How do I start off learning game development for Android? Should I learn OpenGL basics first or is it okay to skip OpenGL and simply use AndEngine or Libgdx which make use of OpenGL, but are much easier (that's what I've heard)?

Context: I am currently living off my savings from previous jobs and dedicating myself 100% to game development. I have written many small games. I am currently finishing a sandbox game, and starting a big VR game. So... Here is my advice: Like you said: the long run is what matters. Figure out what you would like to be doing in the future, and start doing *that*. If you want to be an engine guy, you  need to learn about current GPU architecture. Read everything you can and write small tech demos implementing common graphics techniques (e.g. shadow mapping / shadow volumes / bump mapping / ambient occlusion). After that, you can start making games If you want to make games and don't care about engine architecture or its implementation, then there has never been a better time for you... You have access to the newest UDK source for like 20 bucks a month and a slice of your revenue. You can also use Unity, and I believe Crytek is doing something similar to Epic. There are a lot of tools that will enable you to just make games without thinking about the underlying abstraction layer. You can set that abstraction limit yourself... Unity / UDK are  *huge* tools. You can abstract away a lot of work by using one or more lightweight libraries. So yeah... Figure out what you want to be doing in the long run, and then focus on that. Once you get into the industry, you will get the job that matches your skills. Make sure that you have the skills for the job you want :) Probably the most important thing is to finish what you start.

The most marketable tech skill for a game developer today is mastering Unity. Experience with straight OpenGL will be beneficial, but it's definitely not what you should start with.

are you sure you want to do openGL ? start of with easy things like Image manipulation libraries, if you haven;t worked with them. http://libgdx.badlogicgames.com/  : uses Java Can Deploy on Android , Web , Desktop, Mac, iOS. http://www.libsdl.org/ : uses C/C++ Can Deploy on Almost every platform out there , including game consoles ( PSP , PS3 ) . both of these libraries creates a abstraction for openGL , you can issue raw openGL commands by creating a context in libSDL, openGL also allows shaders which interact directly with GPU pipeline. get some feel of game development create small and fun to play games, but don't leave openGL(if you want to do hardcore game dev like AAA Industries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AAA_(game_industry)) ) if you want more out of your games ( almost all of 3D games require you to learn openGL until and unless you are using game engines like http://unity3d.com/ , http://www.garagegames.com/products/torque-3d , https://www.unrealengine.com/  or other game Engines. ) Learning a language just for doing game dev is worth it given you have enough interest ;) Conclusion : Learn openGL along side game development , game development doesn't end with openGL its where it all starts ;) On a side note : game Art designing is as important as game development ;) (by development I mean the coding phase.) Assets are too important to be neglected, feel free to hangout on #libgdx on http://irc://irc.freenode.net if you are using libgdx EDIT : Read the Comments as well happy coding ;)

sorry,no idea about game development.. http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/software-engineer/the-abcs-of-android-game-development-prepare-the-canvas/ http://www.develop-online.net/tools-and-tech/15-essential-mobile-game-development-tools/0184480