Which is the most difficult career path in I.T to learn?

What would be a good path for me to take(computer related)?

• Right now I've got a good grasp on both java and c++. I also just finished a discrete mathematics course. For my career I hope to be a video game programmer. But there is something else I'd like to learn that doesn't have to do with a future career, maybe it would just be a hobby or a fun project. I'd like to learn to build something like the nintendo 64 or the playstation, some kind of gaming system from scratch, make both a 2d and 3d game for it all on my own(drawing, animating, programming, sound) When it comes to electrical components, all I really know is simple circuits involving power sources, resistors, and capacitors. I'd like to learn how people get decent images and put them into games. The only animating I've done is in flash mx(making a crudely drawn monsters eyes and head move back and forth). I'd also like to know how the software is made to work with such a system(ie. for the n64 how did they put the game into a chip/cartridge?) what language did they use back then(c++, machine)? If I wanted to make my own music how would I go about doing so(something starting off like legend of zelda for the NES and maybe getting better)? I don't know how to play any instruments. The school I'm attending doesn't offer any classes for computer engineering, and I would rather learn this on my own time. So once again, what I'd like to learn to do is: make the hardware for a gaming system, and how to create drawings, animations, programming, and music and then put everything together to make a game for that system. When I try look for books I have trouble figuring what level to start out at. I know this is a big question but I'm sure that's what yahoo answers is for. Anyone know what kind of path I can take, what kind of path I should lay out for myself? What books I should start out with and then continue on to? Any software that I'll need? Again, I don't want college to get involved in this, just things I can do on my own time. Thank you for your time and answers!

• Answer:

  You should find a school that does off Computer Engineering and go for that because I can tell from reading all this that that is what you need to get into..that's what i'm doing and it's awesome. Hardware, software, all that... cool stuff. Keep looking for CE programs, there's bound to be one you could get into not too far from you.