Showing posts with label game programming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game programming. Show all posts

Professional XNA Game Programming: For Xbox 360 and Windows Review

Professional XNA Game Programming: For Xbox 360 and Windows
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Professional XNA Game Programming: For Xbox 360 and Windows? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Professional XNA Game Programming: For Xbox 360 and Windows. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Professional XNA Game Programming: For Xbox 360 and Windows ReviewI just want to warn the reader before buying this book. Certainly the author knows how to code games, but this book did not worked for ME for the following reasons:
*) You will need to be in front of a computer and have the samples downloaded if you want to learn something. I read 200 pages from this book while traveling by plane and since most of the code is not printed, and the author relies on the reader to try things on the computer, I did not learned much. If you are like me and love to read books in the beach, on the bed, or waiting on the dentist, you will not learn much.
*) Some of the games were written with the beta version and then ported, and some with the release version, but none with the refresh version. So the information may be already outdated. For example, the author states that XNA does not support fonts, and that was true, but no anymore.
*) The book can not be used as a reference book, it was written to be read from the beginning to the end.
*) The games presented on the book relies on helper classes written by the author, so sometimes you feel more like learning how to use this helper classes and less like learning XNA.
I feel bad writing this because the author has contributed so much for the XNA community, he deserves better, but this book is just not for everyone. If you feel like sitting in front of the computer and analyze code to learn by yourself, I suggest trying the samples from the XNA site first.
Professional XNA Game Programming: For Xbox 360 and Windows OverviewYou haven't experienced the full potential of Xbox 360 or Windows until you've created your own homebrewed games for these innovative systems. With Microsoft's new XNA Framework, the only thing limiting you is your imagination. Now professional game developer and Microsoft DirectX MVP Benjamin Nitschke shows you how to take advantage of the XNA Game Studio Express tools and libraries in order to build cutting-edge games.
Whether you want to explore new worlds or speed down a city block in a souped up dragster, this book will get you up and running quickly. You'll learn how to implement 3D models, generate huge landscapes, map cool-looking shaders to your 3D objects, and much more. Nitschke also steps you through the development of your first fully functional racing game. You'll then be able to apply this information as you write your own XNA cross-platform games.
What you will learn from this book
Tricks for managing the game engine and user interface
How to program an old school shooter game and space adventure
Tips for improving racing game logic and expanding your game ideas
Methods for integrating amazing visual effects using advanced shader techniques
Steps for adding sound and music with XACT-bringing your game to life
How to fine-tune and debug your game for optimal performance

Who this book is for
This book is for anyone who wants to write their own games for the Xbox 360 or Windows platforms. You should have some experience coding with C# or a similar .NET language.
Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

Want to learn more information about Professional XNA Game Programming: For Xbox 360 and Windows?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

J2ME Game Programming (Game Development) Review

J2ME Game Programming (Game Development)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy J2ME Game Programming (Game Development)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on J2ME Game Programming (Game Development). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

J2ME Game Programming (Game Development) ReviewFinally! Ive been trying to learn how to program sprite based 2d games for a awhile now, but have not found real common sense explanations or tutorials, until i got this book. Wells explains everything in such a way that it makes you both laugh and understand his instructions at the same time.
He shows you how to program MIDP games exactly the way I would want someone to teach me, down to earth mixed with a little geek humor, which if your reading this book you will relate to.
Its takes you from basic to advanced and you never feel like your lost, its takes alot of time and concentration but thankfully to the way the book is laid out and Wells teaching style you dont get a headache, you feel like someone is right there with you showing you how to do it.
Worried about MIDP 2.0? Dont be, you need to learn everything thats in this book in the first place before you even worry about 2.0, true this book is not a 2.0 reference, but if your a java developer then you know how easy it is to transition into a new API implentation once you know the prior. After your done with this you can look at MIDP 2.0 and use what you want to from the new release to take your game one more step forward.
Highly reccomend.J2ME Game Programming (Game Development) OverviewJ2ME Game Programming takes the reader from the birth of the game idea, through the hours of fun programming it, and then finally through the quest of getting the new game published.The main project in the book is the creation of the reader's own J2ME game, including assessment of the game's lifecycle, how to handle resources, various methods of drawing to the screen, optimizing memory usage, handling the users input, and even sharing high-scores online!The business models of the J2ME market are very independent-friendly, which is attractive to many programmers who are looking for the knowledge they need to make a few bucks on their own games.When working on a limited platform it is important to squeeze as much as possible out of those precious bytes -- in this book readers will find the tools and source code they need to get the most out of the constrained resources and successfully create their own game.

