Discover an all in one handbook to developing immersive and cross-platform Android games About This Book * Practical tips and tricks to develop powerful Android games * Learn to successfully implement microtransactions and monitor the performance of your game once it's out live. * Integrate Google's DIY VR tool and Google Cardboard into your games to join in on the VR revolution Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for any game developer, with prior knowledge of developing games in Android. A good understanding of game development and a basic knowledge on Android platform application development and JAVA/C++ will be appreciated. What You Will Learn * Learn the prospects of Android in Game Development * Understand the Android architecture and explore platform limitation and variations * Explore the various approaches for Game Development using Android * Learn about the common mistakes and possible solutions on Android Game Development * Discover the top Cross Platform Game Engines and port games on different android platform * Optimize memory and performance of your game. * Familiarize yourself with different ways to earn money from Android Games In Detail Gaming in android is an already established market and growing each day. Previously games were made for specific platforms, but this is the time of cross platform gaming with social connectivity. It requires vision of polishing, design and must follow user behavior. This book would help developers to predict and create scopes of improvement according to user behavior. You will begin with the guidelines and rules of game development on the Android platform followed by a brief description about the current variants of Android devices available. Next you will walk through the various tools available to develop any Android games and learn how to choose the most appropriate tools for a specific purpose. You will then learn JAVA game coding standard and style upon the Android SDK. Later, you would focus on creation, maintenance of Game Loop using Android SDK, common mistakes in game development and the solutions to avoid them to improve performance. We will deep dive into Shaders and learn how to optimize memory and performance for an Android Game before moving on to another important topic, testing and debugging Android Games followed by an overview about Virtual Reality and how to integrate them into Android games. Want to program a different way? Inside you'll also learn Android game Development using C++ and OpenGL. Finally you would walk through the required tools to polish and finalize the game and possible integration of any third party tools or SDKs in order to monetize your game when it's one the market! Style and approach The book follows a handbook approach, focused on current and future game development trend from every possible aspect including monetization and sustainability in the market.

Welcome to the sixth volume of the Game Programming Gems series. With team sizes constantly expanding, developers are finding themselves pushed to become increasingly specialized. This makes it important to have cutting-edge, ready-to-use material in your specialization, as well as resources that you can call upon if you need to work outside your area of expertise. Volume 6 has been explicitly designed with your current challenges in mind. With the new generation of machines, players expect higher-fidelity models and animations, fancier physics and graphics effects, and more intelligent AI. All of these capabilities require robust teams and longer schedules, so to help ensure that your games are still delivered on time and on budget, youall find 50 all new articles written by experts in game technology from many different backgrounds and over twenty countries. This volume also includes a brand new section dedicated to Scripting and Data-Driven Systems, which is focused entirely on the growing trend of removing the programmer from the data-tweaking loop. So, whether you're a new game programmer starting out on this exciting path, a grizzled, industry veteran, or a most welcome visitor, we hope that you will find inspiration, insight, and at least one or two true gems to use in your world!

Music Video Games takes a look (and listen) at the popular genre of music games - video games in which music is at the forefront of player interaction and gameplay. With chapters on a wide variety of music games, ranging from well-known console games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band to new, emerging games for smartphones and tablets, scholars from diverse disciplines and backgrounds discuss the history, development, and cultural impact of music games. Each chapter investigates important themes surrounding the ways in which we play music and play with music in video games. Starting with the precursors to music games - including Simon, the hand-held electronic music game from the 1980s, Michael Austin's collection goes on to discuss issues in musicianship and performance, authenticity and "selling out," and composing, creating, and learning music with video games. Including a glossary and detailed indices, Austin and his team shine a much needed light on the often overlooked subject of music video games.

