Game Development Essentials: An Introduction

Book Description

?Get ready for a fascinating ride through the fastest-growing segment of the entertainment industry!? As gaming evolves into a powerhouse industry and a dynamic career opportunity, the need has never been greater for a book that offers a penetrating introduction to the field and a clear explanation of the keys to success. A highly respected industry observer and gaming instructor in Southern California, author Jeannie Novak showcases in this definitive work every important aspect of game development, beginning with a highly informative chapter on the background of the industry that provides the historical context for later chapters. The latest addition to the Game Development Essential series, An Introduction to Game Development examines content creation and the concepts behind the development of story, character, environment, level design, user interface, and sound. Novak also looks to the future of gaming, and in particular, at such promising technologies as online and mobile gaming. An entertaining read and a thoroughly researched and knowledgeable overview of the field, this book is an indispensable gateway to one of the most exciting career opportunities in the country today.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book.......2007-09-24

It's an excellent book. The fact that she included my incredibly detailed game design document in no way influenced my rating.

Classroom Warning.......2007-09-13

Just wanted to let people know there is a later version if you missed it, and you should check with instructors before buying this book and be sure it is the dated version needed!

Gwenn McElwee's Review.......2007-08-15

I find this book to be well rounded in the history and in the aspect to the gaming and simulation world. It was not what I originally expected to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and now can look at the gaming world a lot differently with more respect.

I purchased this book because it was required for the class I am taking at DeVry University Online, but now that I have read it, I am interested in purchasing a few of the other books in this series by Jeannie Novak.

Interesting side notes, but not worth the effort.......2007-07-09

One interesting thing this book contains is little sidebar interviews with people from the game industry. It might serve people who are looking for jobs and want to get names of people in industry.

This book might also be a good read for parents of kids who want to learn more about the gaming industry. It is a very simple introduction (hence the title).

For anyone who has played computer games however, it will be overly simple and offer little value add.

It really is an intro and nothing more.

I enjoyed it.......2007-05-28

I would probably have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the few mistakes made. For example on page 218 there is a screenshot of C&C Generals and the caption says "Praetorians uses terrain as a boundary" with the image credit given to Eidos Interactive! Wow... It's probably just a mistake someone else made and not Novak, but still. I haven't been able to locate an errata list on either the publisher's website nor Novak's, but aside from a few minor typos I haven't found any other mistakes.

For a book published in late 2004, an updated edition seems a long time coming for a book that needed it. I see the second edition is due out August 2007 so that's good. Too bad my class didn't wait until then. I was required to purchase this first edition.

I don't know if I'd recommend this to anyone just browsing the shelves for a book on game design, unless you have more money than the typical student. At $64, I would hold this book to higher standards. Thomson Delmar Learning doesn't really target the mass market, so you'd expect to pay a little extra and receive a little extra in return. But price aside, I agree with all the other positive comments. If you are interested in the subject matter then I really would recommend this book. Maybe just wait a few months for the 2nd edition.

The demo CD is lackluster in my opinion. All it had were URLs to demo games and game engine trial versions. They could have saved some money and just had a page at the end of the book list the URLs.

The interviews with and comments by the industry pros are very nice for the beginning student to read. The book is very colorful and has lots of pictures. That makes it sound childish but it really does help with the reading. I'm used to reading technical books on programming and even I found this format to be useful and it fit well with the subject.

In places, the author talks about generic game ideas and then references a specific game, as if this game is a shining example of the topic and it beat out all others. The topics are so generic that any game in the genre discussed could be used as a reference. To me this reeks of product placement.

One other thing that bothers me is the inclusion of "credible" studies and surveys by renowned research organizations like Nielsen. It isn't so much the fault of the author as it is the proliferation of surveys. One study sampled 33 medical professionals, came up with surprising results, and made the following statement: "The next step? Surgery simulations!". I'm sorry, but sampling 33 doctors means absolutely nothing. Get back to me when you sample 33,000. A different survey of 1,000 males in 2003 found 10% watched less television, 33% said in-game ads helped them decide which products to buy, and 50% actually liked the inclusion of real products in games. The next statement makes a conclusion: "Major corporations are now considering product placement in games as a significant form of advertising." How many millions of males in the United States alone play video games regularly? Wow, 1,000 sure is representative. Now the rest of us have to be subjected to in-game ads, which are repulsively annoying, thanks to the wrong set of 1,000 people surveyed. Sigh. Yes, I know it's impossible to survey a representative sample. So don't bother with surveys. I'm going off on a tangent, but the point is this book is pretty good. Just ignore the surveys.

Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9 (Wordware Game and Graphics Library)

Average customer rating:

The best book I have found so far
A very good introductory book
An introduction. Nothing more, nothing less.
Great book to get started. Clear and Concise
Very easy to follow

Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9 (Wordware Game and Graphics Library)
Frank D. Luna
Manufacturer: Wordware Publishing Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1556229135

Book Description

This book instructs the reader from the beginning by teaching the underlying mathematics and 3D theory necessary to make sense of the DirectX 9 API.

Customer Reviews:

The best book I have found so far.......2007-03-25

This is the best intro to Direct3d book I have. For the game programming aspect, it sucks, but there are so many books that tell you how to make a certain type of game (Premier Press come to mind).

The first section is purely math! This surprised me since it's the only Direct3d book I have found that covered that much math.

The reasons why I gave it 4 out of 5: could be better. It needs more complete sample code. I mean, there's sample code on his web page, but the sample code starts at chapter 9! However, the (incomplete) code before chapter 9 is pretty easy to follow. Whenever he omits a piece of information, it's minor details like

int stuff[10] = { ... }; // fill stuff in with stuff

The book provides a very detailed explanation on how Direct3d works. Sure, there are times where he puts "see the MSDN for this struct", but that's usually when there's not much explaining he could do that's not in the MSDN already. I like that it feels like the author took a good deal of time to figure out how to explain every topic. The information is incredibly clear.

