Computer programming, also known as “coding,” is one of the most in-demand jobs in the world. It’s also among the highest paid, because there’s an ongoing global shortage of people who know how to code.
And with the tech industry booming with no end in sight, tech companies that make products like software, websites, robots, and video games will continue to grow and demand talented coders for years to come.Read more »
The below is a free sample from my book, Start Your Video Game Career. Enjoy! – Jason
I’ll never forget the day I got my first video game console. It was a chilly Montana morning. I climbed out of bed and stumbled bleary-eyed to the living room, with plans to watch Saturday morning cartoons in my full-body Spider-Man pajamas. (Did I mention I was six years old?) As I turned toward the television, there it was: a brand-new Atari 2600 home video game system, in all of its beautiful faux-wood and black-plastic glory.
I immediately fell in love. Read more »
Eliott Lilly is a concept artist working as a freelancer in the video game industry, with credits on heavy-hitting franchises including DOOM, F.E.A.R, and Black Ops. It takes hard work and persistence to achieve success as a concept artist, but it also takes dedicated mentorship (Eliott was personally trained by Donato Giancola) — and that’s why he’s paying it forward by mentoring thousands of aspiring concept artists through his books and his website, BigBadWorldOfConceptArt.com.
We spoke with Eliott to learn how new concept artists can start their careers and stand out from the crowd, and build their own success in the big bad world of concept art. Read more »
After four years of research and over a year of writing, editing, and re-writing, I’m thrilled to announce that my new book Start Your Video Game Career is finally complete, and available for purchase!
This book is a big deal for me personally, since it’s the most in-depth book I’ve ever written. More importantly, I think it will be a powerful tool for you, because it’s packed full of knowledge, guidance, and inspiration to help you start your own successful career in the video game industry. Read more »
In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I read you a free chapter from my book, “Land a Job as a Video Game Tester.”
It’s easy to get started with game development, thanks to a variety of pre-made game engines that help you create basic games quickly. But to make anything substantial – not to mention anything unique or ground-breaking – you’ll need to invest time and effort into your programming skills.
For learning a deep topic like game programming, nothing beats a book. You can throw it in your bag and read it anywhere – on the bus, at school, on your lunch break, on the toil… well, you get the idea.
The game programming books listed below are some of the best available, and they come highly recommended by professional game programmers like Brandon Fogerty, David Galloway, Dan Posluns, Brian Gish, and Yours Truly – me. Start at the top, and build your coding chops as you work through the list.
Note: For younger children, see the list of coding books for kids.
Read more »
It’s easy to dream up an idea for a new game. Nearly everyone seems to have at least one great game design they’d love to bring into the world, given the chance.
But game design isn’t a single skill set. To become a good game designer, you’ll need to build a variety of skills such as cinematic storytelling, interaction design, level design, game engines, and more. Not to mention, learning all about the business of the video game industry.
That’s why I asked some of today’s top game designers for their must-read books for learning game design. Jenova Chen (Journey, Flower), Hal Milton (Marvel: Avengers Alliance) and Kelly Toyama (Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines) are industry titans, and you’ll find their all-time best books for learning game design below. At first, some may not seem to be about game design at all. That’s because the game design skill set is bigger than just learning game engines. Trust the experts: dig in and find out why.Read more »