From Pong to virtual reality, Understanding Video Games, 4th Edition, takes video game studies into the next decade of the twenty-first century, highlighting changes in the area, including mobile, social, and casual gaming. In this new edition of the pioneering text, students learn to assess the major theories used to analyze games, such as ludology and narratology, and gain familiarity with the commercial and organizational aspects of the game industry. Drawing from historical and contemporary examples, the student-friendly text also explores the aesthetics of games, evaluates the cultural position of video games, and considers the potential effects of both violent and "serious" games. Extensively illustrated and featuring discussion questions, a glossary of key terms, and a detailed video game history timeline, this new edition is an indispensable resource for students, scholars, and teachers interested in examining the ways video games continue to reshape entertainment and society.

Learn how to draw the latest Fortnite Battle Pass designs with this brand-new official guide from Epic Games. Want to recreate the action-packed looks from the Battle Passes? Well, now you can with this special themed guide, brought to you by Epic Games. With clear step-by-step instructions to take you from initial sketch to finished artwork, this book will help elevate your drawing skills to Tier 100. INCLUDES: * 16 CLASSIC OUTFITS * 8 STYLISH EMOTICONS * SUPERCOOL BACK BLING, GLIDERS, AND HARVESTING TOOLS * TOP DRAWING TIPS Featuring the authentic Fortnite holographic seal.

Create games from start to finish while learning game design and programming principles using the GameMaker Studio 2 game engine and GameMaker Language (GML). Game Development with GameMaker Studio 2 covers all aspects of game design and development from the initial idea to the final release, using an award-winning game engine. You learn how to create real-world video games based on classic and legendary video game genres. Each game project introduces and explains concepts of game development and design and coding principles, allowing you to build a wide set of skills while creating an exciting portfolio to kick-start a career in game development. Author Sebastiano Cossu teaches you to design levels in your games, draw sprites to populate your virtual worlds, program game objects for interaction with the player, incorporate custom music and sound effects, build GUIs for your menus and game interfaces, and support keyboard, mouse, and gamepad controls in your projects. He shows you how to build cross-platform games to run on all desktop platforms (Windows, Linux, Mac OS) and publish them on the most popular game stores such as Steam, GOG, Humble Store, and Itch.io. What You'll Learn Create games for different genres Master GameMaker Language (GML) programming Apply game design principles Delve into game programming patterns Who This Book is For Video game enthusiasts interested in game development and design. No prior programming experience is required.

Expert Guidance on the Math Needed for 3D Game ProgrammingDeveloped from the authors' popular Game Developers Conference (GDC) tutorial, Essential Mathematics for Games and Interactive Applications, Third Edition illustrates the importance of mathematics in 3D programming. It shows you how to properly animate, simulate, and render scenes and discusses the mathematics behind the processes. New to the Third EditionCompletely revised to fix errors and make the content flow better, this third edition reflects the increased use of shader graphics pipelines, such as in DirectX 11, OpenGL ES (GLES), and the OpenGL Core Profile. It also updates the material on real-time graphics with coverage of more realistic materials and lighting. The Foundation for Successful 3D ProgrammingThe book covers the low-level mathematical and geometric representations and algorithms that are the core of any game engine. It also explores all the stages of the rendering pipeline. The authors explain how to represent, transform, view, and animate geometry. They then focus on visual matters, specifically the representation, computation, and use of color. They also address randomness, intersecting geometric entities, and physical simulation. An Introduction to Creating Real and Active Virtual WorldsThis updated book provides you with a conceptual understanding of the mathematics needed to create 3D games as well as a practical understanding of how these mathematical bases actually apply to games and graphics. It not only includes the theoretical mathematical background but also incorporates many examples of how the concepts are used to affect how a game looks and plays. Web ResourceA supplementary website contains a collection of source code, supporting libraries, and interactive demonstrations that illustrate the concepts and enable you to experiment with animation and simulation applications. The site also includes slides and notes from the authors' GDC tutorials.

