Jeannie Novak

The fourth edition of Game Development Essentials: An Introduction takes readers on a fascinating journey through the game development process and the industry itself.

All the current trends and technologies are covered—including: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S; usability and accessibility; virtual, mixed, and augmented reality; and development tools and techniques. Game Development Essentials: An Introduction is the starting point for anyone who’s interested in learning everything… Show more

The fourth edition of Game Development Essentials: An Introduction takes readers on a fascinating journey through the game development process and the industry itself.

All the current trends and technologies are covered—including: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S; usability and accessibility; virtual, mixed, and augmented reality; and development tools and techniques. Game Development Essentials: An Introduction is the starting point for anyone who’s interested in learning everything there is to know about the thriving, fast-moving game industry. Show less

THE OFFICIAL GAMESALAD GUIDE TO GAME DEVELOPMENT prepares readers to create full-featured games with the simple, powerful, drag-and-drop GameSalad Creator software. Using proven techniques based on essential concepts, current trends, and established best practices, readers will learn how to create a real-world project from start to finish. The text's wide-ranging coverage encompasses desktop, mobile, online, social, and serious games--as well as key platforms such as iOS, Android™, Mac… Show more

THE OFFICIAL GAMESALAD GUIDE TO GAME DEVELOPMENT prepares readers to create full-featured games with the simple, powerful, drag-and-drop GameSalad Creator software. Using proven techniques based on essential concepts, current trends, and established best practices, readers will learn how to create a real-world project from start to finish. The text's wide-ranging coverage encompasses desktop, mobile, online, social, and serious games--as well as key platforms such as iOS, Android™, Mac, Windows, and HTML 5. This reader-friendly, highly visual guide is equally suited for formal game development courses and self-paced learning--with a balance of depth, detail, and step-by-step guidance that is ideal for both professionals and enthusiasts interested in developing their own games. Show less

Covering the complex topic of game interface design, GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS: GAME INTERFACE DESIGN, is back with an all new Second Edition. This comprehensive introductory text immerses readers in the foundation, theory, and practice of interface creation, while including interviews with working professionals, examples from every gaming era and many genres, and hundreds of screenshots from contemporary games. Also featured are an expanded practice section with a wide variety of real world… Show more

Covering the complex topic of game interface design, GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS: GAME INTERFACE DESIGN, is back with an all new Second Edition. This comprehensive introductory text immerses readers in the foundation, theory, and practice of interface creation, while including interviews with working professionals, examples from every gaming era and many genres, and hundreds of screenshots from contemporary games. Also featured are an expanded practice section with a wide variety of real world design examples, coverage of interface design for mobile and motion-sensing devices, multiplayer games, and much more. Readers will explore everything from the history of game interface design and basic design theories to practical strategies for creating winning, interactive interfaces and user experiences. Show less

Explore a comprehensive examination of the art and technology of one of the fastest-growing segments of the game industry with GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS: MOBILE GAME DEVELOPMENT. This ground breaking text walks readers through the overall process of designing videogames and applications for mobile and handheld hardware. Through coverage of team building, production, QA and a look at the black box of the publication process both for independent and publisher backed studios; readers learn the… Show more

Explore a comprehensive examination of the art and technology of one of the fastest-growing segments of the game industry with GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS: MOBILE GAME DEVELOPMENT. This ground breaking text walks readers through the overall process of designing videogames and applications for mobile and handheld hardware. Through coverage of team building, production, QA and a look at the black box of the publication process both for independent and publisher backed studios; readers learn the entire development process from initial concept to game design. Utilizing real-life examples, interviews and advice from developers already well established in the mobile industry, MOBILE GAME DEVELOPMENT serves as the 'how to' guide for readers looking to break into the mobile game development industry. Show less

GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS: AN INTRODUCTION, 3E is an authoritative, industry-driven introduction to the world of game development, with updates that keep readers current and well-prepared for a successful career in the field. This book not only examines content creation and the concepts behind development, but it also give readers a background on the evolution of game development and how it has become what it is today. GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS also includes chapters on project management… Show more

GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS: AN INTRODUCTION, 3E is an authoritative, industry-driven introduction to the world of game development, with updates that keep readers current and well-prepared for a successful career in the field. This book not only examines content creation and the concepts behind development, but it also give readers a background on the evolution of game development and how it has become what it is today. GAME DEVELOPMENT ESSENTIALS also includes chapters on project management, development team roles and responsibilities, development cycle, marketing, maintenance, and the future of game development. With the same engaging writing style and examples that made the first two editions so popular, this new edition features all the latest games and game technology. Coverage of new game-related technology, development techniques, and the latest research in the field make this an invaluable resource for anyone entering the exciting, competitive, ever-changing world of game development. Show less

An up-to-date and highly practical insider's guide to the game industry that maps to the growing number of courses in Game Development programs that introduce students to the workings of the industry and to job search/career growth strategies. The book offers a clear and thorough analysis of the game industry, knowledgeably exploring its culture, career paths, and typical company structure. The authors offer expert advice on finding and succeeding in a job as well as on starting up your own… Show more

An up-to-date and highly practical insider's guide to the game industry that maps to the growing number of courses in Game Development programs that introduce students to the workings of the industry and to job search/career growth strategies. The book offers a clear and thorough analysis of the game industry, knowledgeably exploring its culture, career paths, and typical company structure. The authors offer expert advice on finding and succeeding in a job as well as on starting up your own company and conclude with a thoughtful examination of the future of the game industry. Show less

Game Development Essentials: Game Testing & QA explains the history of testing, basic and advanced techniques, educational background, and available online resources on testing. With Game Development Essentials: Game Testing & QA, dedicated gamers can learn what it takes to become a professional, well-paid QA or production testers - entering the game industry from the front door. Through first-hand experience and deep research, the authors shed light on the history of testing, basic and… Show more

Game Development Essentials: Game Testing & QA explains the history of testing, basic and advanced techniques, educational background, and available online resources on testing. With Game Development Essentials: Game Testing & QA, dedicated gamers can learn what it takes to become a professional, well-paid QA or production testers - entering the game industry from the front door. Through first-hand experience and deep research, the authors shed light on the history of testing, basic and advanced techniques, job-hunting, and moving up in the ladder of game development. Show less

Create game audio from the ground up with this comprehensive, multi-faceted resource designed for industry beginners and professionals alike! Game audio makes up one-third of the overall game experience: an experience that is part of the larger, multi-billion dollar video gaming industry. Game Audio Development tackles the complex world of audio by addressing all three major game audio disciplines: music composition, the creation of sound effects, and dialog performances. It begins by providing… Show more

Create game audio from the ground up with this comprehensive, multi-faceted resource designed for industry beginners and professionals alike! Game audio makes up one-third of the overall game experience: an experience that is part of the larger, multi-billion dollar video gaming industry. Game Audio Development tackles the complex world of audio by addressing all three major game audio disciplines: music composition, the creation of sound effects, and dialog performances. It begins by providing readers with a solid background and history of the discipline, and then progresses into equipment, techniques, skills, and coordinating these factors to produce effective audio that will enhance the gaming experience. The book concludes with a forecast for the future of game audio. Show less

Learn how to design game levels for the next generation of game engines with Game Development Essentials: Game Level Design. This book takes the reader on a creative journey that starts at a conceptual beginning and arrives at a polished end. Through this journey, you will learn the process of designing compelling worlds that immerse the player in interactive environments created from your imagination. Visceral worlds that tell a story through their aesthetics are combined with a refined design… Show more

Learn how to design game levels for the next generation of game engines with Game Development Essentials: Game Level Design. This book takes the reader on a creative journey that starts at a conceptual beginning and arrives at a polished end. Through this journey, you will learn the process of designing compelling worlds that immerse the player in interactive environments created from your imagination. Visceral worlds that tell a story through their aesthetics are combined with a refined design that allows the player to flow through a level. Learn to draw inspiration from the world around you and translate your ideas into playable game worlds! Show less

