This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Computers and Games, CG 2006, co-located with the 14th World Computer-Chess Championship and the 11th Computer Olympiad. The 24 revised papers cover all aspects of artificial intelligence in computer-game playing. Topics addressed are evaluation and learning, search, combinatorial games and theory opening and endgame databases, single-agent search and planning, and computer Go.

This amply illustrated book is about building some of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous inventions with LEGO's breathtaking robot technology, the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT. In this book, you will revive such fascinating devices as the flying machine, the aerial screw, the revolving bridge, the double leaf spring catapult, and the armored carfive centuries after their creation by the great Renaissance engineer. Using some of the most advanced programming environments for the NXT, you will make robots that work, move, and respond the way Leonardo intended his original inventions to do 500 years ago.

By engineering the LEGO models contained in this, book you will not only become acquainted with the MINDSTORMS NXT technology, but also with strategies to build advanced robots with NXT and to program them using different state-of-the-art NXT programming languages such as NXT-G, NXC, RobotC, pbLua, and leJOS NXJ.

For all five robots, historical background information is provided. Detailed high-quality step-by-step building instructions, as well as an elaborate guide for each single program enable both the inexperienced LEGO user as well as the NXT aficionado to become acquainted with the art of producing marvelous NXT creations and make use of many sophisticated features of the NXT.

This book will unleash the creative powers that slumber in everyone and combine them with the pure joy of playing. But beware: you might be surprised by the stupendous results this combination is apt to spawn.

Digital interactive audio is the future of audio in media - most notably video games, but also web pages, theme parks, museums, art installations and theatrical events. Despite its importance to contemporary multi-media, this is the first book that provides a framework for understanding the history, issues and theories surrounding interactive audio. Karen Collins presents the work of academics, composers and sound programmers to introduce the topic from a variety of angles in order to provide a supplementary text for music and multimedia courses. The contributors cover practical and theoretical approaches, including historical perspectives, emerging theories, socio-cultural approaches to fandom, reception theory and case study analyses. The book offers a fresh perspective on media music, one that will complement film studies, but which will show the necessity of a unique approach when considering games music.

How to create a simulation where participants have a sense of freedom and personal control while still maintaining the structure necessary for an effective story is a difficult task indeed. This book examines how to create an engaging, effective story (necessary to teach participants), while relating practical considerations of building a simulation. It also looks at stories as classic ways of teaching and gathering knowledge and considers other theories of interactive narrative design such as synthetic story creation and management and participant-generated story experiences. It also discusses enabling technologies in artificial intelligence, synthetic characters design and development, speech recognition technology, 3D modelling, and the future of story-driven games. Story Driven Simulations reviews the existing efforts in this field as well as focusing on the recent efforts of Paramount Pictures and The Institute for Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California, where this expert author team created successful simulations for the U.S. Army, Department of Defense, as well as other educational simulations.
*Learn to create a new kind of gaming experience that will broaden the audience for entertainment games and simulations by engaging game users at an emotional rather than a purely visceral level.
*Learn to engage players in more memorable, effective experiences that can deal with far more complex and demanding skills such as management, leadership and crisis decision-making.
*Features a unique mix of theory and application providing practical advice using real-world examples from recent military research and development projects

Steve Rabin's Game AI Pro 360: Guide to Architecture gathers all the cutting-edge information from his previous three Game AI Pro volumes into a convenient single source anthology covering game AI architecture. This volume is complete with articles by leading game AI programmers that further explore modern architecture such as behavior trees and share architectures used in top games such as Final Fantasy XV, the Call of Duty series and the Guild War series. Key Features Provides real-life case studies of game AI in published commercial games Material by top developers and researchers in Game AI Downloadable demos and/or source code available online

