Game Maker
by Robert C. Kalajian Jr. · in General Discussion · 02/27/2004 (4:48 am) · 7 replies
I was just reading in another post about someone who uses Game Maker for 2D games. The interface looks simple and i'd love to work with it, although I am still planning on buying Torque.
Is this really a good tool to work with, and can it make professional games?
-Robert
Is this really a good tool to work with, and can it make professional games?
-Robert
About the author
#2
Try it out...
Nick
[edit] spelling
02/27/2004 (6:11 am)
Gamemaker is mostly free (optional registration which enables a few more features) so no harm at all in trying it out, seeing what you can make with it. Frame rates are quite slow (as mentioned above) but you can get quick results and it is fun to play around with.Try it out...
Nick
[edit] spelling
#3
-Jeff Tunnell GG
02/27/2004 (7:33 am)
Game Maker is a lot of fun to mess around with. Even though it is menu oriented, you still learn a lot about programming by using it.-Jeff Tunnell GG
#4
02/27/2004 (11:15 am)
Could be a nice quick-prototyping tool before moving to a more serious engine (eg. Torque) for a graphics and performance-enhanced version of your game. Certainly a good way to play, and play is the best way to get good ideas. 
#5
02/28/2004 (6:23 am)
Game Maker is a great way to teach your children the basics of game engines. I have a two girls 7 and 10 years old and they just started learning it. They are already starting to make their first game. I think it is a good program to learn the basics and to ponder up ideas for future games. Now the only problem is for them to stop fighting over the computer to make thier games. It never stops...sigh!
#6
You can never get kids started too early on videogames and their making. ;-)
My li'l brother, a month after the birth of their baby girl, bought a kids-size X-box controller for when she grows up. lol
-Eric F
02/28/2004 (8:20 am)
LOL!You can never get kids started too early on videogames and their making. ;-)
My li'l brother, a month after the birth of their baby girl, bought a kids-size X-box controller for when she grows up. lol
-Eric F
#7
02/28/2004 (9:21 am)
@Mark - awesome use for it. Those sort of programs inspired me to game development, too... first by empowering me, then by pissing me off with their limitations. ;) 
Torque Owner mm
The draw backs are that it runs slowly if you have a larger scale game than just the normal Asteroids or Mario clone. And it has terrible frame rate.
If you just want to play around and kill some time then I would surely say go with Game Maker but over all even with adding in the built in scripting language that it comes with you will never be able to make a commercially viable project other than on small scale.
I know that you said that you were going to get Torque as well so I don't see any reason why you would take a look and play around with Game Maker on the side. It can be fun to work with and gives you quick results. ;)
Matt