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.

Platforms

Most game programmers specialize on one platform or another. For example, a programmer can specialize on the Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2 or Microsoft Windows. Other platforms include cell phones, the Apple Macintosh, handhelds such as the Palm OS, PlayStation Portable or the Game Boy. So, in addition to specializing in one game programming discipline, a programmer may also specialize in development on a certain platform. Therefore, one game programmer's title might be "PlayStation 2 3D Graphics Programmer." Some disciplines, such as AI, are transferable to various platforms and needn't be tailored to one system or another. Also, general game development principles such as 3D graphics programming concepts, sound engineering and user interface design are naturally transferable between platforms.

Related Topics:
Xbox - GameCube - PlayStation 2 - Microsoft Windows - Cell phone - Apple Macintosh - Handhelds - Palm OS - PlayStation Portable - Game Boy

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