An example-based practical guide to get you up and running with Unreal Engine 4.X About This Book * A unique resource on Unreal with an interactive example based approach that is sure to get you up and running immediately * Will feature four unique game projects that increase in complexity which will enable readers to build their game development skills using Unreal Engine 4 and the C++ programming language * Will be the most up to date book in the market on Unreal with full coverage of the new features of UE4 Who This Book Is For Unreal Engine 4.X by Example was written for keen developers who wish to learn how to fully utilise Unreal Engine 4 to make awesome and engrossing game titles. Whether you are brand new to game development or a seasoned expert, you will be able to make use of the engine with C++. Experience with both C++ and other game engines is preferred before embarking on the Unreal by Example journey, but with a little external research into the basics of C++ programming, this book can take a complete game development novice to an Unreal Engine Developer! What You Will Learn * Use C++ with Unreal Engine to boost the development potential of any Unreal Engine project * Vastly improve workflow and content creation with the visual scripting system blueprint * Design, test, and implement interesting game worlds using Unreal Engines built-in editor * Build a networked, feature-rich first person shooter that you can play with others over LAN * Build design-centric game worlds that play to needs of your game ideas * Paint your game worlds via the creation and modification of visual shaders called materials * Gain knowledge of other game development disciplines through the use of the Animation and Material tool sets * Create feature-rich game projects with a sophisticated visual quality and feature set In Detail With Unreal Engine 4 being made free to use, for any keen game developer it is quickly becoming the most popular game engine in today's development industry. The engine offers a rich feature set that can be customized and built upon through the use of C++. This book will cover how to work with Unreal Engine's tool set all the way from the basics of the editor and the visual scripting system blueprint to the in-depth low-level creation of content using C++. This book will provide you with the skills you need to create feature-rich, captivating, and refined game titles with Unreal Engine 4. This book will take you through the creation of four unique game projects, designed so that you will be ready to apply the engine's rich development capabilities. You will learn not only to take advantage of the visual tools of the engine, but also the vast and powerful programming feature set of Unreal Engine 4. Style and approach The best resource that any beginner level game developer can dream of with examples on leveraging the amazing graphics engine, beautiful character animation and game world generations etc. by means of exciting real world game generation.This book would be a very unique resource for any game developer who wants to get up and running with Unreal. The unique example-driven approach will take you through the most basic games towards the more complex ones and will gradually build your skill level.

Combine the powerful UE4 with Blender to create visually appealing and comprehensive game environments About This Book * The only resource that shows how you can incorporate Blender into your Unreal Engine 4 Game environment * Create amazing 3D game environments by leveraging the power of Blender and Unreal Engine 4 * Practical step-by-step approach with plenty of illustrative examples to get you started immediately Who This Book Is For This book would be ideal for 3D artists and game designers who want to create amazing 3D game environments and leverage the power of Blender with Unreal Engine 4. 3D design basics would be necessary to get the most out of this book. Some previous experience with Blender would be helpful but not essential What You Will Learn * Create a fully functioning game level of your own design using Blender and Unreal Engine 4 * Customize your level with detailed 3D assets created with Blender * Import assets into Unreal Engine 4 to create an amazing finished product * Build a detailed dynamic environment with goals and an ending * Explore Blender's incredible animation tools to animate elements of your game * Create great environments using sound effects, particle effects, and class blueprints In Detail Unreal Engine 4 now has support for Blender, which was not available in earlier versions. This has opened up new possibilities and that is where this book comes in. This is the first book in the market combining these two powerful game and graphic engines. Readers will build an amazing high-level game environment with UE4 and will show them how to use the power of Blender 3D to create stunning animations and 3D effects for their game. This book will start with creating levels, 3D assets for the game, game progression, light and environment control, animation, and so on. Then it will teach readers to add amazing visual effects to their game by applying rendering, lighting, rigging, and compositing techniques in Blender. Finally, readers will learn how to smoothly transfer blender files to UE4 and animate the game assets. Each chapter will add complexities to the game environment. Style and approach This will have a clear, step-by-step approach to creating game assets in Blender and then importing them to UE4 to create stunning game environments. All asset creation techniques are explained in detail along with tips on how to use them to create your own game environments. The book offers end-to-end coverage of how to design a game level from scratch.

