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.

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.

The essential guide to solving algorithmic and networking problems in commercial computer games, revised and extended Algorithms and Networking for Computer Games, Second Edition is written from the perspective of the computer scientist. Combining algorithmic knowledge and game-related problems, it explores the most common problems encountered in game programing. The first part of the book presents practical algorithms for solving classical topics, such as random numbers, procedural generation, tournaments, group formations and game trees. The authors also focus on how to find a path in, create the terrain of, and make decisions in the game world. The second part introduces networking related problems in computer games, focusing on four key questions: how to hide the inherent communication delay, how to best exploit limited network resources, how to cope with cheating and how to measure the on-line game data. Thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded to reflect the many constituent changes occurring in the commercial gaming industry since the original, this Second Edition, like the first, is a timely, comprehensive resource offering deeper algorithmic insight and more extensive coverage of game-specific networking problems than ordinarily encountered in game development books. Algorithms and Networking for Computer Games, Second Edition: * Provides algorithmic solutions in pseudo-code format, which emphasises the idea behind the solution, and can easily be written into a programming language of choice * Features a section on the Synthetic player, covering decision-making, influence maps, finite-state machines, flocking, fuzzy sets, and probabilistic reasoning and noise generation * Contains in-depth treatment of network communication, including dead-reckoning, local perception filters, cheating prevention and on-line metrics * Now includes 73 ready-to-use algorithms and 247 illustrative exercises Algorithms and Networking for Computer Games, Second Edition is a must-have resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students taking computer game related courses, postgraduate researchers in game-related topics, and developers interested in deepening their knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of computer games and in learning new approaches to game design and programming.

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 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

Dive into the nuances of visual effects (VFX) design, from planning to execution, using Autodesk Maya. This book introduces the methods and techniques required for your first foray into 3D FX generation from scratch. You will start with the fundamentals of visual effects, including a history of VFX, tools and techniques for creating believable visual effects, and popular tools used in the industry. Next, you are introduced to Autodesk Maya and its various components that make it a favorite among professionals. You will learn how to create rigid body collisions and simulate realistic particles such as dust, fire, water, and more. This book also presents strategies for creating a vortex, rain, hair, fluids, and other soft body simulations and also demonstrates nature element simulations for computer-generated production. At the end of the book, there is a capstone project to make your own visual effects scene in a practical way. After going through this book, you will be able to start building computer-generated visual effects from your imagination through to production. What You Will Learn Understand the basic physics behind effect creation Create 3D visual effects scenes from scratch Know the details of dynamic simulation in the computer generation space using various functionalities available in Autodesk Maya Who This Book Is For Beginning-level users; students from the field of visual effects design, 3D modeling, and simulation; game designers; those creating computer graphics; FX artists and aspirants looking for a career in the field of 3D

Deepen your understanding of human-computer interaction (HCI) in game development and learn how to develop video games that grab players and don't let them go. This book explores HCI design in computer games to maximize collaborative and interactive functions. You'll first gain a basic introduction to fundamental concepts and practices of HCI before diving into the fundamental concepts of game interface design and technology. You'll learn how to design a gaming interface through practical examples using Python. This is followed by a brief look at how HCI can offer immersive gaming experiences for players and a review of key elements such as interface, usability, user-centered design, and user interface in terms of efficacy. You will also learn how to implement usability aspects in gaming interfaces with examples using Python. Additionally, the book discusses major challenges that game publishers and developers face, and how they can be resolved using HCI techniques. The question of playability is reviewed throughout the game production process. After working through this book's practical examples, you'll have the knowledge required to begin developing compelling, can't-put-the-controller down games of your own. What You'll Learn Master HCI tools and methodologies Understand the concept of HCI strategies in the game development cycle Develop a game in Python using the HCI approach Utilize gamification techniques in Human-Computer Interaction Grasp concepts of usability, user experience and user-centered design processes and their application Who This Book Is For Programmers, engineers, and students interested in creating and implementing computer games using HCI technologies. Prior experience with game development is recommended.

If you want to take your Flash Professional 8 skills to a new level while learning how to produce games that rival anything available on the web, this is the book for you. Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Game Development is written by a professional game developer. Using the power of Flash and the most recent advancements in ActionScript, the book progresses through the entire development process to teach programmers and Web developers how to create professional quality games quickly. It teaches techniques for producing fast 3D effects that can be used with "cheat" techniques to produce powerful, high-performance results. It details the actual science of game development, including design, character development, the physics and motion of a game, and audio issues. And in this new edition, all of the latest features of Flash Professional 8 are covered, including the new sound channels, bitmap caching, texture pages, and more. The book covers many advanced topics in a simple, easy to understand way. It emphasizes the incredible power of the new BitmapData class and teaches how it can be used to take the performance of Flash games to a whole new level. It has never been easier to get right down to the pixel level and manipulate things at blazing speeds, making previously impossible games a breeze to make. So get to your computer, insert the CD-ROM, and prepare to begin your journey into the world of Flash Professional 8 game development.

