create a computer game

There’s been loads of ideas floating around in my head, but finally a few nice simple ones are there. I’ve been reviewing the code from the previous game I tried making with folks, and am realizing I’m going to need to essentially re-learn DirectX from scratch.

Come April, I’ll have a bit more time, and think I’ll try to make the first of the uber-simple games.

The main reasons why this appeals to me:

• Game programming is sexy: every cycle counts, you have to get your physics down, your game world down, etc. It’s much more demanding than the programming I do 9-5.

• A generation is shaped in large part by the games it plays. I’d love to be able to make a game that has a positive affect on the consciousness of its players.

• A game is something that’s easy to share with friends and have them check out. Few friends are able to look at the back-end of a database and say “wow… that’s really clever”.

• A good game concept can make decent profit, and I’m very attracted to a project based lifestyle of slowly accruing recurring revenue streams.

I’ve gotten partway before: Had a team together working on a DirectX game. We had the basic physics going, user interface, some decent graphics beginning, and a WICKED setup for creating and simulating events in a pretty cool world environment. Apathy reigned and the team fell apart, but it was exciting while it lasted, and I’d love to have another go at it.

• Make a humorous and easy game to share with friends
• Make a potentially sellable game of some kind
• Make one of the “uber-games” that friends and I have been talking about for ages.

(Note: The first of these goals is sufficient for me to cross this off. The other goals would be for a further “thing”).