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

Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming (With CD-ROM) Review

Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming (With CD-ROM)
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Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming (With CD-ROM) ReviewThe "Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming" is the second volume in the set of books written by author Norman Lin. The title "advanced" is rather crudely portrayed in the examples the author has written. Many of the examples are based off true cross-platform development which adds hundreds of lines of not needed code considering the book was supposed to be for linux.
The "advanced topics" include texture-mapping, lighting, fog, and several other components which sound impressive at first however the examples given are rather long in code-size, and don't get straight to the point of what the example does. I was rather disapointed that the lighting section had no real details on the math behind it all.
From the title of the book, one would assume you would be programming 3d graphics in linux, however the author spends 60% of the book talking about Blender and World Foundry. Those programs should have been in a separate book rather then used as filler so the author could make several extra bucks on a new book.
The examples are all using the GLUT SDK for MesaGL (OpenGL for Linux) which doesn't teach you about true linux X11 initialization.
I think this was a big disapointment, and would not recommend this book.Advanced Linux 3D Graphics Programming (With CD-ROM) OverviewThis second colume provides programmers who are experienced in both Linux and fundamental 3D graphics concepts with a well-rounded perpesctive on 3D theory and practice within the context of programming larger interactive 3D applications.

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XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Xbox 360 Developers Review

XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Xbox 360 Developers
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XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Xbox 360 Developers ReviewThis is an ADVANCED book for EXPERIENCED developers, and not intended for a beginner or a first course on XNA 4.0 programming. The publisher's error in posting an incorrect table of contents during the pre-order period leading up to the book's release is not reason enough to give this book a 1-star review, so I'm countering that with actually useful information about the book.
Key points at a glance:
Discover how to create exciting and challenging games for the Xbox 360 using XNA Game Studio 4.0 and the Visual C# programming language.
Provides experienced game developers with a comprehensive overview of the XNA Framework, providing all the tools, source code, and information you need to develop Windows and Xbox 360 games.
An introduction to programming in XNA, the XNA Framework, and all the new features included in XNA 4.0.
The bulk of the book focuses on the XNA Framework, in particular the features of the Xbox 360, including the controller, playing audio, and creating graphics.
Covers the major features of Xbox Live, including creating and rendering an avatar, loading and rendering a 3D mesh using a basic shader, and networking via system link and online.
A final game project demonstrates the networking capabilities of XNA and acts as a rudimentary, sprite-based networked game engine for your own projects.
Source code and artwork from the book as well as Visual C# 2010 projects for Windows and Xbox 360 are available as accompanying downloads.
Table of contents:
Part 1: Introduction and Primer
1. Introduction to XNA Game Studio 4.0
2. Peeking Under the Hood
Part 2: XNA Framework Library
3. XNA Framework Overview
4. Audio
5. Content
6. GamerServices
7. Graphics
8. Input
9. Media
10. Net
11. Storage
Part 3: Xbox Live
12. Avatars
13. Guide
14. Multi-player Networking
15. Meshes
16. Sprites
17. Multi-player Game Engine
XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Xbox 360 Developers OverviewDiscover how to create exciting and challenging games for the Xbox 360 using XNA Game Studio 4.0 and the Visual C# programming language. XNA Game Studio 4.0 for Xbox 360 Developers provides experienced game developers with a comprehensive overview of the XNA Framework, providing all the tools, source code, and information you need to develop Windows and Xbox 360 games. You'll find an introduction to programming in XNA, the XNA Framework, and all the new features included in XNA 4.0 to get you started. The bulk of the book focuses on the XNA Framework, in particular the features of the Xbox 360, including the controller, playing audio, and creating graphics. The final part of the book covers the major features of Xbox Live, including creating and rendering an avatar, 3D programming, loading and rendering a mesh using a basic shader, and networking via system link and online. You'll tie together all the skills you've learned in a final game project that demonstrates the networking capabilities of XNA and acts as a rudimentary, sprite-based networked game engine for your own projects. Source code and artwork from the book as well as Visual C# 2010 projects for Windows and Xbox 360 are available as accompanying downloads.

