Game Programming With Python (Game Development Series) [Paperback]

Sean Riley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Game Development Series | Publication Date: October 24, 2003

If C and C++ are the languages of choice for game programmers, why should you consider using Python? Game Programming with Python explores this question in depth and teaches you why and how Python can reduce your development time, improve your technical designs, and make the entire development process more efficient. Game Programming with Python is about building games using Python. It deals with general concepts of game development and specifics that apply when using Python for game development. Some of the general topics include simulations, game architectures, graphics, networking, and user interfaces. The Python-specific topics covered include Python development strategies, using Python for data-driven systems, performance tuning, modules and packages, and interfaces between Python and other programming languages. Additionally, a series of increasingly complex examples are developed throughout the book using Python. Python is already being used by professional game developers in a number of popular commercial games, including the award winning Star Trek Bridge Commander (Totally Games), Freedom Force (Irrational Games), and Earth & Beyond (Electronic Arts). Games such as these use Python in three major ways: as a full-fledged programming language to develop real software systems; as a scripting language to control and interface between systems written in other languages; and as a data language to describe game rules and game objects. Throughout the book, each of these major uses of Python is discussed along with the differences between them. Written for Python programmers interested in learning game development, as well as game developers interested in using Python, the book assumes you have some programming background and a basic grasp of software engineering principles. Some knowledge of the game development process is also assumed, although a concise overview is provided.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Python may not be the first language you think of when you consider computer games, but it's surprising adept at tying together elements of game systems and not at all bad for the implementation of games in its own right. Game Programming With Python explains how to write game code in Python, and goes a long way toward showing that this isn't just a pet project of some hobbyists--that you'd really want to consider Python for game work. Sections dealing with graphics are particularly impressive. Even established Python enthusiasts will smile at what Sean Riley has accomplished in the area of terrain generation.

Much of the book is as interesting for its coverage of algorithms and design patterns generically as for its detailed coverage of Python programs. Riley takes care to explain, for example, the empirical logic behind the A* (a-star) path-finding algorithm as well as its specific implementation in Python. He devotes similar care to collision-detection algorithms and the simple artificial intelligence behind tic-tac-toe. Riley makes extensive use of libraries in his games, and studying his code is a good way for readers to learn about PyUI, PyOpenGL, and network services libraries. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to push Python to somewhere near the limits of its capabilities by using it to write games. The author talks about game design, useful algorithms, and strategies for using Python to interconnect game elements as well as using Python for core game functions.

About the Author

Sean Riley (Austin, TX) has worked as a programmer in the computer industry for eleven years and as a programmer and designer in the game industry for over five years. He has been using Python for over three years and has been involved in open source Python development and two large-scale commercial game development projects using Python. He contributed to Massively Multiplayer Game Development and currently works as a senior software engineer in the core technology group of Ncsoft — the largest publisher of online games in the world, in Austin, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 488 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1 edition (October 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584502584
• ISBN-13: 978-1584502586
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #529,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Terrible Support, October 12, 2004

By 

S. Potter "Programmer of Things" (London, England,) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Game Programming With Python (Game Development Series) (Paperback)

Sean's introduction to Python game programming is excellent. As a professional games programmer, I found this title to provide a great foundation to the concepts of game programming frameworks, more so than many other titles that focus on more specific code-based tasks.

However, and this is a major fault of both the author and publisher, Sean's book and many code examples are based upon a User Interface library that he wrote called PyUI. Unfortunately, this library doesn't work, and hasn't been updated for quite some time. Downloading the library and using it as suggested in this book will simply not work for the vast majority of users.

If you intend to use this book to learn python game programming, it is important to gain enough familiarity with PyGame and PyOpenGL to be able to work around this broken library. It is also worth noting that you will not be able to use some of the user interface examples provided in the book.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction - terrible support, October 20, 2005

By 

JH - See all my reviews

This review is from: Game Programming With Python (Game Development Series) (Paperback)

I fully agree with an earlier reviewer of this book. I am only through to chapter 6 after getting it last week and it is a great introduction. However all the examples do rely on the author's own Python user interface library which does not work.

So don't expect to be able to run much of the sample code in this book. But it's a great read if you want to learn the theory behind game and simulation design with Python...

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great game programming book, January 1, 2004

By 

bob smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Game Programming With Python (Game Development Series) (Paperback)

Not just a book on Python programming, this is a great book about game programming in general. I'll keep it as a general reference on game stuff. The concepts and algorythms here are useful and relevant to game programming in any language. The use of Python as the implementation language makes the content accessible and easy for programmers of all levels to grasp.

This books covers an incredible range of topics from simulations to graphics, networking and artificial intelligence. The fact that the Python code is so compact makes it possible to cram all of this useful information into a single book. If all of this code were is C++, it would take three books to hold it!

Overall, one of the best game programming books currently available.