I'm really into game programming, but... my parents say its a waste of time and i'll never get by in life.. and.. becuz of my families financial situation.. im not exactly up to date.. all i hav is a PSP and PS2 each with only a few games... Is game programming the career for me?? I really like to do it but..

my suggestion is if you really want to be a game programmer then pursue it...although there is an alternative,you could pursue a BS computer science degree and try to learn game programming on the side line,that way when you graduate you can get a job other than in the game industry...you dont really need to go to a game programming specific degree(or anything offered by universities) to be a game programmer(correct me if im wrong),but it sure help...at least a BS comp. sci. degree is still close to game programming =)

hope it helps

Well it is important to listen to your parents, however I fail to see how a creative pursuit that challenges you to solve difficult and complex problems is a waste of time. While it may not lead to a career it helps to develop problem solving skills and it provides a creative outlet...

Personally I program for a living and I started programming in my spare time from home... It is not impossible, it just depends on your drive and how hard you are willing to work. I can safely advise that it will not happen overnight and you will more than likely need to go to college to get a computer science degree before you will be able to find a job doing such things.

Really we can't answer the question of what career is right for you. Only YOU can answer that! It is your life and you will ultimately have to make the decision of what path you will take. I want you to keep in mind that anything worth doing is hard and a lot of work though! Programming games for a living might sound cool but it is a lot of work and extremely high stress!

Anyway try to strike a compromise with your parents. Maybe they merely want you to limit the time you spend on the computer? Try to talk with them about why they feel it is a waste of time and maybe you can work something out with them.

Oh and FYI I must be very out of date because the newest game console I have is a Playstation ;) you don't need a game console to program games for the computer :P .

Being a game player does not imply that you are a game maker, and not playing many games doesn't mean you fail at being a game maker. Thus your parents not providing you with lots of video games doesn't mean you can't be a developer.

[Edited by - Drigovas on August 10, 2008 5:10:58 AM]