The first thing that you will need to know is a programming language. Basically what a programming language is, is a bunch of commands that tell the computer what to do. You can look at these commands as the ingredients for making games.

The next thing you will need is a compiler. A compiler is a program that will take the code you type, and turn it into code that the computer can understand. There are several compilers for different programming languages. The next section will go over different programming languages and their purpose.

The first and probably most popular language for game programmers is c++! It can be used on Windows, Dos, Linux, and Unix! c++ ranks up in the hard to learn languages, but it'll do a lot more than most other languages with ease. Not recommended if you don't know any programming languages.

The next language we will talk about is Qbasic. Qbasic makes mostly Dos-based programs. Qbasic is a VERY easy to understand language. However, it is very slow, consequently Rarely used for 3d games and games that push your computer's speed. Qbasic was the first language that I learned along with many, many other programmers. I would definently recommend qbasic if you are new to making games!

Visual Basic was developed only to make windows programs. There is no such thing as a Dos program made in Visual Basic. Visual Basic is looked upon as the easiest language to make a GUI. It basically has built in functions for Mouse buttons and everything that normal windows programs include such as a text space. Kind of a medium level of ease.