Want to learn more information about J2ME Game Programming (Game Development)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Killer Game Programming in Java Review

Killer Game Programming in Java
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Killer Game Programming in Java? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Killer Game Programming in Java. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Killer Game Programming in Java ReviewThis book is miles ahead of other Java gaming books... For one thing, this is an excellent book in its own right. For another, the other existing books on the topic suck.
Anybody who spends a lot of time writing games in Java ends up running into certain challenges. For each of these real issues, it takes a lot time to identify the issue then many hours to come up a satisfactory solution or work-around. This book saves you from 99% of that work. The author has documented nearly every complication that you will run into. The other Java gaming books explain how to apply common sense and traditional gaming strategies to the Java APIs (usually following Sun's tutorials exactly), giving step-by-step instructions on how to do so. Besides the point that this adds no value for somebody capable of following Sun's tutorials and APIs, they offer no help where you need it most... where the straight-forward approach is unsatisfactory or just doesn't work for some reason.
Another thing that has saved me a ton of frustration and time is advice from the author. For my specific game project I've run into several questions which I've been unable to answer by web searches, posting to forums, etc. I've emailed Davison (the author), and he has answered each of my questions concisely and to the point every time. (I don't want you to spam him, so please don't send questions until after you have looked for the answer in his book!).
To address concerns that other reviewers have posted:
This book is not just for "advanced" Java developers. As Davison has emailed me, the intended audience is, "someone who has just got past their first Java course". He purposefully avoids avoids all but elemental Java features (e.g., no ternaries, abstract classes, logging infrastructures, IOC).
WRT examples, you are not buying a gaming library or framework. The goal is not to give you production classes that you can use as-is in production quality products. Other reviewers are demanding production-ready examples. It is impossible to make production-ready examples that can be easily understood by first-year Java developers. If you want production-ready classes, don't look for them in a HOW-TO book, find them elsewhere or read this book and then write them yourself.Killer Game Programming in Java Overview
Although the number of commercial Java games is still small compared to those written in C or C++, the market is expanding rapidly. Recent updates to Java make it faster and easier to create powerful gaming applications-particularly Java 3D-is fueling an explosive growth in Java games. Java games like Puzzle Pirates, Chrome, Star Wars Galaxies, Runescape, Alien Flux, Kingdom of Wars, Law and Order II, Roboforge, Tom Clancy's Politika, and scores of others have earned awards and become bestsellers.

Java developers new to graphics and game programming, as well as game developers new to Java 3D, will find Killer Game Programming in Java invaluable. This new book is a practical introduction to the latest Java graphics and game programming technologies and techniques. It is the first book to thoroughly cover Java's 3D capabilities for all types of graphics and game development projects.

Killer Game Programming in Java is a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know to program cool, testosterone-drenched Java games. It will give you reusable techniques to create everything from fast, full-screen action games to multiplayer 3D games.In addition to the most thorough coverage of Java 3D available, Killer Game Programming in Java also clearly details the older, better-known 2D APIs, 3D sprites, animated 3D sprites, first-person shooter programming, sound, fractals, and networked games. Killer Game Programming in Java is a must-have for anyone who wants to create adrenaline-fueled games in Java.


