With the recent rise of prebuilt platforms and engines giving anyone the tools they need to make games and gaming sites, it asks whether aspiring developers still need to learn how to code. If everything’s already in place, is it essential?
The answer to that question probably depends on what kind of games you want to make. In specific sectors, it may be possible to get by without any experience. However, in others, coding knowledge is still vital.
The Age of Engines and Platforms Suggests No Coding Experience is Needed
With the sheer wealth of game engines and platforms out there, it is reasonable to believe that someone could make it in the gaming industry without any coding experience. This is the case in some offshoots, where it makes more sense to use a fully tested and optimized system. The online casino industry, for example, has recently seen a rise in the use of pre-made platforms that provide users with everything they need to set up their own iGaming site.
When online casino business owners opt to use services like PlaylogiQ, for instance, they have access to a vast range of casino games that are ready to play. They can select the ones that are best suited to their site and arrange the way they are presented, an obvious benefit that white-label solutions bring to businesses. There’s also the option to select which tabs are present, such as live casino and sports betting.
All the tools are there for people to create gaming sites like these, but when it comes to making the games, it gets a little more complicated. For people who want to develop titles like slots, there is a lot of coding involved.
Those Who Want to Make it to the Top Still Need to Code
If you want to forge a career in game development, coding is still an essential skill. Indeed, that’s likely to always be the case, regardless of how advanced game engines become. Experts like Arkim Phiri from Arkiana agree that the best game engines such as Unreal 5 can be used as a starting point when building a title, but to create anything of real value, developers need to expand upon that and use coding knowledge to realize their own offerings.
The great thing about becoming a coder is the fact that you don’t need any qualifications, and everything can be self-taught using online resources. Berkley Extension states that six months is all it takes to become a coder if you go about it in the right way. This involves coding boot camps and learning skills based on markups like Python and Java. Budding developers can also learn the various game engines and get to grips with how they work.
People who want to develop games will always need some coding knowledge so that they can build their titles in the way they want. Using an engine is a great starting point, but creators are limited in what they can do without the required knowledge. Luckily, there’s a lot of information online about how to become a coder and anyone can chase this career if they desire.