BlackBerry smart phones aren't just for business. In fact, throw away that boring spreadsheet, tear up that yearly budget reportthe BlackBerry is a lean, mean game-playing machine. Carol Hamer and Andrew Davison, expert software game developers, show you how to leverage the BlackBerry Java Development Environment (based on Java ME) to design and create fun, sophisticated game applications from role playing to dueling with light sabers. The BlackBerry: not as clumsy or as random as a blasteran elegant device, for a more civilized age.

In this book, Carol and Andrew give you the professional techniques you need to use music, 2D and 3D graphics, maps, and game design patterns to build peer-to-peer games, role playing games, and more for the BlackBerry. What you'll learn How to build a custom user interface with your game's theme How to take your graphics to the next level with SVG and OpenGL ES How to boogie on down with a MMAPI music player How to optimize your games with BlackBerry-specific APIs and tools How to program games for any BlackBerry device, from the earliest Java-enabled smartphones to models that run the BlackBerry 5 operating system How to build games for two players or the whole world with GPS, SMS, and the Internet How to create space adventures that may confound your mind with their awesomeness. How to drive a toy sports car from your BlackBerry using Bluetooth and USB How to sell your game on BlackBerry App World and beyond Who this book is for

This book is for game enthusiasts and software engineers who know at least a bit of Java and want to program games for the BlackBerry. No prior knowledge of Micro Edition programming is required. Table of Contents Gaming on BlackBerry BlackBerry Application Basics Game Graphics and Events with MIDP and RIM Classes Adding a Professional Look and Feel Security and Selling Your Game Swingin' Light Saber Play a Live Opponent with SMS Using Scalable Vector Graphics Creating Role-Playing Games on the Internet Remotely Drive a (Toy) Sports Car Fox and Hounds Introducing 3D with JSR 239

Improve your game's code to make it more readable, reusable, modular and optimized following design patterns, and enhance your overall use of C++ with Unreal Engine Key Features * Explore the fascinating world of design patterns and their application to game development in Unreal Engine 5 * Learn how to translate code from Blueprint to C++ to produce performant solutions for your game's development * Discover best practices for clean code and apply them to Unreal Engine 5 and C++ Book Description Design patterns are a series of tools and practices by which we can learn to write faster and easier to work with code. With this book, you will explore a range of design patterns and how they can be applied to projects developed in Unreal Engine 5. The book begins by exploring the key principles which underpin code and develop an understanding of the concepts, challenges, and key benefits of using patterns in your code. We'll then move on to identifying patterns which are woven into the core of Unreal Engine 5 such as Double Buffer, Flyweight and Spatial Partitioning, then explore some of the existing tool sets which embody patterns in their design and usage including Component, Behaviour Tree and Update. You'll then start to develop a series of gameplay use cases through C++ to implement a range of design patterns including Interface and Event based Observers to build a decoupled communications hierarchy and explore Singleton, Command and State, as well as Behavioural Patterns, Template, Subclass Sandbox and Type Object. The final section of the book will introduce the use of design patterns for optimization including Dirty Flag, Data Locality and Object Pooling. By the end of this book, you will be able to design systems with the perfect C++/Blueprint blend for maintainable and scalable systems. What you will learn * Understand what a design pattern is and why it is useful * Understand the layers within UE5 and how they work together * Develop an understanding of the relationship between C++ code and Blueprint in Unreal Engine 5 * Translate code from Blueprint to C++ in Unreal Engine 5 * Understand design patterns found within existing Unreal Engine 5 functions * Explore design patterns to understand their purpose and application within Unreal Engine 5 * Creatively apply design patterns to existing code to simplify common problems * Apply best practice principles for clean code Who This Book Is For If you are a beginner or intermediate game developer who is working with Unreal Engine and would like to improve your C++ coding practices, this book will help you produce clean, reusable code using design patterns. The book will cover introductory tasks to show the key fundamentals of using Unreal Engine 5 however learning Unreal Engine from scratch is not the purpose of this book. You would benefit from having some experience of the Unreal Engine but deep working knowledge is not required as activities will introduce the tools and features when needed.

Based on 48 interviews and years of research, Game of X v.1: Xbox tells the many stories of Microsoft's unlikely entry into the game console business. In addition to the personal insights of the key players in the story, Game of X includes many previously unreleased documents that show what was going on behind the scenes. This is the story of Xbox and Xbox Live. Key Features Based on 48 interviews and years of research, Game of X v.1: Xbox tells the many stories of Microsoft's unlikely entry into the game console business. In addition to the personal insights of the key players in the story, Game of X includes many previously unreleased documents that show what was going on behind the scenes. This is the story of Xbox and Xbox Live.