Want to learn more information about Killer Game Programming in Java?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C# Review

GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C#
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C#? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C#. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C# ReviewOne of my first .NET ah-hah experiences back in 2001 was creating an .aspx file that I could reference as a graphic (!). The .aspx file received two query parameters which informed it of the file name of the jpg and the width that the returned image was supposed to be. So then in an IMG tag, I would simply put src="ShowPicture.aspx?file=product1343.jpg&width=100" and it would display a thumbnail of that picture 100 pixels wide and proportionally high. This is an excellent way to produce dynamic pictures as well as protect your online photographs (show thumbnails to visitors, full sized pictures to members), and the .NET GDI+ classes are straight-forward and easy to use. Ever since then I have been looking for a book which goes into deeper detail of creating graphics in .NET with the GDI+ classes. Wrox has finally produced this book! In chapters 1 through 10 you get the basics: pens, brushes, texts, fonts, image manipulation, paths, regions and printing. Then in the rest of the book you learn how to make custom controls which create custom graphics (I love books that teach two things at a time -- great for developers who do four things at a time). If you read this book, you will think about graphics differently, namely, as dynamic objects which your application, the user and the environment can manipulate at run time. Very exciting.GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C# OverviewWhether you are using Windows Forms to build rich-clientbusiness applications or the ASP.NET framework to build powerful webapplications or web services, the use of well-designed graphics willgreatly enhance their usability, impact, and visual appeal. This bookprovides a comprehensive guide to the use of GDI+ in .NET applicationsand aims to provide developers with all the information they need tobuild effective custom controls.The opening section of the book investigates the .NET Frameworkclasses that implement GDI+. It covers all of the classes, methods andtechniques needed to create, manipulate, and display precise graphicsin a form, a page being sent to a printer or an image.On this foundation, the second section describes how to design andbuild effective custom controls for use in a businessenvironment. Topics covered include building composite controls,implementing keyboard navigation, and enhancing design-time support.The final section of the book explores the use of GDI+ and ASP.NET tobuild custom controls that can provide reusable, GUI components forweb projects and to deliver customized graphics over the Internet.

Want to learn more information about GDI+ Programming: Creating Custom Controls Using C#?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Pro Java 6 3D Game Development: Java 3D, JOGL, JInput and JOAL APIs (Expert's Voice in Java) Review

Pro Java 6 3D Game Development: Java 3D, JOGL, JInput and JOAL APIs (Expert's Voice in Java)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Pro Java 6 3D Game Development: Java 3D, JOGL, JInput and JOAL APIs (Expert's Voice in Java)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Pro Java 6 3D Game Development: Java 3D, JOGL, JInput and JOAL APIs (Expert's Voice in Java). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Pro Java 6 3D Game Development: Java 3D, JOGL, JInput and JOAL APIs (Expert's Voice in Java) ReviewThere is some overlap between this book and the author's other book on Java game programming, "Killer Game Programming in Java", but overall there is enough new material to make it a worthwhile purchase. The author starts out trying to explain Java3D. His explanations are OK, but the best explanation I have ever found as an overview of the API is "Java 3D API Tutorial" on the Sun Microsystems website. It's old, but the basics haven't changed. For the specifics of working with Java 3D in the modern era, come back to this book. The author has done a good job of putting together some programming examples that show how to program in current versions of Java 3D including a 3D version of Conway's game of life. He then modifies the program to show off some of the features of Java 6 such as its ability to communicate with scripting languages. Further chapters show how to build creatures with operational limbs that demonstrate Java 3D's TransformGroups, how to handle physics and Java3D using a specific physics API, multitexturing for more natural looking outdoor scenes, and finally how to deal with level of detail problems using mixed mode rendering. In each case, the author just doesn't talk about how to do something, he produces working code that gets the job done and provides a blueprint for the reader to go further.
The section on non-standard input devices deals with interfacing devices such as webcams, game controllers, game pads, and the P5 Virtual Reality Glove to your 3D worlds and games. He mentions parts of Java that are seldom well-explained such as JInput to describe how to control these devices. In the section on webcams, the author talks about JMF and an alternative method of interfacing to cameras. This is good, since for all intents and purposes JMF is really a dead API with very little useful capability. One of the more interesting chapters in this section really has nothing to do with input devices, that being the chapter on JOAL, which is a wrapper around OpenAL, the OpenAudio Library. This is very practical since there are bugs in Java 3D's sound interface that have been there from the beginning and show no sign of being resolved. This chapter provides a practical way for Java programmers to get actual reliable 3D sound into their games and applications.
The final section of the book is on JOGL, which is a Java wrapper for the OpenGL graphics library. The author explains and illustrates the use of JOGL by first implementing a very simple application to clearly illustrate all of the steps needed. Next, a 3D world is written using JOGL that includes a floor with a checkerboard pattern, an orbiting earth, a skybox of stars, a billboard that shows a tree, overlays, and keyboard navigation.
This book, along with the Sun tutorial, is a good education in how to use the Java 3D API in general, and also how to build virtual worlds in Java as well as how to write 3D Java games, which was the book's original purpose. Highly recommended.Pro Java 6 3D Game Development: Java 3D, JOGL, JInput and JOAL APIs (Expert's Voice in Java) OverviewThis book looks at the two most popular ways of using Java SE 6 to write 3D games on PCs: Java 3D (a high-level scene graph API) and JOGL (a Java layer over OpenGL).Written by Java gaming expert, Andrew Davison, this book will be first Java game book to market that uses the new Java (SE) 6 platform and its features including splash screens, scripting, and the desktop tray interface.This will be first and maybe only book to market that covers Java game development using the Java 3D API and Java for OpenGL, both critical components and libraries to Java-based 3D game application development.

