I purchased a Barnes & Noble Nook on Tuesday evening and so far my user experience of the device and the website has been thoroughly underwhelming to say the least. Where do I start? Okay, let’s begin with the device itself. It feels cheap and plastic and even though the screen is a smidgeon larger… Hankering to get the rest of “Nook : Underwhelmed?” Use this link!

Occasionally you get halfway through a book and start thinking to yourself “when is the author going to tell me how to use this technology to create something cool?” With PHP Game Programming, by Matt Rutledge, I had that feeling right up until the last page. I wouldn’t consider myself an expert PHP programmer—not by… Continue reading the remainder of the article

I have to state this upfront, I enjoyed reading this next book, but constantly kept wondering when the author, Mike McShaffry, would talk about the “Game Coding Complete” aspects that I was expecting based on the title. I picked the book up looking for Steve McConnell’s Code Complete (Microsoft Press) worked from a game developer’s… Continue reading the rest of the post

Beginning OpenGL Game Programming, by Dave Astle and Kevin Hawkins, offers a simpler introduction to programming with the OpenGL application programming interface (API) than many other introductory OpenGL books out there, including their earlier work, OpenGL Game Programming. The book is an introductory text that will find a home with programmers who have worked exclusively… Continue reading the rest of the article

Core Techniques and Algorithms in Game Programming is one of those rare programming books that you really can judge by the cover. The author, Daniel Sanchez-Crespo—a regular contributor to Byte (Spain), Gamasutra and Game Developer—did an excellent and thorough job in the 800 pages that he had to work with. Throughout the book, even though… Continue reading the remainder of “Core Techniques And Algorithms In Game Programming.”

It looks like Course Technology, now that it owns the Premier Press brand, have given its editors a double brief of “know thy audience” and “maintain subject focus.” I am just reading through the latest Premier Press lineup, and compared to the older books with green & black covers, the new titles really are offering… Looking to read the rest of “Beginning DirectX 9?” Click here!

It has been a year since I last spoke with Ernest Adams at Game Developer’s Conference 2003, where he mentioned that he was working on two books simultaneously—and vowed never to do it again. GDC 2004 has just passed and here I am, one year later, finally getting around to reviewing one of those books…. Looking to read the rest of “Ernest Adams and Andrew Rollings on Game Design?” Use this link!

Oh man, is this book beautiful! Just browsing through the 500+ full-color images in The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects reminds me of why I entered the field of computer games and graphics in the first place. Author Isaac Kerlow evidently loves his work, and put a lot of that love and what… Need to read the rest of “The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects, 3rd Ed.?” Use this link!

Graphics Programming Methods is another quality entry in the popular “Graphics” series from Charles River Media. The editor, Jeff Lander, who a few months ago wrapped up work on True Crime, (Activision) has been a long-time contributor to Game Developer  magazine and one of the editors for the Game Programming Gems  series, evidence that he… Need to read the rest of “Graphics Programming Methods?” Click this!

Chris Crawford is one of the earliest pioneers of games and game design, and any book with his name on it is required reading for anybody professing to be interested in the subject of game design. Chris Crawford on Game Design, published by New Riders, gathers all of Crawford’s experiences through the decades in a… Continue reading the rest of this post