- Table View
- List View
Game Audio Programming 3: Principles And Practices
by Guy SombergWelcome to the third volume of Game Audio Programming: Principles and Practices—the first series of its kind dedicated to the art and science of game audio programming. This volume contains 14 chapters from some of the top game audio programmers and sound designers in the industry. Topics range across game genres (ARPG, RTS, FPS, etc.), and from low-level topics such as DSP to high-level topics like using influence maps for audio. The techniques in this book are targeted at game audio programmers of all abilities, from newbies who are just getting into audio programming to seasoned veterans. All of the principles and practices in this book have been used in real shipping games, so they are all very practical and immediately applicable. There are chapters about split-screen audio, dynamic music improvisation, dynamic mixing, ambiences, DSPs, and more. This book continues the tradition of collecting modern, up-to-date knowledge and wisdom about game audio programming. So, whether you’ve been a game audio programmer for one year or ten years, or even if you’ve just been assigned the task and are trying to figure out what it’s all about, this book is for you! Key Features Cutting-edge advanced game audio programming concepts with examples from real game audio engines Includes both high-level and low-level topics Practical code examples, math, and diagrams that you can apply directly to your game audio engine. Guy Somberg has been programming audio engines for his entire career. From humble beginnings writing a low-level audio mixer for slot machines, he quickly transitioned to writing game audio engines for all manner of games. He has written audio engines that shipped AAA games like Hellgate: London, Bioshock 2, The Sims 4, and Torchlight 3, as well as smaller titles like Minion Master, Tales from the Borderlands, and Game of Thrones. Guy has also given several talks at the Game Developer Conference, the Audio Developer Conference, and CppCon. When he’s not programming or writing game audio programming books, he can be found at home reading, playing video games, and playing the flute.
Game Audio Programming 4: Principles and Practices
by Edited ByGuy SombergWelcome to the fourth volume of Game Audio Programming: Principles and Practices – the first series of its kind dedicated to the art, science, and craft of game audio programming. This volume contains 17 chapters from some of the top game audio programmers in the industry and dives into subjects that apply to diverse game genres and from low-level topics such as thread-safe command buffers and pitch detection to high-level topics such as object management, music systems, and audio tools. With such a wide variety of topics, game audio programmers of all levels will find something for them in this book. The techniques presented in this book have all been used to ship games, including some large AAA titles, so they are all practical and many will find their way into your audio engines. There are chapters about timed ADSRs, data-driven music systems, background sounds, and more. This book collects a wealth of advanced knowledge and wisdom about game audio programming. If you are new to game audio programming or a seasoned veteran, or even if you’ve just been assigned the task and are trying to figure out what it’s all about, this book is for you!
The Game Audio Tutorial: A Practical Guide to Creating and Implementing Sound and Music for Interactive Games
by Richard Stevens Dave RaybouldDesign and implement video game sound from beginning to end with this hands-on course in game audio. Music and sound effects speak to players on a deep level, and this book will show you how to design and implement powerful, interactive sound that measurably improves gameplay. If you are a sound designer or composer and want to do more than just create audio elements and hand them over to someone else for insertion into the game, this book is for you. You'll understand the game development process and implement vital audio experiences-not just create music loops or one-off sound effects. The Game Audio Tutorial isn't just a book-you also get a powerful website (www.thegameaudiotutorial.com)
Game Backend Development: With Microsoft Azure and PlayFab
by Balint BorsUp your game developer skills by learning game backend development with Microsoft Azure and PlayFab.Robust backend infrastructure support is essential for all modern games. Implementing game backend features became easier with the emergence of GBaaS (Game Backend-as-a-Service) providers and the advance of the cloud. Multiplayer gaming, leaderboards, game analytics, and virtual economies are all backed by cloud services.As a game developer, understanding core game backend features and implementation techniques is an important addition to your game developer skill set. Understanding game backend development will not only give you a competitive advantage, it will also eventually allow you to create better games. This book will help you get started. It teaches all the core concepts, using downloadable source code, so that you can experiment right away following a learning-by-doing approach.After reading this book, you will have a solid grasp of key game backend services and know how to implement them. What You Will LearnUnderstand core concepts around game backend developmentUse the PlayFab API to implement backend featuresBuild game backend infrastructure using Microsoft Azure cloud (architecture and implementation)Contrast the traditional Azure cloud- and PlayFab (GBaaS)-based implementations of game backend capabilitiesReuse source code to enable backend capability in your own gamesDiscover different ways for authenticating playersImplement a multiplayer game in Unity with the help of mirror networkingCreate a matchmaker to bring together players for an online game sessionEstablish leaderboards to reinforce player competitionBuild a virtual economy and monetize your gameSet up game analytics and gain insight into players’ behaviorLet players communicate with each other by taking advantage of cognitive servicesLearn how to implement server-side custom game backend logic Who This Book Is ForGame developers who may be skilled in game development, but who possess little to no skills in GBaaS and cloud computing. This book is also for professionals working in the cloud solutions space who want to learn about the specific challenges of the gaming domain.
