Customer Reviews

Awesome 3d Game Development: No Programming Required (Charles River Media Game Development)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A very useful book for the absolute beginner interested in click-together 3D game making tools. An easy style and nice short chapters make it a quick read, with helpful introductions to rapid game-making software together with sound and graphics packages such as Acid, Adobe Audition, Milkshape 3D and Paint Shop Pro.

I particularly enjoyed the sections on creating, recording and editing music and sound effects, as many books underemphasise this important side of game making.

Many people are hoity-toity about click-together game making tools, arguing that doing it the hard way - first learning a (usually demanding and complex) programming language - is the only way to make high-end computer games. Though that may be so, not everybody wants to create the next blockbuster game. Many of us are happy to click together a relatively simple game of their own making with minimal effort, for their own or their kids' enjoyment or for the pleasure of learning a new and creative skill, finding a few sound effects and creating simple game graphics. This book is the 3D version of an earlier 2D "Awesome" series (Awesome Game Creation) which I found very helpful.

Awesome 3D Game Development admittedly does labour under a few limitations. Even accepting that the reader is probably a complete beginner, the author occasionally goes overboard in explaining the obvious, such as how to set up the various demos on the CD. I also feel that "Duck Blast", the 3D game which is created over various chapters and merely involves shooting yellow ducks with your mouse, is not inspiring and doesn't seem worth the significant effort to make the game.

There is, of course, a cost implication if you really intend to buy the various supporting software on the CD after the 30-day trial versions have expired. Eg. the full version of Adobe's Audition 2.0, which according to the author is ideal for creating sound effects for your games, will put you back a good sum of money. It would have been helpful to also include discussions of various cost-conscious alternative options, eg. the free or cheap music generators (obtainable on the internet for downloading) for automatically composing background music for your games.

Computer books unfortunately age quickly. A new edition of this 2004 book will hopefully also include newer products such as FPS Creator (from the makers of DarkBasic and 3D Gamemaker) and Game Maker (the Dutch product created by Mark Overmars).

In spite of the above comments I found the book very instructive and good value for money.

Not very good. Anti-science I would call it.

To be honest I've read previous version of this book using GCSW (a program I already was quite familiar with), this is the "updated version". Yeah. Well it's obsolete, inaccurate when it comes to game testers and industry standards. The entire thing feel EXTREMLY dated. The software he includes it pretty terrible as well, 3Dgamemaker should be avoided at all costs. Reality Factory is FREE and open sources, you can download an e-book from the website with complete instructions, that goes more in-depth and more useful. Really, I'm quite disappointed in the quality of the book, the lack of modeling info in Milkshape (really once again free eBooks available containing MORE info that actually EXPLAINS HOW TO USE IT.) Multimedia Fusion reminds me of Click and Play, seriously get Game Maker instead, plus there is actual books explaining how to use that one! Charles River Media, seems to print 90% worthlessness. I swear if it wasn't for the... Fudge monkeys why am I giving it 2 stars? I guess because I'm nice and this has basic info that is KINDA useful. Buy it for an 8 year old.

Mostly this is a "Duh" level book, about how to install programs that you will need to use in order to make games. The first half of the book talks about anything but making games, but rather the structures of a game company, tools needed and the likes of which anyone looking for information of entry level game making, is already going to know about. I found it very un-informative and there was little to nothing in the context of the book that helped me understand starting basic ground level game production in 3d. (of which this book ALSO covers about 50% on 2-d Gaming)

Would not recommend to anyone with any gaming knowledge. Its THAT level of basic knowledge.

Awesome 3D Game Development: No Programming Required by computer game development expert Clayton Crooks (a partner in Advanced Information Systems, a consulting company specializing in custome hardware and software solutions), is an instructional manual for learning to use "drag-and-drop" game engines, step by step procedures for storyboarding, character development, weaponry, scoring, scenery, modeling, sound effects, and more - all to create exciting three-dimen-sional games with no need for programming skills. Extensive examples, suggestions, exercises, step-by-step tutorials, and more help sharpen creative talents, and an included CD-ROM with demos of 3D GameMaker, Reality Factory, Multimedia Fusion, and more software offers an introduction to the types of tools that any game developer regardless of programming background can have access to. A superb instructional and resource.

This is a really horrible book for those people that want to get into the game business.

Okay let me put the facts nice and easy:
For those that want to waste some time and make a little game then this book is for you.
If you want an introduction to some software out there for game making this book is for you.
If you want to be looking for a place so later you will start making you own games I would reccomend look else where.


Now this is a great book for those that want to make a game. But by saying that don't expect to make a great game not even a game like Mario or old games cause most software is very limited and even though I know these are demos for software, I actually seen the full versions of all the stuff and I am not satisfy.
But some stuff is worth looking at like Milkshape3d. And I know and the title it say no programming required but pretty much if you want to make you own game you will need to program some stuff.

Verdict: 0.0 out of 5.0 This may attract a lot of young ones that want a future in program and I would say just start programming but for those that want to make a game with limits but just want some fun then go ahead and waste you money.