Develop your first interactive 2D platformer game by learning the fundamentals of C# About This Book * Get to grips with the fundamentals of scripting in C# with Unity * Create an awesome, 2D platformer game from scratch using the principles of object-oriented programming and coding in C# * This is a step-by-step guide to learn the fundamentals of C# scripting to develop GameObjects and master the basics of the new UI system in Unity Who This Book Is For The book is targeted at beginner level Unity developers with no programming experience. If you are a Unity developer and you wish to learn how to write C# scripts and code by creating games, then this book is for you. What You Will Learn * Understand the fundamentals of variables, methods, and code syntax in C# * Get to know about techniques to turn your game idea into working project * Use loops and collections efficiently in Unity to reduce the amount of code * Develop a game using the object-oriented programming principles * Generate infinite levels for your game * Create and code a good-looking functional UI system for your game * Publish and share your game with users In Detail Unity is a cross-platform game engine that is used to develop 2D and 3D video games. Unity 5 is the latest version, released in March 2015, and adds a real-time global illumination to the games, and its powerful new features help to improve a game's efficiency. This book will get you started with programming behaviors in C# so you can create 2D games in Unity. You will begin by installing Unity and learning about its features, followed by creating a C# script. We will then deal with topics such as unity scripting for you to understand how codes work so you can create and use C# variables and methods. Moving forward, you will find out how to create, store, and retrieve data from collection of objects. You will also develop an understanding of loops and their use, and you'll perform object-oriented programming. This will help you to turn your idea into a ready-to-code project and set up a Unity project for production. Finally, you will discover how to create the GameManager class to manage the game play loop, generate game levels, and develop a simple UI for the game. By the end of this book, you will have mastered the art of applying C# in Unity. Style and approach This is a step-by-step guide to developing a game from scratch by applying the fundamentals of C# and Unity scripting.

An example-based practical guide to get you up and running with Unity 5.x About This Book * The most updated resource on Unity 5.x with comprehensive discussion on all the new features of Unity 5.x * Understand the core concepts surrounding Unity5 game development with this power-packed hands-on guide * Brush up your existing game development skills and create games that have a brilliant gameplay using the excellent examples from this book Who This Book Is For The ideal target audience for this book would be game developers. They need not have previous experience with Unity since this book will cover all the basics about game development with unity. This would also be a very good resource for Unity developers who want to brush up their basic Unity skills and also get up and running with creating interesting games with Unity 5.x. What You Will Learn * Understand core Unity concepts, such as game objects, components, and scenes * Learn level design techniques for building immersive and interesting worlds * Learn to make functional games with C# scripting * Use the toolset creatively to build games of different themes and styles * Learn to handle player controls and input functionality * Dive into the process of working with terrains and world-creation tools * Import custom content into Unity from third-party tools, such as Maya and Blender * Get to grips with making both 2D and 3D games In Detail Unity is an exciting and popular engine in the game industry. Throughout this book, you'll learn how to use Unity by making four fun game projects, from shooters and platformers to exploration and adventure games. Unity 5 By Example is an easy-to-follow guide for quickly learning how to use Unity in practical context, step by step, by making real-world game projects. Even if you have no previous experience of Unity, this book will help you understand the toolset in depth. You'll learn how to create a time-critical collection game, a twin-stick space shooter, a platformer, and an action-fest game with intelligent enemies. In clear and accessible prose, this book will present you with step-by-step tutorials for making four interesting games in Unity 5 and explain all the fundamental concepts along the way. Starting from the ground up and moving toward an intermediate level, this book will help you establish a strong foundation in making games with Unity 5. Style and approach This book would be a very unique resource for any game developer who wants to get up and running with Unity. The unique example based approach will take you through the most basic games towards the more complex ones and will gradually build your skill level.

