Beginning Game Programming: A GameDev.net Collection (Course Technology Cengage Learning) (Paperback)

~ John Hattan (Author)
Key Phrases: tile height, parametric curves, tile width, Visual Studio, Linked Lists, Visual Basic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Welcome to Beginning Game Programming: A GameDev.net Collection, the second in a series of books published in collaboration with GameDev.net, the online community where game developers worldwide can network and freely exchange information and ideas. Assembled in print for the first time, and comprised of the best introductory programming articles that have appeared on GameDev.net over the past decade, this volume features invaluable information and ideas for anyone looking for a solid foundation in the basics of game programming. Truly dedicated to the beginner, as you dive into the fun and challenging world of game development, you’ll clear up the mystery of what programming language to use, find information on coding best practices, explore graphics creation, get an introduction to scripting, learn about debugging, and much more. All articles have been updated to comply with the latest technology, and as a bonus, this volume also features exclusive, new content that cannot be found anywhere else. Continuing in their tradition of excellence, Beginning Game Programming: A GameDev.net Collection captures the best of GameDev.net and is an invaluable resource in your pursuit of game development success.

About the Author

John Hattan has been working steadily in the casual game-space since the TRS-80 days and professionally since 1990. After seeing his small-format games turned down for what turned out to be Tandy's last PC release, he took them independent, eventually releasing them as several discount game-packs through a couple of publishers. The packs are actually still available on store-shelves, although you'll need a keen eye to find them nowadays. He continues to work in the casual game-space as an independent developer, largely working on games in Flash for his website, The Code Zone (www.thecodezone.com). His current scheme is to distribute his games virally on various web-portals and widget platforms. In addition, John writes weekly product reviews and blogs (over ten years old) for www.gamedev.net from his home office where he lives with his wife and daughter in their home in the woods near Lake Grapevine in Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 514 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR; 1 edition (February 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159863805X
• ISBN-13: 978-1598638059
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #566,810 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An authors view., August 28, 2009

By	Casey Wireman (Augusta, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First of all, in the interest of full disclosure, I must mention the fact that I am a contributing author to this book. Hopefully however this will not cloud my review.

Having said that, this book is interesting. Are you going to go out and make the next AAA hit after reading this book? No. You're not even going to be coached from beginning to end on making a single cohesive game through the book unlike many others. This is not a hand-holding book, but a loose guide that hits on the important topics that will set you on your way to developing your own games. Topics range from the ever debated "What language should I use?", several graphics techniques, an introduction on common artificial intelligence methods and many more.

All articles in the books have been updated to reflect technological changes in the years since they were originally written (my original article was written in 2003 for example, so there have been marked changes in that time) and in some cases there are articles that aren't even available on the site. Updated content is only one draw. I, like many other people, prefer hard copy to staring at a screen all day. It's nice to have a bound copy to reference, but this is purely individual taste.

Could you get by with the information on the site to achieve the same goals? Sure. For the most part all of the information is on the site along with the priceless resource that is the [...] (which I highly recommend even if you don't happen to order any of the books). The collection of articles in this series however were handpicked for relevance in the topics and I think it's a great starting point for novices and a good reference for advanced users. Happy reading and good luck in your game development ventures.