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Programming the Cell Processor: For Games, Graphics, and Computation Review

Programming the Cell Processor: For Games, Graphics, and Computation
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Programming the Cell Processor: For Games, Graphics, and Computation ReviewFirst and foremost, this is NOT a book for beginners. It's for experienced programmers who want to start working with the Cell processor. If that describes you, then you should buy this book immediately.
Every imaginable detail about the Cell is covered here. You'll learn how to write code, yes, but you'll also learn how that code works in terms of the Cell's physical architecture. This is crucial to understanding how best to harness the Cell's power. There are numerous diagrams and clear writing throughout, succinctly explaining what your code does and why it does it.
The book opens with a few chapters on setting up your work environment. This goes into great detail, walking you through installing Linux on a Windows PC or a Playstation 3 system, using gcc/make, acquiring and configuring the Cell SDK, debugging and simulating Cell applications, and setting up Eclipse and the Cell IDE. If you already know your way around Linux you'll be able to skip most of this, but if you're a Windows user (like me) this section will prove invaluable.
This is followed by in-depth technical discussions of the PPU (the Cell's primary processor) and the SPUs (the smaller, distributed processors at the heart of the Cell's power), how these communicate with each other, and how to optimize these communications. Sprinkled throughout are use cases for various functions in the Cell standard libraries; by the end of this section you should be able to program the Cell processor reasonably effectively.
While this book is focused on the Cell processor in general, it does recognize that perhaps the most ubiquitous application of the processor at present is the Playstation 3 system; to that end, the third and final section of the book is targeted at using the Cell processor for specifically game-related tasks: programming the frame buffer, using OpenGL, running the popular Ogre3D engine on the Cell, and using the COLLADA shared graphics file format and libraries. Depending on your focus, this section may or may not be useful, but either way its quality remains up to par with the rest of the book.
My only complaint is that the book's structure is not particularly conducive to use as a reference guide. That is, while it covers a significant portion of the Cell libraries and features, you can't just quickly look something up. The book's design seems to suggest a deep, initial read-through and then only occasional re-references thereafter. But perhaps supplementing it with the SDK's own documentation is sufficient. This is the only reason the book falls short of 5 stars for me, and of course your mileage may vary.
Overall, highly recommended for experienced programmers who want to start working with the Cell processor.Programming the Cell Processor: For Games, Graphics, and Computation OverviewMake the Most of IBM's Breakthrough Cell Processor in Any Gaming, Graphics, or Scientific ApplicationIBM's Cell processor delivers truly stunning computational power: enough to satisfy even the most demanding gamers and graphics developers. That's why Sony chose the Cell to drive its breakthrough PlayStation 3 and why Cell processors are at the heart of today's most powerful supercomputers. But many developers have struggled to create high-performance Cell applications: the practical, coherent information they need simply hasn't existed. Programming the Cell Processor solves that problem once and for all. Whether you're a game developer, graphics programmer, or engineer, Matthew Scarpino shows you how to create applications that leverage all the Cell's extraordinary power. Scarpino covers everything from the Cell's advanced architecture to its powerful tools and libraries, presenting realistic code examples that help you gain an increasingly deep and intuitive understanding of Cell development. Scarpino illuminates each of the Cell's most important technical innovations, introduces the commands needed to access its power, and walks you through the entire development process, including compiling, linking, debugging, and simulating code. He also offers start-to-finish case studies for three especially important Cell applications: games, graphics, and scientific computing. The Cell platform offers unprecedented potential, and this book will help you make the most of it. Mastering the Cell SDK, including the GCC-based buildchain, ppu-gdb/spu-gdb debuggers, IBM Full System Simulator, and Cell IDE

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Beginning Windows Phone 7 Development Review