Get hands-on practical knowledge of concepts and techniques for VR development using Unity (R) and VRTK version 4. This book is a step-by-step guide to learning VRTK 4 for developing immersive VR experiences.Unity is a powerful game engine for developing VR experiences. With its built-in support for all major VR headsets, it's the perfect tool for developers to realize their vision in VR. VRTK is a battle-tested VR solution for Unity; VRTK 4, in conjunction with Unity, has changed the dynamics of VR development.This book focuses on creating deep understanding of how advanced VR mechanics and techniques are built and utilized as a part of a VR framework. You will start off by setting up your devices for VR development and learn about the advantages of using VRTK 4 over alternate SDKs. You will learn to setup your very own custom VRTK Rig, find out how to setup various advanced VR mechanics and locomotion techniques, how to create several spatial UI objects, and how to setup Unity 2D UI controls. You will also cover advanced topics such as using angular and linear drives, setting up a VR Simulator to work with a XBox Controller, and realistic physics VR hands. By the end of this book, you will know how to create advanced VR mechanics that can be used within any VR experience, game, or App and deployed across several platforms and hardware. What You Will Learn Understand how to develop Immersive VR experiences Create a VR simulator to test your project Generate advanced Spatial UI that you can interact with physically using your hands Who This Book Is For?Unity game developers conversant with Unity's Editor. Basic knowledge of how Unity Prefabs function, how events work in general, and programming logic would be beneficial.

This book is a collection of research articles that deal with three aspects of simulation and gaming for social design: (1) Theory and methodology, including game system theory and agent-based modeling; (2) Sustainability, including global warming and the energy-food nexus);; and (3) Social entrepreneurship, including business, ethnic, and ethical understanding. The latter two especially form two major areas of clinical knowledge in contemporary life. Simulation and gaming, with its participatory approach, provides participants with a seamless integration of problem solving and education. It has been known as a tool for interdisciplinary communication since the 1960s, and now it is being developed to contribute to global society in the twenty-first century. This is the first book on simulation and gaming for social design that covers all aspects from the methodological foundations to practical examples in the fields of sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Regardless of the size of the problematics, societal system design involves (1) The visioning and conception aspects due to the long-term, overall nature of the goal; (2) Interdisciplinary thinking and communication for the exploration of new states of accommodation with technological systems; and (3) The "human dimension" aspect including education that must be dealt with, thus academic developments of simulation and gaming for social design as system thinking and practice methodologies are anticipated. Simulation and gaming has great potential for development as a tool to facilitate the transfer between theoretical and clinical knowledge.

#1 Amazon Best Seller! Which games are worth playing?The 50 best games: From pixelated pioneer adventures to stunning space odysseys, the boundaries of the video game world are expanding every day. Grand epics and gritty mysteries. Fierce competition and friendly cooperation. Powerful emotions and uproarious laughter. Video games are fantastically diverse and wonderfully creative, but not all games are created equal. With so many games out there on so many different consoles, computers, and devices, how do you decide which games are worth playing? Backed by years of writing about games professionally and decades spent playing them, Chris Watters lays out a list of 50 games to entertain and enlighten you. Whether you're trying to learn more about the world of gaming or strengthening your claim to true gaming fluency, these are the games you'll want to play, and why you'll want to play them.

A laugh-out-loud 'best of' selection of TommyInnit's most weird and wonderful quotes - plus much more - carefully selected to BLOW YOUR MIND by him and best friend Wilbur Soot. 'Nah, I think I'd be a pretty bad shark' 'What if God was just legs?' 'We're really just chilling, fellas' Born sometime in the early 2000s, TommyInnit's first job was a YouTuber. No, really, we're not joking, the very first job he had was a YouTuber. For the last three years, he's been mouthing off on the internet to anyone who will listen. So far, that's over 40 million followers. Will there ever be an end to TommyInnit's rampant flurry of success? Probably. And Wilbur Soot has been right by his side. Wilbur first started his career as a young man staring at the wall until he also became a YouTuber. He also discovered a little activity some may call 'singing'. In The Quote Book, TommyInnit covers a wealth of topics from cars-that-grow-teeth to slime people, and from things that be crazy to octopi. Curated and edited by Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit is about to change your life one word at a time. Unless, dear reader, you read two words at a time, like he does. Featuring: A day in the life Inside TommyInnit's brain What TommyInnit would do if he was God Life advice from Wilbur Love poetry and history lessons, TommyInnit style Wilbur's attempts to reason with TommyInnit

