Beginning Android C++ Game Development introduces general and Android game developers like you to Android's powerful Native Development Kit (NDK). The Android NDK platform allows you to build the most sophisticated, complex and best performing game apps that leverage C++. In short, you learn to build professional looking and performing game apps like the book's case study, Droid Runner. In this book, you'll learn all the major aspects of game design and programming using the Android NDK and be ready to submit your first professional video game app to Google Play and Amazon Appstore for today's Android smartphones and tablet users to download and play. The techniques contained in this book have been learned by the author, Bruce Sutherland, over a seven-year career which has involved programming on several AAA titles. Versions of these techniques have been used towards shipping game titles on hardware sold by all of the major console manufacturers: Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo.What you'll learn * How to build your first real-world quality game app for Android smartphones and tablets using the power of the Android C++ APIs as found in the NDK * How to do professional level, quality game design, starting the Droid Runner case study that's used throughout this book to illustrate the key concepts * How to build a game engine * How to write a renderer * How to build the Droid Runner game app with entities, game levels and collisions * How to insert perspectives using cameras and more *How to create or integrate audio into your game app * How to submit to the Android app stores like Google Play and Amazon Appstore Who this book is for This book is for game developers looking to get into Android development for the first time, as well as Android game developers who have never used the Native Development Kit (NDK).

Interested in learning how to program with Java? Let's face it, the best way to learn to program is by writing programs. This can be a daunting proposition with the specter of hours of simple command line example programs hanging over your head. Fear not! Now you can learn to program in Java in a fun way by working on video games. With this book, you'll get to work with three Java game projects and have access to the complete game code for each project, including a full Java game engine. After completing Introduction to Java through Game Development, you'll be proficient in Java programming, having worked with the language's fundamental aspects throughout the text, and will be ready to further your Java and game programming expertise with confidence. What You'll Master the fundamentals of the Java programming language Use different data structures like arrays, lists, stacks, and queues Understand game programming basics including the main game loop Gain experience working with three different game projects via the book's coding challenges Work with the 2D game engine that powers the book's included games and learn to create your own new game projects Understand advanced Java topics like classes, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism Work with exceptions and how to use debugging techniques to trace through code Sharpen your skills with over a dozen coding challenges that test your abilities with a development task on a real game project Who This Book Is For This book requires little to no programming experience to understand and benefit from the text.

Learn simple yet powerful, modern-day techniques used in various gaming genres, including casual and puzzle, strategy and simulation, action-adventure, and role-playing. This book is your pocket-sized guide to designing interesting and engaging mechanics for any type of game. Exploring Game Mechanics is a cornucopia of concepts related to gameplay mechanics that you can use to create games that are fun and rewarding to play. Dive into key gameplay elements that improve the player experience, such as implementing in-game tutorials, controlling the flow of player-choice-based games, and building a game narrative through storytelling. Understand how to establish the game's end goal for the player to work towards by creating quests, missions, and objectives. Explore the key ideas behind creating immersive game worlds, generating better NPCs and enemies, and controlling the in-game economy. Finally, discover the unique mechanics that make established industry games so successful. What You Will Learn Discover the key elements that make gameplay immersive and entertaining Develop players and NPCs through customization and levelling up Gain insight into the tried-and-tested concepts behind modern-day games Who Is This Book ForGame development enthusiasts with little to no knowledge of game mechanics will find the content informative and useful.

As the Allies advance towards Germany, they face dogged resistance from the hard-pressed German forces. Take command of the Allies in their final push to end the war in Europe, or hold fast as the German defenders as the fight is brought to your door. This new Campaign Book for Bolt Action offers new linked scenarios, rules, troop types and Theatre Selectors, and provides plenty of options for novice and veteran players alike.

Gain insight into what it takes to design and develop your first video game. This book offers a peek behind the scenes, where you will find in-depth knowledge of game design theory and insight into the technical and design aspects of video game development. The Way We Play allows you to explore game design and theory while also learning the nuances of how games in different genres should be approached, their workings, and successful unique selling points in a competitive gaming field. As you progress further into the book, BAFTA Nominated Young Games Design Mentor Michael Killick walks you through the more technical aspects of game development and shares techniques that will enable you to take your first steps in designing your own games. Upon completing this book, you will have a firm understanding of the gaming industry, from theory through design and production. What You Will Learn Understand theories within games design Grasp what it takes to design and create your first game Look back at previous popular games and what made them so great Cover all aspects of design to allow you to begin designing your first video game Who Is This Book For: Anyone who would like to explore the fundamentals of game design and the theory behind it. This is also a chance to learn what goes into a game and how a game can be designed to be fun.