Beginning Windows Phone 7 Development
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Beginning Windows Phone 7 Development ReviewBeginning Windows Phone 7 Development by Lee and Chuvyrov is aimed at developers new to the Windows Phone 7 platform (which is probably most of us). This book expects a basic understanding of C#, the .NET Framework and XAML so if you have no prior programming experience, an introductory text is a pre-requisite. .NET developers without Silverlight or WPF experience shouldn't find the content too challenging as it is either explained sufficiently by the authors or fairly easy to grasp in its own right.
Part 1, The Essentials of Windows Phone 7 Application Development, starts with a high level introduction to the Windows Phone 7 platform and then drills into some examples ranging from the obligatory Hello World through to a thorough Windows Azure-based cloud services end-to-end scenario. There are plenty of step-by-step instructions and loads of screenshots in these five introductory chapters making them a easy read.
Part 2, Using Windows Phone 7 Technologies, comprises the remaining fourteen chapters and the vast majority of the book. The meat of the book is in these chapters and provides a reasonable grounding for developers looking to discover the breadth of the Windows Phone 7 platform without getting bogged down in too much detail.
The book is organised reasonably well and covers the material well enough for someone new to the platform to become productive relatively quickly. The tone of the book is light without trying too hard to be humourous, which I was thankful for. However, I have two complaints to make, resulting in a less than perfect score.
First, there are a number of inconsistencies in the example code printed in the book. For example, in Chapter 2, the book refers to a TextBlock called textBlock1 in the description of the subsequent code but then goes on to use a TextBox called txtMessage in the actual code listing. There are plenty of similar errors in this section. Its easy enough to understand where the book has gone wrong and correct for it but it may be frustrating for beginners.
Secondly, and far more annoying for me, was the volume of grammatical errors. The authors' command of English is obviously good but between the frequent errors, odd turns of phrase, and some repetitive wording, I found the writing to be a distraction (there's something about code being referred to as codes that really irritates me). Thankfully I perservered through to Part 2 of the book where either the writing improved or I became too desensitised to care anymore.
The book is fine as a survey of the important areas of Windows Phone 7 which will likely require your attention as a developer. If you don't mind the occasional superficial inconsistencies in code examples or if the quality of the writing doesn't get in your way, you could do far worse. Some work by the editors at Apress should result in a much improved second edition as it really only needs polishing rather than a rewrite.
Beginning Windows Phone 7 Development Overview
Microsoft'sWindows Phone 7 handsets have injected a new vibrancy into the smartphone marketplace and provided bold new opportunities for the Microsoft development community. Now in its second edition, Beginning Windows Phone 7 Development has been written to help you identify those opportunities and to learn the skills you'll need to harness them. It covers the very latest developments in the field, including the extended APIs offered in Microsoft's automatic platform update, so you'll have timely, accurate information at your fingertips. Beginning Windows Phone 7 Development, Second Edition starts with the basics, walking you through the process of downloading and setting up the right development tools, including Visual Studio, Expression Blend, Silverlight SDK, and Windows Phone SDK. It then takes you step-by-step though the development process as you build and deploy a working application, complete with a sophisticated user interface. Finally, you'll receive step-by-step instructions on selling your applications through the Windows Phone Marketplace.

What you'll learn
How to create effective networked applications
How to leverage your phone's GPS capabilities from within your application
How to interact with the phone's built-in functionalities (camera, contacts, maps, accelerometer, video and web browser to name but a few)
How to construct highly graphical and responsive user interfaces quickly and easily using these features
How to package and distribute your applications for bothpersonal distribution and commercial sale via the Windows Phone Marketplace

Who this book is for
This book is for anyone interested in developing applications for the Windows Phone 7. You might be an existing .NET developer looking for a new creative angle, or perhaps an iPhone or Android developer looking for a new opportunity. If you have an understanding of basic .NET coding practices, then this book is for you.

Table of Contents
Introducing Windows Phone 7 and the Windows Phone Platform
Building Windows Phone 7 Applications
Using Cloud Services As Data Stores
Catching and Debugging Errors
Packaging, Publishing, and Managing Applications
Working with the Accelerometer
Application Bar
WebBrowser Control
Working with Controls and Themes
Integrating Applications with the Windows Phone OS
Creating Trial Applications
Internationalization
Isolated Storage
Using Location Services
Media
Working with the Camera and Photos
Push Notifications
Reactive Extensions for .NET
Security


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Game Engine Gems, Volume One Review

Game Engine Gems, Volume One
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Game Engine Gems, Volume One ReviewWhen one buys a "gem" series book, it is to learn specific, useful techniques for implementing systems and algorithms. The "gems" themselves are the sought-after ideas and theories, formed into concrete examples that can be applied to ones needs.
Unfortunately, this book does not live up to its "gems" titling, only serving to dilute that designation with weak content. Many of the chapters read as if they were written by high school students that attended a seminar on "game engine issues" and were forced to write a paper to prove they paid attention. In other words, the chapters will talk about how you would go about doing something and what would be desired in the final product, rather than describing how it is actually done. As such, many of the chapters are extremely short, some as short as 2-3 pages, and have sparse generalization information in them--hardly "gems."
This book should be retitled, and directed towards people who want to read about general issues and ideas in game engines. It's not a "gem" book by any means, and you're not going to glean any sophisticated techniques from the authors. I also have to wonder about that "5 star" first review given to this book, whether it was a shill review, because I can't expect any professional keeping this book on hand, let alone as a reference. I wish I had spent more time looking at the "Look Inside" preview before laying my money down for this mediocre book.Game Engine Gems, Volume One OverviewGame Engine Gems brings together in a single volume dozens of new articles from leading professionals in the game development industry. Each gem presents a previously unpublished technique related to game engines and real-time virtual simulations. Specific topics include rendering techniques, shaders, scene organization, visibility determination, collision detection, audio, user interface, input devices, memory management, artificial intelligence, resource organization, and cross-platform considerations. A CD-ROM containing all the source codes and demos accompanies the book.