Design and code your own 2D and 3D games efficiently using OpenGL and C++ About This Book * Create 2D and 3D games completely, through a series of end-to-end game projects * Learn to render high performance 2D and 3D graphics using OpenGL * Implement a rudimentary game engine using step-by-step code Who This Book Is For If you are a prospective game developer with some experience using C++, then this book is for you. Both prospective and experienced game programmers will find nuggets of wisdom and practical advice as they learn to code two full games using OpenGL, C++, and a host of related tools. What You Will Learn * Set up your development environment in Visual Studio using OpenGL * Use 2D and 3D coordinate systems * Implement an input system to handle the mouse and the keyboard * Create a state machine to handle complex changes in the game * Load, display, and manipulate both 2D and 3D graphics * Implement collision detection and basic physics * Discover the key components needed to complete a polished game * Handle audio files and implement sound effects and music In Detail OpenGL is one of the most popular rendering SDKs used to develop games. OpenGL has been used to create everything from 3D masterpieces running on desktop computers to 2D puzzles running on mobile devices. You will learn to apply both 2D and 3D technologies to bring your game idea to life. There is a lot more to making a game than just drawing pictures and that is where this book is unique! It provides a complete tutorial on designing and coding games from the setup of the development environment to final credits screen, through the creation of a 2D and 3D game. The book starts off by showing you how to set up a development environment using Visual Studio, and create a code framework for your game. It then walks you through creation of two games-a 2D platform game called Roboracer 2D and a 3D first-person space shooter game-using OpenGL to render both 2D and 3D graphics using a 2D coordinate system. You'll create sprite classes, render sprites and animation, and navigate and control the characters. You will also learn how to implement input, use audio, and code basic collision and physics systems. From setting up the development environment to creating the final credits screen, the book will take you through the complete journey of creating a game engine that you can extend to create your own games. Style and approach An easy-to-follow guide full of code examples to illustrate every concept and help you build a 2D and 3D game from scratch, while learning the key tools that surround a typical OpenGL project.

A step-by-step guide that paves the way for developing fantastic games with Unreal Engine 4 About This Book * Learn about game development and the building blocks that go into creating a game * A simple tutorial for beginners to get acquainted with the Unreal Engine architecture * Learn about the features and functionalities of Unreal Engine 4 and how to use them to create your own games Who This Book Is For If you are new to game development and want to learn how games are created using Unreal Engine 4, this book is the right choice for you. You do not need prior game development experience, but it is expected that you have played games before. Knowledge of C++ would prove to be useful. What You Will Learn * Learn what a game engine is, the history of Unreal Engine, and how game studios create games * Explore the Unreal Engine 4 editor controls and learn how to use the editor to create a room in a game level * Understand the basic structures of objects in a game, such as the differences between BSP and static meshes * Make objects interactive using level blueprints * Learn more about computer graphics rendering; how materials and light are rendered in your game * Get acquainted with the Material Editor to create materials and use different types of lights in the game levels * Utilize the various editors, tools, and features such as UI, the particle system, audio, terrain manipulation, and cinematics in Unreal Engine 4 to create game levels In Detail Unreal Engine 4 is a powerful game development engine that provides rich functionalities to create 2D and 3D games across multiple platforms. Many people know what a game is and they play games every day, but how many of them know how to create a game? Unreal Engine technology powers hundreds of games, and thousands of individuals have built careers and companies around skills developed using this engine. Learning Unreal Engine 4 Game Development starts with small, simple game ideas and playable projects that you can actually finish. The book first teaches you the basics of using Unreal Engine to create a simple game level. Then, you'll learn how to add details such as actors, animation, effects, and so on to the game. The complexity will increase over the chapters and the examples chosen will help you learn a wide variety of game development techniques. This book aims to equip you with the confidence and skills to design and build your own games using Unreal Engine 4. By the end of this book, you'll have learnt about the entire Unreal suite and know how to successfully create fun, simple games. Style and approach This book explains in detail what goes into the development of a game, provides hands-on examples that you can follow to create the different components of a game, and provides sufficient background/theory to equip you with a solid foundation for creating your own games.