This book presents a comprehensive guide to the design of playing robots and the related play experiences. Play is a natural activity for building and improving abilities, and it reveals important particularly for persons with disabilities. Many social, physical and cultural factors may hinder children with disabilities from fully enjoying play as their peers. Autonomous robots with specific characteristics can enhance the ludic experience, having implications for the character of the play and presenting opportunities related to autonomy and physical movement, the very nature of robots. Their introduction into play thus provides everybody, and in particular persons with disabilities, new possibilities for developing abilities, improving general status, participating in social contexts, as well as supporting professionals in monitoring progress. This book presents a framework for the design of playful activities with robots, developed over 20 years' experience at AIRLab - POLIMI. Part 1 introduces the play concepts and characteristics, and research results about play of children with different kinds of impairments. Part 2 focuses on implementing robots able to play. The design of playful activities is discussed, as well as the necessary characteristics for them to be useful in both general play and activities involving disability-related limitations. In Part 3, the defined framework is used to analyze possibilities involving robots available on the toy market, robots developed at research labs, and robots to be developed in the next future. The aim of the book is to give developers, caregivers, and users a set of methodological tools for selecting, exploring, and designing inclusive play activities where robots play a central role.

This book discusses theoretically and empirically the trade-off relationship between the frequency of product adaptation activities and the constraints on development resources, and how companies can respond to these constraints. The objective of this book is to identify effective management practices in continuous product development. With the continuation of development activities, companies are required to constantly adapt their products to changes in the external environment. In continuous product development, the development process extends beyond product release, and interaction with the external environment is not limited to the planning stage but occurs multiple times throughout the process. What impact does the multiple adaptation activities have on the product performance as development activities become more continuous, and how to use limited development resources to provide stable and constant high-quality adaptation activities with optimal frequency have become urgent issues in the development sites. To address these research questions, this book focuses primarily on the development activities of the online game industry. The factors that bring about superior product performance are examined by combining case studies and questionnaire surveys on online game development projects. Furthermore, user community management is also discussed from the perspective of the interaction process between multiple user groups.

This textbook presents a systematic methodology for program development by using design recipes, i.e. a series of steps, each with a specific outcome, that takes a problem solver from a problem statement to a working and tested programmed solution. It introduces the reader to generative recursion, heuristic searching, accumulative recursion, tail recursion, iteration, mutation, loops, program correctness, and vectors. It uses video game development to make the content fun while at the same time teaching problem-solving techniques. The book is divided into four parts. Part I presents introductory material on basic problem solving and program design. It starts by reviewing the basic steps of a design recipe using structural recursion on a list. It then proceeds to review code refactoring-a common technique used to refine programs when a better or more elegant way is found to solve a problem-and introduces the reader to randomness. Next, Part II explores a new type of recursion called generative recursion. It navigates the reader through examples involving fractal image generation, efficient sorting, and efficient searching techniques such as binary, depth-first, and breadth-first search. Part III then explores a new type of recursion called accumulative (or accumulator) recursion. Examples used include finding a path in a graph, improving insertion sorting, and list-folding operations. Finally, Part IV explores mutation. To aid the reader in properly sequencing mutations it presents Hoare Logic and program correctness. In addition, it introduces vectors, vector processing, in-place operations, and circular data. Throughout the whole book complexity analysis and empirical experimentation is used to evaluate solutions. This textbook targets undergraduates at all levels as well as graduate students wishing to learn about program design. It details advanced types of recursion, a disciplined approach to the use of mutation, and illustrates the design process by developing a video game exploiting iterative refinement.