If you are like me and look at a bunch of DirectX books and just have no idea what the author(s) is talking about, you should try this book, especially if you have a good math background. And if this dude releases a book on DirectX 10, I'll definitely get it. If you know DirectX and are looking for a book on game programming, look for another book.

A very good introductory book.......2007-02-26

This review covers the first 13 chapters. It is a book that you will definitely learn from; however, beware that it is not written for users of C#. C# samples can be downloaded from the book's web site and I talk extensively about that in this review. This review is more a How-To than anything else - it documents my experience with the book and using the sample code from the book's web site. I am new to 3D game programming so I started out with giving myself a crash course in Linear Algebra (for this I studied the book, "3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development").

In Part 1 the author could do a better job of explaining how a vector cross product is calculated. He refers to "formula (4)" which is a formula in final form (i.e. it does not show the steps). Furthermore, "formula (4)" comes seven pages after the first three formulas, so when you come to "(4)" (on page 13) you may have already forgotten about (1), (2) and (3) (which are on page 6) -- it is awkward. It should be highlighted and labeled as "FORMULA 4:" or something like that.

In Part II, Chapter 1 (Direct3D Initialization), section 1.4.1 describes initializing a pointer to an IDirect3D9 interface as...
IDirect3D9* _d3d9;
however, in section 1.4.2 the code for checking the capabilities of the primary display adapter shows this code...
d3d9->GetDeviceCaps...
The underscore character is missing from the IDirect3D9 object. It should read...
_d3d9->GetDeviceCaps

The source code can be downloaded from http://www.moon-labs.com/ml_book_samples.htm. C# versions of the sample programs are available. The download instructions include a username/password but I was able to download the files without having to provide them. Should you be prompted for a username/password the author's instructions state, "The user name is exactly the second word on page 212 in the first paragraph of Chapter 13. The password is exactly the fourth word on page 213 in the first paragraph of section 13.1." Let's cut to the chase, its "terrain/heightmap" (without the quotation marks or forward slash).

The code in the book is meant to be used in a C++ development environment. I use C# 2005 Express Edition therefore there wasn't anything I could do with the code in the book. When you open a sample code project (one from the C# versions available at the web site) in the C# 2005 Express Edition, a "Visual Studio Conversion Wizard" will prompt you to convert the project to the current edition's format. Just go ahead and click on "Finish." As I mentioned in a previous paragraph, there is a C# version of the sample programs provided on the web site.

Beginning with Chapter 3's sample and in all of the samples I could not understand why the 'Window' parameter would not work the way I understood it to work. In Form1.cs, when a d3d object is instantiated with a 'true' instead of 'false' for the Window parameter (the 3rd parameter), nothing worked. This works...
d3d = new D3DInit.D3DInit(800, 600, false, DeviceType.Hardware, ref device);
but this does not...
d3d = new D3DInit.D3DInit(800, 600, true, DeviceType.Hardware, ref device);

I had trouble with the sample for Chapter 6 (Texturing). The problem was due to the sample program's inability to find the texture image. To fix it, all I had to do was change the source code to reflect the FULL path to the image file. I'll clarify... this is the original line 136 in D3DInit.cs...

tex = Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.TextureLoader.FromFile(device, "dx5_logo.bmp");

I modified it to...

tex = Microsoft.DirectX.Direct3D.TextureLoader.FromFile(device, "D:\\david.emmith\\Books\\Intro to 3D Game Programming\\Part II CS\\Chapter6\\dx5_logo.bmp");
(Note: Remember to escape backslashes in path names by making double-backslashes, otherwise you'll get an error.)

The same problem occurred again in Chapter 7's sample.

In Chapter 11's sample you may find a similar problem to the ones I described above for Chapter's 6 and 7. In Chapter 11 there is a line in D3DInit.cs (line #55) that reads...

private string shipFilename = "bigship1.x";

You may need to modify it to reflect the full path name.

If you are writing your own app and using the .NET samples as a guide you may run into a few problems when you build the solution. You may see a "... has more than one entry point defined" error. This will happen if you have the following code in your Form1.cs file...

[STAThread]
static void Main()
{
Application.Run(new Form1());
}

There is no need to have those lines in your Form1.cs (or whatever filename you are using in place of Form1.cs). A Program.cs file should have automatically been created in your project (click on the 'Show All Files' icon in Solution Explorer). You can do one of two things to rectify this problem:
(1) Comment out or delete the code shown above in your Form1.cs (or its equivalent) file.
*** OR ***
(2) Exclude Program.cs from your project (right click the Program.cs icon and select 'Exclude From Project').

There is a similar situation in the D3DInit.cs file. There is no need to include the Dispose() method - it will already be in the D3DInit.Designer.cs file (this file, like Program.cs, is automatically created by the Visual C# IDE).

Another problem you may encounter if you are trying to use the Esc key to terminate your DirectX app is the Esc key not working. To solve this problem open your Form1.Designer.cs file and add the following line at the end of the InitializeComponent() method...
this.KeyUp += new System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventHandler(this.Form1_KeyUp);
Then make sure you have this method in your Form1.cs file...

private void Form1_KeyUp(object sender, System.Windows.Forms.KeyEventArgs e)
{
d3d.CloseD3DInit();
Close();
}

And of course your D3DInit.cs file should have the CloseD3DInit() method defined. If not it should look like this...

public void CloseD3DInit()
{
displayThread.Abort();
Close();
}

In Chapter 11, as I mentioned earlier, there is a reference to a file named bigship1.x which is provided in the sample project. This is a mesh file which is nothing more than a geometric description of an object - in this case, a spaceship. If you're like me and you want to workout your own example you would like to create your own mesh file and test it in your own application. To create a mesh of your own design you will need the aid of a program. DirectX uses the .x file format for its mesh files. Some of the more popular 3D design programs do not readily provide a method for turning their meshes into the .x format. I will describe as briefly as possible the steps I took to create a simple mesh, convert it to a .x file and use it in my own program. There is probably a better way but this is the way I did it.

