Game programmer

A game programmer is a software engineer who primarily develops computer or video games or related software (such as game development tools). Game programming has many specialized disciplines; practitioners of any may regard themselves as "game programmers". A game programmer should not be confused with a game designer; many designers are also programmers, but not all are, and it is rare for one person to serve both roles in modern professional games.

Experience needed

Game programmers often have a bachelor's degree in computer science, just like other kinds of programmers. Programmers with mathematics degrees are often found writing some of the most difficult systems in games that require a strong physics and math background, such as the game's physics system, camera system, and graphics.

Related Topics:
Computer science - Mathematics

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Notably, there are many game programmers with no formal education in the subject, having started out as hobbyists and doing a great deal of programming on their own, for fun, and eventually succeeding because of their aptitude and homegrown experience, and because of their love of programming. Most job solicitations for game programmers specify a computer science degree "or equivalent experience" for this reason.

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Increasingly, universities are starting to offer courses and degrees in game programming. These degrees may be valuable and should offer a well-rounded education that includes all the fundamentals of software engineering.

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However, there are also some 2-year colleges that offer game development degrees, including "game programming." These "colleges" are notorious for churning out graduates who know little more than how to use a level editor. While not useless information, to be sure, these graduates are taught little in the way of actual programming.

Related Topics:
College - Level editor

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