3 answers
Christopher
Student
Yuma, Arizona
2
Questions
Updated
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What things did you have to study to work with computer gaming ?
What subjects and certain details they had to turn. It
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3 answers
Lenzy Schneider
Game Designer
5
Answers
Ventura, California
Updated
Lenzy’s Answer
Hello! Game development actually involves people from a wide range of job types and backgrounds.
Developers and Engineers who write the code using one of many coding languages like C#, C++, Python, or JAVA. I would suggest looking into any of those to get started.
Designers who work on the how and why things work. These can be Combat, Systems, Economy, and Technical based. You will want to learn lots of math and how things work together.
Artists make all the pretty things these can be in 2d and 3d art from characters, backgrounds, and props. If you like art this is a great option.
Quality Assurance or QA testers that make sure things work like they are supposed to. If you are good and finding problems or like doing the same thighs over and over looking for errors this is a great entry to the industry.
There are also community Managers who work with the players of the games, giving their feedback to the team. This is great if you like working with and talking to lots of people.
And lastly there is a big mix of financial people, managers, and other jobs that help make the industry run.
This is a long way of saying there is no one specific path to work in games, it takes lots of different people and skill sets. Think about which parts are most interesting to you and go for it!
Developers and Engineers who write the code using one of many coding languages like C#, C++, Python, or JAVA. I would suggest looking into any of those to get started.
Designers who work on the how and why things work. These can be Combat, Systems, Economy, and Technical based. You will want to learn lots of math and how things work together.
Artists make all the pretty things these can be in 2d and 3d art from characters, backgrounds, and props. If you like art this is a great option.
Quality Assurance or QA testers that make sure things work like they are supposed to. If you are good and finding problems or like doing the same thighs over and over looking for errors this is a great entry to the industry.
There are also community Managers who work with the players of the games, giving their feedback to the team. This is great if you like working with and talking to lots of people.
And lastly there is a big mix of financial people, managers, and other jobs that help make the industry run.
This is a long way of saying there is no one specific path to work in games, it takes lots of different people and skill sets. Think about which parts are most interesting to you and go for it!
Anh Ngo
Sr Software/Firmware Engineer
8
Answers
Redmond, Washington
Updated
Anh’s Answer
Programming for computer gaming is not easy. First, you need learn computer algorithm to optimize the gaming speed. Second you need to work with graphics. And of course, you need to play game to test your own implementation. I would start with basic C programming first, then go to advanced computer algorithms classes.
Joey Aiello
Principal Product Manager
1
Answer
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Joey’s Answer
As others have said, there are all sorts of roles that you can pursue within the gaming industry. But given my experience in software, I'll answer primarily from the software side of things.
If you want to be an engineer at a gaming company, you'll find the most success and flexibility by specializing in particularly "low-level" areas of software. For instance, working on or even using existing graphical engines involves a lot of 3D and vector math. Similarly, learning the ins-and-outs of computer networking is critical for working on multiplayer games and their "netcode", especially fast-paced games where milliseconds are the difference between winning and losing.
And for all of these low-level systems: MATH MATH MATH! It may seem boring in introductory high school classes, but as you grow in your education, math spirals out into all sorts of applications that are highly relevant to the sort of lower-level programming so commonly found in game development. So take math seriously, even as you hone your coding skills.
You should also know that, while working in the game industry _can_ be highly lucrative, it's often a labor of love that pays less than comparable roles at non-gaming tech companies. In spite of this, game industry jobs can be highly competitive, so the more you can stand out--e.g. with a portfolio of personal projects that show you're willing to experiment and learn, or by demonstrating a cross-section of technical and non-technical skills--the better chance you'll have at breaking into the industry.
More than anything: just get out there and make stuff. Don't worry too hard about picking the right platform, engine, or tutorial. Just pick something and do your best to _finish_ something with it. Then you can move onto something else, and all the work you already did will start to make more sense.
Good luck!
If you want to be an engineer at a gaming company, you'll find the most success and flexibility by specializing in particularly "low-level" areas of software. For instance, working on or even using existing graphical engines involves a lot of 3D and vector math. Similarly, learning the ins-and-outs of computer networking is critical for working on multiplayer games and their "netcode", especially fast-paced games where milliseconds are the difference between winning and losing.
And for all of these low-level systems: MATH MATH MATH! It may seem boring in introductory high school classes, but as you grow in your education, math spirals out into all sorts of applications that are highly relevant to the sort of lower-level programming so commonly found in game development. So take math seriously, even as you hone your coding skills.
You should also know that, while working in the game industry _can_ be highly lucrative, it's often a labor of love that pays less than comparable roles at non-gaming tech companies. In spite of this, game industry jobs can be highly competitive, so the more you can stand out--e.g. with a portfolio of personal projects that show you're willing to experiment and learn, or by demonstrating a cross-section of technical and non-technical skills--the better chance you'll have at breaking into the industry.
More than anything: just get out there and make stuff. Don't worry too hard about picking the right platform, engine, or tutorial. Just pick something and do your best to _finish_ something with it. Then you can move onto something else, and all the work you already did will start to make more sense.
Good luck!