This book addresses the role of appropriate, specialized, structured pedagogy for game-based learning. It is an important reference for researchers who have carried out studies in the field of game-based learning with a focus on the digital learning environment. The educational landscape has dramatically changed in times of global pandemic urging us to search for new solutions, new educational pathways, and new agents for knowledge development. There is a need to support learning by using digital learning materials during remote learning or distance learning, where pedagogically structured game-based learning elements can play a role in motivating students to achieve. Utilizing game-based learning in education is not new, but this book adds substantially to the research base of the topic. The book reveals many new concepts, such as, balancing games and learning, supporting knowledge development, supporting the development of motivation, supporting balanced cognitive load in an effort to avoid ineffective forms of game-based learning

Grasp the fundamentals of digital audio work in the context of video games, including the basics of middleware such as Fmod and Wwise. We will review software such as Apple's Logic and Garageband, Paul Davis's Ardour, and many other popular digital audio workstations. We will start with an introduction to the basic terminology of digital audio work while also getting acquainted with current generation audio hardware. We will then discuss the basics of the venerable Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and how it relates to music composition as well as the tools and techniques for writing tracker music/chiptunes. The book also covers plug-in software, soundproofing at home, and voice work. The book takes a practical approach while tackling both hardware and software components used in cutting edge audio engineering, composition, and audio monitoring. What You Will Learn * Understand the fundamentals of digital audio production in the context of video games * Learn about audio integration with popular middleware solutions and APIs * Leverage plugin effects software to sculpt your audio to professional levels * Identify modern audio file formats and how and when to use them * Learn best practices when mixing sound effects and music for video games Who Is This Book For The intended readership includes beginners in digital audio engineering who use Windows, macOS, or Linux.

This book provides an overview of concepts and challenges in intis investigated using structural equation modeling. The conveyed understanding of gaming QoE, empirical eraction quality in the domain of cloud gaming services. The author presents a unified evaluation approach by combining quantitative subjective assessment methods in a concise way. The author discusses a measurement tool, Gaming Input Quality Scale (GIPS), that assesses the interaction quality of such a service available. Furthermore, the author discusses a new framework to assess gaming Quality of Experience (QoE) using a crowdsourcing approach. Lastly, based on a large dataset including dominant network and encoding conditions, the evaluation method is investigated using structural equation modeling. The conveyed understanding of gaming QoE, empirical findings, and models presented in this book should be of particular interest to researchers working in the fields of quality and usability engineering, as well as service providers and network operators.

The official Fortnite Loot Pack includes a variety of fun accessories featuring popular character sprays, icons, and more! Inside you'll find: 10 button pins1 iron-on patch3 stickers for your laptop or tech2 magnets

Beginning Android Games offers everything you need to join the ranks of successful Android game developers. You'll start with game design fundamentals and programming basics, and then progress towards creating your own basic game engine and playable games. This will give you everything you need to branch out and write your own Android games. The potential user base and the wide array of available high-performance devices makes Android an attractive target for aspiring game developers. Do you have an awesome idea for the next break-through mobile gaming title? Beginning Android Games will help you kick-start your project. The book will guide you through the process of making several example games for the Android platform, and involves a wide range of topics: * The fundamentals of game development * The Android platform basics to apply those fundamentals in the context of making a game * The design of 2D and 3D games and their successful implementation on the Android platform What you'll learn * How to set up and use the development tools for developing your first Android application * The fundamentals of game programming in the context of the Android platform * How to use the Android's APIs for graphics (Canvas, OpenGL ES 1.0/1.1), audio, and user input to reflect those fundamentals * How to develop two 2D games from scratch, based on the Canvas API and OpenGL ES. * How to create a full-featured 3D game * How to publish your games, get crash reports, and support your users * How to complete your own playable 2D OpenGL games Who this book is for This book is for people with a basic knowledge of Java who want to write games on the Android platform. It also offers information for experienced game developers about the pitfalls and peculiarities of the platform.

An in-depth analysis of the best video game franchises, characters, consoles, and computers of the 1980's. Curating the most important games, including Pac Man, Tetris, Frogger, Outrun, Zelda, Super Mario, and more, as well as the hardware: the NES, C64, Sega Mega System, the Amiga 50, and more.