Want to learn more information about Pro Java 6 3D Game Development: Java 3D, JOGL, JInput and JOAL APIs (Expert's Voice in Java)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Advanced Java Game Programming Review

Advanced Java Game Programming
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Advanced Java Game Programming? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Advanced Java Game Programming. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Advanced Java Game Programming ReviewYou would assume by the title that this book was written for the experienced Java programmer who knows a little about game programming and wants to learn a lot more. You would be wrong. Instead the author wastes your time and his book's space with chapter after chapter of information that has nothing to do with Java game programming, much less advanced material. Chapter one, for example, is all over the map talking about XML, Ant, and upgrading to Java 1.4, which is no longer even the latest release of Java. Chapter two, which is labeled "Deployment Frameworks" talks about JAR files, applets, and Java Web Start. Other off topic subjects include a chapter each devoted to persistent data, the A* search algorithm, and HTTP tunneling. In fact, there are three chapters on HTTP. The few chapters that actually relate to Java game programming are not advanced at all to the experienced Java programmer who knows anything about graphics, Swing, and Java. Instead, the author spends his time talking about his own game programming framework that does nothing special and is constructed quite awkwardly from a software engineering perspective. There are two much better titles on the market right now. One is "Developing Games in Java" by David Brackeen, written in 2003. The other is "Killer Game Programming in Java" by Andrew Davison which was released in the summer of 2005. If you are serious about game programming in Java you should probably own them both, since they are both excellent and each has their advantages. For one, both show how to use Java's own features and API's such as Java3D and Java Sound to complement your game programs rather than reinventing the wheel such as this author does. I notice that Amazon has nothing on the table of contents for this book, so I offer it here for the purpose of completeness, and to help prove my point that most of the book is not applicable to game programming:
Chapter 1 Development Setup
Chapter 2 Deployment Frameworks
Chapter 3 Swing Animation
Chapter 4 Animation Library
Chapter 5 Advanced Graphics
Chapter 6 Persistent Data
Chapter 7 Game Architecture
Chapter 8 A* Algorithm
Chapter 9 HTTP Tunneling
Chapter 10 HTTP Polling
Chapter 11 HTTP Pulling
Appendix A Source Code Index
Appendix B Introducing CVSAdvanced Java Game Programming OverviewAdvanced Java Game Programming teaches the reader how to create desktop and Internet computer games using the latest Java programming language techniques. Whereas all 7 Java game programming books published previously focused on animation using the AWT, I believe my book will be the first to cover animation using Swing. Doing animation in Swing is tricky. I have spent months diving into the details, testing, and optimizing animation in the Swing environment. I clearly explain how my code works in great detail and why I did what I did. I provide an Open Source reusable game library, a Swing animation engine that allows the reader to use these techniques and put out new games very rapidly. The Open Source game library also includes a reusable game deployment framework and a multiplayer networking library with HTTP firewall tunneling capability for applets. All of the code is Open Source including the example games. The graphics and audio librariesmay also be used royalty-free for creating new games. I also identify and discuss the modern advanced techniques within the field of Java game programming and how they differ from earlier prescriptions in the literature. As the Founder of the Game Developers Java Users Group (GameJUG), I have it made my passion over the last few years to collect and assemble everything published online or in print on the subject of Java game programming.

