XNA Game Studio Express: Developing Games for Windows and the Xbox 360 (Paperback)

by Joseph B Hall (Author)
Key Phrases: game font, sound bank, high level shader language, Game Studio Express, The Architecture, Visual Studio (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
XNA Game Studio Express: Developing Games for Windows and the Xbox 360 is the ultimate resource for hobbyists and students who want to write games for Windows and the Xbox 360 game console. Learn how you can create your own games using the amazing tools of XNA and Game Studio Express, the free game development tools and APIs from Microsoft, based on the incredibly popular Visual Studio IDE. You'll begin with an introduction to the XNA platform and the Game Studio Express development environment. From there, you'll examine many different game genres and will develop your own working games. You'll also cover writing components and libraries and will develop reusable code that can be plugged into your game projects. Wrap things up with a collection of more advanced topics. To get the most out of this unique guide you will need a working knowledge of programming, but readers with a variety of backgrounds will still benefit from the comprehensive coverage found inside. XNA will turn players into developers, doing for game creation what YouTube and myspace have done for music and video.

About the Author
Joseph Hall has worked as a software developer for more than 15 years. He has worked for IBM and Microsoft, and was a member of the original Xbox team. He has managed and created native code for web, desktop, and mobile devices, and is an avid game development hobbyist. He is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD.NET/MCAD.NET/MCTS/MCP) and is currently obtaining Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) credentials.

Product Details

• Paperback: 700 pages
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR; 1 edition (September 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598633686
• ISBN-13: 978-1598633689
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #448,499 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the easiest programming book to learn from, December 11, 2007

By	Daniel K. Ray - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I originally bought the book because it was one of two that I was thinking about buying that came with a CD. I've dabbled in C# over the last two or so years (C++ guy turned Java guy - turning C# guy - turning older...) and became curious about the whole XNA hype, so I settled on this book.

I am simply amazed at how easy it is to read, how clear the code base is, and I can't help thinking that the author is sitting next to me eager to show me something new. This is an author who thinks like a reader.

It is my intent to purchase further books by this author. I'm sure they will find a home near my laptop and sit next to the greats like Andre Lamothe.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clearly, this guy knows what he's talking about..., December 20, 2007

By	Redgy (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews

and he presents it in an approachable way.

It isn't dumbed down -- but at the same time it gives an idea of what one is getting into when programming games. Most definitely, a decent understanding of object oriented programming is a huge plus, and of the C# flavor is even better, however, don't throw in the towel if you have neither one...especially if you really love games -- that's the reason Microsoft created this tool. It's worth the effort to learn.

Another good thing about this book, IMHO, is the sense of humor the author displays -- although he still doesn't reveal who Will is. :)

This book is something you'd WANT to read, not like when you HAD to read a novel's CliffNotes, or when you HAD to eat that dry turkey during the holidays to be polite.

Do yourself a favor and at LEAST thumb through it in your local Bookstore.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great 2D book. Works with 2.0, April 29, 2008

By	RB (USA) - See all my reviews

This book talks about 3D, but it's main focus is 2D. I would have liked to seen some more information on 3D, but obviously you can only fit so many things in a book. This book was released after the 1.0 refresh was out, but it still has it's own font class instead of using the built in font class in XNA. This annoyed me a little, but nothing major.

The author does a great job at explaining most of the code. He has good text information as well. My biggest complaint was all of the "redundant" 2D games. Granted, they are different games but it is really more of the same. This is just my jaded view to wish there was more information on 3D.

If you are looking for only 2D games, this is the book for you. It also has some basic info on 3D that is beneficial, but if you are looking to actually create a 3D game you will want to grab a different XNA book on the market. Check my reviews to see which ones I like. This book gets my second highest review because it is such a good book. The author did a great job ... main reason for the dock of one star is for the lack of 3D content.

The book has updated code and doesn't seem to change to much from what is printed in the book. That is a good thing!