Scholars and professionals from all over the world, across experience levels and the gender and sexuality spectrum, share experiences and analysis of romance and sexuality in video games. Whether discussing casual sex in the Star Wars universe; analyzing various Otome games; examining "the gaze" in various games; player romance behavior in games; or exploring the ethical ramifications of sexuality in virtual reality and other emerging technologies, this book discusses what players want in video game romance, and how developers can best deliver it. Key Features: Examines the past, present, and future of romance in single-player, role-playing games Discusses common presentations of romance in single-player, role-playing games- both in the category and game mechanics that drive romance Discusses research on how players define a satisfying game romance and what specific steps narrative designers can take to design satisfying games Explains the notion of the empathic game and explores its importance in relation to romance in game design

Direct3D 11 offers such a wealth of capabilities that users can sometimes get lost in the details of specific APIs and their implementation. While there is a great deal of low-level information available about how each API function should be used, there is little documentation that shows how best to leverage these capabilities. Written by active members of the Direct3D community, Practical Rendering and Computation with Direct3D 11 provides a deep understanding of both the high and low level concepts related to using Direct3D 11. The first part of the book presents a conceptual introduction to Direct3D 11, including an overview of the Direct3D 11 rendering and computation pipelines and how they map to the underlying hardware. It also provides a detailed look at all of the major components of the library, covering resources, pipeline details, and multithreaded rendering. Building upon this material, the second part of the text includes detailed examples of how to use Direct3D 11 in common rendering scenarios. The authors describe sample algorithms in-depth and discuss how the features of Direct3D 11 can be used to your advantage. All of the source code from the book is accessible on an actively maintained open source rendering framework. The sample applications and the framework itself can be downloaded from http://hieroglyph3.codeplex.com By analyzing when to use various tools and the tradeoffs between different implementations, this book helps you understand the best way to accomplish a given task and thereby fully leverage the potential capabilities of Direct3D 11. Key Features Presents the high level concepts used to design algorithms Describes the nuts and bolts of how to implement the algorithms Explains each of the major components of the Direct3D 11 library Shows how Direct3D 11 can be used in a variety of real-world situations Provides source code and sample programs on a supplementary website

Create, Explore, and ... Color with The Official Minecraft Coloring Book! Based on Minecraft, the best-selling video game of all time, this action-packed coloring book lets kids color their way through nearly 50 epic pages of original art inspired by the expansive, wondrous, and never-ending world of Minecraft. 50+ PAGES TO COLOR: Dozens of intricate scenes, characters, landscapes, and icons from Minecraft to color. CREATE AND EXPLORE: No need to craft a Nether portal. Just grab your pencils, crayons, or markers and create your own colorful Minecraft scenes, no pickaxe required. STUNNING ORIGINAL ART: With 48 pages of beautiful, never-before-seen art, relive your Minecraft adventurers. We promise the creepers won't explode. MAKE IT YOUR OWN: Put your own spin on iconic characters, places, and icons while exercising your creative spark.

Designed for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, 3D Graphics for Game Programming presents must-know information for success in interactive graphics. Assuming a minimal prerequisite understanding of vectors and matrices, it also provides sufficient mathematical background for game developers to combine their previous experience in graphics API and shader programming with the background theory of computer graphics. Well organized and logically presented, this book takes its organizational format from GPU programming and presents a variety of algorithms for programmable stages along with the knowledge required to configure hard-wired stages. Easily accessible, it offers a wealth of elaborate 3D visual presentations and includes additional theoretical and technical details in separate shaded boxes and optional sections. Maintaining API neutrality throughout to maximize applicability, the book gives sample programs to assist in understanding. Full PowerPoint files and additional material, including video clips and lecture notes with all of the figures in the book, are available on the book's website: http://media.korea.ac.kr/book Key Features Presents the theory and mathematics of real-time graphics and its applications to game design Provides boxed MathNotes that can be accessed as required without interrupting the flow of the text Includes homework problems and more than 300 detailed figures Offers ancillary material on a companion website Solutions manual available upon qualified course adoption

