just wondering... if i learnt XNA would i be able to make commercial games with it? is it done often? will it be done often? thanks in advance. [edit] i just heard that i can use the XNA framework with visual c++/cli. is this true and how good would it be for commercial games? [end edit]

Yes you could make commercial games.
No it isn't done often.
It may or may not be done often in the future.
You should write xna games in C#.

OK. Thanks. But if i learned XNA do you think i would be able to get a job for a company? If not should i go ahead and do it anyway just to learn how to make games in a relatively easy environment?

Quote:Original post by pi_man
OK. Thanks. But if i learned XNA do you think i would be able to get a job for a company? If not should i go ahead and do it anyway just to learn how to make games in a relatively easy environment?

Assuming that by "a company" you mean "a games development studio":

It's not very likely that a professional game dev will use XNA. Most will use C++ with either an in-house engine (in which case you can't learn it before you get the job) or a licensed one (which you won't be able to learn unless it has a free non-commercial version or you shell out big bucks). That said, using XNA to get some experience making games and to build a portfolio is a sound idea. It's not the specifics of the development that a studio will be worrying about - as long as you can demonstrate your skills in some way, they will be impressed.

However, I really do recommend getting a Bachelor's degree (or a degree from a specialised school if you'd rather; there's been some debate as to whether they're worth it, and I'm sure you can find material on it) if you want a real shot at a career in the games industry - if you haven't gotten one already, that is. I don't think I've ever seen a job advertisement for a games programmer that didn't require either a degree or industry experience. While you may be able to get a job in QA or something and "advance sideways" into programming, it will involve a lot more work and likely take more time.

OK. Thanks guys. Oh, by the way, do you think that i should learn directx with c++ (i already know some c++) or XNA with c# (with which i have very little knowledge)

p.s. I don't have a career in games development (I'm 14)

You're 14. Don't bother thinking about whether what you are currently learning will help you get a job. By the time you're getting a job (in the games industry), things will have changed a lot. No one can predict it that far in advance.

That said, you should definately learn what's easiest to learn. C# and XNA are almost unarguably easier and better to learn than C++ and DirectX. The concepts are very similar, but C# has a lot less junk than C++ (and a lot more nice features), and XNA is very nice. Learning C# and XNA will be just as applicable to your future job as C++ and DirectX. At some point, you'd probably learn both anyways. So start with the nicer one.

right, so XNA is the way to go for me at the moment?

But please take into account that even though C# is easier than C++, that doesn't mean you'll be automatically capable of creating complete games in a week.

It only means that you are freed from burden of having to learn some details and "nitty-gritties" of computer programming in general. That's all. That being said, you will still have to learn concepts and logics of game programming.

I'm not saying this to discourage you, but many, many people (including me in the past) mistakenly thought that by switching from C++ to an easier language will free them 80% of the difficulty needed to build a game.

With C# and XNA, you are expected to focus on building your general sense and logic of game programming. If you can grasp these concepts, you'll have no problem applying it in different programming languages and game engines.

Easier language is not there to particularly ease the learning process anyway. They're there to help the capable to be more productive. Consider the leaner learning curve as a bonus :)

Just my humble 2 cents, hope it is useful to you! :D