Game Balance
by Ian Schreiber Brenda RomeroWithin the field of game design, game balance can best be described as a black art. It is the process by which game designers make a game simultaneously fair for players while providing them just the right amount of difficulty to be both exciting and challenging without making the game entirely predictable. This involves a combination of mathematics, psychology, and occasionally other fields such as economics and game theory. Game Balance offers readers a dynamic look into game design and player theory. Throughout the book, relevant topics on the use of spreadsheet programs will be included in each chapter. This book therefore doubles as a useful reference on Microsoft Excel, Google Spreadsheets, and other spreadsheet programs and their uses for game designers. FEATURES The first and only book to explore game balance as a topic in depth Topics range from intermediate to advanced, while written in an accessible style that demystifies even the most challenging mathematical concepts to the point where a novice student of game design can understand and apply them Contains powerful spreadsheet techniques which have been tested with all major spreadsheet programs and battle-tested with real-world game design tasks Provides short-form exercises at the end of each chapter to allow for practice of the techniques discussed therein along with three long-term projects divided into parts throughout the book that involve their creation Written by award-winning designers with decades of experience in the field Ian Schreiber has been in the industry since 2000, first as a programmer and then as a game designer. He has worked on eight published game titles, training/simulation games for three Fortune 500 companies, and has advised countless student projects. He is the co-founder of Global Game Jam, the largest in-person game jam event in the world. Ian has taught game design and development courses at a variety of colleges and universities since 2006. Brenda Romero is a BAFTA award-winning game director, entrepreneur, artist, and Fulbright award recipient and is presently game director and creator of the Empire of Sin franchise. As a game director, she has worked on 50 games and contributed to many seminal titles, including the Wizardry and Jagged Alliance series and titles in the Ghost Recon, Dungeons & Dragons, and Def Jam franchises.
Game-Based Assessment Revisited (Advances in Game-Based Learning)
by Dirk Ifenthaler Yoon Jeon KimThe capabilities and possibilities of emerging game-based learning technologies bring about a new perspective of learning and instruction. This, in turn, necessitates alternative ways to assess the kinds of learning that are taking place in the game-based environments. The field has been broadening the focus of assessment in game environments (i.e., what we measure), developing processes and methodologies that go beyond psychometrics practices (i.e., how we go about assessment in games), and implementing the game-based assessment (GBA) in real contexts. The current state of the field calls for a revisit of this topic to understand what we have learned from the research on this topic, and how the GBA work changed how the field thinks about assessment beyond game environments. Accordingly, this comprehensive volume covers the current state of research, methodology, and technology of game-based assessment. It features four major themes: what we are measuring in games, how GBA has influenced how people do assessment beyond games, new methods and practices, and implementations of GBA. The audience for this volume includes researchers, graduate students, teachers, and professional practitioners in the areas of education, instructional design, educational psychology, academic and organizational development, and instructional technology.