The evolution of story-telling is as old as the human race; from the beginning, when our ancestors first gathered around a campfire to share wondrous tales through oral traditions, to today, with information and stories being shared through waves and filling screens with words and images. Stories have always surrounded us, and united us in ways other disciplines can't. Storytelling for Interactive Digital Media and Video Games lays out the construct of the story, and how it can be manipulated by the storyteller through sound, video, lighting, graphics, and color. This book is the perfect guide to aspiring storytellers as it illustrates the different manner of how and why stories are told, and how to make them "interactive." Storytelling features heavy game development as a method of storytelling and delivery, and how to develop compelling plots, characters, settings, and actions inside a game. The concept of digital storytelling will be explored, and how this differs from previous incarnations of mediums for stories Key Features: Explores the necessary elements of a story (setting, character, events, sequence, and perspective) and how they affect the viewer of the story Discusses media and its role in storytelling, including images, art, sound, video, and animation Explores the effect of interactivity on the story, such as contest TV, web-based storytelling, kiosks, and games Shows the different types of story themes in gaming and how they are interwoven Describes how to make games engaging and rewarding intrinsically and extrinsically

This book explores hybrid play as a site of interdisciplinary activity-one that is capable of generating new forms of mobility, communication, subjects, and artistic expression as well as new ways of interacting with and understanding the world. The chapters in this collection explore hybrid making, hybrid subjects, and hybrid spaces, generating interesting conversations about the past, current and future nature of hybrid play. Together, the authors offer important insights into how place and space are co-constructed through play; how, when, and for what reasons people occupy hybrid spaces; and how cultural practices shape elements of play and vice versa. A diverse group of scholars and practitioners provides a rich interdisciplinary perspective, which will be of great interest to those working in the areas of games studies, media studies, communication, gender studies, and media arts.

A bumper collection of facts about video games from YouTuber extraordinaire, Larry Bundy Jr, this book will debunk myths and urban legends, delve into developers' biggest successes and failures, explore the odd characters behind the games and unearth the obscure, the forgotten, the cancelled and the abandoned aspects of the gaming world. For the past decade, Larry has painstakingly trawled through countless old magazines, routinely harassed developers, and blackmailed journalists to uncover these amazing tidbits and anecdotes that would have fallen by the wayside of history. Now he has compiled them into a fun, full-colour book with sections on botched game launches, pointless peripherals, unreleased video game movies, weird guest fighters and much, much more. Along the way, he has invited a few famous gaming guests, including Stuart Ashen and Did You Know Gaming?, to provide their favourite quips for your personal perusal. So whatever your level of knowledge about video games, you're guaranteed to learn a ton of entertaining new information.

Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy moves beyond stereotypes about video game addiction and violence to consider the role that games play in psychological experiences and mental health. Chapters examine the factors that compel individual gamers to select and identify with particular games and characters, as well as the different play styles, genres, and archetypes common in video games. For clinicians looking to understand their clients' relationships with video games or to use games as a therapeutic resource in their own practice, this is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and timely resource.

COLLADA is a COLLAborative Design Activity for establishing an open standard Digital Asset schema for interactive 3D applications. This book explains in detail how to use the COLLADA technology in a project utilizing 3D assets, and ultimately how to create an effective content creation pipeline for the most complex development. Errata are posted at http://collada.org/mediawiki/index.php/COLLADA_book.

A First Course in Game ProgrammingMost of today's commercial games are written in C++ and are created using a game engine. Addressing both of these key elements, Programming 2D Games provides a complete, up-to-date introduction to game programming. All of the code in the book was carefully crafted using C++. As game programming techniques are introduced, students learn how to incorporate them into their own game engine and discover how to use the game engine to create a complete game. Enables Students to Create 2D GamesThe text covers sprites, animation, collision detection, sound, text display, game dashboards, special graphic effects, tiled games, and network programming. It systematically explains how to program DirectX applications and emphasizes proper software engineering techniques. Every topic is explained theoretically and with working code examples. The example programs for each chapter are available at www.programming2dgames.com.