(1) Find a FREE 3D design program. I downloaded and installed two programs:

(a) Maya 7.0 Personal Learning Edition

(a.1) Can be found at the Autodesk web site.

(b) Autodesk 3DS Max 9 (30-day trial)

(b.1) Can be found at the Autodesk web site.
I was more interested in 3DS Max because I have my eyes on some aircraft models I want to use and they were created in the .max file format. So this is the program I used to create a very simple model.

(2) Create a model. I created a sphere with a green texture in 3DS Max. I won't go into the details of how I did that because it is not that difficult to figure out on your own. You may want to create something a little more 'elaborate' than a green sphere. Have at it.

(3) Convert the model into an x-file. This sounds simple enough but try doing it on the cheap, i.e. $0.00.

(a) If you want to pay for a conversion utility up front then check out two products from Okino Computer Graphics:

(a.1) NuGraf

(a.2) Polytrans (a simpler version of NuGraf)
It should be noted that Robert Lansdale (lansd[at]okino.com) offered to do a one-time conversion for me. I emailed him my .max file and he sent me back a .x file. I had already done the conversion by the time he sent the file back but I certainly appreciated his kind gesture.

(b) If your cheap like me you want to do this for free because afterall, you're just trying to learn how all this works. I contacted a 3D guru by the name of Chad Vernon. Chad was very helpful in pointing out a couple of free conversion tools:

(b.1) kiloWatt X file Exporter

(b.2) Pandasoft's Panda Xporter Tool

(c) I used Panda Xporter. After you unzip the .zip file you have a file named PandaDirectXMaxExporter.dle. This is a 'plugin'. So what you need to do next is to make this file known to 3DS Max and the way you do that is place the file in 3DS Max's plugin folder. On my machine this folder is located at D:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max 9\plugins. Now you are ready to convert your model to the .x file format.

(d) Launch 3DS Max (close the Welcome Screen if it appears) and open your model file (File | Open Recent). The first time I did this with the Panda Xporter in place 3DS Max crashed. I removed the Xporter from the plugin folder and re-launched 3DS Max. It crashed again. I eventually got it to work and put the Xporter back in the plugin folder. 3DS Max did not crash after that. This remains a mystery. The problem appeared to have fixed itself.

(e) Select File | Export. Click on the down arrow for 'Save as type' and choose Panda DirectX (*.X). Click in the 'File name' textbox and enter a file name without a file extension. Note where the file is being saved to. You will need to know the full path to your .x file when you create your own 3D app. Click on 'Save'.

(f) In the 'PandaSoft DirectX Exporter' dialog, '3DS Max Objects' tab, uncheck 'Include Animation' if your object is not animated. In the 'XFile Settings' tab, the 'DX File Type' of either 'Text' or 'Binary' worked for me. I believe the default is text. Click 'OK'.

(4) Create your own 3D app. Again, I am using Visual C# 2005 Express Edition. Use the C# samples provided at the book's web site to guide you. Remember, as I have pointed above, that there are some differences that come into play between the samples and what you create in a Visual Studio 2005 environment. Read through my earlier comments.

I hope this helps. Now on to the review.

In Chapter 12's sample, line #138 of D3DInit.cs needs the full path to dx5_logo.bmp. I described this same problem in earlier chapter reviews.

In Chapter 13's sample, line #601 of D3DInit.cs refers to a temp.raw file. This file, as far as I can tell, is not included in the managed (.NET) sample files. So I came up with my own work around which I describe below...

(1) Download Terragen which is a free terrain generation tool. Look for the link labeled, "Install Terragen v0.9.43 (1.6Mb)" in the download page. Now install Terragen.

The following steps are for once you have launched Terragen.

(2) Click on the 'Landscape' icon in Terragen and then click on the 'Generate Terrain' button.

(3) Click on the 'Export' button.

(4) In the 'Terrain Export' dialog click on the 'Export Method' dropdown listbox and choose 'Raw 8 bits'.

(5) Click on the 'Select File and Save' button and choose the name for your .raw file and its location.

Now that you have your own raw file you can insert the file's full pathname into the Chapter 13 sample.

If you have found or already have Terragen .ter files you can convert them to .raw files with a little free utility named 'Terrify'.

The book's web site has some additional information pertaining to Chapter 13. You can go to the Resources page and scroll down to 'Basic Terrain Rendering Part II'. The 'Download Code' link will give you a file named 'TexBlendTerrain.zip' which, according to my WinZip utility, is not a recognized Zip file. The links in 'Remark 2' do not work (they take you to some useless page).

This is the extent of my review. This is a very good book but I wish it were geared towards .NET developers.

An introduction. Nothing more, nothing less........2007-02-05

I guess this book delivers what it promises, more or less. It effectively introduces you to directx. It devotes 20 or so pages to each of 20 or so topics (the dimensions of the book are real small though, so the page counts are somewhat misleading). By the end of the book you'll understand what directx is and what directx can do, but what I found is that there just isn't enough "meat" there to learn any part of directx well enough to do anything useful with this knowledge.

