Tools for Beginning Game Developers
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Have you ever dreamed of creating your own game, but feared your coding background wasn't enough to deal with the myriad of challenges? Then take heart; the latest developments in game design mean that anyone can play, regardless of their coding ability; even non-coders can get involved. Keep reading for a closer look.
Every gamer knows the story. You’ve read the reviews, so you know all about the stunning graphics and compelling gameplay. But how often, when you get a brand new game home, rip off the wrapper and load it up, does it turn out to be a massive disappointment?
At some stage, almost everybody who has ever played a commercial game has probably felt that they could make something better themselves. Many game publishers have responded to this by packaging level creators and character builders alongside their games, which have allowed budding authors to exercise a certain amount of originality.
But a new range of tools is beginning to appear which threatens to open up new levels of possibility for aspiring game developers. These are geared towards removing, as far as possible, the programming and coding barriers to development, instead providing engines that allow complete beginners to create the most common types of actions and activities used in the majority of games. On top of these engines, creators can add their own graphics, characters, story lines and puzzles to make new games limited by little more than the power of their imaginations.
This game authoring revolution was, perhaps surprisingly, heralded by the Sony Corporation, with its decision to place creativity right at the heart of the Little Big Planet experience on PSP3. When you buy a copy of Little Big Planet you don’t just get the game. You also receive a set of the tools that Sony’s developers built it with. These powerful utilities allow the creation of levels every bit as complex, detailed and fully-featured as the built-in set. You could theoretically recreate the included levels down to the tiniest detail if you wanted, although designing your own is likely to be a more rewarding experience.
Of course all this power comes at a price. Using professional gaming tools to create professional-standard characters and puzzles requires not just skill and imagination, but large amounts of time. This level of accomplishment is a significant challenge that will defeat many people, but those who are seriously committed to the game and its creative ethos will discover a rewarding and largely limitless challenge.
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