It can be tough to figure out where to begin. I’d hardly call myself an expert, but I have gone through the initial learning process and can impart some wisdom on how to get through the most daunting stages. Here it is.

Don’t Spend Money
It might be tempting to rush out and buy a bunch of “How To” books, get a brand new computer and subscribe to Microsoft’s $100/year Creator’s Club. Don’t. You can get started and see if programming is for you without spending a penny.

Here are some things to consider before handing out your hard-earned cash:

• Buying a book means you buy all of it, even if it contains sections you don’t want and will never need.
• It can be very difficult to find a book written to your experience level. Most assume at least some knowledge of programming, and that can make them difficult to understand.
• Almost everything you could ever want to know can be found online for free.
• You might find that you don’t like programming.
• You don’t need to join the Creator’s Club until you are ready to put games on Xbox 360. You can get started on PC and most of the code is identical, at least on an introductory level.
• Basic programs — the types you’ll make first before tackling something more complex — will run on any reasonable laptop or PC made in the past few years.

Try These Resources

Free tools for managing and creating your program. You’ll need Visual C# 2008 Express at the very least: http://creators.xna.com/downloads

A very good video tutorial, courtesy of Microsoft: http://creators.xna.com/en-US/education/gettingstarted/bg2d/chapter1

A good series of beginning tutorials. This one has particularly easy to understand explanations: http://www.xnadevelopment.com/tutorials.shtml

Start in 2D
We all have great ideas for games kicking around in the backs of our minds. The trouble is making them exist in reality. If you’ve never made a game before, start in 2D. Don’t even think about three dimensions until you’ve completed at least one game in two.

Also, consider the complexity of your project before beginning it. You’ll be much more likely to have fun with what you’re doing if you begin with something feasible. You might have a great idea for an old-school 2D RPG, but how likely is it that you would finish that project if it was your first crack at game making? The same goes for your modern take on Super Mario Brothers, Super Metroid, or Legend of Zelda. Why not start with something easy like an old-school, single screen arcade game? Something like Rocket Fart is a good place to start.

Find a Friend
The Xbox 360 Indie Games library is filled with games that feel half-baked. Part of that might be due to the fact that you’ll very rarely find a person that is a great artist <i>and</i> a great programmer. I’m neither, but I did latch on to a talented artist in Dave Clayman. It helps the process immensely if you’re working with someone else. Things will move twice as fast and you’ll actually be able to see the fruits of your labor before you get frustrated and give up.

Ask For Help
Don’t be shy about admitting you don’t know what the heck you’re doing. You can leave a comment here and I’ll do my best to answer it. You might find better advice on the Microsoft Creator’s Club forums: http://forums.xna.com/forums/

Come Get Your Rocket Fart Update

We’re oh so proud to announce that the first update for Rocket Fart is now available for free on Xbox Live. If you already bought the game simply start it up and you’ll be prompted to download the new content. If you haven’t yet purchased Rocket Fart you really should. It only costs a dollar. Once you do that you’ll be able to enjoy a few new features including:

Save Your High Scores
Now your high score is saved forever on your hard drive and is on display in the high scores menu of the game.

See The Ultimate High Score
The top high score is now on display during gameplay so you’ll know if you’re close to the leader.

New Background and Menu Art
We felt that Rocket Fart deserved a more dramatic presentation. Whenever you deal with weighty subjects like farting your way out of volcano you want the visuals of a game to completely immerse the viewer.

Bug Fixes
We squashed some bugs.

Let us know what you think. We cherish every comment.