Game Based Organization Design
by Jeroen Van BreeThere is a widening gap between the current organizational reality and the tools and methods available to managers for addressing its challenges. Game Based Organization Design shows that one of the ways to bridge this gap is to introduce insights and approaches from video game design into the design of organizational systems.
Game Boy Modding: A Beginner's Guide to Game Boy Mods, Collecting, History, and More!
by Greg FarrellComplete beginner's guide to all aspects of modifying the classic Nintendo Game Boy.Game Boy Modding teaches you how to purchase, refurbish, mod, and customize Nintendo handheld consoles. The consoles are widely available and the customizations are affordable, requiring only limited tools and know-how. Retro consoles are seeing a resurgence of popularity worldwide, and king among these throwback devices is the Nintendo Game Boy, which sold over 100 million units in its lifetime and introduced gamers to Mario and Pokemon. These consoles emanate pixelated 8-bit retro charm, but lack the modern technological enhancements that we take for granted in 2020. You'll learn basic soldering and hardware modification techniques; how to change speakers, buttons, and screen lenses; how to fix dead speakers and sticky buttons; and how to personalize your Game Boy to your heart's content.
Game Boys
by Michael KaneA year inside the fierce rivalries and big business of competitive videogaming A technology-fueled spin on a classic sports tale, Game Boys profiles "cyber-athletes" who compete for dominance in the professional gaming circuit, a world populated with rivalries, big egos, corporate sponsorships, and large cash prizes. Michael Kane's pioneering account of the lifestyle and business of gaming takes readers to the heart of "e-sports," what many consider the successor in sports entertainment to the X-games and competitive poker. Following the top teams-3D and CompLexity, a rivalry as bitter as the Yankees versus the Red Sox-Kane profiles the star players as they cheat, strategize, sign with rival teams, and get berated by sideline-pacing coaches. Are gamers really the athletes of tomorrow? They act like they are. A lively tour of the quirks and dramas of a subculture on the cusp of big things, Game Boys is a tale of sports glory and a glimpse into the lucrative business of gaming. .
The Game Business Guidebook: What To Do When Nobody Wants Your Game
by Diego Ricchiuti John HenleyThis book is the perfect toolkit for any developer who wishes to transform an idea into a viable business. From the experience of a game designer and a business developer, it covers every step from the conception of the game to signing a deal with a publisher; finding the right type of funds, sending follow-up e-mails, and attending trade shows are just a few of the tools the reader will find in the book.Benefitting from the authors' combined 30+ years of experience in the industry, the book provides an in-depth business strategy for games. The book is divided into four sections: introduction, preparation, execution, and contingencies. The reader is presented with the knowledge required to get started, both for the company’s culture and strategy and for the team’s pitching abilities and material. In the action phase, the authors explain how to prepare a budget, deal with the publisher, and cultivate their professional relationship. Lastly, the book explains how to deal with unsuccessful scenarios in being funded and how to self-publish as an investment for better exposure and future opportunities.This book will be vital reading to all independent game developers, those working at AA game studios, and aspiring business developers.
GAME CHANGER Eight Weeks That Transformed British Politics: Inside Corbyn's Election Machine
by Steve Howell'If you want to get the inside account of Labour's historic general election campaign, I couldn't recommend more former Corbyn staffer Steve Howell's Game Changer.' Owen Jones'Game Changer is a vivid account of what it was like to be in the engine room of Jeremy Corbyn's remarkable election campaign.' Dennis Kavanagh, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of LiverpoolWhen Theresa May called a snap election in 2017, Labour was more than twenty points behind in the polls and it seemed the only question was how big her landslide would be. In the most dramatic election of modern times, Corbyn's inspirational campaign transformed British politics. Labour won its best vote for twenty years and the largest increase in its vote share since 1945. Far from winning a landslide, the Tories were left without a majority and forced to abandon many of their unpopular plans.Steve Howell was at the centre of Corbyn's election machine. A member of the Labour leader's strategy group, he was involved in all the key campaign decisions. From the outset, he believed that Corbyn's campaigning skills, enthusiastic army of supporters and hopeful message could produce a surge in support. In Game Changer, he tells the story of eight weeks that transformed British politics.