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Beginning Java SE 6 Game Programming Review

Beginning Java SE 6 Game Programming
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Beginning Java SE 6 Game Programming ReviewSadly, this is probably one of the best Java game programming books out there, but there is much more to be desired. Being a Java developer, this was perfect for my needs. The book provided the methods of game programming logic that I needed. Unfortunately, even if you're a beginning Java programmer, I would suggest something else. If you don't want to write Java web-applets (which I don't even know many that do), or at least pair it with something that will teach you programing Java applications.
Even though it is known that you need to understand Java, this book takes that statement even further. At the beginning, the author wastes two chapters rambling about things you would find in a beginning Java book, and then contradicts himself a couple paragraphs later. Not only that, bits of code, like the initializing html file for Java applets is mentioned before you even need it; then never brought up again when you actually need the code. After half a chapter of different IDEs for Java, you're given code, and instructions that don't even work for setting up a text editor claiming to be an IDE.
Ignoring these things, I continued on through the book, only to realize that it was even more clumsy than I thought. Once you start entering code, and get to the point of testing; hope that you did not mess anything up through the pages of inconsistent spacing, and poor programming; because the author neglected to provide any way to find the sources for the book. After using a search engine as a citing resource, then traversing his site; I found the source code from the 2nd edition, that was exactly the same code as the only code for the 3rd edition. Even when everything is working well, instead of sticking with one topic, the author jumps around, distracting you from the main program (which is progressively created throughout the entire book), by putting various different demonstration projects in between; which could have been presented before the main project. In the end, after reading lots of posts about missing blocks of code from readers, resulted in reading the logic to use in my own projects; ignoring the provided project completely.
I hope that the author takes more time on the 4th edition, actually making changes to the text, providing links to code, omitting wasted space, possibly giving a bit more of a clear understanding to needed code, and using an IDE the majority uses. Even being a new book, the programming is outdated, and lacking in good practice. It surprises me that an actual "Course Study" publisher would allow a book like this to go through without any sort of editing, but I've come to the conclusion that the "ptr" in the publisher's name, actually means "Public Test Release"; not "Professional Technical Resource".Beginning Java SE 6 Game Programming OverviewBEGINNING JAVA SE 6 GAME PROGRAMMING, THIRD EDITION is perfect for beginner level game programmers with some Java experience who want to quickly and easily learn how to create games using the latest version of the Java SDK, Java 6. Written in simple language, the book teaches each new skill using engaging tutorials in which you'll write short programs that demonstrate the topics being covered to reinforce what you've just learned. Each chapter builds upon the previous ones, allowing you to repeat and practice the techniques covered. You'll begin with the basics of writing a simple game using vector graphics, move on to utilizing Java's advanced library to add animation and sound effects, and end by creating a professional, sprite-based game full of interesting artwork and details that you can share with others on the web. And you'll be able to use the skills and techniques you've learned to create your own games to play and share. All you need to get started is a basic understanding of Java and your imagination!

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Machinima For Dummies Review

Machinima For Dummies
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Machinima For Dummies ReviewFinally! A book discussing the many aspects of Machinima for a "dummy" like me! ;) I've been looking all over the corners of the web for advice and tips for filming, editing, and creating Machinima, but now I can just look at this book for easy reference. The book kept me pretty interested throughout, and I felt that the writers really worked hard. (I read their blog..) :)
The book details the aspects of Machinima in a variety of games; some I never even heard of before! There are enough tips, hints, and advice in this book to allow any person, beginner or novice, to feel confident enough to enter the world of Machinima. Oh, and the attached DVD was an incredible bonus! I never even heard of "Moviestorm", but it came free (yes, FREE) with the book. This is one book that any "Machinimaker" needs, no matter your skill level! :)Machinima For Dummies OverviewUse this book to learn how you can, at little or no expense, make virtually any movie using Machinima. The authors guide you from making your first Machinima movie to a grounding in both conventional filmmaking and Machinima technology that will let you tackle very complex film projects.
The book focuses on the following Machinima platforms:

The Sims 2: Arguably the most popular Machinima platform of all time, The Sims 2 allows you to tell stories ranging from romance to noir action.
World Of Warcraft: Tell your own tales of heroism in the world of Azeroth, following in the footsteps of award-winning Machinima creators and even the makers of South Park.
Medieval 2: Total War - This astonishing new game allows you to create Lord of the Rings-scale medieval battle films using just a home computer!
MovieStorm: For the first time, unleash the power of Machinima as a professional user using a fully-featured, fully-licensed commercial Machinima platform.