Great book to get started. Clear and Concise.......2006-10-10

I started DirectX programming recently. This book brings you upto speed very fast. It is well organized, written well, and is kept very simple. It's objective is to teach concepts and how to program specific concepts is C++. The examples and straightforward and illustrate whats in the text very well.

Like all other reviewers, I should agree that the title of this book is misleading. There is very little, if any "Game development". The book is all about the basics of 3D drawing using drect X

If you want to start programming DirectX over the weekend with some nice 3D graphics including textures, lights and terrains and even fireworks, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

Very easy to follow.......2006-07-10

This book is written very well, and it is written in a way that allows the reader to follow without getting lost in the terminology. Everything is explained very well. I use the book constantly as a reference when programming. Pick this book up if your serious about learning DirectX.

Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering

Average customer rating:

Has a lot of Info, but is old
Very, Very, Satisfied ! This book is .... My precious !
not exactly what I was looking for
excellent
Hacking the Xbox

Hacking the Xbox: An Introduction to Reverse Engineering
Andrew Huang
Manufacturer: No Starch Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1593270291

Amazon.com

This--this being the attitude encapsulated in Andrew "bunnie" Huang's Hacking the Xbox--is why a lot of people got into the computer industry in the first place. These people liked taking things apart and figuring out how they worked, then making them serve purposes they weren't originally designed for and sharing the new discoveries with others of like mind. Sure, Huang's book is about how to how to turn Microsoft's game console into a high-performance, general-purpose personal computer with a small price tag, and it contains lots of details about the how the heavily advertised gizmo is put together. But you can get the technical material on the Web. What's valuable about Huang's work is that he communicates the pure joy of taking the Xbox apart, figuring out how it works--despite its many designed-in anti-hacking features--and making it do new things. This book reads like the journal of a seventeenth-century voyage of discovery.

There's a wealth of information in these pages about how to disassemble and reverse-engineer electronics, and Huang is careful to show you what tools you need, and how to use them (don't worry if you don't know how to use a soldering iron--that's covered here). There also are step-by-step guides (complete with photos) to a couple of projects, and interviews with key figures in the Xbox-hacking community. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to enjoy a Microsoft Xbox game console without the mindless tedium of playing video games. This book shows you how to open an Xbox, make modifications to it (from a cosmetic LED color change, to putting in a new power supply, to adding a USB connector), and make the changes needed to get Linux running on it. In the process, readers get an education in reverse engineering electronic circuits, as well as in basic electronic techniques (soldering, crimping, etc) and in the intellectual property law that governs hacker activity.

Book Description

This hands-on guide to hacking begins with step-by-step tutorials on hardware modifications that teach basic hacking techniques as well as essential reverse engineering skills. The book progresses into a discussion of the Xbox security mechanisms and other advanced hacking topics, with an emphasis on educating the readers on the important subjects of computer security and reverse engineering. Hacking the Xbox includes numerous practical guides, such as where to get hacking gear, soldering techniques, debugging tips and an Xbox hardware reference guide.

Hacking the Xbox also confronts the social and political issues facing today's hacker by looking forward and discussing the impact of today's legal challenges on legitimate reverse engineering activities. The book includes a chapter written by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) about the rights and responsibilities of hackers, and concludes by discussing the latest trends and vulnerabilities in secure PC platforms.

Customer Reviews:

Has a lot of Info, but is old.......2007-09-08

This book was published a couple of years ago, so it's problem is that it doesn't cover the newer 1.6 Xboxes and doesn't contain Microsoft Dashboard 5960 hacks. Otherwise, it's a wonderful book for someone looking to do something more interesting with their old Xbox, I mean, now that it's place is being taken by the newer 360.

Very, Very, Satisfied ! This book is .... My precious !.......2007-07-26

I really like to Thank's for this Amazing book, well done ... this book is a beauty and fully contain a lot of informations about my beloved XBOX System ... and more ... a lot of more .... I want to say for all .... Buy this item and enjoy ! ;-)

not exactly what I was looking for.......2006-08-30

This book could be a good resource for someone interested in general hacking and reverse engineering, but it fails to provide enough details or describe enough Xbox-specific projects to be truly called "Hacking the Xbox". Maybe if the title had just been "Hacking" it would have lived up to my expectations. As such, I feel that Jonathan Harbour's "The Black Art of Xbox Mods" was more what I was looking for. Still, this book has some value for me, particularly the soldering tutorial.

excellent.......2006-08-13

excellent book. I don't even own an xbox but I want to get into commercial hardware reverse engineering, there aren't any books out there about hardware reverese engineering other than this one. I hope that the author (this book is very well written) writes more books on hardware hacking.

Hacking the Xbox.......2006-08-08

The author tries to give a basic idea of reverse engineering but with gapping holes on code due to fear of prosecution from Microsoft; only a basic idea is given. If one would know the rest of the puzzle then one would not need the book.

Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design Using DirectX 9 and C#

Average customer rating:

Code Does not Compile
Not an intro book.
A godsend.
Misleading Title
Could have been better, but not bad for what it is.

Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design Using DirectX 9 and C#
Lynn Thomas Harrison
Manufacturer: Apress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1590590813

Book Description

Microsoft DirectX is an advanced suite of multimedia APIs built directly into Microsoft Windows operating systems. DirectX provides a standard development platform for Windows-based PCs by enabling software developers to access specialized hardware features without having to write hardware-specific code. DirectX was first introduced in 1995 and is the recognized standard for multimedia application development on the Windows platform. Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design Using DirectX 9 and C# will illustrate the process of creating a simple 3D game engine. During this process many facets of the DirectX 9 software will be demonstrated. The C# language is used to show the power of developing a game using a Rapid Application Development (RAD) language. During the course of the book, readers will learn to develop an off-road driving game that brings such features as management of large scenes, environmental effects, and physics into play.

