Game Design Software and What You Can Use

This is a guest post by James who has a keen interest in game design. He is trying to find the best game design software and make the next big game!

Anyone who has played video games or games on the PC more than once knows how addictive they can be, trying to beat that final boss, winning the last game in the season, or completing that last achievement.  For some this is not the final step, they want to make more of an impact, and that is when the thought of designing the next big hit comes along.  Most of us wouldn’t know where to begin, designing a video game seems like a daunting task, but with the amount of game design software available, there is no doubt that once you have the right footing you can make an impact.

Making a hit with free design software?

For most of us we might only ever be able to use the most basic of free game design software, and although this is not necessarily a bad thing and games for iOS could be created on such platforms, your never going to be able to create the next Call of Duty.  Basic game design software such as Game Editor will give you the tools to create simple games, which you can then distribute via various platforms.  Using this kind of free software can be exciting, and if your game gets a good following then you can definitely we successful, of that there is no doubt.  What this kind of software does is limit the kind of game you can create.  You could probably develop something as addictive as Super Mario on the SNES, but at the end of the day these games just cannot compete with the behemoth franchises on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Taking that step into the big programs

So for those with a taste for something more, you might consider moving into the area of a game design degree, or even just buying some of the more advanced programming kit.  Many design studios have their own in house software and consequently it is not available to the general public, but if you take on a design course then you can usually get access to the courses own software, or something very similar, if not the genuine Autodesk suite.  This will give you the opportunity to create vast games with amazing graphics, and create games for all platforms.  Obviously this means that you need certain skills to begin with, and taking on some kind of course, or using trial and error over a period of time will give you the skills you require.  Without a huge budget it is hard to create the kind of bestsellers we see year in, year out, but if you create something that catches people’s eyes then you might have just booked your seat at one of the top game design studios.
Creating your own game can be hard, but there is the software out there that will let you do it, it just depends on how hard you want to work.  Making that first step can be tough, but with the right design skills you can create anything you want, and if you make the right sounds, you might end up creating the next big thing.  And who wouldn’t want to be in that position!