Can you have a transformative experience as a result of falling through a programming error in the latest triple-A title? Does looking out across a vast virtual vista of undulating mountains and tumultuous seas edge you closer to the sublime? In an effort to answer these sorts of questions, Gaming and the Virtual Sublime considers the 'virtual sublime' as a conceptual toolbox for understanding our affective engagement with contemporary interactive entertainment. Through a detailed examination of the history of the sublime, from pseudo-Longinus' jigsaw puzzle of the sublime in rhetoric, through the eighteenth-century obsession with beauty and terror, past the Kantian mathematical and dynamical sublime, all the way to Lyotard's 'unpresentable event' and Deleuze's work on chaos and rhythm, this book road-tests these differing components in a far-reaching exploration of how video games - as virtual spaces of affect - might reshape our opportunities for sublime experience. Using playthroughs, developer diaries, forums discussions and contemporaneous reviews, and games ranging from the heartbreak of That Dragon: Cancer through to the abject body-horror of Outlast (with a dash of Tetris in-between) are discussed in terms the experience(s) of play, their design and their co-creation with gamers with a specific focus on rhetoric and narrative; awe; fear and terror; death and boredom. Written in an engaging and accessible style, this book is a must-read for philosophers, scholars, and those interested in games and popular culture more broadly.

In this Element, the authors focus on the translational dimension of 'on-screen language' (OSL). They analyse a data set covering the Polish localisations of Tom Clancy's The Division 2 and Shadow Warrior 2, from which over 1000 cases of unique and meaningful OSL were extracted, almost exclusively in languages other than Polish. Close to 100 representative examples are examined in this Element to map out a comprehensive typological account of OSL. First, visual-verbal stimuli are categorised by their prominence in the 3D environment. The second typology focuses on the identified OSL functions. A supplementary typological distinction is proposed based on the technical (static vs. dynamic) implementation of OSL. The discussion of findings and implications notably comprises input from an interview that the authors conduced with a lead level developer behind Shadow Warrior 2 to provide a complementary professional perspective on OSL and its translation.

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.

Mit Unity kAnnen Sie Computerspiele entwickeln wie die Profis! Egal, ob Sie lieber Ihr Raumschiff an gefAhrlichen Asteroiden vorbeimanAvrieren oder hA1/4pfende Melonen einsammeln, Ihrer KreativitAt sind keine Grenzen gesetzt. In diesem Buch erfahren Sie, wie Sie ein Spiel aufbauen und gestalten, welche coolen Effekte Sie ganz ohne Programmiersprachenkenntnisse nutzen kAnnen und wo es Grafiken, Musik und Sounds gibt. Sie erhalten einen ersten A berblick A1/4ber die Spieleprogrammierung mit Unity und sind anschlieA end in der Lage, mit einem eigenen Spiele-Projekt durchzustarten.

World-renowned future forecaster, game designer, and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Jane McGonigal gives us the tools to imagine the future without fear. How can we be confident about making plans? How might we feel secure despite the future being unknown? How do we learn to feel at peace with the unexpected? Today it feels more challenging than ever to feel unafraid, hopeful, and equipped to face the future with optimism. How do we map out our lives when it seems impossible to predict what the world will be like next week, let alone next year or next decade? What we need now are strategies to help us recover our confidence and creativity in facing uncertain futures. By learning to think the unthinkable and imagine the unimaginable you can better plan for a future you'd like to see. And by seeing what's coming faster, you can adapt to new challenges, reduce anxiety, and build hope and resilience. 'An accessible, optimistic field guide to the future.'-San Francisco Chronicle 'Jane McGonigal is unusually adept at anticipating events that most of us can't even fathom. In this eye-opening, actionable book, she teaches you how to widen your peripheral vision, extend your imagination farther into the future, and conceive of the inconceivable.' Adam Grant, #1 Bestselling Author of Think Again __________ 'Top 10 innovators to watch' Business Week 10 most powerful women to watch' Forbes 'Top 100 creative people in business' Fast Company

The Video Game Theory Reader brings together exciting new work on video games as a unique medium and nascent field of study - one that is rapidly developing new modes of understanding and analysis. This pioneering collection addresses the many ways video games are reshaping the face of entertainment and our relationship with technology. In the volume, leading Media Studies scholars develop new theoretical tools and concepts to study video games. Drawing upon examples from widely popular games ranging from Space Invaders to Final Fantasy, the contributors discuss the relationship between video games and other media; the shift from third- to first-person games; gamers and the gaming community; and the important sociological, cultural, industrial, and economic issues that surround gaming.