Launched in January 2018, the Overwatch League (OWL) is the first large-scale concerted effort to build a competitive, global framework for an eSport that can rival the largest pro sports leagues. $3.5 million in prize money, a broadcasting deal with ESPN, and the purchase of OWL teams by celebrity owners including Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams, set the stakes for the launch. The first season ended in a tense round of playoffs that climaxed in a suspenseful championship series in a sold-out Barclay's Center. Austin Moorhead, a gamer who found himself fascinated by the emerging world of pro players, embedded himself during OWL's debut season with multiple teams, including the London Spitfire, which would go on to become Overwatch's first world champion. In Young Guns, he takes readers behind the scenes of the wild first season of a competition that just might become as ingrained in our culture as Sunday football, revealing a high-stakes, pressure-cooker world of profane teenagers who earn six-figure salaries, TV executives and traditional sports owners struggling to understand and conquer youth culture, and a game whose innovation progresses so fast that fans watch their favourite gamers practice for hours just to keep up with it. Told with perspective on the subculture and unrivalled access into how both the OWL and the teams that compose it have built themselves to succeed, Young Guns is a fascinating look at the ascendance of competitive gaming and the future of sports.

* Adapted for C# by key Microsoft Insiders from a previous bestseller--Lead author is the .NET Game evangelist at Microsoft! * An easy-to-read, soup-to-nuts guide that helps you start programming games fast * Packed with code examples that are complete games, Beginning .NET Game Programming in C# includes an introduction to Managed DirectX 9 and is also an introduction to exciting advanced features of .NET, including the Speech API to generate voices, synchronizing mouth animations with generated sounds, the .NET Compact Framework, data access with ADO.NET, collision detection, and artificial intelligence. * Includes complete code listings and applications for all games included in the book: .Nettrix (a Tetris clone), .Netterpillars (a Snakes clone), River Pla.Net (River Raid clone), Magic KindergarteN., D-iNfEcT, and Nettrix II (for the Pocket PC) as well as a version of the classic game Spacewars and a "Twisty Cube" game that did not appear in the VB .NET version.

Java 2 ME (Micro Edition) is the client-side Java development platform for building wireless Java-based cell phone and PDA applications. This book addresses the fun challenge of building game applications for these kinds of portable devices. Author Carol Hamer shows you how to use J2ME for developing, using the latest MIDP 2.0 specification.

If you are new to developing with J2ME, we recommend you first read Jonathan Knudsens "Wireless Java: Developing with J2ME, Second Edition." We suggest that you read this book second, then complete the "series" with David Crofts "Advanced Java Game Programming," for a comprehensive Apress experience of game developing with Java. Table of Contents Getting Started Using MIDlets Using the MIDP 2.0 Games API Using Threads and Tones Storing and Retrieving Data Communicating over a Network Securing Your Applications

The Computers and Games (CG) series began in 1998 with the objective of showcasing new developments in arti?cial intelligence (AI) research that used games as the experimental test-bed. The ?rst two CG conferences were held at Hamamatsu, Japan(1998,2000).ComputersandGames2002(CG2002)wasthe third event in this biennial series. The conference was held at the University of Alberta(Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), July25 27,2002.Theprogramconsisted of the main conference featuring refereed papers and keynote speakers, as well as several side events including the Games Informatics Workshop, the Agents in Computer Games Workshop, the Trading Agents Competition, and the North American Computer Go Championship. CG 2002 attracted 110 participants from over a dozen countries. Part of the successoftheconferencewasthatitwasco-locatedwiththeNationalConference of the American Association for Arti?cial Intelligence (AAAI), which began in Edmonton just as CG 2002 ended. The CG 2002 program had 27 refereed paper presentations. The papers ranged over a wide variety of AI-related topics including search, knowledge, learning, planning, and combinatorial game theory. Research test-beds included one-player games (blackjack, sliding-tile puzzles, Sokoban), two-player games (Amazons, awari, chess, Chinese chess, clobber, Go, Hex, Lines of Action, O- ello, shogi), multi-player games (Chinese checkers, cribbage, Diplomacy, hearts, spades), commercial games (role-playing games, real-time strategy games), and novel applications (Post s Correspondence Problem)."

