My advice if you want to get into games development, programming or otherwise ... is you need to have quite a few qualities that I doubt most here either have or will want to have.
Firstly, you need to REALLY love computer games. I don't mean you need to love playing them and just having fun hacking them or whatever. You have to essentially learn to live, breath and sleep computer games.
It is one thing to goto sleep thinking "oh, i wish i could kill that boss with such-n-such move" ... but a developer will goto sleep thinking, "I wonder how many polygons were in that bosses attack, I bet it used some billboard particles with a speculared alpha map to make it glow like that."
If you think that getting into the industry will mean you have more access to alot more computer games, unless you make the friends in the right places ... the only games you'll see are those your team is creating. And you can near as forget about online/offline playing, cause with your scheduals as a Jnr there isn't a chance in hell you'll have the time.
You have to be determined and resourceful. Determination is a wonderful thing, but without understanding how stuff works and willing to figure out on your own a way around an obsticle all you will ever be used for is doing an exact job when your needed to. In otherwords the only companies you will appeal to are those who churn out the exact same crap with a little different finish, nothing ever nice, nothing ever spectacular.
No one likes a grunt worker, you have to be creative ... you want to be given exact instructions on howto achieve something become a database inputter. Programming and Art is all about creating a creative and stable solution to a problem.
Just as importantly is your ability to interact with people, if you want to be a solo programmer - shareware is what you want to be doing. Creating work as a hobby not a life skill. Development Teams must work very closely together and be able to convey ideas and help each other out ... anyone who makes working slow or awekard are those people who very quickly get made to feel like they're not welcome. You cannot have a weak link especially with a publisher breathing down your neck about quality and time limits.
You have to be willing to put in the time as well, to most developers this usually isn't even a consideration ... if you fall asleep developing and wake up just wondering howto get this section of the software done. When what you care about more is making something good rather than getting paid hundreds of dollars for the time you put in. Then that is the mark of a true developer.
And if your have dollar/pound signs in your eyes when you think about games development, then you need to get a job in PR/Marketing for a publishing company. You'd have alot more access to games and you'll be paid far better...
As a Jnr in any company your pay with be pretty much equal to your mate who works down in Electronics Boutiqué.
Actualy talent is only a fraction of what games development is all about, this is why you'll be passed over for someone with less talent but more experience.
Because in this industry EXPERIENCE is primary... you have got to know your onions, because you can't have a person who doesn't understand what to do slowing down development.
You have got to understand to directly communicate between the Programming and Art areas, learn thier terminology, get basic if not better understanding of everything you'll need to.
Idea's can't just be ideas, you MUST know howto back them up ... just being able to say.
"Well I think all of the Skins on this player should be 1024x1024x32 ... and have several layers to add detail thats blended, say 6! That way I can make a very nice built up snow and mud effect."
yeah thats all well and good einstein, only problem is... if you don't know how it can be roughly achieved with your limited resources (ie minimum system specs) within the engine then it just won't be added. you gotta have a better reason for something than 'i'll look cool'.
understanding what you could shift, say the world textures could have a lighter load - perhaps go for a more basic level structures and fewer mipmap levels ... free up some of the vram giving you the resources you need.
... ... ...
DarkBASIC Pro is a good start on the step to becomming a programmer, as it exposes you to the fundimentals. But you want to actually grow and make yourself worth squat you need to gain a good working understanding of engines and be able to work with people.
And you have to stick with something...
Just because it seems like your not getting anywhere doesn't mean you have to ask within for forums for help, it means you've got to be more creative. Think outside of the box!
To Survive You Must Evolve... This Time Van Will Not Escape His Fate!