You'll be introduced to all aspects of Machinima production, from live filming in a game through the creation of sets, props and characters, as well as the basics of cinematography, storytelling and sound design.

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Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting Review

Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting
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Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting ReviewAesthetically, I personally found this book is very well laid out, colourful and easy on the eyes. It contains many screenshots and even explanatory diagrams. The structure allows the advanced LSL scripter to scan read to use the book as a decent reference and is complete with keyword indexes in the appendices. All levels of LSL scripters will enjoy the side notes on many pages that explain the aspects being discussed in more detail and gives build notes and useful tips.
The content of the book itself starts with a decent introduction to the LSL scripting language. It gives seasoned programmers the information they need to get started and yet at the same time provides detailed explanations of the syntax for beginners to begin to understand.
The book goes on to cover many various examples with detailed explanations, achieving what I feel is a nice balance with the amount of example code to theory. To take one chapter as an example, it explains the settings of vehicle parameters, handling input controls from the user and setting the position and rotation of the viewer's camera plus example code to get started with. It is enough to get going on scripting a vehicle in LSL. Advancements in this area would come from experimentation by the LSL scripter herself and by reading the book's tabulated explanations of all the vehicle parameters and functions. The side notes in this chapter include a useful time-saving warning when combining two of the mechanisms for moving objects and also a note on other scripts to look out for in world and even a link to a wiki that hosts complete sailboat scripts.
What I particularly enjoyed about the book was discovering how others have used LSL scripting. I'd fully expect this book to inspire the LSL scripter into creating something that they may not have tried without having had the book to explain the workflow to them.
Overall, a very respectable and professional book. I'm very pleased with the copy I have.
Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting OverviewFind complete information about Second Life scripting and gain access to more than 50 previously unpublished ready-to-use scripts in Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting. Learn how to script Second Life behaviors, grouped into categories like avatar movement, communications, prim and object control, automation, land control, combat, special effects, environment control and physics, and interacting with the world outside of Second Life. After you read this engaging book, you will possess a solid understanding Linden Scripting Language conventions.

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Beginning Android Games Review

Beginning Android Games
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Beginning Android Games ReviewThis book has done a great job getting me up to speed on what I needed to know in order to port my old C DirectX 3 game over to the Android platform. The book quickly introduces you to the concepts you'll need to understand in order to get user input from the device, play sounds, load resources and ultimately render them on the screen.
While the author does a solid job introducing some basic physics and collision detection, don't expect to find the information you'll need to know in order to implement any sort of artificial intelligence or network play. In my opinion that's just fine, this is a beginner's book after all.
The author's framework does a nice job making getting input from the touch screen, accelerometer, and keyboard a simple task. I don't entirely agree with some of the design decisions the author makes, but that could be due to my C/C++ vs. Java background.
As far as rendering goes, first you'll take the easy approach using Android's custom drawing API. If your game is simple enough, this may be all you need. As the book progresses you'll swap out the original renderer with one based on OpenGL ES. Although the author does a very good job covering OpenGL, keep in mind that you'll be developing 2D games and not 3D games.
There are three chapters at the end of the book that will teach you the basics of 3D games programming. You'll learn some basic concepts, how to get 3D models onto the screen, and how to do basic collision detection in 3D. However, I feel that the leap from the material in the book to an actual 3D game is fairly significant. Don't expect to finish this book and then go code the best FPS any mobile platform has ever seen.
All-in-all, I'm pretty happy with this book.Beginning Android Games Overview
Beginning Android Games offers everything you need to join the ranks of successful Android game developers. You'll start with game design fundamentals and programming basics, and then progress towards creating your own basic game engine and playable games. This will give you everything you need to branch out and write your own Android games. The potential user base and the wide array of available high-performance devices makes Android an attractive target for aspiring game developers. Do you have an awesome idea for the next break-through mobile gaming title?Beginning Android Games will help you kick-start your project. The book will guide you through the process of making several example games for the Android platform, and involves a wide range of topics:

The fundamentals of game development
The Android platform basics to apply those fundamentals in the context of making a game
The design of 2D and 3D games and their successful implementation on the Android platform

What you'll learn
How to set up and use the development tools for developing your first Android application
The fundamentals of game programming in the context of the Android platform
How to use the Android's APIs for graphics (Canvas, OpenGL ES 1.0/1.1), audio, and user input to reflect those fundamentals
How to develop two 2D games from scratch, based on the Canvas API and OpenGL ES.
How to create a full-featured 3D game
How to publish your games, get crash reports, and support your users
How to complete your own playable 2D OpenGL games

Who this book is for
This book is for people with a basic knowledge of Java who want to write games on the Android platform. It also offers information for experienced game developers about the pitfalls and peculiarities of the platform.