Discover the power of Unreal Engine 5 and the MetaHuman Creator to develop realistic digital characters, infusing them with full body and facial animation Key Features * Create realistic characters using the MetaHuman Creator using a mixture of preset and custom tools * Import your character into Unreal Engine 5 to access more editing options and begin animating it * Combine face and body motion capturing to fully animate your digital humans Book Description MetaHuman Creator (MHC) is an online, user-friendly 3D design tool for creating highly realistic digital humans that can be animated within Unreal Engine (UE) and enhanced with motion capture technology. This means that filmmakers and game developers now have access to a high quality, affordable solution that was previously only available to specialist studios. This book will focus on using UE5 and MHC from a filmmaker angle. Firstly, you'll understand how to use the online MHC to create a digital character, changing its facial structure, body type, and clothing. After that, you'll learn all the necessary steps to bring the character into UE5 and set it up for animation. Then, using an iPhone and a webcam to capture face and body movements, you'll mix these motion capture files, refine the animations using the MetaHuman Control Rig, and save these takes to be reused and edited again within the Level Sequencer. On top of that, you'll learn how to create a rendered video file for film production using both the Level Sequencer and a VR Cinematic Camera. By the end of this book, you'll have created your own MetaHuman character, as well as face and body motion capture data, and learned the necessary skills to give your future projects further realism and creative control. What you will learn * Create your own bespoke character using MHC * Develop custom faces based on real people * Utilize Blueprints to take control of your digital character * Retarget animations using the Unreal Mannequin * Use DeepMotion and Live Link for complete body and face animation * Use the Control Rig to refine animations * Export and render your character Who This Book Is For This book is for filmmakers and hobbyists who are planning to make a film using Unreal Engine for the first time, having worked in live action or purely digital media previously, either professionally or as a hobby. No experience with Unreal Engine is required, however it is useful to have some knowledge of 3D development applications and concepts like wireframes, skin weights, transform tools, and motion capture. It is recommended that you have access to an iPhone X (or a later model). Alternatively, you can use a free or paid version of Faceware, along with a basic webcam.

Arm yourself with the practical skills and cutting edge insights needed to successfully design engaging games across a variety of genres and platforms Key Features * Master the skills, processes, and techniques required to work in a professional studio * Ace the core principles and processes of level design, world building, and storytelling * Design, implement, and polish high quality features and mechanics for modern video games Book Description If you are seeking an up-to-date and actionable guide to game design, then you have come to the right place! Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design with this book, written by two industry veterans with decades of game design experience across a variety of genres and platforms. The second edition retains its original goal of teaching the basics of game design in a practical manner, but also adds some of the most recent trends in game design and a whole lot of new practical examples from games of the current generation. A new chapter on games as a service will explain how the role of the game designer is evolving and go deeper into the design of games that are meant to be played forever. Starting with learning how to conceptualize a game idea, you will gradually move on to devising a design plan and adapting solutions from existing games. You will discover how to produce original game mechanics, and test and eliminate anticipated design risks. You will then learn the basics of Level Design, Interactive Storytelling, User Experience and Accessibility. In the final chapters, you will learn to wrap up a game ahead of its release date, work through the challenges of designing games as a service and free-to-play games, and understand how to significantly improve their quality through iteration, playtesting and polishing. What you will learn * Define the scope and structure of a game project * Conceptualize a game idea and present it to others * Design gameplay systems and communicate them clearly and thoroughly * Build and validate engaging game mechanics * Design successful games as a service and prepare your games for live operations * Master the principles behind level design, worldbuilding and storytelling * Improve the quality of a game by playtesting and polishing it Who This Book Is For Whether you are a student eager to design your very first game, or a game designer looking to expand your skillset, this book will help you master the fundamentals of game design, across all stages of game development. By focusing on best practices and a pragmatic approach, Practical Game Design provides insights into the arts and crafts from two senior game designers, with insider knowledge that even the most seasoned industry veterans can appreciate. Prior experience with game development is not absolutely necessary. However, a basic knowledge of some popular video games will be helpful.

For the first time, the collected texts from the critically and commercially acclaimed fantasy video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are bound together in three exciting volumes. Lavishly illustrated and produced, these titles are straight out of the world of Skyrim - and a must for any wandering adventurer.