Game Coding Complete - Softcover

McShaffry, Mike

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1932111913 ISBN 13: 9781932111910

Publisher: Paraglyph Press, 2005

Synopsis

Mike McShaffry's first edition of Game Coding complete rapidly became one of the top-selling game programming books and was widely praised by readers around the world. The best description of the first edition comes from two Amazon reviewers; the first proclaiming, ""I got the same feeling of enlightenment when reading this one as I did all those years ago when I read the classic book ""Code Complete"" and the second stating ""This is the first game book I have read that I was sorry when I got to the end because there wasn't any more.""

For Game Coding Complete, Second Edition, McShaffry returns with many more of his highly popular, shoot-from the hips war stories and expert game programming insight that only a real insider could provide. McShaffry uses his experience as a leading programmer for Origin Systems, Microsoft, and Ion Storm a division of Eidos, to illustrate real-world techniques and solutions, including examples from his recent work on the major game, Thief Deadly Shadows. Game Coding Complete, Second Edition takes programmers through the complete process of developing a professional quality game using hundreds of insider tricks and techniques developed and perfect by the author from over a decade of game development experience. It covers a range of topics that will appeal to the most discriminating programmers such as key ""gotcha"" issues that could trip up even veteran programmers. The new edition features expanded coverage of 3D programming, several new chapters on game interface design, game audio, game scripting, game engine technology, code optimization, production and scheduling, plus it now includes a CD-ROM packed with valuable source code and game development tools. The appendix offers solid advice on starting your own game company. The C++ language is used to explain specific programming concepts with added discussion of development with C# and Managed DirectX programming.

About this title

From the Publisher

· Covers topics that typically get overlooked in other game programming books making it the only one of its kind to expertly present from start to finish the process of programming commercially viable computer games. · Dedicates a new chapter to game user interface design from game screen design for consoles and PCs to interface components to in-game and out of game screens. · Shows important real-world techniques for game audio with a new chapter covering file formats, using Miles Sound System or DirectSound, 3D sounds and listener positions, EAX and DSP effects, plus advanced sound techniques. · Covers core physics programming techniques from collisions and intersections, ray casting, and object collision detection. · Features critical physics concepts such as motions and forces, animating versus simulating, and more. · Shows developers how to get the most out of using game engines and today’s leading 3D technology. · 2nd Edition has been expanded by 30%, with 7 new chapters · Features a Foreword by Warren Spector, one of the leading forces in game development today.

From the Author

Most people wanting jobs in the computer game industry have some interesting and completely wrong opinions about what it’s like working on games. In seven years I had as much fun, learning, and suffering as normal people get in twenty years.

Programming games isn’t like other kinds of programming. It’s not better or worse, just different. Most of the good aspects of game programming have to do with the Hollywood side of things. Games are cool and everybody loves them. The bad side of professional game programming has to deal with the complexities of the task—game development is far from easy. The sweaty underbelly of this industry can be blamed mostly on insane deadlines and work hours, ever-changing SDKs and operating systems, and intense competition. In this book I’m going to walk you through the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of game development. Being the best developer you can be requires that you have intimate knowledge about the real demands of the industry.

I wrote this book so that I could take you inside the art and craft of developing professional quality games. If you are looking for a book written by someone who’s actually been working in the games industry, you’ve come to the right place. While I’m a programmer at heart, I’m never too far from production either. I’ve worked on ten games in my career, eight of which made it to market. The games include hardcore fantasy role playing games like the Ultima series, a few massively multiplayer titles including Ultima Online, a kids game from Mattel called Magnadoodle, and Microsoft’s casual games including Bicycle Casino. The schedules for these games ranged from five weeks to as many years, and audiences from little kids to people my Mom’s age. There’s a lot to learn working on each kind of title, and I’ll try my best to teach you as much as I can.

Edition details

• Publisher: Paraglyph Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1932111913
• ISBN 13: 9781932111910
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 850