How competitive is it in the gaming industry?

Question

I heard the chances of becoming a successful game programmer is like making it to the NBA.

Answer 1

I don't know if it's quite like making it to the NBA, but it's very competitive. Just being a competent programmer is not enough. They will want to see experience related to game programming and high-quality, efficient code. There are a number of university-level programs developing, many with good names. I would recommend looking at the list of schools with programs on gamecareerguide.com, but avoid schools with a reputation for being a diploma factory (the Art Institutes or  DeVry, for instance, are large chain schools and while some of their schools may be decent, they're generally not well regarded because they're easy to get into and easy to graduate from)

When it comes time to apply for a job, don't just apply to the big companies. There are a LOT of small companies that need programmers too and experience with a small company can get you in the door at a bigger company later. gamasutra.com and gamedevmap.com are  both good sources to find a wide variety of gaming companies and their locations.  

Answer 2

Well it all depends. If you have a great team, awesome storyline, and very good programmers, you could get it done. Getting the publicity is also a huge part of it. It would take at least 10 years of dedicated work/learning to be able to START to make a bestselling game (along with a lot of money, and a good team as I said before). Now I personally haven't gotten very far in the business, but some of my mentors have worked in creating million dollar PC games.