Looking for a Console which is ideal for starting Game Development.

I would recommend Python to start learn the fundamentals grab pygame make a few 2d sprite games etc, learn about collisions, loops etc. You can do all this on your pc, or if you feel you want a piece of dedicated hardware try the RaspberryPi, its a nice little stand alone computer which is very cheap. http://www.raspberrypi.org/

Java is also good it has loads of libraries, but of course its grandaddy C & C++ are great languages at what they do.

 

The only Consoles you're allowed to Develop on, are PS Vita and Xbox 360 (and Mobile Phones, don't tell me that!).
The problem is, they only provide C# to individuals, making you have to switch to C++, when you actually become a licensed Developer.

 

I wouldn't call it IDEAL, but learning Assembly/Game Programming through the NES' 6502 is loads of fun!

But don't you get jealous when you hear about how awesome the Net Yaroze was? So go and learn C# and the XNA framework, you won't regret your choice.

 

Grateful if you could share some links on introducing the joy of NES 6502 programming !
See if one day i manage to do some NES music programming for funs (eg. an NES piano?)
My gaming started from the great NES era, I always wonder if there is any document describing how the code of mario works?
Thanks

 

I'd say, create any game on a PC first.
As soon as you understand how to Code, you can basically make any game you like, on any platform you can.

Just start with PacMan, done? Move on to Snake. Or Space Invaders. Or even Super Mario Bros.
That's right, Programming games works pretty much the same way.

 

my suggestion would be Linux

UNIX or python language

 

Unix is an OS, not a Programming/Scripting Language.

 

I don't think I write that reply correct


I meant UNIX platform not language

and Python language

 

It's almost guaranteed that most people haven't used a proper UNIX system (excluding mac osx), what you mean is probably POSIX systems.

 

Dreamcast seems a good idea, if you really like what you're making, there's no reason why you couldn't complete and release a commercial product. relative fun and the possibility of making a little money / notoriety.

 

To the people calling out names of consoles: have you actually made a game or even a "hello world" for said console?

Basically if someone has to ask which console to develop for, they don't have enough love for any one console to irrationally try to make something for it.

Whenever someone is still learning to program (games), there's really only one sensible platform: the x86 personal computer. It may not be as romantic as an older embedded computer with fixed function hardware, but there are very important upsides:

-on a PC from the last 10 years you have so much power at your fingertips that for all intents and purposes you're only limited by your own ability (artistically and in terms of algorithms and data structures)
-you (probably) already have the necessary hardware, or can obtain a suitable PC for free so the only necessary investment is your time
-you can obtain free toolchains
-you can obtain legal toolchains (!)
-you're free to use any language you please or work at any abstraction level you please (optimize with assembly, SIMD instructions, shaders etc if that's your style)
-there is a wealth of PC game development learning material on the web taking you from start to finish on a project
-you have the widest audience, including every employer
-you're more or less already developing for a modern console (the type that are still economically worth the effort)

 

You speak many truths, but...

Yes. What an stupid thing to assume... we're not at Gamefaqs or some other lame gaming oriented forums. Besides...

There is no need to have any "official SDK" or anything similar (besides I bet they're all written for equally old platforms such as the PC98 or MSX2) on most if not all 8~16 bit consoles. It's just you and a Z80/6502 assembler mostly...

 

So you try to say Nintendo, Sony, Apple, Microsoft, and Google distribute illegal toolchains, and you need to pay for them too? Now my brain farted...

 

The assumption is yours; the vast majority from this board do not program, and of that minority fewer develop games, and fewer still will develop (what exactly?) for the consoles named. (Yeah yeah, we have plenty of closet professionals etc. I don't buy it.) Granted there are many here who own or hope to own development hardware, but there has been no correlation between kit ownership and evidence of non-negligible use on this board. It seems like people are just naming hardware they personally enjoy playing instead of objectively addressing the topic.

This is true for 8 and 16-bit platforms when it comes to assemblers, but you're still definitely at a loss when it comes to asset-building tools and a game engine. If someone can develop their own tools/engine, they probably won't be asking the question in the topic, considering that assets and game engines will be intimately tied to hardware constraints they'd already have to be familiar with. Plus by telling someone to start game development with an 8/16-bit platform, you're basically pushing them into assembly/forcing them to interact with a machine at the hardware level. That's probably good advice for someone entering computer engineering, but for someone just interested in general game development it could be a horrible imposition if it isn't where their interests lie.

In the case of 32-bit onwards, yes there are some homebrew libraries/kernels, but how many are remotely as comprehensive (nevermind robust) as 1st party? From my experience they're merely *thin* wrappers around hardware interfaces to simply avoid using assembly. That will hardly make things more accessible to someone starting out. Personally I would never limit myself to another homebrewer's tools either. Regardless, there's a slew of other considerations that prevent old platforms from being "ideal", as per the topic.

I don't see how any non-PC suggestion isn't tinged with some ideology or agenda. Even if you do move onto a console, you're still (probably) going to be carrying out development on a PC. Learn to walk before you run and all that...

Nice try, but I didn't imply or explicitly state that. Besides, the "indie" tools you're presumably referring to (extended to mobile SDKs with Apple and Google (?!)) don't even target their respective platforms but instead a crippled virtual machine sandbox. To actually develop for a Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft hardware platform would require a professional agreement or breaking the law, which is actually what I "tried to say".

 

Forum -> The Game Development and Hardware Specific Forums -> Game Development General Discussion

There are some very bright members here at ASSEMbler and I simply assumed that the programmers would populate this section of the forum. And I already told you that your opinion about console vs PC development is completely valid. Someone else could be interested in console development, that's why people are also posting about consoles (I guess, that's my case at least).

 

I didn't refer to "Indie tools", I referred to SDKs.
I know Mobile SDKs run virtually, I used them as well.

And I think I'm safe to say I actually have a professional agreement with Nintendo, not one of these bullshit, but one of these.
But now it made more sense on what you "tried to say".

 

The Dreamcast is a pretty cheap and easy way to get started. Free (mature) tools and many cheap ways to get code onto the thing for testing.

The NES isn't half bad but you'll either need a flashcart or a socketed cartridge.