startup of a video game

#1 I would suggest that you try making a computer game before you tackle a video game. The development systems for video game consoles are expensive, hard to get, and complicated.

There are several resources dedicated to beginning game development. Pat Wilson, a GarageGames associate, has written an article about beginning Java programming.

Jeff Tunnell GG

#2 Thank you I was trying to decide which might be easier to start off with a computer game or video game. And I think when I start off I'll make a computer game.

#3 You may want to look at Indrema. They are coming out with a linux-based console soon, and the development console is going to be between $500-1000. Programming it is basically just programming a Linux game, so you probably want to start there. See idn.indrema.com for more info.

#4 I'll believe Indrema when I see it, but that is an entire thread that I'll start sometime.

Jeff Tunnell GG

#5 What about the Xbox though? Microsoft seem fairly accessible to independent developers for Xbox, and I've been considering following this up myself. Any thoughts?

#6 My first impression of the XBox "indie" agreement wasn't very good. It sounded like if they like your idea, then you get a development kit, they let you keep using it as long as they like your milestone demos, and of course they only release the end product if they love it. The only way to release a product for XBox is through Microsoft, so I they don't like your idea, game or end product, your screwed.

#7 Wow that is harsh. All this talk about it being such an open system and "just like a pc except with consistent hardware throughout the user base". I hadn't heard they were doing the whole image protection thing and approving the games.

I guess it makes sense that if a huge company is going to lay down a bunch of cash to market a new console that they will try to protect its image. That doesn't leave much room for the odd independent game like that game on PSX called something like "Wild Pure Simple Life" Where you build a monolith out of tusks.

#8 Have a look at my thread about Indrema's console, it's under hardware->consoles.

#9 I found that starting off learning BASIC was interesting. Although if I had the chance nowadays I'd probably have wanted to go straight to Delphi. Failing that, Pascal is fun to start with :)

#10 What you really want to do if your serious about game development is to start by creating a design for your game. This will allow you to see exactly where you are going from start to finish.

I know this sounds boring but without it you are as likely to finish your game as you are to fly a passenger airline tomorrow (before breakfast).

There are several books out there that detail the design process, along with excellent case studies and pitfall avoidance advice. I would start there.

#11 I slightly disagree with Peter about designing the game first, as this may tempt you into designing a fantastic game well beyond your current abilities and resources. You still need a clear idea of what you want to do, but for your first ever game if you can't fit your idea into one simple sentence then you will have trouble programming it.

Start with small projects and work up. My first game ever was a simple number guessing game ( you've got to find the random number between 0-100 in the least possible number of guesses). My first graphical game was track racing game on the ZX81 (you are a 0 at the bottom of the screen, and the track is just the space between two 'I's which scroll down towards you meanering randomly as they go, you must complete a given distance at constant speed without crashing). I started by making games which I had played before, and then tried my hand at novel games... which was much harder. Don't try for the ultimate game in one go, and split up all you want to learn into seperate chunks.

And Good luck - I assume that by now (four months later) Lee is well on his way to learning about programming games!

Doug. EnkiSoftware Limited

First off, Indrema has been dead since April 2001 (also reported elsewhere here). It's developer network is still alive (just) but will change focus to general open source game development if it receives funding.