Understand real-world game development concepts using JavaFX game engine called FXGL. The core focus of the book is on developing a standalone game or application with FXGL. We will start with an overview of the book followed by requisite concepts from Java and JavaFX that will be used throughout this book. Next, we will learn about the FXGL game engine and its wide range of real-world game development techniques. In the following chapter, we learn about entity-component model used in FXGL to create a powerful abstraction of the game world. The next chapter builds on this, where we develop a platformer game using the physics engine and a popular external tool called Tiled. An important concept of games AI is covered in the following chapter. Visually complex features related to graphics and rendering as well as UI elements and animation system in FXGL will be discussed in the next chapter. The following chapter is dedicated to non-game applications that can be developed using FXGL. The last two chapters cover packaging and deployment of JavaFX and FXGL applications and discussion on future projects. The key take-away skill from this book is the ability to develop professional-level applications and games with FXGL. During the course of this book, you will have produced a range of cross-platform applications and games using FXGL, reinforcing the game development concepts covered throughout. What You Will Learn* Understand use of advanced Java and JavaFX concepts * Learn about real-world game development concepts in a general-purpose programming language* Master professional cross-platform, desktop and mobile, games using the FXGL game engine Who Is This Book ForThis book is for beginners in Java and/or JavaFX who wish to develop apps and games with FXGL, while improving Java and JavaFX skills.

"Beginning C++ Through Game Programming, Third Edition" approaches learning C++ from the unique and fun perspective of games. Written for the beginning game developer or programmer, the book assumes no previous programming experience and each new skill and concept is taught using simple language and step-by-step instructions. Readers will complete small projects in each chapter to reinforce what they've learned and a final project at the end combines all of the major topics covered in the book. Featuring twenty five percent new material, this third edition covers all the latest technology and advances.

A gloriously illustrated history of the videogame and its legacy for both our mindscapes and video technology. It was a time when technology was king, status was determined by your high score, and videogames were blitzing the world... From Pong to Pac-Man, Asteroids to Zaxxon-more than fifty million people around the world have come of age within the electronic flux of videogames, their subconscious forever etched with images projected from arcade and home videogame systems. From the first interactive blips of electronic light at Brookhaven National Labs and the creation of Spacewar! at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; to the invention of the TV Game Project and the myriad systems of Magnavox, Atari, Coleco, and Mattel that followed; through the rise of the Golden Age of videogames and forward into the imagination of millions, Supercade is the first book to illustrate and document the history, legacy, and visual language of the videogame phenomenon. Exuberantly written and illustrated in full color, Supercade pays tribute to the technology, games, and visionaries of one of the most influential periods in the history of computer science-one that profoundly shaped the modern technological landscape and helped change the way people view entertainment. Supercade includes contributions from such commentators and particpants as Ralph Baer, Julian Dibbell, Keith Feinstein, Joe Fielder, Lauren Fielder, Justin Hall, Leonard Herman, Steven Johnson, Steven Kent, Nick Montfort, Bob Parks, Carl Steadman, and Tom Vanderbilt.

How are the world's best videogames created? Are they truly hatched through marathon all-night sessions of acne-ridden, junk food-eating programmers and artists huddled in front of multiple monitors cranking out code and content? Which key decisions determine whether or not a particular game will be a hit? What's crunch time really like? Journey behind the scenes to learn the truth about how the world's greatest videogames get made. Join videogame industry veteran Michael Thornton Wyman on a series of detailed, behind-the-scenes tours with the teams that have made some of the most popular and critically acclaimed videogames of the modern era. Drawing on insider's perspectives from teams large and small, from single-person independent projects (Linerider), to casual game classics (Diner Dash), PC titles (Spore) to AAA Console games (NBA Live), and including modern-day masterpieces (Halo, Rock Band and World of Warcraft), learn from the creators about how these games were made, and hear their stories from the trenches of videogames production. The second part of the book provides real-world, hands-on advice you can start using immediately to make your own games better. Thorough and detailed analysis of common, proven best practices give you specific nuts and bolts tools to implement at any phase of your game project, from concept development through prototyping, production, testing and launch. The book is an excellent resource for those working directly on game design or production, for those aspiring to work in the field, or for anyone who has wondered how the world's greatest videogames get made.

