There's lots of resources here - http://nehe.gamedev.net/

Know :

C/C++
Python
java
OpenGL
DirectX


Depending on you situation, your son should learn the list above , although c++ and opengl/directx should be more important than others.

Also check out community colleges, and talk to them for what courses they offers, with regards to programming. Or even check out their websites. There are lots of resources online as well. You
could definitly learn a lot from the internet as well.

As a suggestion, I would like to tell you that there are some basics to game development. I do not know how the education of your son has been through the learning years, but an understanding (or rather much more an undying interest) is required in Math for someone to be a game developer. This after all depends on what type of game development he wants to be into and also that I myself am not really much into it, which reads - not at all - but during graduation while learning transformations, projections etc we were told that to be a graphics developer you would need to have your base strong in this region. That was 5-6 years earlier and as mentioned I do not know the situation now, since new technologies seem to crop up every six months. The point I want to make here is he needs to start learning from the ground up if that is what the career he intends to pursue. Later on a sound knowledge of the Visual C++, Python, OpenGL, DirectX etc (as mentioned above) would be certainly required.
Anyway he takes you have my best wishes with you.
PS : As a forum that takes pride in helping others, I think you don't need to say 'please' so often, we would be more than willing to help in any way that we can.

Here are some online sources to learn it:

http://www.hwg.org/services/classes/cgame3.html
http://www.gamedegree.com/levelingUp_OnlineDegrees.asp

hope it helps a lot to you.

learning C++ or python are great ways to start making games

Hi,

Programming a game can be a very daunting task, especially for a 15 year old! There's quite a bit of work and design that goes in to it. Before he can even think about programming games he'll need to have a good foundation in math, some physics, and programming. These things can take years of study and experience to acquire. However, there are a couple options that you may want to consider that allow you to make games without knowing any programming, giving you access to already created content and tools.

There is a program called RPG Maker, that allows you to create 2D RPG games. Here is a link:
http://tkool.jp/products/rpgxp/eng/

Also, there is a program called GameMaker that allows for a little more flexibility. There is a download for it here, as well as some tutorials on how to make games with it:
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker

I've never used either of these programs (Except for an early version of RPGMaker many years ago), so I can't give you a recommendation on which might be better, but I think both may be good options for you to look in to in the short term.

In the long term, you should encourage him to study math and try some simple programming tutorials with a language such as Python. Choosing a major in college that involves programming would be a good choice (Software Engineering, Computer Science), and if he knows some programming before then he'll be ahead of the game. Programming a game takes a lot of experience, studying, and dedication, so make sure he does his math homework, and he'll be programming games before you know it :p

mumneedshelp - Join Date: 20th Jan 2009 - Last Activity: 7 Days Ago
Always reassuring to know that our collective efforts are not going to waste.

There is a program called FPS creator but you have to pay for it, althought there is a free version, it just has less features.

Hi,

I agree with mps727 on RPG Maker and yoyogames game maker, also check http://www.kongregate.com/labs