Becoming a Game Developer?

Hey guys, so I'm a 15 year old kid who would like to get into the gaming industry. Lets get this out of the way, I am not one of those lazy kids who think they can do anything after school even if they get D's. I'm an A/B student and work hard at school ect. So being 15 I'm going into grade eleven next year. My question is what subjects should I be doing? I live about 2 hours from Brisbane QLD. So its only a town and not anything to flash. We don't have a large range of subjects and so please keep that in mind. I also would like to know what kind of place am I looking at going to after school? I know some UNI's that do Computer game Development and am thinking I'll go there but is there any other things like TAFE but for computer game design? Also the Australian gaming industry is not a thriving one and so I am thinking I'll have to form a small group of people and make indie games, where should I be looking? What state has the most Aussie game designers ect. Also I'm a little undecided about what kind of Game Dev I want to be. I don't have great artistic skill and so ruled out the animator/guy whodraws alot. I was wondering wether I should look more at game programmer or Game designer (the guy who is in charge) or maybe even just the game tester. So summed up I would like to know what subjects to do, what places to go after school and what the industry offers. Thanks!

Cool, I'll keep an eye out for adverts in magazines. Also I'll have a look at where Bondi is located.

Like anything else. Hard work, dedication, frustration, Imagination, lots of ups and downs. Keep the dream in mind, but work one step at a time.

If I was in your situation I would talk to your schools Career Adviser, as for year 11 subjects look at IT, Maths, idk whats on offer though. Both TAFE and UNIs offer computerProgramming (Jave, C++, Flash)cources nd other gaming related cources. The gaming industry is small in Australia, with alot of the developers focusing on smallapps (game on ipod/android).

Some examples you may want to look at:

http://www.uq.edu.au/ict/games-modelling

http://www.uq.edu.au/study/program.html?acad_prog=2230

Concentrate on Math, Computer Programming, and Art. You could also start making indie games for the iPhone and XNA. Though I don't think they have Xbox Live Indie games in Austrlia.

TC if i were u i'd start learning java then move to C++. One thing to note is that if u want to be really good u need math. Algerbra, Trig, calculus1-3, linear algerbra, differential equations & basic physics. numerical analysis is reccomended for understanding how to create advance algorithms & such. You should start now so tht eventually can start programming & build a resume. DO NOT GO FOR A GAME DESIGN DEGREE. those degree's mean nothing. They want to see experience which is why u should start programming now. Math & Physics is what they want.

Programming itself is easy tho once u get the hang of it. What I suggest u do is get a bachelor in Computer Science then Major in Computer Engineering. That opens alot more doors in terms of opportunity & u get a better understanding of hardware which can help u become a better programmer when it comes to optimizing games for a specific platform. You could also help design chips. Btw all this info is coming from a close family member who has a VERY VERY VERY VERY high position in the xbox team (hint hint) :)

I know this sounds like alot but dont worry, but when u got to college things change. Ur courses aren't year long things. They are either semester based or quarter based so u can learn alot in 1 year. Just focus on ur studies TC. I cannot emphasize this enough. School is important & you shouldnt let go. Take AP classes (not too many, do what u can handle) & aim for good grades(u already have them good job :).

Some good sites for math & physics(khanacademy, wolframalpha, Wikipedia). For java game programming I reccomend java-gaming.org (Notch, the creator of mincraft goes there :P), XNA, gamedev.net, & gamasutra. Gamasutra is actually very good in that it has nice articles on numerous concepts from ppl in the industry. Also go read some of the beyond3d forums for insight in hardware. Just because programming might be ur main thing doesn't mean u should look at 3d modeling & such tho. its good to understand that stuff aswell so go download blender(a free autocad software) & learn to use tht. Good Luck TC, i know u can do it if u set ur mind to it.

I suggest start programming at home (Java's a good one). The above post is quite detailed with where you could go for tutorials. Some google searches wouldn't hurt either.

Do some basic programming and see if you like the feel of it. If so, then go do computer science or software engineering at university (unless you find computer game development specific schools).

Also, if you know one langauge, such as Java, it's easier to learn other languages (C, C++, Python etc.)

I also think programming would be good even if you were the game designer etc. Having this knowledge will only help.