Master the basics of Unreal Engine 4 to build stunning video games About This Book * Get to grips with the user interface of Unreal Engine 4 and find out more about its various robust features * Create dream video games with the help of the different tools Unreal Engine 4 offers * Create video-games and fully utilize the power of Unreal Engine 4 to bring games to life through this step-by-step guide Who This Book Is For If you have a basic understanding of working on a 3D environment and you are interested in video game development, then this book is for you. A solid knowledge of C++ will come in handy. What You Will Learn * Download both the binary and source version of Unreal Engine 4 and get familiar with the UI * Get to know more about the Material Editor and how it works * Add a post process to the scene and alter it to get a unique look for your scene * Acquaint yourself with the unique and exclusive feature of Unreal Engine 4-Blueprints * Find out more about Static and Dynamic lighting and the difference between various lights * Use Matinee to create cut scenes * Create a health bar for the player with the use of Unreal Motion Graphics (UMG) * Get familiar with Cascade Particle Editor In Detail Unreal Engine 4 is a complete suite of game development tools that gives you power to develop your game and seamlessly deploy it to iOS and Android devices. It can be used for the development of simple 2D games or even stunning high-end visuals. Unreal Engine features a high degree of portability and is a tool used by many game developers today. This book will introduce you to the most popular game development tool called Unreal Engine 4 with hands-on instructions for building stunning video games. You will begin by creating a new project or prototype by learning the essentials of Unreal Engine by getting familiar with the UI and Content Browser. Next, we'll import a sample asset from Autodesk 3ds max and learn more about Material Editor. After that we will learn more about Post Process. From there we will continue to learn more about Blueprints, Lights, UMG, C++ and more. Style and approach This step-by-step guide will help you gain practical knowledge about Unreal Engine through detailed descriptions of all the tools offered by Unreal Engine.

Develop games for iOS and Android using Cocos2d with the aid of over 70 step-by-step recipes About This Book * Learn to efficiently use Cocos2d to develop cross-platform games, and have them work on iOS as well as Android * Get acquainted with industry-wide professional tools such as Glyph Designer, Texture Packer, and Physics Editor, as well as using the Swift/ Sprite builder implementation of Cocos2d * Use the easy-to-follow recipes to develop as well as deploy games to the Playstore and the App Store Who This Book Is For This book is for intermediate game developers and especially the ones who are generally curious to find out what's new in Cocos2d v 3.3. What You Will Learn * Build custom sprites with custom animations for the game * Build interactivity into your game by adding gestures and touch interactions * Understand AI enemy programming and path finding to make games more exciting * Add physics to your game to make it more lively and interactive * Get familiar with the Swift and Sprite builder implementations along with Objective-C programming * Perform hassle-free deployment of games built in iOS onto Android * Add effects and particle systems to make the game more colorful In Detail Cocos2d is the world's leading game development framework for developing iOS games. With the introduction of Swift and Spritebuilder, it has become easier than ever to develop the games of your dreams without much effort. With Cocos2d, you can also deploy the game on Android, thereby maximizing profit and reducing development and porting costs. The book starts off with a detailed look at how to implement sprites and animations into your game to make it livelier. You will then learn to add scenes to the game such as the gameplay scene and options scene and create menus and buttons in these scenes, as well as creating transitions between them. From there on, you will get an understanding of how to program user interactions such as tapping, holding, and swiping. You'll then add accelerometer inputs and physics to the scene, and make objects respond back to the inputs. A game is practically incomplete without audio being added, so this will be covered next. The next section will include ways to add Artificial Intelligence to enemies in the game, allowing them to patrol, chase, and shoot in a projectile manner. You will then learn to use NSUserDefault to save and load game progress, and create and access files using JSON, Plist, and XML files for custom storage and retrieval of data. Then you will learn to add dynamic lighting to your game and will use industry-wide tools such as Texture Packer, Glyph Designer, Physics Editor, Particle Designer, and Sprite Illuminator to create more visually appealing and performance-optimized games. Towards the end of the book, we dive into Apple's latest programming language-Swift, highlighting the major differences between Objective C and Swift. The book culminates with taking your existing game developed for iOS and porting it to Android, showing you how to install the Android Xcode plugin as well. Style and approach The book is written in an extremely lucid and step-by-step manner; it can be understood easily by anyone. The topics included are broken down into individual chapters so you can refer to the specific chapter to get answers on the subject you are interested in.