This project-based tutorial covers the creation of 3D assets in a game engine, from concept to implementation. You will learn the 3D pipeline using Maya and Substance Painter, which are industry-standard programs used for content creation in game development. You also will know how to add them and work with them in Unity. The book begins with an overall look at the production of game development and the different roles in creating assets. Then, starting with Maya, you learn how to start with a concept and take it through the entire production pipeline: base mesh, UV mapping, high poly, texturing, rigging, and animation. You will be working on one asset project throughout the entire book to understand how one phase leads to the next one. Lastly, you will cover asset placement and integration into Unity. What You Will Learn Build a thorough knowledge of the 3D game asset production workflow Understand how each phase leads up to the next one Know how 3D assets are implemented into Unity Texture, rig, and animate the 3D model Export and import the 3D asset or model Understand the iterative design process Who This Book Is For 3D artists, from beginners to specialists, who are interested in learning the 3D production pipeline of game assets as a whole

Learn the tricks of simple procedural generation and how various genres, such as racing simulators, platformers, and roguelikes, can all benefit from these techniques. In this book, you'll learn how to combine hand-crafted content with algorithms to create immersive and beautiful environments. You'll learn how to create a seeding system, so that you can replay great levels with your friends. We'll cover how to create good tilesets, how to use the tilemap editor effectively, and how to inject just the right amount of logic into an otherwise automated machine that is your own personal procedural content generation engine. We will use 2D examples to demonstrate the concepts covered throughout the book. By the time you complete this book, you'll have a good handle on how to add procedural generation to your games. What You Will Learn Learn to set up the perfect content generation system Master the tools for randomization and repeatability Understand how much content to craft versus how much to generate Who This Book Is For Basic familiarity with the Godot engine and GDScript is essential. While all concepts are explained in the book, it can be overwhelming learning these techniques at the same time as learning the engine.

This engaging book presents the essential mathematics needed to describe, simulate, and render a 3D world. Reflecting both academic and in-the-trenches practical experience, the authors teach you how to describe objects and their positions, orientations, and trajectories in 3D using mathematics. The text provides an introduction to mathematics for game designers, including the fundamentals of coordinate spaces, vectors, and matrices. It also covers orientation in three dimensions, calculus and dynamics, graphics, and parametric curves.

Design and develop sophisticated 2D games that are as much fun to make as they are to play. From particle effects and pathfinding to social integration and monetization, this complete tour of Apple's powerful suite of game technologies covers it all. Familiar with Swift but new to game development? No problem. Start with the basics and then layer in the complexity as you work your way through three exciting - and fully playable - games. In the end, you'll know everything you need to go off and create your own video game masterpiece for any Apple platform. Discover the power of Apple Game Frameworks, Xcode, and Swift by building three exciting games: Gloop Drop - a new twist on a classic arcade game, Val's Revenge - a roguelike dungeon crawler, and Hog - a social player vs. player mobile dice game. With Apple Game Frameworks, you can create high-performance, power-efficient games that work across all Apple platforms, including iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. In this book, you'll discover how to... Design and develop rich 2D gaming experiences using Apple's built-in game frameworks. Harness the power of SpriteKit using Xcode and Swift to create engaging player experiences. Use the visual Scene Editor to build complete scenes. Unleash the power of the Particle Editor to create amazing effects. Use GameplayKit to add advanced features to your games like pathfinding, artificial intelligence, and complex rule systems. Build larger, more complex worlds with tile maps and Xcode's visual Tile Map editor. Bring people together using GameKit and Game Center, Apple's social gaming network. Increase revenue with third-party banner ads and rewarded ads using Google AdMob (TM). Monetize your games with StoreKit and in-app purchases. So, grab your gear and get your game on - it's time to level up your skills. What You Need: macOS Mojave 10.14.6 or newer Xcode 11.3 or newer Basic knowledge of Swift 5.1.4 or newer

Video games have long been seen as the exclusive territory of young, heterosexual white males. In a media landscape dominated by such gamers, players who do not fit this mold, including women, people of color, and LGBT people, are often brutalized in forums and in public channels in online play. Discussion of representation of such groups in games has frequently been limited and cursory. In contrast, "Gaming at the Edge" builds on feminist, queer, and postcolonial theories of identity and draws on qualitative audience research methods to make sense of how representation comes to matter.

In "Gaming at the Edge," Adrienne Shaw argues that video game players experience race, gender, and sexuality concurrently. She asks: How do players identify with characters? How do they separate identification and interactivity? What is the role of fantasy in representation? What is the importance of understanding market logic? In addressing these questions Shaw reveals how representation comes to matter to participants and offers a perceptive consideration of the high stakes in politics of representation debates.

Putting forth a framework for talking about representation, difference, and diversity in an era in which user-generated content, individualized media consumption, and the blurring of producer/consumer roles has lessened the utility of traditional models of media representation analysis, Shaw finds new insight on the edge of media consumption with the invisible, marginalized gamers who are surprising in both their numbers and their influence in mainstream gamer culture.