GAME CHANGER Eight Weeks That Transformed British Politics: Inside Corbyn’s Election Machine
by Steve Howell'If you want to get the inside account of Labour's historic general election campaign, I couldn't recommend more former Corbyn staffer Steve Howell's Game Changer.' Owen Jones'Game Changer is a vivid account of what it was like to be in the engine room of Jeremy Corbyn's remarkable election campaign.' Dennis Kavanagh, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of Liverpool When Theresa May called a snap election in 2017, Labour was more than twenty points behind in the polls and it seemed the only question was how big her landslide would be. In the most dramatic election of modern times, Corbyn's inspirational campaign transformed British politics. Labour won its best vote for twenty years and the largest increase in its vote share since 1945. Far from winning a landslide, the Tories were left without a majority and forced to abandon many of their unpopular plans.Steve Howell was at the centre of Corbyn's election machine. A member of the Labour leader's strategy group, he was involved in all the key campaign decisions. From the outset, he believed that Corbyn's campaigning skills, enthusiastic army of supporters and hopeful message could produce a surge in support. In Game Changer, he tells the story of eight weeks that transformed British politics.
Game Changers: From Minecraft To Misogyny: The Fight For The Future Of Videogames
by Dan Golding Leena Van DeventerThe videogame scene has evolved from the hobby of boys in bedrooms to a popular pastime for anyone with a smartphone. Many of the old guard resent this mainstreaming of games culture -- and they've been anything but welcoming. These trolls have created a climate of fear by abusing and harassing women, minorities and anyone who has dared to speak out against misogyny and other problems in the boys' club industry. Game Changers puts these conflicts under the microscope, in Australia and overseas. The book features exclusive interviews with many key figures working to make the videogame world a safe space, including Anita Sarkeesian and Zoë Quinn, two of the women at the centre of the Gamergate abuse. In 2015, they were asked by the United Nations to lead a panel discussion on the 'rising tide of online violence against women and girls'. Authors Dan Golding and Leena van Deventer use their extensive experience in the videogame industry, both as players and professionals, to examine how games culture is growing, diversifying and changing for the better.
Game Changers
by Dan Golding Leena Van DeventerThe videogame scene has evolved from the hobby of boys in bedrooms to a popular pastime for anyone with a smartphone. Many of the old guard resent this mainstreaming of games culture - and they've been anything but welcoming. These trolls have created a climate of fear by abusing and harassing women, minorities and anyone who has dared to speak out against misogyny and other problems in the boys' club industry.Game Changers puts these conflicts under the microscope, in Australia and overseas. The book features exclusive interviews with many key figures working to make the videogame world a safe space, including Anita Sarkeesian and Zoë Quinn, two of the women at the centre of the Gamergate abuse. In 2015, they were asked by the United Nations to lead a panel discussion on the 'rising tide of online violence against women and girls'. Authors Dan Golding and Leena van Deventer use their extensive experience in the videogame industry, both as players and professionals, to examine how games culture is growing, diversifying and changing for the better.
Game Character Creation with Blender and Unity
by Chris TottenA complete guide to creating usable, realistic game characters with two powerful toolsCreating viable game characters requires a combination of skills. This book teaches game creators how to create usable, realistic game assets using the power of an open-source 3D application and a free game engine. It presents a step-by-step approach to modeling, texturing, and animating a character using the popular Blender software, with emphasis on low polygon modeling and an eye for using sculpting and textures, and demonstrates how to bring the character into the Unity game engine. Game creation is a popular and productive pursuit for both hobbyists and serious developers; this guide brings together two effective tools to simplify and enhance the processArtists who are familiar with Blender or other 3D software but who lack experience with game development workflow will find this book fills important gaps in their knowledgeProvides a complete tutorial on developing a game character, including modeling, UV unwrapping, sculpting, baking displacements, texturing, rigging, animation, and exportEmphasizes low polygon modeling for game engines and shows how to bring the finished character into the Unity game engineWhether you're interested in a new hobby or eager to enter the field of professional game development, this book offers valuable guidance to increase your skills.
