{"id":2154,"date":"2022-02-10T15:18:10","date_gmt":"2022-02-10T19:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wholetomato.com\/?p=2154"},"modified":"2022-06-22T18:57:16","modified_gmt":"2022-06-22T22:57:16","slug":"tips-for-aspiring-game-developers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Aspiring Game Developers"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p>Have you ever considered becoming a game developer but never knew where or how to start?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>In this blog, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll talk about a few things you might want to know before you get started in the video game industry.\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\r\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\r\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/#The_video_game_industryaE%E2%80%9D_by_the_numbers\" >The video game industry\u00e2\u20ac\u201d by the numbers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/#Things_to_consider_before_deciding_on_a_career_as_a_game_developer\" >Things to consider before deciding on a career as a game developer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/#Tip_1_Start_with_simple_projects\" >Tip #1: Start with simple projects<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/#Tip_2_Build_upon_pre_existing_resources_with_game_engines\" >Tip #2: Build upon pre existing resources with game engines<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/#Tip_3_Maximize_the_tools_you_are_using\" >Tip #3: Maximize the tools you are using<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/#In_summary\" >In summary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/tips-for-aspiring-game-developers\/#Bonus_tip_Watch_how_other_game_developers_work\" >Bonus tip: Watch how other game developers work<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-video-game-industry-by-the-numbers\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_video_game_industryaE%E2%80%9D_by_the_numbers\"><\/span>The video game industry\u00e2\u20ac\u201d by the numbers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Many new programmers aspire to land careers in the video game industry. Who wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to make triple-A games for a living, right?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>In fact, the video game industry has been rising for years now, fueled by more and more players and indie gaming studios. This trend has brought unprecedented growth year after year, both in the number of users and in the quality of games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no wonder that many new developers\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmany of whom were gamers themselves at some point\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtry to get into the game industry.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/dhd8H_515GCFib0Migp204NeVxsEyzS7lWyjJUIeBa8o6DrFXR3HVEqVaDRANliOOLB9beK0HaxDHBqLIKsJRlxtkTT0kbmT1mhWBriRV4nWpjI5NuEvNzbU6EDqazUz9oF2DENv\" alt=\"video game industry infographic 2022\" width=\"410\" height=\"583\" \/>\r\n<figcaption>Current trends suggest that the video game industry will continue to grow for the foreseeable future.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"things-to-consider-before-deciding-on-a-career-as-a-game-developer\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Things_to_consider_before_deciding_on_a_career_as_a_game_developer\"><\/span>Things to consider before deciding on a career as a game developer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Before finalizing a career choice in game development, there are a few things you have to consider first. Most people miss one key thing\u00e2\u20ac\u201d<strong>playing games is an entirely different arena from creating one<\/strong>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>A career in game development involves investing a lot of time in practicing and learning (months and years even) and then more hours of actual work and debugging.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Game development is like producing an indie film. The goal is relatively simple to visualize, but as soon as you start doing it, you find that there are a lot of hidden elements and complexities like finding actors, sourcing equipment, or writing a script, among other things.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>However, if you can look past the apparent startup hurdles (which are present in any career or hobby), then you can start practicing your skills and be on your way to becoming a full-time game developer.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Here are a few other questions to ask before deciding on a career in game development:\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>What programming languages will you use?<\/li>\r\n<li>Are you more of a game artist or a game programmer?<\/li>\r\n<li>How much time and resources are you willing to invest in learning?<\/li>\r\n<li>Are you doing this as a recreational hobby or to build your resume?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tip-1-start-with-simple-projects\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tip_1_Start_with_simple_projects\"><\/span>Tip #1: Start with simple projects<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>One of the best ways to start is by getting some hands-on experience by completing a project from start to finish. You can start with something simple, like a game of Pong or a side scroller using the language of your choice.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/aHVzfmmI6P1M0XUpYvdsvBFYkK3YSmyY08mHbOcD40Ca36lG2WpOL5ijMcIMKWPRKX5Bvx_BXRlHRfLyKF7dCFHFd1iEV_Mwo_Zpcwu062KPwA3uydKYraY_1Yy-6TRGc8A1aRu1\" alt=\"Pong basic arcade game  \" width=\"421\" height=\"350\" \/>\r\n<figcaption>Pong is an arcade game that is a suitable beginner project for game new programmers.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><strong>But don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beginner\u00e2\u20ac\u009d tag fool you!\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You will find that even the most simple of games require a lot of time and effort to create. However, creating a game from scratch will serve as a great introduction to the hidden complexities of game development, such as:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Creating objects<\/li>\r\n<li>Programming player input and controls\u00c2\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<li>Adding simple AI for NPCs<\/li>\r\n<li>Object physics<\/li>\r\n<li>Game conditions and objectives<\/li>\r\n<li>Game UI and menus<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You can also find completed projects from other developers to use as a benchmark for your own projects.\u00c2\u00a0 For example, this <a href=\"https:\/\/gist.github.com\/straker\/81b59eecf70da93af396f963596dfdc5\" rel=\"nofollow\">Pong source code<\/a> is available on GitHub and is open for the whole community to examine, copy, modify, experiment with, and more.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>And if you get stuck on something, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be afraid to ask on gamedev forums such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/gamedev\/wiki\/getting_started\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Reddit<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/stackexchange.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Stack Exchange<\/a>. You would be surprised by the number of people who would be willing to help.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>There are also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=z06QR-tz1_o\" rel=\"nofollow\">tutorials on YouTube<\/a> if you prefer videos. Full-fledged courses, both paid and free, are also available on popular providers such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coursera.org\/search?query=game%20development&amp;\" rel=\"nofollow\">Coursera<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.udemy.com\/courses\/development\/game-development\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Udemy<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 You just have to look for the one that fits your learning style the best.