A lavishly illustrated introduction to the world of Rare s highly anticipated game Sea of Thieves, home to krakens, mermaids and buried treasure.

Narrated by three unique pirate captains the book will take a look at the world through their eyes. From laughable pirate suspicions to the towns and islands these hardened seafarers call home, they ll introduce and explore the fantastical Sea of Thieves, home to krakens, mermaids and buried treasure.

Including sea shanties, illustrations and sketches by the pirates and their crew, and much more, the book will immerse you in the world of Sea of Thieves. As an artifact fished straight from within the game universe, it features all the wear and tear expected from a grog-swilling pirate s life.

Sea of Thieves is an open world pirate adventure, where you can join a crew of friends online to sail the high seas, fight other ships and see where the tide takes you.

"Introduction to 3D Game Engine Design Using DirectX 9 and C#" illustrates the process of creating a simple 3D game engine. During this process, author Lynn Harrison demonstrates many facets of the DirectX 9 software through clear-cut explanations and examples.

Throughout the course of the book, you'll develop an off-road driving game that brings such features as management of large scenes, environmental effects, and physics into play. To write the game, you'll use cutting-edge technologiesC# and DirectX, and the .NET Frameworkand you'll go beyond simple graphics to explore audio, user input, artificial intelligence, and multiplayer design. Table of Contents Overview User Interface Hanging Ten: A Ride Through the Rendering Pipeline Basic 3D Objects Complex 3D Objects Camera: The Player's View of the World Adding Some Atmosphere: Lighting and Fog Artificial Intelligence: Adding the Competition Game Audio: Let's Make Some Noise Game Physics: Keeping It Real Tools of the Trade

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

The success of Angry Birds, Peggle, and Fruit Ninja has proven that fun and immersive game experiences can be created in two dimensions. Furthermore, 2D graphics enable developers to quickly prototype ideas and mechanics using fewer resources than 3D. 2D Graphics Programming for Games provides an in-depth single source on creating 2D graphics that can be easily applied to many game platforms, including iOS, Android, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation Suite. The author presents examples not only from video games but also from art and animated film. The book helps new programmers learn the concepts and techniques used to produce appealing 2D graphics. It starts with the basics and then covers topics pertaining to motion and depth, such as cel animation, tiling, and layering. The text also describes advanced graphics, including the use of particle systems, shaders, and splines. Code samples in the text and online allow readers to see a particular line of code in action or as it relates to the code around it. In addition, challenges and suggested projects encourage readers to work through problems, experiment with solutions, and tinker with code. Full of practical tools and tricks, this color book gives novices in-depth guidance on making professional, high-quality graphics for games. It also improves the relationship between programmers and artists by explaining how certain art and design challenges can be solved with a programmatic solution.

Video games represent a unique blend of programming, art, music, and unbridled creativity. To the general public, they are perhaps the most exciting computer applications ever undertaken. In the field of computer science, they have been the impetus for a continuous stream of innovations designed to provide gaming enthusiasts with the most realistic and enjoyable gaming experience possible. Algorithmic and Architectural Gaming Design: Implementation and Development discusses the most recent advances in the field of video game design, with particular emphasis on practical examples of game development, including design and implementation. The target audience of this book includes educators, students, practitioners, professionals, and researchers working in the area of video game design and development. Anyone actively developing video games will benefit from the practical application of fundamental computer science concepts demonstrated in this book.

In depth investigation into a famous series of video games In just three episodes, the Bioshock series managed to score some big points amongst players' hearts. Spiritual successor of System Shock 2, the first Bioshock was an Irrational Games' game, lead by Ken Levine. Set in the 50's ambiance, with Art Deco levels, progression in Bioshock is possible through open and smart game mechanics, inciting the player to be creative and to use its environment. The saga is also filled with many profound and philosophical themes, while involving the player in every one of its aspects, many things granting the triptych of an iconic saga.