The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox
by Evan AmosThis revised and expanded second edition of the bestselling The Game Console contains brand new content, with coverage of 50 more consoles, variants, and accessories in 50 added pages. The Game Console 2.0 is a gorgeous coffee table book for geeks and gamers that brings together highly detailed photos of more than 100 video game consoles and their electronic interiors spanning nearly five decades.Revised and updated since the first edition&’s celebrated 2018 release, The Game Console 2.0 is an even bigger archival collection of vividly detailed photos of more than 100 video-game consoles. This ultimate archive of gaming history spans five decades and nine distinct generations, chronologically covering everything from market leaders to outright failures, and tracing the gaming industry&’s rise, fall, and monumental resurgence. The book&’s 2nd edition features more classic game consoles and computers, a section on retro gaming in the modern era, and dozens of new entries — including super-rare finds, such the Unisonic Champion 2711, and the latest ninth-generation consoles. You&’ll find coverage of legendary systems like the Magnavox Odyssey, Atari 2600, NES, and the Commodore 64; systems from the &‘90s and 2000s; modern consoles like the Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5; and consoles you never knew existed. Get a unique peek at the hardware powering the world&’s most iconic video-game systems with The Game Console 2.0 — the perfect gift for geeks of all stripes and every gamer&’s must-have coffee-table book.
Game Data Analysis – Tools and Methods
by Coupart ThibaultThis book features an introduction to the basic theoretical tenets of data analysis from a game developer's point of view, as well as a practical guide to performing gameplay analysis on a real-world game.This book is ideal for video game developers who want to try and experiment with the game analytics approach for their own productions. It will provide a good overview of the themes you need to pay attention to, and will pave the way for success. Furthermore, the book also provides a wide range of concrete examples that will be useful for any game data analysts or scientists who want to improve their general knowledge of the topic.
Game Design: Principles, Practice, and Techniques - The Ultimate Guide for the Aspiring Game Designer
by Barnaby Berbank-Green Nic Cusworth Jim ThompsonPractical, complete coverage of game design basics from design process to production This full-color, structured coursebook offers complete coverage of game design basics, focusing on design rather than computer programming. Packed with exercises, assignments, and step-by-step instructions, it starts with an overview of design theory, then progresses to design processes, and concludes with coverage of design production. Jim Thompson, Barnaby Berbank-Green, and Nic Cusworth (London, UK) are computer game designers and lecturers in animation and computer game design.
Game Design: From Blue Sky to Green Light
by Deborah ToddThis book takes a real-world, in-depth journey through the game-design process, from the initial blue sky sessions to pitching for a green light. The author discusses the decision and brainstorming phase, character development and story wrap, creation of content and context outlines, flowcharting game play, and creating design documents. Special fe
Game Design Deep Dive: Platformers
by Joshua BycerThe Game Design Deep Dive series examines specific game systems or mechanics over the course of the history of the industry. This book examines the history of jumping – one of the oldest mechanics in the industry – and how it has evolved and changed over the years. The author looks at the transition from 2D to 3D and multiple elements that make jumping more complicated than it looks from a design perspective. <P><P>Key Selling Points: <li>The first in a series of books that focus entirely on a singular game design system or mechanic, in this case: jumping. <li>A perfect read for anyone interested in understanding game design, or just curious from a historical standpoint. <li>A must read for anyone interested in building their own platformer or just interested in the history of the game industry’s most famous game mechanic. <li>This book is a perfect companion for someone building their first game or as part of a game design classroom. <li>Includes real game examples to highlight the discussed topics and mechanics. <P><P>Joshua Bycer is a Game Design Critic with more than seven years of experience critically analyzing game design and the industry itself. In that time, through Game-Wisdom, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games. He also strives to raise awareness about the importance of studying game design by giving lectures and presentations; his first book was titled 20 Essential Games to Study.
