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By Posted in Careers, Schools No Comments

Since the dawn of the computer age, if you wanted to get a job programming, the best way has been to get a computer science (CS) degree. Because of this, universities and colleges that offer CS degrees have been the “gatekeepers” to the programming industry. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing — CS degrees certainly do teach you a lot about computer science and programming, and even give you some hands-on experience.

But a new option has more recently appeared, and for many people it’s a way to learn programming faster, and usually cheaper: online coding boot camps.

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What is visual scripting?

When making video games, sometimes it’s not desirable or practical to create everything using a programming language. That’s where visual scripting comes in. Visual scripting can be used to create in-game events and control game objects, but without writing any code. So instead of typing code in a language like C++ or C#, visual scripting lets you use an easy to use, drag-and-drop interface.

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If you’re planning a career as a video game developer, your first step is to learn to code in a language that professional developers use to make the greatest games in the world. But which one of the many game programming languages should you learn first?

It’s a big decision. Programming languages take a long time to learn, and you don’t want to waste time learning to code in a language that’s just the “flavor of the month.”

Instead, you want to learn a language that’s valued by top game companies like Valve, Riot, Blizzard, or Nintendo. Which programming languages will help you get hired at a top game company?

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By Posted in Careers, Tools No Comments

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 »

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This is one of more than 30 interviews with professional game developers. For more, visit Which game job is right for you?.

Dan White, Video Game Technical Director
Dan White: “You don’t lose respect because you don’t know things; you lose respect because you don’t ask questions.”

For every job in the video game industry, there’s a natural career progression as you gain experience over the years.

For video game programmers (also called engineers) there are typically two options. One path is to become a senior engineer and take on more challenging projects. The other is to become a technical lead, possibly increasing in scope to eventually lead multiple engineering teams and projects.

That second path — the engineering-leadership path — is a job called the Technical Director.

Today we’re speaking with Dan White, a highly-experienced Technical Director in the video game industry. He’s been making games since 1995, and in 1999 he started a game studio that’s still going strong today. We ask him what it takes to become a Technical Director, why management is rewarding, and how you can start your own career in video game engineering. Read more »

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By Posted in Podcast, Resume No Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Supreeth, who asks, “Hey Jason! Supreeth here, we here in India appreciate all the information provided in you website and I’m a huge fan of your podcast. So, I would feel glad if you could provide me any certain information regarding, How do I make a game programming demo to apply for jobs? How should the demo be? In video format? How do I show my code along with my demo reel?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why you can’t afford not to have a game programming portfolio
  • How to use the “what, why, how” portfolio format
  • How to get your own portfolio website and your own domain name

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By Posted in Careers 3 Comments

This is one of more than 30 interviews with professional game developers. For more, visit Which game job is right for you?.

"New problems will occur on a daily basis. Treat every problem as an onion and peel one layer at a time."
“New problems will occur on a daily basis. Treat every problem as an onion and peel one layer at a time.”

The Tastiest Code

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a game programmer, you were likely enticed by the obvious parts of game programming: The artificial intelligence; the physics engine; the visual effects system. And who could blame you? Those are tasty systems that players interact with most, and they’re interesting challenges to sink your code chops into.

But the meatiest code of all may be a part of the game that you’re barely aware of. In fact, it’s nearly invisible to most players, because it doesn’t even exist on your computer – it exists entirely “in the cloud.”

I’m talking, of course, about the game’s server software. Read more »

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By Posted in Careers, Podcast No Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Derek, who asks “I’m interested in both game programming and general game design, my talents lying mostly with programming. Do game programmers often get much input in the game design outside of simply how the game functions? I assume this would largely depend on the size of the team. But I’m just wondering if it’s likely I’ll get to participate in both areas.”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How team size influences programmer input to game design
  • Why your choice of subject matter expertise affects your design influence
  • The #1 most impactful way to ensure you get your say in a game’s design

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By Posted in Careers, Podcast 3 Comments

In this episode of Game Industry Career Guide Podcast, I answer a question from Dylan, who asks “I want to use Game Designer as a career path and I was wondering if being a game programmer would help with that?”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why programming is at the heart of every game project
  • 3 reasons why programming will help your game design career
  • How to stand out from the crowd when you apply for your first game design job

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By Posted in Tools 30 Comments

With books, you're less likely to drop your phone in the toilet.
With books, you’re less likely to drop your phone in the toilet.
Image: Indi Samarajiva/Flickr

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.
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