Should I be a game developer?

What are the work hours like?

Often 40 hours a week, sometimes especially before releases or big events it can get more. Some companies are much worse than others so this can vary.

Is it possible to have a lifestyle like this as a programmer?

Yes. If all you want to do is get out and have the "real" life then it's not a good choice but generally speaking as programmer you can organize a decent life outside of your job.

What is the pay like?

"Worse than other programmers" is a standard but that still means after a few years in the industry you can make $100.000 a year. So if you're worried about living a decent life and being able to provide for yourself and your family then yeah. That's totally possible.

Everyone says that programmers are in high demand and can find a job anywhere, is that true?

Yes but no. Programmers are in high demand and finding any job should be quite easy. But specifically game development has a lot of people who want to do it so the barrier to get a job is higher than in most places.

I'm not incredible at math, I get 50's and 60's. How big of a problem is this?

What exactly do you mean by that? Do you struggle with the logic behind it or do you not always know the right formulas?

As a programmer you generally don't need to know formulas by heart. Looking them up is fine. But understanding what formulas apply when, how to transform equations and generally speaking just solid mathematical logic are incredibly important.

You won't often be using math in the way school does. But if you dislike or don't understand math you'll need to catch up quite a bit.

Is being a game programmer enjoyable or is it a soul crushing job?

It's a job. There's good days, there's bad days. If you enjoy programming and games it's probably above average in regards to how fulfilling it is. The order is important though. You gotta like programming first and games second. If you go into game development because you like games first and are just looking for how to get there that's setting you up for a soul crushing job as you'll never enjoy what you are doing.

With all that in mind, should I be a game programmer, a normal programmer unrelated to games or a lawyer?

I only know that you like some time and the amount of money you receive is important.

This is not enough information to give you solid advice. Look into the options, maybe try one out and then go with your gut. You can still change later on when you realize that wasn't for you. And both programming and law degrees aren't worthless in other jobs either. You can still use your knowledge in different contexts.

/r/gamedev Thread