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>When you <em>finish <\/em>your first game, remember that it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be super polished or bug-free. The important thing here is to experience game development and all things related.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tip-2-build-upon-pre-existing-resources-with-game-engines\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tip_2_Build_upon_pre_existing_resources_with_game_engines\"><\/span>Tip #2: Build upon pre existing resources with game engines<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can try a different approach by using <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Game_engine\" rel=\"nofollow\">game engines<\/a> like Unity or Unreal Engine.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The main advantage of using game engines is access to pre programmed templates and assets. In fact, many new developers go this route so they can focus on game design and avoid many of the technical (and often tedious) details for later.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For example, something <em>basic<\/em> like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vOMprEQYslo\" rel=\"nofollow\">drawing text using Direct X<\/a> code is several degrees more complex than using a built-in GUI in Unity or Unreal. These instances tend to frustrate beginners and steer them away from ever finishing their first game.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Another advantage of using these big game engines will give you access to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/unrealengine\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">very active community of other developers <\/a>as well as some very useful documentation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.unrealengine.com\/4.27\/en-US\/Basics\/GettingStarted\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Unreal Engine Documentation<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/unity.com\/learn\/get-started\" rel=\"nofollow\">Unity Documentation<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>For instance, you can head over to <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.unrealengine.com\/4.27\/en-US\/Resources\/SampleGames\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Unreal Engine\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s starter projects<\/a> for a list of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153simplified gaming experiences,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which allow you to try a design approach for a specific game type.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/lpszc1na1fzbi0txmAU2TF4F_K9nuouBkSH-OSRpQH9DsWOnMg_iMnPVygs-_GK5JmwyNOaxwqFqzeus088JlvO8Xv468z_UA1jnxZuzKsekstR6542MAsNmmGGweS8S9hp0hEZ6\" alt=\"Unreal engine starter kits\" width=\"942\" height=\"457\" \/>\r\n<figcaption>Unreal Engine gives beginner game developers access to starter kits that make it easier to create some of the most popular game genres.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tip-3-maximize-the-tools-you-are-using\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tip_3_Maximize_the_tools_you_are_using\"><\/span>Tip #3: Maximize the tools you are using<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>This may seem obvious, but you need to familiarize yourself with the tools you are using. Whether you are focusing on graphic design with game engines or coding complicated game mechanics, a certain level of mastery will greatly improve your workflow.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>If you are coding in C++, we recommend using a dedicated coding environment IDE like Visual Studio as it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s free and natively supports the language.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Then when at some point you feel that the coding environment you are using is limiting you, it may be prudent to install <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/visual-assist-ue4-unreal-engine\">productivity plugins like Visual Assist<\/a>. This will greatly help with navigating, managing, and writing huge code projects (which is almost always the case with game development projects).\u00c2\u00a0It also has <a title=\"dedicated features and support for Unreal Engine\" href=\"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/15\/unreal-engine-quality-of-life-in-visual-assist-2021-2\/\">dedicated features and support for Unreal Engine<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-summary\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_summary\"><\/span>In summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a quick recap on how you can get started with your game development career.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\r\n<li>Understand that playing games is different from programming them<\/li>\r\n<li>Determine how much time and effort you can allocate to learning<\/li>\r\n<li>Start with simple projects to build experience<\/li>\r\n<li>Utilize all the resources available\u00c2\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<li>Maximize your efficiency with the right tools<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Always remember that there is no clear-cut path to becoming a game developer. There are people who start as solo hobbyists, while some were recruited due to their experience in similar fields. But what you can do is pick a project you like, and keep practicing until you reach your goal!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bonus-tip-watch-how-other-game-developers-work\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bonus_tip_Watch_how_other_game_developers_work\"><\/span>Bonus tip: Watch how other game developers work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Trying to understand how to program games through a blog article can take you only so far. Try to find more experienced developers and see how to integrate some of their best practices and habits into your workflow.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>And as an alternative, you can <a title=\"register for Whole Tomato\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s webinar\" href=\"https:\/\/register.gotowebinar.com\/register\/1204084400512833291\" rel=\"nofollow\">register for Whole Tomato\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s webinar<\/a> on ways to improve game development experience. This short webinar will showcase how to do simple projects in Unreal Engine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\r\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/register.gotowebinar.com\/register\/1204084400512833291\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/hdIETJdBBN5P2WLpI0EKDjzYsIPMIoUc0xiTEg1cp2qRJFsesUlfnqGHgFH2kyFVcsqbSa-E-u2uiH-vfr63utB1wejku_mSwp6DWWrdl1O2PwWTSGmRn9HRC_zTCz9znal85dhk\" alt=\"intro to visual assist webinar improve game development experience VAX\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever considered becoming a game developer but never knew where or how to start? In this blog, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll talk about a few things you might want to know before you get started in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213500340,"featured_media":2161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[672],"tags":[726359761,1788,726359762,1453277],"class_list":["post-2154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-and-tricks","tag-game-developer","tag-tips","tag-unity","tag-unreal-engine"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/WT-Blog-Featured-Image.jpg?fit=2068%2C1382&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfhqii-yK","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/213500340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2154"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2565,"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154\/revisions\/2565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stage.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}