Nigel first blogged about Game Maker , the free game designing software, way back in 2003. Well a lot has happened in 5 years. The Gamemaker engine is now up to version 7 and they’ve made a lot of improvements. Using Game Maker you can now create platform games, first person shooters, third person shooters, massive multiplayer online games and construction/management games like Sim City.
The games you can make have also improved allowing you to add 3D models as well as particle effects such as rain and snow to your games. The best part is that the Lite version of Game Maker is still free, but if you upgrade to the Pro version for $20, you get even more functions including DLLs and access to Direct3D.
Game Maker have also realised that while it’s fun playing alone in the sandpit, people need people. So they’ve jumped on the Web 2.0 wave and joined forces with YoYo Games to create an online community for budding game designers. There are currently thousands and thousands of user developed games you can play, either by downloading them or playing them in a browser (needs a plugin to work).
There are regular competitions for games on a particular theme with cash prizes for the winners. There are also development kits, sprite libraries, forums and the never ending alpha and beta testing of other user’s releases to keep you busy. At the end of the day, Game Maker allows you to sell any game you’ve made provided there’s nothing copyrighted in it and it doesn’t looks like someone else’s game. What are you waiting for?
Do you want to develop computer games without spending countless hours learning how to become a programmer? Game Maker allows you to make exciting computer games, without the need to write a single line of code. Using easy to learn drag-and-drop actions, you can create professional looking games within very little time.