Download Description

Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design Using DirectX 9 and C# will illustrate the process of creating a simple 3D game engine. During this process, many facets of the DirectX 9 software will be demonstrated. The C# language is used to show the power of developing a game using a Rapid Application Development (RAD) language. In the course of the book, readers will learn to develop an off-road driving game that brings such features as management of large scenes, environmental effects, and physics into play.

Customer Reviews:

Code Does not Compile.......2006-06-07

This was a total waste of my money. If you plan on compiling the code then dont purchase this book. It will not compile and they have known it for a while. But refuse to release a code update.

If you dont believe this visit the Apress website. They know the code is bad.

Not an intro book........2006-05-23

If you're looking at engines like axiom, ogre, irrlicht, etc... and wondering how they do that... THIS is the book for you.

Just make sure you've read at least an intro c# book and 1 or 2 direct3d books.

I'm loving this book, I've read 1/4th of it over the period of my workshift... just can't put it down.

Things like octrees were completely confusing me, and lynn does a great job explaining it.

-1 star for not doing an octree implementation instead of a quad tree (so far... i haven't read the whole book yet), oh and i saw a "GOTO" statement in his code, which always urks me in OOP.

A godsend........2006-05-03

For those who have already had an introduction into DirectX, this book is a godsend. If you know a little bit about DirectX and are ready to take the next step in designing your own engine this is the book to get. Just for the engine structural knowledge I have gained from reading this book it was well worth it, and that's not including all of the implementation examples it gives you, such as Terrains, Meshes, Cameras, and Particle Effects to name a few that I liked. If you don't know anything about DirectX, this book will probably be hard to follow. If you do know DirectX then this book will be very easy to follow. What isn't in comments is explained enough (in my opinion) in the paragraphs preceding each class and method. If you are still having trouble understanding this book then I would recommend reading an 'Introduction to DirectX' book, not an 'Introduction to Game Engine Design USING DirectX' book. All in all, this book was extremely worth it. The author definitely has experience in this field. The book's title may be deceiving to some, if you only read the first and last couple words and skip the 5 words in the middle. The previous reviews were incorrect about this book. If you have a little bit of understanding of DirectX, and would like to see how to implement some elements of a game, like the ones i mentioned previously(and there are more than that), then definitely buy this book.

Misleading Title.......2005-08-12

This book is not an introduction to DirectX, D3D, or C#. It is a very high-level introduction to game engine design. One could almost gain as much from saying "Compartmentalise your objects" several times a day.

The title implies that it will give you some help understanding how DirextX and C# work together to create a game engine. This is false. There is a lot of uncommented code in this book (half the first chapter of 26 pages is uncommented code). The explanations given are abstract to the point of being worthless to someone who truly needs an introduction, giving only light glances at the example code. It is impossible to get a clear picture of everything involved.

There are doubtless those for whom this book is the perfect level of abstract discussion. However, I believe this is the exception rather than the rule. Highly not recommended.

Could have been better, but not bad for what it is........2004-09-14

Lynn T. Harrison, Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design in C# (Apress, 2003)

The main problem with Lynn Harrison's book is that, well, the code doesn't compile. Which isn't his fault; Microsoft made some changes in the version of the DirectX Software Development Kit that came out just after the book's release that compromised the code. But nine months go by, and no code update? Not a promising sign.

That aside, this is a lucid, easy-to-understand book about, well, 3D Game Engine design. There could have been clearer explanation in some places, and it should have been noted at the start that the book wouldn't be presenting the code in an order the reader could type it in himself (typing in book code will beat downloading it from the website, where learning is concerned, every time). But getting past those minor problems, this is a quite workable piece of writing, and anyone who's been programming in C# for a few months should know enough to get the hang of the basics, and be able to pick up the rest from the book itself. Recommended. *** ½

Introduction to Game Development (Game Development Series)

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More like intro to game management...
Illusion of Usefulness
Probally a Good Classroom Text
Great Book!
A weighty text based on the curriculum guidelines of the IGDA

Introduction to Game Development (Game Development Series)
Steve Rabin
Manufacturer: Charles River Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1584503777

Book Description

Based on the curriculum guidelines of the IGDA, Introduction to Game Development is the first book to survey all aspects of the theory and practice of game development, design, and production. The book, which might be used as a text for introductory courses or as a comprehensive reference for game developers and designers, is divided into seven independent parts: Critical Game Studies, Game Design, Game Programming (Languages and Architecture), Game Programming (Mathematics, Collision Detection, and Physics), Game Programming (Graphics, Animation, Artificial Intelligence, Audio, and Networking), Audio Visual Design and Production, and Game Production and the Business of Games. Twenty-seven of the leading game developers, programmers, and designers have contributed chapters that discuss state of the art principles and techniques from the game development industry. The accompanying CD-ROM covers tutorials, animations, images, demos, source code, and Microsoft® PowerPoint lecture slides that reinforce the concepts presented in the book. This is a must-have resource for anyone looking to understand the entire game development process.

Customer Reviews:

More like intro to game management..........2006-12-19

This is a very useful book with respect to tying the elements of a game together as well as giving a broad outline of game program flow. It highlights necessary business considerations toward completing the final product.

Sadly, as a programming book, it falls short of the mark with respect to teaching any programming code. It aludes to examples on the included CD but does not explain concepts covered in the code.

This book is useful to a person who already has a strong programming background who is looking for ways to tie things up and market their final product. For a person who is looking for a tutorial for programming games, I would look somewhere else.

Illusion of Usefulness.......2006-08-10

The book only offers some insight into a realistic game production pipeline; it tries to cover subjects from "Fun" theory to BASIC to small Physics equations to Artistry.

