How to become a Game Programmer

What do you want to be when you grow up? How to become a Game Programmer

K- Monster wants to become a Game Programmer when he grows up; he is very interested in learning code and what it takes to develop games. With computers becoming a huge part of our lives more and more, it’s naturally something many kids will be interested in.

This year K- Monsters School introduced Computer Science in their learning curriculum, the children in his class have been working on Code.org which is a great start for kids to learn about game coding. You can see more about Code.org HERE

So what does it take to become a Gaming Programmer?

First question to ask yourself is if you should become a Gaming Programmer and what does it mean to be a Gaming Programmer.

A Gaming programmer helps to write and code software for video games; this tells the computer or system what to do for the game to be played. You would be working with others as a team since it takes much more than code to create games. For an example those in your team would include game designers and artists.

While writing and coding is the main aspect of being a Gaming Programmer you still may also work in different areas such as those in design and production-

• Design core game features

• Oversee game testing

• Conduct design reviews

• Artistic concept

• Game play

So what do I need to do?

First things first while you’re still young, you will want to develop a high level in math skills. Coding is by definition: the creation of a mathematical equation that directs the computer to perform in certain ways. Make sure when or if you’re in high school that your course work includes these subjects:

• Trigonometry

• Physics

• Calculus

• Linear algebra

• Basic algorithms

What’s next?

After high school you will want to move on to getting a Bachelor Degree which is a minimum requirement in Computer Science or Computer Engineering. This will take 2 years minimum to achieve.

A bachelor's program in video game programming will typically include classes in:

• C++

• Calculus

• Object oriented design

• Game algorithms

• Computer graphics

• Network fundamentals

The key skills that you will want to learn are:

• Critical thinking

• Problem solving

• Quality control analysis

• Judgement and decision-making

• Operations analysis

• Systems evaluation

• Advanced computer skills with programming languages: C, C++, Perl, Assembly, and Lua

Now that I’ve done the hard work...

It’s now time to build a portfolio that stands out!

Time to make your own games; this is the part you have been waiting for. You may not be hired yet but to be hired you will need to create a portfolio. The games you want to add to your portfolio are ones that can be played to completion, they don’t need to be big games- just games that show what you can do and what you could bring to a company.

You would also add all the information such as what programs are needed to run the game, the code, and screenshots, others that worked on the game with you such as those in design, programming or presentation.

Put on that suit it time to get to work!

Find an Entry Level Position as a Game Programmer

To build, on the job experience you will need to start at entry level. Starting low before you can move up, this is true for big name companies- you would need on the job experience before they would hire you.

So have a look around at positions at smaller studios that are making short, simple games for mobile devices and social media sites. Some bigger companies may offer internships so have a look out for them too.

With time and experience you will do wonderful things and move up, maybe one day you will become a Software Developer and spend more time designing and conceptualizing games, rather than coding them!

Good luck for the future, I hope this post was helpful and informative