This book is a way of sharing insights empirically gathered, over decades of interactive media development, by the author and other children's designers. Included is as much emerging theory as possible in order to provide background for practical and technical aspects of design while still keeping the information accessible. The author's intent for this book is not to create an academic treatise but to furnish an insightful and practical manual for the next generation of children's interactive media and game designers. Key Features Provides practical detailing of how children's developmental needs and capabilities translate to specific design elements of a piece of media Serves as an invaluable reference for anyone who is designing interactive games for children (or adults) Detailed discussions of how children learn and how they play Provides lots of examples and design tips on how to design content that will be appealing and effective for various age ranges Accessible approach, based on years of successful creative business experience, covers basics across the gamut from developmental needs and learning theories to formats, colors, and sounds

Official art book of the Marvel's Midnight Suns video game, packed with interviews with the creative team behind the game, as well as stunning concept art created during the development process. When the demonic Lilith and her fearsome horde unite with the evil armies of Hydra, it's time to unleash Marvel's dark side. As The Hunter, your mission is to lead an unlikely team of seasoned Super Heroes and dangerous supernatural warriors to victory. Can legends such as Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Blade put aside their differences in the face of a growing apocalyptic threat? If you're going to save the world, you'll have to forge alliances and lead the team into battle as the legendary Midnight Suns-Earth's last line of defence against the underworld. Marvel's Midnight Suns - The Art of the Game captures the creative process of this much-anticipated game. The exclusive concept art and in-game renderings created by the talented development team-creating the game in collaboration with Marvel-are shown in glorious detail in this lush, hardback volume. Characters, locations, gadgets, weapons, monsters, enemies, and much more are all accompanied by unique insights from the artists and developers behind the game. So step into the world of Marvel's Midnight Suns - and rise up against the darkness!

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed postproceedings of the Second International Conference on Computers and Games, CG 2001, held in Hamamatsu, Japan in October 2000. The 23 revised full papers presented together with two invited contributions and five reviews were carefully refereed and selected during two rounds of reviewing and improvement. The papers are organized in topical sections on search and strategies, learning and pattern acquisition, theory and complexity issues, and further experiments on game; the reviews presented are on computer language games, computer Go, intelligent agents for computer games, RoboCup, and computer Shogi.

This book is the fourth offical archival publication devoted to RoboCup and documents the achievements presented at the Fourth Robot World Cup Soccer Games and Conferences, RoboCup 2000, held in Melbourne, Australia, in August/September 2000. The book presents the following parts: introductory overview and survey, championship papers by the winners of the competitions, finalist papers for the RoboCup challenge awards, papers and posters presented at the workshop, team description of a large number of participating teams. This book is mandatory reading for the rapidly growing RoboCup community as well as a valuable source of reference and inspiration for R & D professionals interested in multi-agent systems, distributed artificial intelligence, and intelligent robotics.

The success of storytelling in games depends on the entire development team-game designers, artists, writers, programmers and musicians, etc.-working harmoniously together towards a singular artistic vision. Interactive Stories and Video Game Art is first to define a common design language for understanding and orchestrating interactive masterpieces using techniques inherited from the rich history of art and craftsmanship that games build upon. Case studies of hit games like The Last of Us, Journey, and Minecraft illustrate the vital components needed to create emotionally-complex stories that are mindful of gaming's principal relationship between player actions and video game aesthetics. This book is for developers of video games and virtual reality, filmmakers, gamification and transmedia experts, and everybody else interested in experiencing resonant and meaningful interactive stories. Key Features: The first book to define a common visual and interactive language for understanding and orchestrating sophisticated stories in video games Accessible to industry professionals as well as non-developers Featured concepts apply to all media with an interactive component including: transmedia, gamification and interactive art The definitive framework for designing interactive stories

