I wanted to get some info of what do i need to do to get started into making an ipod game and becoming an ipod game developer. I got some pretty good ideas and willing to do my best, to fulfill my dream. Im looking to do it from any category from 3D to 2D and need some info and help of how to get started.
My advice to you is to stop whatever else you are doing and just start developing ipod games. Start with the simplest game you can think off, and design it on notecards. Download the iPhone SDK and start learning interface builder. If you have an aptitude for programming, start learning Xcode. If not, find a programmer to hire or partner with. Don't wait another day - just start doing it. I wish you luck and look forward to hearing about your first game!
My first application I made was pong, with an unbeatable AI. It was fun, quick, and I learned a lot. Work on simple projects for your novicehood and when you feel you're ready, set out to solve a problem or innovate with an app that might actually be worth it.
You'll need an intel based mac and iphone/ipod touch at the very least. Since your starting out I recommend an engine like Unity3D for the iPhone. You can get a 30 day trial of the engine to see if you like it. http://unity3d.com/unity/features/iphone-publishing If you actually want to get something on the phone you'll need to pay apple $100USD to be a part of iphone dev program. You also need to be 18 or older because there is some contracts to approve unless it works different in other countries. Lots to learn.
Correction on some stuff: You only need pay the 100 dollars if you plan on getting it on the APP STORE, you can publish through Cydia/Icy free. And in terms of the intel-based mac... you could also run the SDK on a virtual PC in Windows/Linux/etc, but you'de need a decent PC not to suffer from lag. I run the SDK on what I call my mac, but is actually a high power gaming PC running XP... with a virtual on it
thanks everyone for the replies and im looking forward into making my first game and sharing it with everyone in the world that could play something i created based on ideas. But does it take long to learn Xcode and making a game?
Just wanted to clarify that X-Code is a development environment, it's not a programming language. What you really want to learn is Objective-C. Objective-C is based on the C language, so you should start by learning that. I hate to be 'that guy,' but games tend to be pretty complex programs, especially the ones reviewed on the TA homepage. You'll want to start with the basics and learn some fundamental programming skills first. But, programming can be a fun and rewarding practice! Give it your best shot and don't give up, remember everybody started somewhere.
The games aren't complex, they just take time. You begin with a basic techdemo and it expands into a great game. The result might look complex, but it was just time consuming Objective-C =/= C, so start learning Objective C rather than C, and start learning it in relation to iPods rather then overall. C dialects are fairly easy to understand if you've had experience on other platforms, so I've been having a great time with it based on my previous knowledge of C and C#
I've wanted to try creating an app too for a while now, but there seems to be a ton I'll need to learn...I have some experience with programming but I still get lost in these discussions. Whats the difference with all the C's (C, C++, Objective C...)
On the level of a novice barely anything. There's slight formatting differences (etc), but they're all very similar... I once heard this and it's stayed true in my experiences: C++ makes everything difficult. Have fun with it. C# makes mundane things extremely easy, but the hard stuff is even harder. C just cries in the corner wishing it had a suffix.
from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objective-C Yeah I agree for developing on the iPhone you should learn Objective-C first but it helps to know at least a little about C.
I would start with plain old C tutorials. Objective C is a little bit more advanced. Learn how to do things in C then you're one google click away from applying the same ideas in Objective C.
My note: plain old C tutorials or any other C dialect. It's still pretty easy to go from C# to Objective C, olo
ok then thanks for the info about C++ and Objective C but i wanted to know do i need to get a Mac Mini to make ipod games, because what i got is a COMPAQ Vista Ultimate 32-Bit PC with 2GB of RAM and the processor is Intel Celeron 3.06GHz - 3.07GHz. Will that work or am i missing something?
You need to have a intel based mac to develop for the iPhone or iPod touch, I have seen situation with people trying to use other hardware and while its possible, its leads to more troubles than its worth IMHO.