Yes and no. The RuneScape engine is written in Java but the content is written in a scripting language, so at least 90% of the devs don’t use Java.
@OP: define “game programmer”. Outside minigames people tend to have fairly specialised roles.
Great advice from Demonpants!
Oops, looks like it’s not. I didn’t see your comment - all I had read so far was people saying to learn C++ or J2ME, basically.
oh I didnt konw that, I just saw it load with java adn I thought, hey it is in java. I didnt realise it used scripts for the rest.
why would it though? java is a good languauge. why use a script?
no this is just my meaning based on what I see around me, when I was graduating there was no chance we used Java for doing any serious game or desktop software and we usually did our graphical/game project in C++ & Directx, last year a university proffessor ask me what Java 3D engine it should recommend to its student for they end year project : a game in Java ( just to avoid the question : I recommend him to use JMonkey and have a look on xith… ), they have made a network 3D poker game, so nowadays at least some students learn how to make game in Java, that’s good.
In the past 20 years, I always have to changed language I used to program, I did my first game in Basic on Amstrad cpc464 (Pc did not exist yet…), then I use to do a lot of assembler + C or Pascal then finally C/Cpp + DirectX and then finally Java.
So all that is just to said that things are never fixed and Java is definitivly a good choice for game programming and probably the best choice for MMORPG.
The game industrie is bigger then “big game studio” that mainly target hardcore gamer.
In the past years I have to refused a cupple of jobs : most in Java but unrelated to game, last years it was different because one was for a game startup targetting a Java game, this year I got another proposal for a game in java that I may accept and also got a proposal to work on a big Java 3D software that I would like to accept too… (personally I dont care to work or not in game sector, I ve always enjoyed all work I ve done in any sector and any language).
5 years ago I would have said that game or clean desktop application was impossible in Java, and that why I said things begin to change right now, even if it requiere some years more to be seen.
so to finish, this is probably true that you will have more trouble to find a job in Java game today but it will be false tomorrow, anyway choosing a sector + a language is a bit limitating.
I think the overall statement in this thread is “Do java, make some games, have fun, but don’t limit your employment options to only be a java game developer.”
Nothing bad with becoming a Flash/C++/C#/XNA/Whatever game developer. Hey even being a php/javascript browser game developer might be fun 
Personally I think that it is sometimes hard to have a full-time job and to work a lot on his own games in the spare time, I find it frustrating too (especially when you don’t like your job), it is like having almost 2 full-time jobs, I would prefer working only on Java games. This kind of situation is tiring and there is only a little time remaining for the other aspects of the life (children, wife…).
Lots of people here seem to think that concentrating on Java game development is not the best thing to do to become a good game developer :’(
Probably the best thing you can do is to specialize in one field of game design.
There are plenty to choose from, e.g.; physics, ai, even art such as modeling, or shaders, networking etc.
Let’s say you chose shaders to be your primary skillset, then you would master it. Of course this does not exclude everything else, you’ll need good understanding of other skillsets, but being fluent in shaders would go a long way in securing you a job at some gaming company that needs people with that particular talent.
No, we are just saying, that concentrating on a career option as java game developer is not the best thing. For most aspects of game development, the choosen language does not matter. So develop your games portfolio in java, but don’t expect to use java in an employment, that’s all.
If you are looking seriously, you should however make yourself familar with widespread languages, tools or engines used in commercial game development. So for starters take a look into opensource engines like Irrlicht, OGRE and some affortable commercial engines like Torque. Experience with C#/XNA is would also provide good opportunities to find employment with independent game companies. Also look at UnrealEd, CryEngine Sandbox etc. and the modding community for various games.
[quote]for the other aspects of the life (children, wife…).
[/quote]
what there is other aspects to life :D.
I agree that keeping your options available is important.
P.S: dont go chanfing your view on life cause of me, I am still in school
Thanks to everyone who have given me good suggestions…
I don’t know about this. Right now with the weakening economy specialists are just the ones getting laid off by companies like EA. Of course, the game industry is still doing okay, but through all my searching for publisher escapades and meetings with people like SEGA, Capcom, Ubisoft, I’ve gotten the impression that companies right now are spending all their money on low-risk options, i.e. more casual and simpler games. AAA titles are the only ones that require the specialists, and less and less AAA’s are being greenlighted these days because they cost millions to make. Instead, publishers are spending more money on mobile games, like the DS and the iPhone. To publish a single iPhone game will cost them only around $100,000, and because the iPhone market is so new any game with a serious publisher label on it will currently make around $1,000,000. So they’re much more interested in those possibilities than they are bigger ones.
I’ve heard a number of people say that lately generalists are getting hired, not specialists. When the economy is heading back up again this is likely to change, but at least for now conservative ideals are winning and therefore if you can do a pretty good job at anything then you’ve got a better chance.
so wait is it cause it is much more specific?
and taht it can be moved from program to program?
I have used scripts before, not with java, but sometimes they can do things that the language you are using cant 
figured as much, was just poking fun at you
About specialising I wouldn’t concern yourself over it, it’s something that grows on you rather then something you go for. Your curiosity moves you in a certain direction -> you knowing a tiny bit more then avg programmer turns you into ‘the guy to ask’ -> because of the stream of questions you learn even more about it etc.
because there are questions, you know there’s a need for that specialism too - which is kinda comforting.
that being said it’s quite hard for ppl to specialise in one thing and not know ‘above avg’ about things that intersect with that specialism.
If you get fired because your a specialist its probably more about being elitist or management making quite a mistake. (cutting some corners here though.)
Yes. No. Not if the language you’re using is a Turing-complete programming language.
I don’t see how even a non-turing-complete language could provide a more capable scripting engine…
I think he was saying that your scripting language wouldn’t be more capable unless your main game language wasn’t a Turing-complete language.
what is a turing complete language :
Yes, and I’m saying if the script is running inside a non-turing complete language, the script language can’t be turing complete either, or the main language would be turing complete as well, by definition.