As an introductory book it is -ok- in these respects; however, I just suppose I found myself disagreeing with alot of the subject matter that is presented. Especially when it came to the design section, they try to put in the "waterfall" flow of design into game design which just seems too counter productive to be a realistic methodology for developing a game. Especially if you're only an 'entry' level designer.

Probally a Good Classroom Text.......2006-05-27

This is a good book introducing game programming. It is massive, trying to cover almost every essential aspect of game programming. This book would be a great supplemental text, along with another code specific book, for a two-semester game programming class. If you are a newbie looking for a quick way to learn basic game programming techniques on your own, this book is probaly not for you. (Not that there is truly a quick way.) It is a long read with little code. Let me make it clear this is a good book worth reading: it is just not the quick and dirty introduction that I was looking for. I suggest a step-by-step type book that offers a working game at the end, along with this book.

Great Book!.......2006-02-01

I am a Instructor who adopted this book for a College Course, Intro to Game Design. This book is well organized and goes over numerous major concepts that apply to all interested people in the game field. The only complaint is there is almost no pictures, so that makes the text extremely heavy being 945 pages.

A weighty text based on the curriculum guidelines of the IGDA.......2005-10-03

Steve Rabin edits Introduction To Game Development a weighty text based on the curriculum guidelines of the IGDA and the first to examine all aspects of the theory and applications of game development and design. It lends to use either as the classroom text or as supplemental college-level reading: a comprehensive overview accompanied by a detailed CD-ROM holding all animations, documents and demos referenced in the text makes for a very detailed presentation packed with tutorials and source code, while almost thirty leading industry game developers and programmers contribute technical chapters. A highly recommended pick, indeed.

Introduction to The Game Industry (Game Design and Development Series)

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Introduction to The Game Industry (Game Design and Development Series)
Michael E. Moore , and Jennifer Sward
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0131687433

Book Description

For Introduction to Game Industry and Introduction to Game Production courses.

With coherent coverage of complex topics, this text offers an overview of how the game industry works and describes how games are designed and built.

Introduction to Video Game Design and Development with Student CD

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Introduction to Video Game Design and Development with Student CD
Joseph Saulter
Manufacturer: Career Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0073294020

Introduction to Level Design for PC Games (Game Development Series)

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The entire book screams 'Amateur'
Very weak
Fluffy, no substance
Webgun -stick to programming art is not for you!
don't be fooled by the title!

Introduction to Level Design for PC Games (Game Development Series)
Andrew Charles Clayton
Manufacturer: Charles River Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1584502053

Book Description

If you're like most gamers, you're always looking for more gameplay from your favorite games! Well now, thanks to today's technology and the tools developers are including in games, you can. Using the game editors that come with your game, or the free gmax software, you can create your own characters, weapons, objects, levels, and other assets. These tools might seem intimidating at first but once you overcome the initial hurdles, you'll find that you can achieve almost anything with them. Introduction to Level Design for PC Games is one of the best ways to get started. It teaches you everything you need to know about the fundamentals of game creation, so that the assets you create will work well with your favorite game. The focus throughout the book is on creating and texturing geometry for levels, but the concepts you learn and the tools covered in gmax can easily be applied to all types of asset creation. Plus, you'll begin to make the transition from player to creator, by learning many of the fundamental skills needed to become a marketable level designer. If you want to make game levels that many others will enjoy, you need to start with multiplayer levels, so the book covers popular multiplayer games, particularly First Per son Shooters (FPS). Working through the tutorials, you'll create a complete level and many of its objects. You'll find out everything you need to know to create all the elements of a level --geometry, textures, and exporting. And once you've mastered these skills, you can explore game industry jobs and salary ranges to see if this is your future!

Customer Reviews:

The entire book screams 'Amateur'.......2004-03-25

I think the general concensus of the body of reviews here is pretty much spot on.

I am a student studying game design at University and I had hoped this book would offer some insight into Level Design.

Unfortunately the book reads like something a tweleve year old would write for school and panders to its target audience (presumably teenage boys) by using phrases like:

"Some levels that are moderately easy to create in a short period of time would be a Quake, Doom, or Unreal level. They area all about being cool and have nothing to do with story"

"they are all about being cool" - did an author REALLY write something like that? Shame on you!

It is grammatically hideous and absolutely superficial with regard to level design. The book frequently contradicts itself and whilst I can only assume it offers good tips on using GMax, it offers absolutely no insight into making levels fun.

None of the opinions are backed up:

"It is important to create intelligent systems of programming where several solutions are available to the player." Is it? why?

"Try to design levels for combat in all areas." Really? why? is the initial level of half life (VERY little combat) not a good level? Do the 'quiet' areas of levels not increase suspense.

If you want to learn GMax, this book may be suitable - I use XSI, I never read the 'tutorials' on GMax.

If you want to learn about level design, look elsewhere. I think I probably LOST a few IQ points reading the book. I feel dumber already.

Very weak.......2004-02-02

First, a bit on where I come from. I've been mapping for games such as Descent, FreeSpace, Red Faction, and Unreal Tournament as a hobbyist since 1997. There are very few books written on the subject of level design and so any book with the pontifical title of "Introduction to Level Design" would catch my attention. Sadly, this is a text that simply isn't worth your time.

The majority of the book is a tutorial to gMax, a stripped-down version of discreet's 3D Studio Max software. This is bookended by discussions on the theory and then jobs in the industry.

It's in the former section that the book loses all credibility. Here are a few choice quotes:

(pg. xviii) "If you want to make game levels that many others will enjoy, you must make multiplayer levels. There is not a good market for single player levels, mainly due to the fact that they have little replay value." [This might be true for the hobbyist, however a map designer interested in breaking into the industry, of whom this book tries to appeal, simply must have several single player levels under his/her belt. Single player levels are more demanding, requiring cohesive stories, scripting, and usually more convincing architecture. Not to mention that there are still far, far more single player games on the market than multiplayer-oriented ones.]

