5 answers
David
Student
Hendersonville, Tennessee
1
Question
Asked
707 views
How can you start learning game development without college
I'm trying to get into game dev without paying thousands for college #video-games
Login to comment
5 answers
Javier Espinosa
Engineer
4
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Javier’s Answer
David,
You can definitely get a career in video-game development without college. It definitely would help you in the long run to get a college degree in computer science if you wanted to learn how to program. You would learn the basics and the "right" way to do it.
If you went the route of no college, check out CodeAcademy. Its a website where you can learn how to code for free. Also check out Udemy where they have in-expensive classes for programming.
The programming languages I would focus for video games would be C# or C++ and Java. If you want to make mobile apps, learn SwiftCode for IOS. Thats the programming language used for Mobile apps/games on Apple.
Good Luck!
You can definitely get a career in video-game development without college. It definitely would help you in the long run to get a college degree in computer science if you wanted to learn how to program. You would learn the basics and the "right" way to do it.
If you went the route of no college, check out CodeAcademy. Its a website where you can learn how to code for free. Also check out Udemy where they have in-expensive classes for programming.
The programming languages I would focus for video games would be C# or C++ and Java. If you want to make mobile apps, learn SwiftCode for IOS. Thats the programming language used for Mobile apps/games on Apple.
Good Luck!
Sashwot Koirala
Student
1
Answer
Huntsville, Alabama
Updated
Sashwot’s Answer
You can learn Unity 2D, 3D, unreal engine, python. From any online courses available in Internet.
Learn Unity 2D
Learn Unity 3D
Learn Unreal Engine
Learn python
Sashwot recommends the following next steps:
gary sullivan
software engineer
1
Answer
Reno, Nevada
Updated
gary’s Answer
You are asking about video gaming, I work in Gaming (Las Vegas games) similar. Our market is much more regulated. About your question, you can study different computer languages, where C# is pretty common an popular these days; Java is another that is being used. Video game market is very competitive. You can pick up books and study/programing at home. You will need to purchase software, and environment to build and test your software. Some of these applications, such as Unity is an environment to program and develop games on, which can be pretty pricey to buy a seat (program).
When I first started out in engineering, we had people working in the industry, not too many, but a few, who were referred to as 'Mustangs', they were people in engineering who learned the trade on their own and found jobs where possible to work without a college degree. Although, I would recommend you do go to college. You can go to community for the first couple of years to get basic classes, then go on to an accredited school for the last two years or so. Avoid the private schools that sell you a quick get a certification for lots of money; go to a college.
Also, some companies will pay for your schooling, while you work; usually one or two classes a semester or quarter (depending on the school. When get your first job, your salary will be based on not just what you know, but your education.
Good Luck!
When I first started out in engineering, we had people working in the industry, not too many, but a few, who were referred to as 'Mustangs', they were people in engineering who learned the trade on their own and found jobs where possible to work without a college degree. Although, I would recommend you do go to college. You can go to community for the first couple of years to get basic classes, then go on to an accredited school for the last two years or so. Avoid the private schools that sell you a quick get a certification for lots of money; go to a college.
Also, some companies will pay for your schooling, while you work; usually one or two classes a semester or quarter (depending on the school. When get your first job, your salary will be based on not just what you know, but your education.
Good Luck!
Michael DeRemer
Software Engineer
7
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Michael’s Answer
1) Pursue any software engineering classes you have available at school.
2) Download Unity and complete their game building tutorials.
Unity is an application that enables you to create all portions of the game and allow you to focus your time on the parts you like most. They have many free resources to get you started. They have relatively good documentation and you can usually find youtube videos explaining how to solve common problems. If you like the character and world creation part of game development they have tools to get you started. You can also just download free assets and get started on the game itself.
Steam's greenlight program and others like it will allow you to submit games you've created and sell them on a large platform for a percentage of the profits.
If you are confident you would be happy in a computer science field I would encourage to take as many computer science related classes as possible during high school. Community colleges are also a cheaper alternative to larger more expensive state schools. Don't be frightened by incurring some debt while getting your college education. As a software engineer i was able to pay off my school debt within 6 months after getting my first job. Trading a few years of your life for college to secure a higher paying job for the next 45 years of your life is a good trade.
2) Download Unity and complete their game building tutorials.
Unity is an application that enables you to create all portions of the game and allow you to focus your time on the parts you like most. They have many free resources to get you started. They have relatively good documentation and you can usually find youtube videos explaining how to solve common problems. If you like the character and world creation part of game development they have tools to get you started. You can also just download free assets and get started on the game itself.
Steam's greenlight program and others like it will allow you to submit games you've created and sell them on a large platform for a percentage of the profits.
If you are confident you would be happy in a computer science field I would encourage to take as many computer science related classes as possible during high school. Community colleges are also a cheaper alternative to larger more expensive state schools. Don't be frightened by incurring some debt while getting your college education. As a software engineer i was able to pay off my school debt within 6 months after getting my first job. Trading a few years of your life for college to secure a higher paying job for the next 45 years of your life is a good trade.
🔆 Jennifer Boyd 🔆
Leader and Team Member
1
Answer
San Diego, California
Updated
🔆 Jennifer’s Answer
I think there are different paths depending on what type of gaming. Another person answered from Vegas, which could refer more to gambling/gaming. If you are thinking about online gaming (EA Sports, Blizzard, etc) I might suggest seeing if any of those companies have intern positions or opportunities to do a meet and greet. This can get you in the door and start learning about their expectations. Depending on how skilled you become in development, a degree may be less critical.
Good luck!!
Good luck!!