Want to learn more information about Advanced Java Game Programming?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

iPhone Game Development: Developing 2D & 3D games in Objective-C (Animal Guide) Review

iPhone Game Development: Developing 2D and 3D games in Objective-C (Animal Guide)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy iPhone Game Development: Developing 2D & 3D games in Objective-C (Animal Guide)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on iPhone Game Development: Developing 2D & 3D games in Objective-C (Animal Guide). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

iPhone Game Development: Developing 2D & 3D games in Objective-C (Animal Guide) ReviewUnfortunately, this book does not meet up to its potential. The main issues I have with it are the code examples and example applications.
* The book does NOT provide complete step-by-step walkthroughs of operations (although, they are generally 'good enough').
* The book does NOT contain complete listings of the project code text. This is a BIG problem.
* The source code is available on SourceForge, but it does NOT match the text in the book!!!
I have no clue why the persons modifying the files changed them so drastically.
So, be aware that there are serious issues regarding learning from this text. I can only hope that someone at O'Reilly sees the problem, and acts to fix it.
Edit : I have downgraded this book from two-star to one-star. The more I get into it the worse it gets. Typos. Coding errors. Misnamed classes, files, methods, member names; the list goes on. It is obvious that the authors of this book did NOT code the projects from the proofs they got from the publisher. It is unlikely that they even read the text of the code; some of the errors are so obvious that even a cursory read shows them up.
Edit #2 : It is now apparent to me that the authors of the Book and the Code are old C++ coders from way back. Anachronisms like 'Hungarian Notation' and other Microsoft C++ patterns are rampant. Misuse and misunderstanding of Objective-C and Cocoa Touch patterns and usages abound. You will learn a LOT of incorrect habits looking at this code and text. Beware.
You will spend more time trying to fix the errors in the book than you will spend understanding the concepts presented.
Get a different book on Game Engine Design and work your own iPhone compatible version from there.
It will be easier. A lot easier.iPhone Game Development: Developing 2D & 3D games in Objective-C (Animal Guide) Overview
What do you need to know to create a game for the iPhone? Even if you've already built some iPhone applications, developing games using iPhone's gestural interface and limited screen layout requires new skills. With iPhone Game Development, you get everything from game development basics and iPhone programming fundamentals to guidelines for dealing with special graphics and audio needs, creating in-game physics, and much more. Loaded with descriptive examples and clear explanations, this book helps you learn the technical design issues particular to the iPhone and iPod Touch, and suggests ways to maximize performance in different types of games. You also get plug-in classes to compensate for the areas where the iPhone's game programming support is weak.



Learn how to develop iPhone games that provide engaging user experiences
Become familiar with Objective-C and the Xcode suite of tools
Learn what it takes to adapt the iPhone interface to games
Create a robust, scalable framework for a game app
Understand the requirements for implementing 2D and 3D graphics
Learn how to add music and audio effects, as well as menus and controls
Get instructions for publishing your game to the App Store


Want to learn more information about iPhone Game Development: Developing 2D & 3D games in Objective-C (Animal Guide)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