Take a journey through the history of Japanese role-playing games-from the creators who built it, the games that defined it, and the stories that transformed pop culture and continue to capture the imaginations of millions of fans to this day.The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories, and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history-and it has the fanbase to prove it. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides readers through the fascinating history of JRPGs, exploring the technical challenges, distinct narrative and artistic visions, and creative rivalries that fueled the creation of countless iconic games and their quest to become the best, not only in Japan, but in North America, too. Moher starts with the origin stories of two classic Nintendo titles, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and immerses readers in the world of JRPGs, following the interconnected history from through the lens of their creators and their stories full of hope, risk, and pixels, from the tiny teams and almost impossible schedules that built the foundations of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises; Reiko Kodama pushing the narrative and genre boundaries with Phantasy Star; the unexpected team up between Horii and Sakaguchi to create Chrono Trigger; or the unique mashup of classic Disney with Final Fantasy coolness in Kingdom Hearts. Filled with firsthand interviews and behind-the-scenes looks into the development, reception, and influence of JRPGs, Fight, Magic, Items captures the evolution of the genre and why it continues to grab us, decades after those first iconic pixelated games released.

Master game design and digital art principles simultaneously with this all-in-one guide to creating games in the cutting-edge game engine Unity. Reworked for C# and Unity 2018 & 2019, and bursting with images and tutorials, Penny de Byl's Holistic Game Development with Unity will help the reader gain the multidisciplinary skills needed to succeed in the independent game industry. Holistic Game Development with Unity includes new coverage on Augmented Reality, Networking, and Virtual Reality such as the Oculus Rift. Supplementary material, including instructional videos, discussion forums and art assets are provided in the companion website located at www.holistic3d.com. Learn to combine the beauty of art and the functionality of programming in de Byl's third edition for Unity game development. Key features: Art and programming in Unity, the only one-stop shop for individual developers and small teams looking to tackle both tasks. Proven step-by-step tutorials show you how to design and structure an entire game in Unity with art assets. Revised to cover the Unity game engine versions 2018 and 2019. New coverage of Nav Meshes, Augmented Reality, Mobile Builds and Mecanim. An introduction to essential two- and three-dimensional mathematical and physics concepts. A portfolio of royalty free reusable game mechanics. Revamped and expanded accompanying website, www.holistic3d.com, features project source code, instructional videos, art assets, author blog, and discussion forums. Additional challenge questions and lesson plans are available online for an enhanced learning experience.

Sound can make or break the visual experience of a video game. If you press a button, and you hear a click, you know you are playing a game, without the click, you are merely interacting with an image on the screen. Sound elevates the experience of a game, and is obviously a KEY ingredient to the success of a game. This book goes out to sound designers and music composers for games who may be able to pick up on the theories and concepts in other books, but will need the book that shows them just how to get their first demo reel done. Stevens and Raybould get right into the heart of sound design and implemention, providing real practical examples to learn from, so that composers and designers can quickly develop the skills they need to design sound and music for games. This hands-on book guides students and professionals through the whole development process of how to create and implement sound and music for games. Stevens and Raybould offer a hugely effective teaching tool to engage students: a complete set of tools and interactive tutorials that are fully tested and proven to work in a University setting. The book comes with a powerful associated web site including 20 videos (10 mins each) with screen captures, voice over and interactive commentary, several hundred sound files that designers can plug right into their own games, and a unique tutorial game level for readers to play and learn in - so that they can experience, interact, and see exactly how sounds are applied in a real game. This is the best vehicle for learning how to create compelling sound and music for games - a truly unique approach that gets designers and students up and running quickly.

A textbook for learning 3d modeling fundamentals, this step-by-step lesson book develops the readers modeling skills through a series of modeling exercises creating modules for a medieval castle environment. As the text introduces new modeling skills it additionally calls on the reader to perform repetitive tasks, reinforcing skills learned in the process. The content is presented as if the reader is in a working video game studio, being responsible for researching asset design, providing the team with placeholder assets, and final model assets that are unwrapped and custom textured. Upon completion of the modeling projects, the modeled environment is exported to the Unity game engine for use in a real game environment, Although the text uses Autodesk 3ds Max for the modeling program, the principals are transferable to other major modeling programs. Key Features: The goal of this book is to teach the fundamentals of 3d modeling video game assets in a simplified, logical progression, optimized for learning at a beginner level. This series of modeling exercises is the result of having taught over one thousand video game students the fundamentals of 3d modeling. Often, teachers are not fully trained in teaching the concepts of 3d modeling. This text, written for self-paced learning helps those instructors. Includes instructions and project files for exporting the finished project environment into a 3d game engine, Unity. Appendices include additional 3ds Max tool instructions. A companion site includes working 3ds Max project files for Chapters, a 3ds Max user interface and 3ds Max short cut keys and more.

