Code Hero Teaches Players Game Programming

[Greg Tito]

Code Hero Teaches Players Game Programming

What better way to teach gamers how to write code than with a gun that shoots strings of Javascript.

Writing code is a mystery to me. Yeah, I can handle basic HTML and put together a website that might have looked great on Geocities, but actually writing the programming for even a 2D game is beyond my skills. That's why playing a game like Code Hero sounds pretty amazing. The founder of Primer Labs [http://primerlabs.com/] Alex Peake has raised more than $100,000 on Kickstarter to make his dream of a game that allows players to manipulate the very code that defines their world.

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"People often say, 'It's like Portal with the Matrix,' or, 'It's like Minecraft with guns'," said Peake. "In Code Hero, the idea is to suck people into the rabbit hole of an adventure, and at the other end, they ship a game."

Players aim with the mouse in a 3D environment, but the actual interface of changing the world consists of bringing up the console terminal and inputting strings of code the game has taught you. People might scoff at such a heady concept for a game, but the support on Kickstarter (goal surpassed by one third with 14 hours left to go [http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/primerist/code-hero-a-game-that-teaches-you-to-make-games-he]) and the success of other esoteric game concepts proves gamers are ready for Code Hero.

"Portal proved it, The Sims proved it. Guitar Hero proved it," said Peake. "These are games that made it safe to not be Call Of Duty and proved that there is a market for intelligent meaningful games where you get something out of it and it reflects on real life."

Here's hoping Code Hero not only becomes a really fun and intriguing game, but also leads to a new generation of game developers picking up the keyboard to make their own games.

Source: Edge [http://www.edge-online.com/features/code-hero-programming-players]

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[Qitz]

this.value = "Awesome";

Should be pretty neat to see how it pans out. Hopefully for the better.

 

[AndyRock]

I donated just because it seems an interesting concept, gotta love kickstarter.

 

[lacktheknack]

Pfffffft... I played Colobot YEARS ago.

Nothing but good could come out of this if it's well-designed.

 

[BENZOOKA]

I can't code either. Only HTML & CSS markups.

That seems like a very interesting concept, and reminds me a bit of SpaceChem. And I love that game.

 

[RA92]

This looks PHWOOOOAAAARR!

Kickstarter is certainly looking like a good thing.

 

[Zen Toombs]

Colour me intriged. When should this game be released?

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

I can't code either. Only HTML & CSS markups.

That seems like a very interesting concept, and reminds me a bit of SpaceChem. And I love that game.

SpaceChem is basically Multi-Threaded Programming: The Game, complete with all the joy (read: aggravation) of debugging race conditions [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_condition]...and yet it's still tons of fun.

 

[Viridian]

Yo dawg, we heard you like programming games...

But in all seriousness, this sounds pretty cool.

 

[Fayathon]

.... so.... wait, its an educational FPS?


WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?

I don't believe I could put it better myself.

This is one of the most interesting concepts for a game I've seen, I will be keeping tabs on it for sure.

 

[weirdee]

Well, we already have Typing of the Dead, so this is technically the second educational shooter I know about.

edit: my bad, also forgot about the 3ds pokemon typing game exclusive to japan. so that makes three?

 

[Twilight_guy]

Inputting strings of code for JavaScript to interpret is pretty far removed from understanding how a programming language works. I can't help but feel that this is a good idea but may wind up teaching fluff. Also, this isn't game programming, its game scripting. That's a vital skill too, but not the same thing.

 

[Frybird]

Inputting strings of code for JavaScript to interpret is pretty far removed from understanding how a programming language works. I can't help but feel that this is a good idea but may wind up teaching fluff. Also, this isn't game programming, its game scripting. That's a vital skill too, but not the same thing.

But wouldn't it be a good way to teach about how programming logic works?
After all, a large part of programming comes down to "i need to make Thing A do Action B when Event C happens"

I don't think such a game makes you a programmer just by playing through it, but it helps to get people interested (Guitar Hero did so too, and this was far more removed from the actual thing) in the process and give them a glimpse how programming actually works so they may pursue learning more about it and do "the real thing", with some basics already provided by the game.

I think it's an amazing idea

 

[ExileNZ]

"Writing code is a mystery to me. Yeah, I can handle basic HTML and put together a website that might have looked great on Geocities, but actually writing the programming for even a 2D game is beyond my skills. "

This! This is pretty much exactly where I'm at. Does anyone even remember Geocities any mroe? I think I had a page there somewhere, but it's long gone now...

 

[Strazdas]

lastquote=CODfaceslap;
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[Keava]

Inputting strings of code for JavaScript to interpret is pretty far removed from understanding how a programming language works. I can't help but feel that this is a good idea but may wind up teaching fluff. Also, this isn't game programming, its game scripting. That's a vital skill too, but not the same thing.

Yes it is scripting, but that's what modern, available engines are based on as well. If You fire up UDK or Unity You don't really have to know C/C++, You need to learn the respective scripting language and can create wide variety of games, since the engine itself will cover the actual code.

If You can hook up more people on scripting and They will try to make a game with that knowledge using one of the engines, there is chance They will want to learn more advanced stuff later on. It's much easier to understand structuring and basic logic of any programming language if You already have some experience with scripting languages.

The more people try to make a game, even if They will fail at it, the higher chance for something innovative to show up. All in all can't see how it could be a bad idea.