Table of Contents
Android, the New Kid on the Block
First Steps with the Android SDK
Game Development 101
Android for Game Developers
An Android Game Development Framework
Mr. Nom Invades Android
OpenGL ES: A Gentle Introduction
2D Game Programming Tricks
Super Jumper: A 2D OpenGL ES Game
OpenGL ES: Going 3D
3D Programming Tricks
Droid Invaders: the Grand Finale
Publishing Your Game
What's Next?


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Pro J2ME Polish: Open Source Wireless Java Tools Suite Review

Pro J2ME Polish: Open Source Wireless Java Tools Suite
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Pro J2ME Polish: Open Source Wireless Java Tools Suite ReviewWhen you first learn J2ME, you learn about this fantasy world where all devices follow the J2ME specification to a tee. But in the real world, because of the interpretive nature of the specifications, no two devices really implement the specification exactly the same. So this requires either targeting a particular device or have many versions of you app to run on different devices.
Man what a pain. But that is where J2ME Polish comes to the rescue. J2ME Polish provides pre-compiler directives to allow you to write code such that J2ME Polish's build script can automatically create different versions for you on the fly however you want. There is a lot more to J2ME Polish than just that, but this is a book review.
So let's get to that review. Well, first Robert Virkus is J2ME Polish, well he is the architect and lead programmer for J2ME Polish. Who better to write a book about it? Consider this book the hard copy of the manual for J2ME Polish. If you are going to use J2ME Polish, then this book is a must. It is the reference book that you will need to find anything you need to know about J2ME Polish.
Now, it isn't really a read all the way through the book and you can be J2ME Polish expert. You really need to be actually using J2ME Polish at the time, to better grasp what is being explained. The book can be hard to understand, not because of the writing, but because J2ME Polish is feature rich and there is lots to learn.
I highly recommend using J2ME Polish and buying this book if you will be developing for more than one device, and also to get their cool looking GUI screens, rather than MIDP 2.0 High Level GUIs.Pro J2ME Polish: Open Source Wireless Java Tools Suite OverviewPro J2ME Polish is written for wireless and other mobile Java programmers who want to improve their efficiency and acquire in-depth knowledge about programming real world J2ME applications. It describes the leading open-source tool for tackling device differences and creating "polished" mobile applications. It also uncovers all common device limitations and quirks and explains how these can be circumvented.The book consists of a whole suite of tools for wireless programmers to use to optimize applications for multiple devices or to localize their applications in two simple steps. It also explains how to change the logging level for specific classes or packages, or to remove all logging parts completely from the application by setting simple switches.Moreover, the author includes a device database with all relevant data for programming in J2ME and provides a game API for MIDP/1.0 devices that is compatible with the MIDP/2.0 game, so readers can automatically port their game to MIDP/1.0 devices.And for programmers who want to use animated backgrounds, different designs for the application user interface, or Custom Items on MIDP/1.0 devices, this book explains in full detail why the GUI of J2ME is the key.

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Game Development Tools Review

Game Development Tools
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Game Development Tools ReviewGame Development Tools deserves ongoing recommendation for any collection catering to professional game developers, and offers the latest research on tools development. It's the first in-depth coverage of game tools and offers guidelines, applications of tools, and assessments of third-party applications for game developers seeking specific, advanced insights. From building pipelines to GPU debugging using NVIDIA's Parallel Nsight, this packs in details to help game and graphics programmers create better games in less time.
Game Development Tools OverviewThis book brings the insights of game professionals, DCC creators, hardware vendors, and current researchers together into a collection that focuses on the most underrepresented and critical part of game production: tools development. The first gems-type book dedicated to game tools, this volume focuses on practical, implementable tools for game development professionals. Topics range from asset tracking to improving remote version control performance to robust and efficient IO. Technical artists, as well as game play, audio, and graphics programmers will find new tools to improve work flow and help build games faster.

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