Macromedia Flash 5: Actionscript for Fun & Games

This book will be the only game-specific book for Macromedia Flash and ActionScript. Each chapter will study and deconstruct a new type of game or gadget, such as hunt and click games, catch and avoid games, or action and adventure games.

The book will waste no time on illustration or animation directions but will focus solely on building games in Flash, including coding, the primary skill that most aspiring Flash game designers lack.

Gary Rosenzweig is a game designer, programmer, entrepreneur, and the author of six books on Macromedia Director and Flash. He owns and operates CleverMedia, a Shockwave game development company that runs four game sites on the Internet: clevermedia/, gamescene/, gamespark/, and flasharcade/.

Since founding CleverMedia in 1996, the company has produced more than 150 games. The games on the four sites that make up the "CleverMedia Network" are all free for Web surfers to play. Many of the games have also been licensed to other Web sites.

Rosenzweig started in the multimedia business by obtaining a bachelor's degree in computer science from Drexel University in Philadelphia. His interest in newspapers took him to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill where he earned a master's degree in journalism and mass communication.

Rosenzweig wrote his first book in 1995 on Macromedia Director Lingo and distributed it free on the Internet. In 1996, The Comprehensive Guide to Lingo was published by Ventana, followed the next year by The Director 6 Book. In 1999, Special Edition Using Director 7 was published by Macmillan Computer Publishing and Special Edition Using Director 8 followed in 2000. Gary has also spoken at many Macromedia User Conferences and the Game Developers Conference. Gary reads a lot of classic science fiction books, likes to go to the movies, and enjoys travel. He lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Debby; cat, Lucy; and dog, Natasha.