(pg. xxi) "Probably the best way to get a job creating levels is exposure. One was is creating levels and posting them on the various game sites. The forums give feedback and encouragement to the novice designers. Maybe think about how this quote is a great 'hook' to get the reader interested, I know it is in a later chapter (11) but maybe it could be deleted there or not. This quote validate the Level Designer as an up and coming desired position. I think it is better in the front end than the back end to the casual bookstore browser." [Yes, this was a sloppy editing comment that was not removed from the final version of the book. Alarms go off because of this blatant error in the Introduction. Was this book even edited?]

(pg. 9) "Building a great level is truly just lots of trial and error and a little talent." [Baloney. There is a huge amount of artistic and modeling talent behind the best levels. It is not a crap shoot that makes a great level, it is skilled design.]

Here's my advice. Build levels and build them well. Voraciously seek feedback and advice from others in the mapping community and implement their suggestions wisely. In this way you get better. No book can tell you how to design good levels just as no book can tell you how to write the next great American novel. These are learning experiences that you must learn and discover for yourself. There exist forums on the Internet for every major gaming community. Other mappers are more than willing to help newcomers, so seek their advice! This entire journey of improvement and discovery is precisely what makes map design such a fascinating hobby!

Unfortunately, Mr. Clayton's background seems to limit him to 3DS Max modeling. As a result, this book is a simplistic treatment on the ins and outs of gMax. It is clear that the actual level design process sorely lacks detailed explanation. In other words, this book is predominantly a modeling tutorial disguised as level design tutorial. But pretty models do not make a good map. A solid foundation in gameplay fundamentals is crucial to complement the visuals. Sadly, Mr. Clayton's book is sorely lacking in that regard.

Fluffy, no substance.......2003-12-01

"Level Design using gmax" would have been a much better title. I was expecting a book that covered general theory of level design. Instead, this book is focused entirely on gmax. That isn't a bad thing, but it is not what the title implies. The book consists of 1 chapter breezing over design, 1 chapter on architecture, and then 6 chapters of gmax, with one chapter of photoshop in the middle.. The final chapter covers careers in the game industry.

The book is full of fluff and padding. For example, the book is written specifically for multiplayer, 3D FPS levels, which makes the book useless to anyone interested in any other kind of game. Despite this, the author wastes pages explaining all the types of pc games out there, from 2d to rpg to sims. The last chapter has interviewing tips, like not to lie on your application and sending the thank-you note after an interview. Gee, thanks, but I have a book on resumes. How about some design tips?

This book desperately needed an editor. The author meanders around with no purpose, and repeats the same information 2 pages later. "Mod" is defined at least three times in the first chapter, and he repeatedly explains how people who make levels for games are called "level designers" or "modders". The same Frank Lloyd Wright picture is used in multiple chapters. I laughed out loud on page xxi of the introduction, where the publisher printed the author's notes ("Maybe think about how this quote is a great "hook" to get the reader interested, I know it is in a later chapter (11) but maybe it could be deleted there or not. This quote validates the Level Designer as an up and coming desired position. I think it is better in the front end than the back end to the casual bookstore browser." Finally something useful in the book, even if it is on selling lame game design books, not on level design.

Charles River Media usually puts out good, solid books with a lot of valuable information. They should be ashamed of this one.

Webgun -stick to programming art is not for you!.......2003-09-26

Unlike the last review done by the assistant manager for a Hardee's, I found the book to be very informative. Introduction to is just that. The book starts out with some good preparation methods on how to plan the design of the game, then goes into some architectual theory and fundamentals.
Most games done by novices look like a novice did them totally missing the basics of design all together. They think the sizzle is in the programming(like Mr.Hardee's). Level design is about the way the game looks and feels, not totally code. (If you look up qualifications for a level designer, they want Max or Maya and Photoshop then some C++ ablities. )The gmax chapters were a good crash course on "Baby 3DSM", I use the daddy version -3D Studio Max , and found the gMax looked and operated very similar, way to go Discreet! The Photoshop tutorials were informative and good for some quick textures, the best textures are the real ones though. The Careers chapter was informative and gave me a little more knowledge about salaries and expectations. Good Job Andy! The book was worth it!

don't be fooled by the title!.......2003-07-06

What a rip-off. There is very little info. about design in this book, and what is here is nothing specific. Chapter 1 is an overview of design info., chapter 2 an overview of building architecture info. 7 of the remaining 9 chapters are a gmax tutorial or about using gmax, 1 chapter is a photoshop tutorial, and 1 chapter is about careers in the gaming industry ( I guess the book wasn't thick enough and they needed to add pages ). If you are interested in a book about using gmax, possibly look here, but I don't think it is worth the full price. There are many online gmax resources/tutorials available for free, and other books devoted to gmax if you need a hard copy. If you are looking for detailed case studies of the 'whys' of level DESIGN, look somewhere else.

The game animals of New Zealand;: An account of their introduction, acclimatization, and development,

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The game animals of New Zealand;: An account of their introduction, acclimatization, and development,
T. E Donne
Manufacturer: J. Murray
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006AJJXI

Introduction to Computer Game Programming With DirectX 8.0

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Outdated Technology Poorly Explained
Introduction to Programming With DirectX 8.0
My first introduction to game programming
My first introduction to game programming
Total garbage

Introduction to Computer Game Programming With DirectX 8.0
Ian Parberry
Manufacturer: Wordware Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1556228104

Book Description

Introduction to Computer Game Programming with DirectX 8.0 provides beginning programmers with the foundations of computer game programming using Microsoft's DirectX 8.0 software. Computer science professor Ian Parberry details the construction of a game demo in sequential stages using DirectDraw, DirectSound, and the Windows API, including a detailed explanation of the program's C++ code. The appendixes discuss changing resolution and color depth and adding multimedia in the form of AVI movies and MIDI music.

