Three of the most exciting areas in the world of information technology have tremendous synergies and are closely connected in the worlds of information and entertainment: electronic games, mobile apps and social media. Competition continues to heat up as mergers and acquisitions create international mega-firms, and hundreds of millions of people connect worldwide via online gaming platforms and social media such as Facebook. As social media grows more global, it is also being incorporated in virtually all online activities, from business collaboration to online retailing. Games are growing in two channels at once: online and offline. While multi-player games online are vastly popular, game machine manufacturers such as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo continue to introduce big breakthroughs in handsets that keep players excited, including the new move towards 3D. Meanwhile, apps are changing the shape of the mobile and wireless industry. This carefully-researched book is a complete market research and business intelligence tool--everything you need to know about the business of games, apps and social media. The book includes our analysis of games, apps and social media industry trends; dozens of statistical tables; an industry glossary; a database of industry associations and professional organizations; and our in-depth profiles of more than 200 of the world's leading companies, both in the U.S. and abroad. You'll find a complete overview, industry analysis and market research report in one superb, value-priced package.

The world of esports in education is booming, and the field needs empirical studies to help ground much of what is going on in the field. Over the last couple years, there appears to be a large amount of anecdotal evidence surrounding esports and its role in education, but researchers, teachers, coaches, and organizations need peer-reviewed, research-based evidence so they can evolve the field at large. As the amount of esports teams and organizations continues to rise, so will the need for the field to provide empirical research about esports and education and the effect it has on students and those who partake in it. Esports Research and Its Integration in Education is an essential reference source for those interested in educational research related to esports topics as they are approached through multiple ages of schooling and infused throughout a variety of content areas and research methodologies. The book covers empirical studies that help practitioners to understand how esports is developing within and around learning institutions and what the impact may be on students and their contemporary educational experiences. Covering topics such as college and career readiness, literacy practices, and urban education, this text is essential for stakeholders involved in the rise of esports, administrators, teachers, coaches, researchers, students, and academicians.

Learn Flutter and the Dart programming language by building impressive real-world mobile applications for Android and iOS Key Features Learn cross-platform mobile development with Flutter and Dart by building 11 real-world apps Create wide array of mobile projects such as 2D game, productivity timer, movie browsing app, and more Practical projects demonstrating Flutter development techniques with tips, tricks, and best practices Book DescriptionFlutter is a modern reactive mobile framework that removes a lot of the complexity found in building native mobile apps for iOS and Android. With Flutter, developers can now build fast and native mobile apps from a single codebase. This book is packed with 11 projects that will help you build your own mobile applications using Flutter. It begins with an introduction to Dart programming and explains how it can be used with the Flutter SDK to customize mobile apps. Each chapter contains instructions on how to build an independent app from scratch, and each project focuses on important Flutter features.From building Flutter Widgets and applying animations to using databases (SQLite and sembast) and Firebase, you'll build on your knowledge through the chapters. As you progress, you'll learn how to connect to remote services, integrate maps, and even use Flare to create apps and games in Flutter. Gradually, you'll be able to create apps and games that are ready to be published on the Google Play Store and the App Store. In the concluding chapters, you'll learn how to use the BLoC pattern and various best practices related to creating enterprise apps with Flutter. By the end of this book, you will have the skills you need to write and deliver fully functional mobile apps using Flutter. What you will learn Design reusable mobile architectures that can be applied to apps at any scale Get up to speed with error handling and debugging for mobile application development Apply the principle of 'composition over inheritance' to break down complex problems into many simple problems Update your code and see the results immediately using Flutter's hot reload Identify and prevent bugs from reappearing with Flutter's developer tools Manage an app's state with Streams and the BLoC pattern Build a simple web application using Flutter Web Who this book is forThis book is for mobile developers and software developers who want to learn Flutter to build state-of-the-art mobile apps. Although prior experience with Dart programming or Flutter is not required, knowledge of object-oriented programming (OOP), data structures and software design patterns will be beneficial.

A practical guide to Unity game scripting using C#, backed with practice tests, exam tips, and easy-to-follow examples to help you better prepare for the exam and become a pro in Unity programming Key Features Discover the essentials of game scripting with Unity and C# to customize every aspect of your game Overcome challenges in Unity game development using effective techniques and easy solutions Pass the Unity certification exam with the help of mock tests, exam tips, and self-assessment questions Book DescriptionUnity Certified Programmer is a global certification program by Unity for anyone looking to become a professional Unity developer. The official Unity programmer exam will not only validate your Unity knowledge and skills, but also enable you to be part of the Unity community. This study guide will start by building on your understanding of C# programming and take you through the process of downloading and installing Unity. You'll understand how Unity works and get to grips with the core objectives of the Unity exam. As you advance, you'll enhance your skills by creating an enjoyable side-scrolling shooter game that can be played within the Unity Editor or any recent Android mobile device. This Unity book will test your knowledge with self-assessment questions and help you take your skills to an advanced level by working with Unity tools such as the Animator, Particle Effects, Lighting, UI/UX, Scriptable Objects, and debugging. By the end of this book, you'll have developed a solid understanding of the different tools in Unity and understand how to create impressive Unity applications by making the most of its toolset. What you will learn Discover techniques for writing modular, readable, and reusable scripts in Unity Implement and configure objects, physics, controls, and movements for your game projects Understand 2D and 3D animation and write scripts that interact with Unity's Rendering API Explore Unity APIs for adding lighting, materials, and texture to your apps Write Unity scripts for building interfaces for menu systems, UI navigation, application settings, and much more Delve into SOLID principles for writing clean and maintainable Unity applications Who this book is forThe book is for game developers, software developers, mobile app developers, and Unity developers who want to advance in the game or related industry. Basic knowledge of C# programming and Unity engine is required.