From Playing To Learning: Thoughts About The Other Side Of Gaming [Deals]

By

GameDev Bundle

In the film The Nines, Ryan Reynolds’ writer character uses gaming as a means to get away from the rigors of writing…and I do the same.

One thing that has always fascinated me about gaming isn’t so much the playing of games, but the creation of games. But I’m a storyteller and not a coder, so I’ve left my ideas for stories that could be built into a game environment either unwritten or put to page or screen to read instead.

Now I’m not a huge gamer by any means. The games I play generally have an end point that can be achieved within a reasonably short time span or can be played effectively in short bursts. Combat games – like Injustice: Gods Among Us – can be found on my iPad and in my XBOX 360 library. Sports games are big in our household – I can get through a game of Madden in short order whereas longer form RPGs are far more engrossing (and therefore something I tend to avoid).

The games I play on my iPhone and iPad are the ones that seem to have stood the test of time on the devices. Letterpress – a Cult of Mac 2012 Editor’s iOS Games Pick – is something I’ll dive into every once in a while. And while I am not one to play with another person from across the miles – regardless of the platform – Letterpress is the exception to the rule.

One thing that has come along with the advent of better games is the arrival of better ways to learn how to make games. An example of this would be the Game Development Courses currently being offered at Cult of Mac Deals. Whether you’re only looking to build mobile and web games or are advanced enough to feel ready to develop console games, the price of $79 for the mobile and web games course is a far cry from the usual $494 (or $99 versus the usual $1499 you’d pay for the more advanced console gaming course) you’d pay to learn how to build the games you want to make.

And who knows? You may even wind up building the games that I want to play…and play often.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.