On the CD: Complete source code in PDF format Image and sound files and executables for Ned's Turkey Farm, a game demo developed in the UNT Laboratory for Recreational Computing DirectX 8.0 SDK

Customer Reviews:

Outdated Technology Poorly Explained.......2003-05-14

I am actually quite surprised by the large number of positive reviews for this book. It is actually a poor choice for learning DirectX.

First, it is worth pointing out that this is an introduction to an older version of DirectX that is no longer being developed by Microsoft. For those who don't know, DirectX is a package of inter-related programs that allow the game programmer to directly access a computer's video monitor, sound card, etc. DirectX has been developed constantly since it was first released back in the 90s. As of this writing (May, 2003), we are now up to DirectX 9, which is *very* different from the version described (poorly) in this book.

That actually isn't a bad thing, as long as you know it up front. DirectX 7.0 (which is what this book is really about, not 8) used something called Direct Draw for graphics, which is a lot easier to learn than the newer 3D technology that DirectX 8 and 9 emphasized. Direct Draw is no longer being developed, but it is still around for backward compatibility, and is a good place to start for beginners.

Unfortunately, the author does a poor job teaching it. First, as the author makes clear in the book, but may be less obvious to an online buyer not sitting in a bookstore flipping through the pages, you *absolutely* must know C++ and (preferably) have a copy of Microsoft's Visual C++. This is fairly standard stuff, but beginners need to know they should learn C++ first. Plus, you really should learn at least the bare essentials of Windows programming, which you can pick up from a few places - including one of the "Dummies" books, if nothing else.

True beginners may want to start with simpler packages based on the Basic language that integrate DirectX behind the scenes. Check out Blitz Basic or Dark Basic, both of which are much easier to learn than C++ and DirectX, and may be all you need. If you want to become a professional, however, C++/DirectX is the way to go, but even then these other programmers can help you learn the basic concepts in an easy/newbie friendly environment.

Once you know the basics of C++, BEFORE you buy this book, you should download the DirectX 7 (not 8 or 9) Software Development Kit from Microsoft's web site. Go straight to the help files and read them thoroughly (or at least the Direct Draw stuff), and load and run the sample programs. You should also read some very good tutorials at the GameDev web site, particularly the series of articles by Joseph Farrell called "Game Programming Genesis." All of this (the SDK and GameDev articles) are absolutely free. You should also be able to find a used, out-of-print version of Microsoft's own "Inside DirectX", which is much better than this one.

Only then, if you are still confused should you even think about buying this book. The book itself, however, has many flaws in my opinion, including:

- little or no discussion of basic Windows GDI programming. Simple stuff like drawing text, lines, boxes -- all come in handy in DirectX.
- discussion/use of only parts of Direct Draw, with little no discussion of the stuff he leaves out.
- little or no discussion of Direct Input, which provides fast access to the mouse and the keyboard.
- the game he makes uses 8 bit graphics and palettes, an older technology that is harder for newbies to learn.
- over-reliance on C++ classes and object-oriented programming. Yeah, I know some people love this stuff, but most programmers like creating their *own* classes, not trying to figure out or adapt someone else's. In most cases, the ideas he tries to get across could be done more simply.
- a whole chapter on "AI" that really only discusses the simple AI he decided to include in his game, and says little or nothing about AI more broadly (including pathfinding and all sorts of other game related stuff). There are whole book on this sort of thing, but a few pages that at least introduce them would be worthwhile in a beginners book.

All in all, if you want a lengthy, somewhat confusing book about how to make a particular game, with little or no discussion of C++, Windows programming, or DirectX as a whole (beyond the parts he uses), this is a worthwhile buy -- but only after you check out the other stuff I mentioned first.

Introduction to Programming With DirectX 8.0.......2003-03-15

The thing that the other reviewers didn't comprehend, is that this book is for beginners, notice the word "Introduction", this book isn't meant to be the book for learning all about DirectX 8.0, but it is meant to introduce you to DirectX and get you programming in it. After reading this the reader is ready for doing more advance DirectX programming. One thing for the newbie programmers, do not buy this book unless you have been programming in C++ for at least 6 months. And, you should be programming in OOP with C++ since that is the standard for DirectX programming.

My first introduction to game programming.......2003-03-09

Well, I agree this book is not perfect.
Nevertheless, I gave it 4 starts because:
- it gave me an insight in general game logic
- it gave me a general idea about DirectX
- it gives you a fairly good grasp on general animation
- and last but not least: by reading this book, I learned OOP

But beware: I highly recommend that if you want to buy this book,
you should have at least 1 year of programming experience, preferably in assembly and C. Furthermore, it would be nice that you have some experience with DOS VGA programming (under mode 13H for example). Some knowledge of algorithms and a basic understanding of the WIN API message passing concepts are needed, too.

If you don't comply with these requirements, I agree that reading this book is a complete HORROR ;).

My first introduction to game programming.......2003-03-09

If you don't comply with these requirements, I agree that reading this book is a complete HORROR ;).

Total garbage.......2002-12-22

I have tried to read this book but it's very awful. For little experienced programmer, it gives nothing new. But, for a beginner, it tries to teach some 2D directx graphics by explaining his source code. He made its program from many source files and classes, so it's totally ununderstandable for a beginner. I recommend you to not buy this book, there are many better books in amazon.com about this subject. I have totally disappointed. But, of course, it's your money.

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