10 of 12

Write now Article Tools

My first experience as a game programmer involved my dad and I sitting down at our family's Commodore 64 and typing in line after line of Machine Language Code. In high school, I programmed a game in BASIC that involved a stick figure that could move vertically on the screen while shooting a "laser beam" at a "wall" he was trying to escape through.

Both of these forays are a far cry from what it takes to be a game programmer today. Looking at want ads posted on game company websites or the job boards at gamasutra.com reveal the array of skills and requirements that are necessary to be successful in the current market.

What Is A Game Programmer?

It should be noted upfront that game programming can mean different things to different people. Within the industry, the term "programmer" predominately applies to the position responsible for developing the internal tools used to create a game, 3D graphics and animation engines, or the game engine itself.

Level designers are often thought of as game programmers, but they perform a different function, and require a different skill set. Level Designers use the tools the game programmers develop to create the content for a game.

What Skills Does A Game Programmer Need?

It should be obvious, but game programmers need to know a programming language. A passion for playing video games is not enough (though I've seen many job listings for programmers include this as a required skill). C++ is the most common language requested by game companies, and experience using Borland C++ Builder or MS Visual Studio is often included as a requirement. If you want to work on 3D graphics engines, you better know how to work with vertex and pixel shaders, as well as the scripting language used by 3D modeling applications.

In this Windows-dominated world, programmers are also expected to have strong knowledge of the Win32 API. Shops that develop for consoles look for familiarity with the API of their respective platforms.

The emergence of mobile gaming and web-based games has created a demand for programmers who can develop in J2ME, BREW or even ActionScript, the scripting language behind Flash. Studios developing massively multiplayer online products might need a programmer with experience in Java/J2EE. Database programmers are also necessary for making and maintaining MMO systems.

How Do I Get These Mad Skillz?

You're going to need a degree in most cases. A Bachelor's in Computer Science is common, but many institutes of higher learning, like the

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Computer game development: Becoming a programmer?
We want to hear your view. Write now!