Argues for the queer potential of video games While popular discussions about queerness in video games often focus on big-name, mainstream games that feature LGBTQ characters, like Mass Effect or Dragon Age, Bonnie Ruberg pushes the concept of queerness in games beyond a matter of representation, exploring how video games can be played, interpreted, and designed queerly, whether or not they include overtly LGBTQ content. Video Games Have Always Been Queer argues that the medium of video games itself can-and should-be read queerly. In the first book dedicated to bridging game studies and queer theory, Ruberg resists the common, reductive narrative that games are only now becoming more diverse. Revealing what reading D. A. Miller can bring to the popular 2007 video game Portal, or what Eve Sedgwick offers Pong, Ruberg models the ways game worlds offer players the opportunity to explore queer experience, affect, and desire. As players attempt to 'pass' in Octodad or explore the pleasure of failure in Burnout: Revenge, Ruberg asserts that, even within a dominant gaming culture that has proved to be openly hostile to those perceived as different, queer people have always belonged in video games-because video games have, in fact, always been queer.

Game Devs & Others: Tales from the Margins tell the true stories of life in the industry by people of color, LGBTQIA and other marginalized identities. This collection of essays give people a chance to tell their stories and to let others know what life on the other side of the screen is like when you're not part of the supposed "majority". Key Features This book is perfect for anyone interested in getting into the games industry who feels they have a marginalized identity For those who wish to better diversify their studio or workplace who may or may not have access to individuals that could or would share their stories about the industry Includes initiatives aimed at diversifying the industry that have a positive or negative impact on the ongoing discussions Coverage of ajor news items about diversity, conferences aimed at or having diversity at its core of content and mission are discussed Included essays are written with as little game dev specific jargon as possible, makeing it accessible to people outside the industry as well as those in the scene but that may not have all the insider lingo

Dress to impress! The Outfit you rock when you drop from the Battle Bus makes a big statement about who you are. This all-new official collectors' edition from Epic Games showcases the most exciting looks that have appeared in the latest seasons. Whether your choice of Outfit is fresh, fun, or fearsome, you'll find the style that's right for you here. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Get the lowdown to your look with top tips, stats, and facts. COOL CUSTOMIZING Check out the hottest Gliders, Back Bling, and Pets from Fortnite Chapter 2 GET THE GEAR Psych out your enemies with the best new Outfits - which will you be adding to YOUR locker?

Surviving Game School speaks about what to expect in a top game design or game development college program, and what to expect once students get out. Making games is not at all the same as playing games. Uncommonly blunt, the book reveals the rigors - and the joys - of working in this industry. Along the way the book touches on themes of time management, creativity, teamwork, and burnout. The authors explore the impact working in the game industry can have on personal relationships and family life. The book closes with advice about life's goals and building and keeping a sensible balance between work and everything else. Key Features: What you can expect from a top college Game Design Program, from an experienced college professor What to expect while working in the games industry, from 25-year veteran game developer. How to find an industry job after gaining a relevant college degree How to build and maintain a satisfying career in the games industry

Composing Music for Games is a guidebook for launching and maintaining a successful career as a video game composer. It offers a pragmatic approach to learning, intensified through challenging project assignments and simulations. Author Chance Thomas begins with the foundation of scoring principles applicable to all media, and then progresses serially through core methodologies specific to video game music. This book offers a powerful blend of aesthetic, technique, technology and business, which are all necessary components for a successful career as a video game composer.

The drums of war thunder once again . . . World of Warcraft redefined online gaming for millions and millions of people, and in the fifteen years since its launch, each new chapter in the game's story has been bolstered through the Blizzard Entertainment's incredible cinematics. The Cinematic Art of World of Warcraft: Volume I goes behind the scenes with the team who built the game's stunning movies. With never-before-seen concept art and accounts of the creative and technical process, this is the definitive visual gallery of how countless artists brought the world of Azeroth to life in incredible detail and motion. The first installment in a new series, The Cinematic Art of World of Warcraft: Volume I is a visual chronicle covering the cinematics from the beginning of World of Warcraft through to the Warlords of Draenor expansion.