Description Discover the many features of the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 set. "The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book" is the complete, illustrated, beginner's guide to MINDSTORMS that you've been looking for. The crystal clear instructions in the "Discovery Book" will show you how to harness the capabilities of the NXT 2.0 set to build and program your own robots. Author and robotics instructor Laurens Valk walks you through the set, showing you how to use its various pieces, and how to use the NXT software to program robots. Interactive tutorials make it easy for you to reach an advanced level of programming as you learn to build robots that move, monitor sensors, and use advanced programming techniques like data wires and variables. You'll build eight increasingly sophisticated robots like the Strider (a six-legged walking creature), the CCC (a climbing vehicle), the Hybrid Brick Sorter (a robot that sorts by color and size), and the Snatcher (an autonomous robotic arm). Numerous building and programming challenges throughout encourage you to think creatively and to apply what you've learned as you develop the skills essential to creating your own robots.Requirements: One LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 set (#8547)FeaturesA complete introduction to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Building and programming instructions for eight innovative robots 50 sample programs and 72 programming challenges (ranging from easy to hard) encourage you to explore newly learned programming techniques 15 building challenges expand on the robot designs and help you develop ideas for new robots Who is this book for? This is a perfect introduction for those new to building and programming with the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 set. The book also includes intriguing robot designs and useful programming tips for more seasoned MINDSTORMS builders.

A mysterious group of phantom thieves skulks in the shadows of Tokyo, changing the hearts of corrupt adults. But behind their masks are--normal teenagers and a talking black cat?! PERSONA 5: MEMENTOS MISSION is an all-new mystery featuring the cast of PERSONA 5. IN THIS VOLUME: Rivals Ren Amamiya and the famous high school detective Goro Akechi team up to bring this mystery to an end. Will the true identity of the mysterious Twin Fang Killer be revealed? Mystery solving, fishing, and homework... this slice of Ren's extremely busy phantom thief life comes to an end!

How can video games be fun and immerse players in fantastic worlds where anything seems possible? How can they be so engaging to have become the main entertainment product for children and adults alike? In "On the Way to Fun," the author proposes a possible answer to these questions by going back to the roots of gaming and showing how early games, as well as modern indie productions, captivated generations of players even without the need for fancy graphics and effects but by relying on basic emotions and instincts instead. This book will be most beneficial to aspiring and beginning game designers and to anyone who wants a better understanding of human nature and how it relates to the design process of immersive video game experiences.

Over the years, Marvel Contest of Champions has become more epic, the heroes more powerful and the enemies more cunning – but the game has retained its core: the greatest battles in Marvel history! You have been summoned to the Battlerealm for the greatest Super Hero showdowns! Who will conquer the Contest?

Marvel Contest of Champions: The Art of the Battlerealm is the ultimate visual companion for a true collector. Capturing the intensity of Kabam’s extraordinary game, this book features amazing concept art, sketches and storyboards. Discover more about Marvel’s vast Battlerealm – the cosmic arena for the Contest of Champions – and your favourite Super Heroes and Villains, with exclusive commentary from the creators and fascinating insights into the creative process. This incredible collection of art will take you on an exciting journey through the dangerous and mysterious world of Marvel Contest of Champions.

Understand what shaders are and what they're used for: Shaders are often seen as mystical and difficult to develop, even by skilled programmers, artists, and developers from other game design disciplines. This book dispels that idea by building up your shader knowledge in stages, starting with fundamental shader mathematics and how shader development mindset differs from other types of art and programming, and slowly delves into topics such as vertex and fragment shaders, lighting, depth-based effects, texture mapping, and Shader Graph. This book presents each of these topics with a comprehensive breakdown, the required theory, and some practical applications for the techniques learned during each chapter. The HLSL (High Level Shading Language) code and Shader Graphs will be provided for each relevant section, as well as plenty of screenshots. By the end of this book, you will have a good understanding of the shader development pipeline and you will be fully equipped to start making your own aesthetic and performant shader effects for your own games! You Will Learn To* Use shaders across Unity's rendering pipelines* Write shaders and modify their behavior with C# scripting* Use Shader Graph for codeless development* Understand the important math behind shaders, particularly space transformations* Profile the performance of shaders to identify optimization targets Who Is This Book For This book is intended for beginners to shader development, or readers who may want to make the jump from shader code to Shader Graph. It will also include a section on shader examples for those who already know the fundamentals of shaders and are looking for specific use cases.