Game developers are among
the 10 most difficult to find jobs among technical professions, according to
data from Indeed.
With
every company evoking the use of tech to some degree, with digital
transformation projects underway in many industries to try to keep up with the
digital trends. This means that the demand for developer talent has since
increased in recent years, as companies strive to look for competent developers
to bring in new ideas.
Almost
every gaming fan with interest in coding dreams of becoming a game developer.
The actual process of becoming a game developer is both difficult and easy at
the same time. So how does one become a game developer?
- Become an adept student of the subject
The
first step to mastering anything is to become an adept student of that subject.
If you want to become a great musician, listen to great music first. If you
want to become a great writer, read great novels before writing. And if you
want to become a developer and develop great video games, play the great games
already available trying to understand the various decisions developers make while
coding.
- Immerse Yourself in the Community
Most
developers gain a clear insight into how to become great game developers by
being active in the community. By being active in the community and
understanding what people want, what is out there in the market or just by
socializing with people in the community, you may find yourself landing a job
if you know people who work in the industry already, you might hear of job. Who
knows, the people you socialize within the community might even recommend you
for the positions.
- Choose a programming language
Programming
languages to choose typically depend on the game engine you choose to work
with. For instance; For the Unreal Engine and CryEngine, you will need C++.
Unity requires you to know C#.
Although
C++ is harder to learn compared to C#, it may be a great idea starting with C#,
playing around with Unity to learn the basics to learn how game development
works in less hard environments.
However,
having learned C# and knowing game development in its entirety form, you will
be tasked to learn more standard programming languages in game development.
- Set small objectives
Often,
people overestimate their capabilities and motivation when setting up goals
they would like to achieve. Don’t make this mistake while on your journey to
become a game developer. Setting realistic objectives is key to remaining
motivated.
- Learn and master different coding
techniques
People
often wait for circumstances to be right, ending up usually doing it. Analyze
great games, become active in the gaming community and try to find people who
are learning to be game programmers just like you.
While
programming a game, one may encounter concepts that seem useless, never ignore
them as every function in all game engines have a purpose
Never
expect to learn to be a game developer quickly if it were easy to develop a
game, everyone would be doing it. Putting in years of work and commitment is
the key to becoming a great game developer.
- Find a team
Being
a team sport, developing a game usually require different people with different
skills, for instance, one may require an illustrator, animator, composer, VFX
master, writer and a true gamer of the current century, thus, one can never
develop a game on their own by simply learning how to become game developers,
Instead, one can simply use connections in the community to help them out.
- Never give up
Lastly,
it is good to note that one might face numerous rejections on their way to
becoming game developers but never let them get you down. After all, one can
never win unless they play with passion and are committed to their work.
Your
first game may probably suck; the first job you apply to you may never get
unless you prepare well enough for it.
How
does one become a great game developer? Simple, analyze, network, learn and
never give up.
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