Rating:
(37 reviews)
Author: Aaron Reed
ISBN : 1449394620
New from $22.67
Format: PDF, EPUB
Download for free books Free Download Learning XNA 4.0: Game Development for the PC, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone 7 from 4shared, mediafire, hotfile, and mirror link
Want to develop games for Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7? This hands-on book will get you started with Microsoft's Xna 4.0 development framework right away -- even if you have no experience developing games. Although Xna includes several key concepts that can be difficult for beginning web developers to grasp,
Learning Xna 4.0 shortens the learning curve by walking you through the framework in a clear and understandable step-by-step format. Each chapter offers a self-contained lesson with illustrations and annotated examples, along with exercises and review questions to help you test your understanding and practice new skills as you go. Once you've finished this book, you'll know how to develop your own sophisticated games from start to finish.
- Learn game development from 2D animation to 3D cameras and effects
- Delve into high-level shader language (Hlsl) and introductory artificial intelligence concepts
- Build three complete, exciting games using 2D, 3D, and multiplayer techniques
- Develop for and deploy your games to the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7
Direct download links available for Free Download Learning XNA 4.0: Game Development for the PC, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone 7
- Paperback: 540 pages
- Publisher: O'Reilly Media; annotated edition edition (December 27, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1449394620
- ISBN-13: 978-1449394622
- Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 7.2 x 9.2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Free Download Learning XNA 4.0: Game Development for the PC, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone 7
I bought this book for three reasons. First, it was highly rated and well-reviewed. Second, it was the 2nd Edition (Updated for XNA 4.0) and the 1st edition was also highly rated and well-reviewed. Third, it specifically mentions 2D development.
I was not disappointed.
The book reads easily, and has no typo's so fallowing each chapter as written end in completed works with little trouble. The authors sense of humor shows occasionally but with good taste and only to offer added emphasis to points made. So as a whole this is a book full of very little filler, mostly good information. I was happy to have purchased it and very happy after completing it... That is, until I started to take what I leaned in it and apply it to my own game idea(s)... I quickly found that there are a few very specific details that are never touched upon, that many would expect when making a modern PC game.
It is the lack of these details that force me to give this a 4 out of 5 stars...
Cons: (For 2D Games)
- No 2D Matrix Transform lessons. (Manipulating the View Port directly)
- No camera control with mouse. (Grab & Drag, Zoom to Cursor, Click & Center, or even Mouse wheel Zoom)
- No screen selection by mouse. (Individual or group select by L-click and drag)
- No GUI (Graphical Use Interface) lessons, past putting the score & number of lives on screen.
- No tile based world lessons. (Used in nearly every 2D game today, ie: platformers and RPG's)
While this is a relatively small number of issues, and does not take into account 3D development, I still found it necessary to come here and write this review in hopes of better informing anyone looking to purchase this. If you intend to develop 2D games (which is pretty much what you have to do as an independent developer) you may want to consider the lack of some of the more significant features in modern 2D games.
By Tj
This was my first XNA book that I really sat down with and completed. I want to thank the author and editors for making sure the material in this book was extremely straight-forward without error. You can read this book from beginning to end and the author instructs the reader with detailed and specific instructions on how to accomplish the tasks at hand. He explains concepts extremely well and expands on them each chapter with some reflective questions and tests. I would recommend this book to anybody out there that wants to start game development using XNA, or even if they've already started XNA: this book has a lot of useful information.
The book leaves off with the reader wanting more 3D knowledge, but the 3D chapters are adequate for a rough start. I've learned a lot from this book and it will be in my personal collection for quite some time.
By Jared Hodgkins