timothyjlaird

This all helped a great deal, i believe i will start learning c# and python

thank you guys for the help

on the languages note, are there any recommended books to pick up for c#/python?

For a grounding in C# the Deitel series is not bad. Although it may be like drinking water out of fire hose for a beginner. I would look at some online tutorials first. Once you know what you are looking for then maybe spend $50 on a book.

If you do choose c# as a first language and master some of the basics (and still want to pursue gamedev) I would recommend Learning XNA 4.0 by Aaron Reed (O'Rielly Series). Once you get further into the book it slowly introduces some basic concepts of object oriented programming and gives you practical reasons to use them with XNA...as opposed to just handing you raw theory. That said...the book's coverage of HLSL (and 3d as it applies to XNA) is a bit shallow, so you should not expect to be an expert on XNA or anything, but it will give a starting point.

Check the local coffee shops. Especially the independent ones. You can learn a lot about a local community just by listening to people talk in the mornings.

Ghost in the Shell (the movie) is off the beaten path...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell_%28film%29

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113568/

The only thing that even comes close to "no programming" is Unity 3d. Per the website $1900(unity pro+android basic) or $3000(unity pro+android pro) is available. You'll still be scripting at a bare minimum...and if you don't want to program I doubt you'll get anywhere with scripting. Why are you here then?

Also, android game development isn't the best place to start. You don't even really have control over the life of the program...you just react. For example, if the user tilts the screen you have to drop everything you are doing, save the state before the OS kills your program, then you have to reload everything from state once it starts back up again.

Android life cycle...
http://developer.android.com/guide/components/activities.html

You guys are clueless, Apple products Just Work. You must be holding the phone wrong while syncing.

All of the apple hype makes me sad.
The higher end devices that run the android OS match up pretty well with apple products as far as hardware is concerned. The only real difference I can see is in the quality of the software. Android has much more potential (both for really good software and really crappy software) because anyone can code for it. The cool thing though is that with android you are given the choice to use whatever software you want...with apple you take what they hand you and hope it does not suck.