it is common to include at least level editors with games that require them.

Numerous tools can be used to assist in game development. Often developers use tools to convert 3D model formats and graphic image formats into custom formats (though, increasingly, importers and exporters handle these tasks). Level editors are used to create environments and other tools may be used to view assets before they are incorporated in the game. For a contemporary commercial game, a half dozen tools or more may be used to assist in the game creation process.

Game tools change very often during the development process. The look and facility of a tool from the beginning of a project to the end may change dramatically. Often features are added with very little testing to assist other developers as fast as possible. The use of a tool also changes so much that users may have difficulty operating it from one day to the next as late-added features change how it is to be used. Since facility is often the primary goal for tools, they may be very user-unfriendly, with little or no built-in help. For tools that are to be shipped with the game, often debugging and user-friendly features are done near the end of the development process.

Outside of the game development team during the game's creation, many tools would have little facility. Level editors, however, once entirely proprietary, have increasingly been included with the shipping game to allow users to create their own game scenarios. Some games, such as Firaxis' Civilization IV, are built with user modification in mind and include numerous tools for game customizing.

In: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_development_tool

I hope this information can help you. Good Luck!

Great initiative from the student! Opting to get a head start shows a level of dedication to the industry and will allow he/she to get ahead of the curve among their peers. Game development tools(equipment) are always changing and new tools are coming out at a rapid pace to help improve the process. That said there is a core set of tools that all game developers or artists need to know and they are as follows:

3D Studio Max or Maya - Both have their perks, but it comes down to a matter of preference. The general rule is if you master one of them then you can easily learn the other, but whatever you do do not try to learn both simultaneously. Both programs are expensive, but you can sign up for an educational lisence which is free to all students. http://www.autodesk.com/education/home
This software is the fundamental core of all game development without a modeling package you cannot produce current generation game assets in 3D. Master one of these!!!

This article is a good description of both.
http://blog.digitaltutors.com/3ds-max-vs-maya-is-one-better-than-the-other/

Photoshop - This is a must learn package for applying textures( coloring your models) for video games. Again there are education licenses or a $10/month subscription service for Photoshop.

There are several other tools that you will need, but to learn all at once would set you up for failure. Start with learning the basic fundamentals. Instruction sites such as Udemy.com, lynda.com, or digital tutors will provide you with great tutorial lessons for getting started.

All in all you have to want it. This is a competitive field, but an absolute blast if you love games and how they are built. Remember that playing games does not make you a game designer or give you a jump on the market. Hard work and dedication will get you far. By asking this simple questions you are proving that you have what it takes to be successful.

Oh and one last thing. Post your progress on Polycount.com!!! I cannot stress this enough. Get feedback from other talented artists, but do not feel intimidated. Remember that most of them have been doing it for years and started where you are currently. Be active on Polycount. This will also allow you to network and build a name for yourself. No one can teach you to network. You just have to do it.

Good luck and hope to see your work on the Polycount in the future!

At the other end of the market, doing smaller smartphone games, for example, you might want to learn Unity (a game engine) and Blender (a free 3d-art tool). You can have a very rewarding career working on smaller projects. We sell far more games now for iOS than we ever did when we worked on GameBoy, GameBoy Color or Nintendo DS. Plus the projects cost a lot less, so we can self-fund and make the games we want to make -- no publishers telling us what to do at every step of the process.

Best wishes!