Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Really Like?
Programming games can be very different from other kinds of programming. Some
of the good aspects of game programming have to do with the bleeding edge chal-
lenges you run across and the fact that sometimes you actually see your name scroll
across a credits screen. Games are cool, and everybody loves them. If you meet a fan
at a computer game store, that person is usually really happy to meet you. You get to
play with some great technology from manufacturers like Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony,
Apple, and others. Software development kits from companies like Unity, Havok,
Epic, Valve, and others are also a lot of fun to play with. They can give you a real
boost in game development and can bootstrap your game from nothing to something
cool in record time.
The not-so-cool side of professional game programming involves the inherent
unknowns that come with your work. The sweaty underbelly of this industry can be
blamed mostly on insane deadlines and work hours, project management problems,
ever-changing SDKs, hardware and operating systems, the tricky problem of creating
“
”
and intense competition from other game developers. Hopefully, this topic can
give you some perspective on the industry and at the same time show you the fun
and not-so-fun aspects of game development. I
fun,
'
ll try to point out some things that
I
ve learned over the past few years. Read this chapter, and you might be able to
dodge a few of these problems.
'
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