Here’s a book I wrote a chapter in recently, and it’s a book I’m immensely proud to be a part of.

This year I had the honor of writing a chapter in a truly amazing book. The book is called simply “Introduction to Game Development”, published by Charles River Media, and it is a whopping 1000 page hard cover.The book is written by 27 of the worlds best game designers, developers and artists. I did the chapter on Flash games. This book is the first of its kind – it covers every facet of game development yet it is not lacking in detail. So far, interest is high, and this is going to be used in a multitude of university curriculums.

The book covers everything from History of Games, to 3D lighting and textures, to physics, to music and 3D audio, to QA cycles, to the Business of games, to documentation, to team building, and everything else in between.
For anyone who wants to know anything at all about games; this is an incredible place to start.

Some of my co-writers include developers at Nintendo, Sierra, Microsoft Games, Blizzard, LucasArts and some of the games they’ve worked on include Spinter Cell, Deer Hunter, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Mechassault, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Magic: The gathering, The Need for Speed and more. I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of this book.

Based on the curriculum guidelines of the IGDA, Introduction to Game Development is the first book to survey all aspects of the theory and practice of game development and design. The book, which might be used as a textbook for an introductory course, or for newcomers to the game development arena, is divided into several independent parts, including game programming, game production/design, and the business of game development. Selected topics include discussions of basic programming in C++ and Java™, visual design, culture and society, mathematics, physics, artificial intelligence, business, level design, game genre, sound, and many more.

The accompanying CD-ROM covers tutorials, animations, images, demos, source code, and Microsoft PowerPoint lecture slides to reinforce the concepts presented in the book. Each chapter has been written by leading game developers in their respective areas. This is a must-have resource for anyone looking to understand the entire! game development process.

KEY TOPICS: * Critical Game Studies: The History of Video Games Game Studies (Ludology) Games and Society * Game Design: Conceptual Game Play Play Mechanics Ideas Game Theory Abstract Design Elements Psychological Design Considerations Interface Design Gender Inclusive Design; Practical Game Design Spatial Design Task Design Design Integration Control Schemes Training Play Testing Player Analysis Design Implications of Platform Choice * Game Programming: The Process of Game Programming Practical Game Programming Issues Programming Fundamentals Math and Physics Artificial Intelligence Graphics and Animation Audio Programming Network Programming * Visual Design and Production: Graphics Design User Interface Design 3D Modeling 2D Textures and Texture Mapping Animation Cinematography in Games 3D Environments Lighting and Shadows Surface Effects * Audio Design and Production: Audio Design Skills Fundamentals Interactive Audio Sound Effects;Music 3D Audio * Game Production and Management: Team Make-up Phases of Game Development Group Dynamics Design Documentation Scheduling Quality Assurance Coordinating Efforts Product Post Mortems * The Business of Games: Business of Gaming The Publisher-Developer Relationship Marketing Intellectual Property Content Regulation
The Most Complete Game Development Book Available, July 8, 2005

This huge book is the best attempt yet to cover virtually all of game development while still maintaining the depth necessary to truly understand and appreciate the state of the art as it exists today. The book is based on the International Game Developers Association Curiculum Framework.
Steve Rabin, the editor of the book is a ten year vet in the game industry, and is currently a senior software engineer at Nintendo. He contacted twenty seven of the world’s leading game developers, programmers, and designers to do chapters on their specialty. These are not professional writers, but are actively engaged in and work for some of the best known companies in the gaming business.
Game programming is nothing without movement, so the book almost had to contain a CD. On the CD are all the animations, documents, source code, demos, etc that are referenced in the chapters. In addition are the actual images being discussed in the text. Finally there is a PowerPoint presentation that complement each chapter.
This is perhaps the most complete book on gaming development that exists.