Jump start your Unity game development journey with a detailed review of a complete, professionally built game using Unity, C#, and Visual Studio. Gain invaluable experience with code structure, project structure, centralization of game state data, controlled initialization of script components, AI opponents, multiple input sources, player preferences, a full HUD and menu system, music and sound effects, level/track building, and more. Author Victor Brusca walks you through the game's code, scripts, and overall structure, all the while showing you how the code works within the Unity engine to define a complete, refined game. Starting with game specifications, the book covers base classes, basic interaction classes, advanced interaction classes, helper classes, input classes, and abstraction of raw input. Next, you'll dive into the menu system and see how a full, complete menu and HUD are coded and set up in the project through a detailed review of the code and working examples. Subsequently, you'll gain insight on player and game state management, and the author will demystify the component-based structure of Unity games by demonstrating how to maintain order and centralization. Lastly, you will review pertinent build and project settings while learning techniques to profile and check the performance of your games, and tie it all together by building a new racetrack for the included game project. On completing this book, you'll have gained experience through the detailed review of a hover car racing game using C#, Unity Coding, Visual Studio, Unity C# Project Management, Unity Environment, Unity Project Management and more. What You Will Learn Understand Unity project design and implementation with regard to code base and scene hierarchy/game objects Learn to implement game mechanics connected to Unity scene game objects with working demonstrations Review professional topics, such as AI opponents, data persistence, menu systems, etc., and implement in the included project Create a complete game from ground up using prefab models and the code reviewed throughout the text Who This Book Is ForReaders with some coding experience, an understanding of classes in an OOP language, and solid experience using the Unity Editor. The code is reviewed and explained in detail on a class-by-class basis while also providing an overview of the overall structure of the code base, project, and scenes.

Take your skyship pirate, haunted waif, or alien scientist to the next level with this fun, interactive book of exercises to help you build your RPG character's backstory-made specifically for the genres you love to play. You can now explore new RPG character ideas with this character backstory guide to the most popular RPG genres beyond fantasy, from sci-fi to horror and superhero to western-themed games. This latest guide from One Shot creator and RPG expert James D'Amato helps you build out an existing character or create a new one, with these activities that provide plenty of RPG fun before you even hit the gaming table. With activities to help you flesh out characters for fantasy, sci-fi, horror, x-punk, superhero and western campaigns (with an extra chapter of neutral exercises you can use whenever you like), this book has everything you need, whether you're looking to start a new character, build out an existing character you're currently playing, or explore new character ideas and genres.

ThisbookcontainsthepaperspresentedattheFirstInternationalConferenceon Computers and Games (CG'98) held at the Electrotechnical Laboratory (ETL), in Tsukuba, Japan, on November 11-12, 1998. TheCG'98focusesonallaspectsofresearchrelatedtocomputersandgames. Relevanttopics include, but arenotlimited to,the currentstate ofgame-playing programs. The book contains new theoretical developments in game-related - search, general scienti c contributions produced by the study of games, social aspects of computer games, mathematical games, cognitive research of how - mans play games, and so on. As this volume shows, CG'98 is an international conference, with participants from many di erent countries who have di erent backgrounds and hence exhibit di erent views on computers and games. The Conference was the rst one in a series of conferences on this topic. It was a direct follow-up of many successful computer-games-relatedevents held in Japan, such as the series of four Game Programming Workshops (GPW'94 to GPW'97) and the IJCAI-97 Workshop on Computer Games. The technical program consisted of a keynote lecture, titled: Predictions (by H.J. van den Herik), and 21 presentations of accepted papers. The conference was preceded by an informal Workshop on November 10, 1998. The Program Committee (PC) received 35 submissions. Eachpaper was sent to three referees, who were selected on the basis of their expert knowledge. Twelve papers were acceptedimmediately,12paperswerenotaccepted,and11paperswerereturned to the authors with the request to improve them, and with the statement that they would be refereed again. Finally, with the help of many referees (see the endofthis preface),the PCaccepted21papers forpresentationandpublication.