Game Design Deep Dive: Roguelikes
by Joshua BycerGame Design Deep Dive: Roguelikes examines the history and rise of the often-confusing roguelike genre. Despite being more than 30 years old, the roguelike genre remains a mystery to a lot of consumers and developers. Procedural generation, or having the game generate content, has been a cornerstone and point of complexity since its inception. The 2010s saw an explosion of new designs and examples, along with a debate about what a roguelike is. The genre found its way back to mainstream audiences with the award-winning Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. Since then, roguelikes have revolutionized the way we see and design games. Author and game design critic Joshua Bycer explains the differences between the various roguelike designs and give a detailed blueprint showing what makes the best ones work. The first of its kind talking about the roguelike genre Examines the design and methodology of roguelike games and the different variations A high-level discussion and breakdown of procedural and random content generation Joshua Bycer is a game design critic with more than seven years of experience critically analyzing game design and the industry itself. In that time, through Game-Wisdom, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games. He is also a public speaker and presenter at schools and libraries on game design and game development.
Game Design Deep Dive: F2P
by Joshua BycerGame Design Deep Dive: Free-to-Play (F2P) continues the series’ focus on examining genres with a look at the history and methodology behind free-to-play and mobile games. The genre is one of the most lucrative and controversial in the industry. Josh Bycer lays out not only the potential and pitfalls of this design but also explores the ethics behind good and bad monetization. This book offers: A comprehensive look at the practices behind the most popular free-to-play and mobile games A detailed talk about the ethics of F2P, and one of the few honest looks at it from both sides of the argument A perfect read for designers, students, or people wanting to educate themselves about the practices of the genre Joshua Bycer is a Game Design Critic with more than seven years of experience critically analyzing game design and the industry itself. In that time, through Game-Wisdom.com, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games.
Game Design Deep Dive: Trading and Collectible Card Games
by Joshua BycerIn Game Design Deep Dive: Trading and Collectible Card Games, game design analyst Joshua Bycer is back to discuss the deck-building genre, from the original success of Magic: The Gathering to today’s market with online card games like Hearthstone and Gwent. The design and philosophy of deck builders and tabletop games can be and have been applied to many genres. Looks at the history of popular tabletop card games and collectible card games Discusses how to design and balance your game with low numbers Examines the application of card-based design in other genres Perfect for students and designers to learn about designing deck builders and card-based games. Joshua Bycer is a game design critic with more than seven years of experience critically analyzing game design and the industry itself. In that time, through Game-Wisdom.com, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games.
Game Design Deep Dive: Soulslike
by Joshua BycerGame Design Critic Joshua Bycer is back with another entry in the Game Design Deep Series to focus on the youngest genre yet: soulslikes. Over a decade, From Software defined a new genre that has led to studios chasing after them hit after hit. In this book, Josh will cover the history of the genre and popular soulslike games of the 2010s and discuss what aspects of design make a game a soulslike. The first book looking at the history of the genre A breakdown of both action and RPG design for fans and designers of both A lesson on difficulty in games and why harder doesn’t mean better
Game Design Deep Dive: Shooters
by Joshua BycerThis entry in the Game Design Deep Dive series takes a look at the shooter genre: one that has grown with the times and whose influence can be felt from indie teams to major studios. Joshua Bycer breaks down the 30‑plus‑year history of one of the most popular genres of the games industry to educate readers on how to design their own. This book is suitable for students and designers to learn about one of the most popular genres on the market.Key features: Discusses reflex‑driven design and the challenges and balances that go into single and multiplayer gameplay Provides a breakdown of what gunplay is and how to make your FPS design pop Draws from examples across the industry Examines the design and philosophies that went into many of the best shooters released in the past 30 years