   Is java worth using and more.
  Hello, im currently using an Imac and I want to start programming in hopes that one day I can make a basic game.  One language that sounded interesting is java and it looked like it has a lot of resources on it.  Is the language easy enough to program for a guy who got a b in visual basics basics(the course was the basics of it)? Also can java be used for game development?  Ive searched a lot but havn't found much other then 1 basic tutorial on a bouncing ball.Thanks a lot   
  Java should be just fine.  Any language can be used to create a game.  There is no correct or wrong language for a game.  Most people just go ahead and use C++ as that is what is used most in the game industry.You should also just learn the Java language first before you start looking at games with graphics.  It will help you out a lot.Another language you could look up, is C#.  .NET is windows only, but you can use C# with Mono.  I know some people who use Mono here and like it.Both of these languages are simple.Chad;  I would totally recommend C# if you plan on doing 3D game.(Or even 2D, but I mentioned 3D because many Java developers might tell you that making a 3D game in Java... will probably run very very slow.)C# is a Java-like language, has the power of C++, and simplicity of Visual Basic.  I don't know how portable is right now, but like someone mentioned above, Mono will make it even more portable.Just my recommendation.  Also C# lets you port your games in Xbox360.  It's fully supported for DirectX and XNA.  Good language to start, though it's frustrating and hard at first if you've never programmed... but the Visual C# IDE has Intellisense which makes everything easier, as many programmers here will tell you that.And thats my reason for recommending C#.;  So to use c# with xna (a lot of people said is good) I will need to purchase a copy of windows and dual boot it.  Is it that much better to use xna other then Java's 3d version(not sure what its called)?  Can java be used to make a basic game because so far searching a lot of people said it was slow and bulky(for learning programming as well).Sorry edited it.   ;  C# on OSX is fairly painful to work in, and Java3D is terrible no matter what you're doing or what platform you're using. If I was really forced into doing something as distasteful as Mac work, I'd stick to Objective C or straight C++.   ;Quote:Original post by PromitC# on OSX is fairly painful to work in, and Java3D is terrible no matter what you're doing or what platform you're using. If I was really forced into doing something as distasteful as Mac work, I'd stick to Objective C or straight C++.I see , thanks for the input.    So doing programming with eventual hopes on basic game design on the mac is a bad Idea?  Just making sure.  My younger brother has a desktop with xp so I think I will check that out I just want to remove the possibility that it can be done on a mac.Thankshemoglobin   ;  I will also bring Python to your attention. Though I haven't learned it yet(and don't plan to for a while), I was told it was a very good starting language. Python is also portable. It will run on your XP and your mac(I believe). The only downside to python is it's poor IDE. It very much so inhibits your control over code. There are Third-party IDE's that you can get for it, but I've yet to find one that seemed workable. The main redeeming quality to Python, is that it has a very good documentation. It should teach you most everything you need to know to get started. You can get it here...~TDOT>   ;  Python is a great little language. Fairly easy to pick up, and easy to get things doing what you think they should with little fuss. Like all languages it has its share of got-chas, but it is a clean and easy to read language. (unlike C written by someone who thinks the less white space there is, the faster things run)As for Java, it is a perfectly good language for games, even 3D games. Just don't use Java3D for it, use Java OpenGL, or LWJGL. They are reasonable fast.And remember, with modern hardware and modern languages, if your program is running 'slow' it most likely isn't because the language you are using is actually slow, it is how you made your program. If you haven't already made your own little games, don't worry about how fast they run. You will take several years before you will actually 'need' the speed of a language like C++ to do something. Before that you can get your speed by learning to write code that takes less processing power to compute.   ;  Java with LWJGL (Light-weight Java Game Library) isn't bad.  And it won't run slow at all.EDIT: I just realized Talroth already mentioned LWJGL.   ;  Java? usable?.....pfff.Matter of a fact, it's actually a great means of implementing certain ideas [ESPECIALLY web page embedded ideas, as applets are actually pretty nice].  It has it's weaknesses though [as others are discussing], and doesn't have a lot of maturity with regards to high-end graphics support.  It has it's purpose though, and like many things, deserves to be considered as just another tool in a programmers arsenal, instead of the be-all-and-end-all language that must be used across the board.  Personally, I find it downright painful to code in, but such is my own bias.  I'd still recommend it for certain stuff though, and even use it for certain applications myself.A major part of the value of a language is how you feel coding in it.  If you enjoy java, use it.   