Summary

As you can see, it takes some skill to be a game programmer. You must know how to program computers, usually in C++. I'll begin showing how to program in C++ in the next chapter.

You also need to know the basics of computer graphics and animation. Computer animation works just like movie animation. That is, you show a series of pictures that differ slightly to produce the illusion of movement.

You're probably reading this book because you want to write your own games and not just work for a game company where someone else designs the games. If that's the case, you need to know something about game design. Specifically, you need to make your games unique, plausible, and playable. Also, players will enjoy your game much more if you make them think.

You'll also need to know a bit about art and music. If you are not an artist or musician, it's a good idea to find friends or relatives who can help you with your game or buy collections of art and music that you can use in your game. It really is possible for two people, a programmer and an artist/musician, to develop a game that takes the industry by storm. To begin learning the programming skills you need to develop the next killer game, read on to chapter 2.