Perhaps the reason we see so many overweight programmers is not because programmers become lazy, but because lazy people find programming to be something they can do without expending to much energy.

E:cb woof!

I''ve been programming in C/C++ for about 5-6 months, but mind you it was only a casual thing, I''ve only recently being taking it seriously for about a month. I''m only 17 and I''ve almost finished my first game, which is a multiplayer - puzzle game. I think that'' s good for the amount of time I''ve been programming.
Hey OreoBoy I know exactly what you mean. I would still enjoy a career in the games industry though. You will find that professionals are actually cooler than you think. I went to the australian game developers conference and the professionals looked nothing like what was sterotyped. In fact the only person I was supicious of was a fat guy in a hawian shirt and he turned out to be a artist. Most of the programmers looked more like rock stars with their hair half way down their backs(like mine ). I also play guitar as well. I used to be heaps into it, but I''m starting to play again as well. Instead of thinking about putting a band together, you should find a partner who is either a guitarist or bass player and has the same skills as you, and jam together and do that now. You will find yourself getting much better very fast.

David

I am 18 years old and I am programming (games) since I was 12 years old. I think that a good game programmer has finished at least some university or something like that... Hardcore game programming involves so much math... you just don''t understand it if you are 14 years old or something like that.

Dark

hey, don''t say that people are too young to program stuff. My first introduction to programming was when I was programming my old ti-86 calculator in basic. Then I got into assembly for the ti-86 Zilog proccessor. This was when I was about 13. I even wrote a space invader game in good-ole asm. Then I got into computer programming. I started learning C. The game concepts came pretty easily at first. Within my first year I wrote Tic-Tac-Toe,Pong,Breakout, and Space Invader clones. I am now 15 and learning about OpenGL. I am even writing a basic protal engine. I hate when people that say you can''t learn when you''re too young. Granted I have not yet experienced all of the math that is needed, I am ahead for my age in my math class.

sorry I can''t spell worth anything, that''s portal engine, not protal engine.

Hope this gets posted as me (NeoReality).
I''m well chuffed on how well this post has gone. Its given me (and every one else) a look at the cross section of programmers in and trying to get into the Industry.

OreoBoy, I should soon be hooked through AOL IM as soon as ntl get me my fecking disk. To all thouse with musical tallent, I''m well jelious! I took GSCE music to find I couldn''t keep and note had no rythem and totally tone deaf! But at least i could read the music ;-P

Oh and OreoBoy! I don''t think there is Vickies secret over here,(UK) We''ve got Ann Summers Which I guess is the same kind of stuff! Oh and in Nottingham there is a two cool Bondage/fetish/Kinky underwear Shops. But the armoury''s prices are so high you need to be a tory politician to afford any thing ;->

MagicDude at 15 you''re doing damb well. At the same age I was following a similar path. In scouts one of the two badges I got was the computer badge. Then (10 years ago) we played with BBC Micros. Where in the UK are you? At school I excelled in the same areas, but I found jeliousy from some of the older kids who ran the computer club. If you encounter the same crap give them the finger and do it your way!
Oh And dont fear not being able to get into the industry if the stuff posted here is true, its just a case of time and effort! C++ at 15 you''ve got the skills!
And as for books you''re right on there finding information here is crap, but www.pcbooks.co.uk and amazon.co.uk should be all you need if your folks can help put up the cash!

BitBlt.. I''ve never seen a pic of Andre Lamothe, but I rate his books. And your handle is bang on!

8 Post''s left till dedicated

For all Coders in England any you guys n'' galls in or near Nottingham

What else do you need; besides a miricle.
Money. Lots of Money. or I''ll never do a sequel!

I believe you can find a picture of Andre on his website xgames3d.com - he''s not quite what you would expect (or maybe he is, depending on the person! )

Breakaway Games