If I'm looking into becoming a game dev which programming language should i focus on mastering the most??

Question

I wanna be a game dev and someone told me to start with java but I've heard that c++ or c# are what you need to focus more on and some say the programming languages evolve from one to the next based off of the major programming languages... anyone got some advice on where i should start???

Answer 1

It all depends, there are a few different ways to go with this.

Option 1: 3D game development with Unity.

Learn either C# or JavaScript, so you can get a strong handling of syntax and use them with the industry standard software (which is Unity).

Option 2: 2D game development with GameMaker

Teach yourself GML so you can effectively operate GameMaker: Studio.

Option 3: Text-based game development

Learning Lua can work wonders if you are doing a bare-bones text-based game. This option is nice for small projects, and you don't use any external software.

Option 4: Engine development (leading to game development):

This is why many are saying to use C++. You can build your game engine with C++ to ppwer the game, and then code the rest of it in C++ because that's what your engine is made of. However, this is mostly reserved for large, AAA teams.

Answer 2

if you want to work for popular game companies, absolutely learn c++. if you want to make your own game, then arguably any language can do. No one really uses java for game dev (minecraft is the exception, not the rule) unless its a android app. even then, they usually use something else like unity to convert it.

Answer 3

C or C++ would be a better way to start, as the vast majority of games are written in those languages. I think the only popular AAA game written in Java is Minecraft. Java is rather slow, for high performance requirements such as what is needed for modern games. Minecraft has rather blocky graphics too, but it's still a fun game apparently.

Answer 4

@aklex, for tools and scripting engines yeah I would agree.

Answer 5

@Karl T. It is actually more common for AAA teams to use higher level langauges such as Lua to embed into their engine written with C/C++. Our team also did this, because C++ is a poor choice when it comes to testing and developing a game for many reasons.

Answer 6

all great answers guys... thanks for the help and advice, really appreciate you all!!!

Answer 7

first of all learn any language of your choice it is all about learning concepts and solving problem. then you can look for engines