Reddit
I shall take part in this :D
I’ve been following Ludum dare for a year now. I found out about Ludum dare by watching Notch’s live stream of him making prelude of the chambered. I watched it from beginning to end and was so intrigued with it that I decided to start learning Java. I learnt in small doses over a period of 9 months until june when I really picked it up. 2 or 3 weeks ago I started programming a game : ).
I talked to a guy last night who said it takes years of experience to make a game and doing it alone is worse. Thinking that was true I went to lay down. Laying there I questioned If I am ready to make a game… and I came to the conclusion…
Hell Yes!!! I have a year of on and off Experience. I have been making so much progress in the last two months and my game is doing fine. If I get stuck I work my ass off to find the problem, and when I find it I learn how to fix it and make it better. I’m not saying that I don’t have SO MUCH MUCH MORE to learn. What I am saying is that YOU DO NOT need a lot of experience to make a game.
To those participating in the compo and the jam, do your best and give it your all, I cant wait to play your games. Have a Good day and will see you all At the compo.
I am making a small game in 12 – 18 hours to practice for the Compo at 1 AM PST which is in less than 50 minutes. I’ll see you there! 
http://www.twitch.tv/skyllartor (viewers decide the theme)
Damn right. The phrase “it takes years of experience to make a game” is nonsense without the missing adjective. It certainly takes years of experience to make a big, complex, polished, balanced, innovative game. Professional studios rarely manage all those things at once. But you don’t have to.
Just go for something small and simple, and maybe rough but original…or derivative but highly polished…or whatever floats your boat