GameDev.net is a phenomenal resource for all manner of game development needs.  For many years, they have been the go-to place for all manner of information straight from the developers themselves. It has links to thousands of articles all categorized by subject.  Game companies large and small post job listings on their searchable jobs database. They are also home to the most active message forums for game developers on the internet. It is an amazing place where all levels of game industry professionals can discuss subjects, trade ideas, ask for help on various topics and even make a cyber-friend or two!

Game Connection is a networking site for development studios, publishing companies, technology providers and outsourcing companies from all over the world. The concept behind the Game Connection is to create a business convention for publishers and developers in the video game industry, so that they can network and meet one another personally. They strive to create an environment that is comfortable and provides the best possible atmosphere for doing business.

The IGDA is committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers by connecting members with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community.

Here are a couple of the area's IGDA chapters:

• IGDA - Chicago The Chicago, IL chapter of the IGDA
• Colorado Game Dev Assoc. Located in Denver, CO, this group made Dave Mark a temporary member for purposes of a dinner at the 2002 Game Developers Conference. (Their excuse was that Nebraska was close to Colorado and that I connected in Denver on the flight out.)
  

The Game Development Search Engine is powered by Garage Games. It seems to be a competing source to the folks at GameDev.net but they don't quite make it. They claim to be "the only engine you'll ever need." While that may be a noble goal, they haven't quite made good on that claim. Still, there is valuable information to be had there. If you are looking for an asset or an answer, it would be one stop along the way.

Gamasutra is also a fantastic resource for all things relating to games.  They have news updates, articles and reviews of latest titles and techniques and features including "post-mortems" of games written by the developers themselves.  They also have many job postings and a place where you can list your company or resume for free. Microsoft, EA and other major titles even advertise their open jobs on Gamasutra. All in all, it is a very educational site and is well visited by much of the game development community. The Gama network is also behind the Game Developers' Conference and Game Developer Magazine.

Game Developer Magazine is a bi-monthly publication from the people behind Gamasutra. It isn't very big, but it does have some interesting articles. Especially valuable are the "post-mortems" from development studios on recent games. The standard format is to include 5 things that "went right" and 5 things that "went wrong". They are very educational about how a studio operates (or doesn't operate!). They regularly publish a Game Career Guide (download version for $5.95) that is specifically tied to starting a career in the game industry.

Game Developer Research was formed in 2007 by the editors of Game Developer Magazine to bring a new level of empirical measurement and high quality prediction to the video game research market. They publish surveys and reports. Interestingly, the reports are available for purchase, but they are VERY expensive. They must be far more in-depth than the versions you get for free in GDMag. Still, it's a company to keep an eye on.

The Serious Games Source page is one worth keeping an eye on. They deal primarily with the new frontier of game technology in industries such as government, business, and education. If you are interested in simulation modeling, this would be a logical place for news of projects beyond the game industry to crop up.

GameConsultants.com is the creation of David Perry, founder and ex-CEO of Shiny Entertainment and game industry veteran. It is a place where studios and people searching for developers can find the help they need on their projects. Also, consultants can be added to the stable of developers to be considered for doing some of the work for the clients.

GameInvestors.com is also founded by David Perry. While it is not up and running as of this writing, it purports to be similar to GameConsultants.com in the sense of matching people up. In this case, projects seeking funding can be matched with investors seeking projects. Hopefully, this site will be up soon and become a major player in the world of game studios.

Game Connection is a networking site for development studios, publishing companies, technology providers and outsourcing companies from all over the world. The concept behind the Game Connection is to create a business convention for publishers and developers in the video game industry, so that they can network and meet one another personally. They strive to create an environment that is comfortable and provides the best possible atmosphere for doing business.

GameDev.net has a decent help wanted section.  Game companies large and small post job listings on their searchable jobs database.

Game Career Guide is a site packed with links to schools and information on how to get started in the industry.

GameJobs.com, is an employment site serving the interactive entertainment industry. The site helps connect game industry processionals with new career opportunities, and HR managers with a comprehensive solution for attracting qualified applicants.

Garage Games is an interesting combination of development tool company and publisher. They are the purveyors of the Torque Game Engine and Torque Game Builder, two powerful development environments.

The Great Games Experiment is a spin-off of Garage Games. It is a place where independent developers can share their projects as well as network with other developers. There is an active development community with a database of individuals of all disciplines.

Gamasutra Exchange is a web market place for the purchase and trade of 3D assets. They have over 164,000 3D models, textures and other products available. You can also sell your assets through the site.

Yes, there are actually schools where you can go to learn game development and graphic arts for games!

Full Sail, in Orlando, FL, is probably one of the better known schools for game development. Amongn their offerings, they have course tracks for game programming, computer animation, game art, and even sound production. There are actually people from major game studios and related companies on their advisory board. The facilities are top-notch. If you are looking seriously at starting a career in game development with a full eduction, this may be the place to do it.

DigiPen Institute of Technology is located in Redmond, WA. (We do not believe this is a cooincidence.) It is a school dedicated to computer science instruction as it applies to real-time interactive simulation programming (R.T.I.S.), computer engineering and 3D computer animation.

Game Institute is an intruiging place that seems half online college and half brick-and-mortar school. Their faculty is comprised of real game design experts with extensive experience in the video game industry. They’ve seen theory in practice and are well positioned to teach you the core principles, as well as add some special insider knowledge. One interesting tidbit is that they offer a series of free, live events via the web where guest instructors give 30-90 minute presentations on various topics.

Game Tutorials has a collection of over 300 lessons ranging from the most beginning aspects of programming up through graphics and sound handling. They technologies they teach include C/C++, Win32, DirectX, OpenGL, C# and Java. Some of the lessons are free but most of them are for purchase. They even have a package where they have a path of tutorials all in one. That package not only includes the tutorial lessons but is packed with 2D and 3D art samples as well as many audio files for use in projects. We can't speak to their quality here, but are just making it known that they exist. Investigate on your own.