Beginning C# Game Programming (Game Development) Review

Beginning C# Game Programming (Game Development)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy Beginning C# Game Programming (Game Development)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Beginning C# Game Programming (Game Development). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Beginning C# Game Programming (Game Development) Review"Beginning C# Game Programming" is Ron Penton's third effort in game book-authorship. It's a ground-up tutorial on the C# programming language, starting from the obligatory "Hello World" program and ending with a pretty rudimentary "spaceship at the bottom of the screen shooting at things coming down at you" game called "Generic Space Shooter 3000".
If you're already an old hand at similar languages like Java or C++, then the first half of the book won't be much more than a refresher for you. The first half of the book covers simple screen output, followed by primitive types, operators, looping, classes, arrays and file streams. It covers these topics fairly quickly (all in about 120 pages), so you won't be spending much time on each topic. Apart from one significant exception, the language tutorial is well-organized.
The "significant exception" raises its head with chapter 6 (creating a project). After spending 120 pages learning how to write, compile, and execute small bits of C# code, chapter 6 shows you how to set up a project in SharpDevelop (a free C# programming environment). If you need help compiling your code in chapters 1-5, the only help you'll get is a brief mention of Visual Studio.NET, SharpDevelop, or the C# command-line compiler. If you invest in a copy of "Beginning C# Game Programming", I recommend that you read chapter 6 first. Then go back to chapters 1-5. Finally, head over to chapter 7 and build yourself a space-shooter for the rest of the book.
The space shooter chapters are well-done, with good coverage of doing directX graphics in C#. The topics covered are a bit large for such a simple example game (alpha-blending, force-feedback, direct3D), but this is done with the understanding that you'll be wanting to write a more significant game than "Generic Space Shooter 3000" by the time you're done with the book.
If you want a good "ground-up" start with C# game programming, "Beginning C# Game Programming" is a good start. It takes you from the very beginning to a complete arcade game.
Just don't read it in order.Beginning C# Game Programming (Game Development) Overview"Beginning C# Game Programming" approaches the topic of programming with C# for a total beginner, first easing the reader into the techniques of C#, and then slowly combining all of the information together enabling the reader to create a complete computer game. Divided into two comprehensive sections, this book first provides readers with the techniques and skills that they need to program with C#, including the basics of .NET and computer programming. The second section concentrates on programming for games. Readers will learn how to use C# to interface with DirectX 9 and will cover the basics of graphics, input, and sound.

Want to learn more information about Beginning C# Game Programming (Game Development)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...

The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book & CD) Review

The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book and CD)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Are you looking to buy The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book & CD)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book & CD). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book & CD) ReviewMy 12 year old son got interested in how computers work and especially how computer games get written. Being a software developer myself, I however could not explain him well these topics in a language that would be easily understood by a kid. And I am not a game programming expert, so I simply don't know how this stuff is written.
When I first saw this book, I was not sure if it would be suitable for a kid. But I decided to take a risk, since the book had a lot of illustrations and language did not seem to be very technical. I gave it to my son two days ago, and I can see alredy now that this was an excellent gift: he used all weekend on reading chapters from the book, trying making his first games, calling his parents all the time to show us his achievement. He even found a forum for game development, asked questions, received answers and made improvements in his first programs based on discussion results! And by the way - English is a foreign language for him.
I wish all books for beginners was written in a such entertaining way.The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book & CD) OverviewThe Game Maker's Apprentice shows you how to create nine exciting games using the wildly popular Game Maker game creation tool. This book covers a range of genres, including action, adventure, and puzzle games--complete with professional quality sound effects and visuals. It discusses game design theory and features practical examples of how this can be applied to making games that are more fun to play.Game Maker allows games to be created using a simple drag-and-drop interface, so you don't need to have any prior coding experience. It includes an optional programming language for adding advanced features to your games, when you feel ready to do so. You can obtain more information by visiting book.gamemaker.nl.The authors include the creator of the Game Maker tool and a former professional game programmer, so you'll glean understanding from their expertise. The book also includes a CD containing Game Maker software and all of the game projects that are created in the book--plus a host of professional-quality graphics and sound effects that you can use in your own games.

Want to learn more information about The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners (Book & CD)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now
Read More...