With an innovative, business-model approach, Game Development Essentials: Online Game Development provides the essentials needed to achieve long-term success with Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs). This book takes a significant and valuable departure from traditional game development books by addressing MMO development as a complex, multi-faceted, service-oriented business, instead of focusing solely on technical, artistic, or design techniques. The resulting multi-dimensional focus… Show more

With an innovative, business-model approach, Game Development Essentials: Online Game Development provides the essentials needed to achieve long-term success with Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs). This book takes a significant and valuable departure from traditional game development books by addressing MMO development as a complex, multi-faceted, service-oriented business, instead of focusing solely on technical, artistic, or design techniques. The resulting multi-dimensional focus allows readers to design their game and organize their development process with the entire business in mind. Coverage includes the key differences between single player games and MMOs, as well as how the various components of the development process, such as the business model, marketing plan, gaming community and technical constraints, influence one another and determine the success of the MMO. Show less

This book introduces both aspiring and professional designers to the exciting and fast-paced world of gameplay system design. Designing successful next-generation console games has become an increasingly complicated business as gamers are demanding more features and more complexity in the games that they play. More than ever, game designers are faced with the challenge of balancing consumer expectations with strict marketing requirements, schedule deadlines and budget limitations. With a… Show more

This book introduces both aspiring and professional designers to the exciting and fast-paced world of gameplay system design. Designing successful next-generation console games has become an increasingly complicated business as gamers are demanding more features and more complexity in the games that they play. More than ever, game designers are faced with the challenge of balancing consumer expectations with strict marketing requirements, schedule deadlines and budget limitations. With a hands-on, practical approach, Game Development Essentials: Gameplay Mechanics will teach readers how to approach game design in an efficient way that will meet the objectives of the target audience, as well as the businesses that fund their development, by approaching game design as an interaction of various systems, instead of individual, unique but unrelated features. With an end goal of creating exciting, dynamic, and engaging games, this book will help readers navigate the options and make intelligent choices in their game design. Show less

For the first time, professional and aspiring game developers have a comprehensive resource that goes beyond the entertainment-focused aspects of game simulation to delve into its escalating impact on the outside worlds of business, education, and training. As an increasing number of Fortune 500 companies, as well as educational and governmental heavyweights take notice of the potential usefulness of game simulations for training, the demand for developers who can skillfully integrate… Show more

For the first time, professional and aspiring game developers have a comprehensive resource that goes beyond the entertainment-focused aspects of game simulation to delve into its escalating impact on the outside worlds of business, education, and training. As an increasing number of Fortune 500 companies, as well as educational and governmental heavyweights take notice of the potential usefulness of game simulations for training, the demand for developers who can skillfully integrate educational tasks with gaming features is increasing dramatically. Game Simulation Development provides an in-depth look at how games are using a variety of different simulations to incorporate educational and training-based elements. By investigating a wide range of successful games, the book offers critical knowledge regarding why certain game simulations are effective in each genre. It also explores the ways expert developers consider how players respond to visual, aural, and tactile feedback to make the simulation as convincing and immersive as possible. Additional coverage includes intrinsic and extrinsic knowledge, constructivist theory, social interaction and lateral learning, and how these principles apply to game simulation development, providing a well-rounded resource for aspiring game developers. Show less

Redefine the way you look at video games and how they relate to you and your children! "Play the Game: The Parent's Guide to Video Games" explores how electronic games can be used to strengthen communication between parents and children as well as revolutionize the way we live. Written in an accessible style and language, Play the Game is perfect for any parent, from those who are unfamiliar with video games to those who are active gamers themselves. Through interviews and analysis with experts… Show more

Redefine the way you look at video games and how they relate to you and your children! "Play the Game: The Parent's Guide to Video Games" explores how electronic games can be used to strengthen communication between parents and children as well as revolutionize the way we live. Written in an accessible style and language, Play the Game is perfect for any parent, from those who are unfamiliar with video games to those who are active gamers themselves. Through interviews and analysis with experts and families like yours, you'll discover how to use games to enhance parent-child and family relationships, for education, and as a career path. Provides parents with: -A comprehensive guide to the video games currently available on the market including ratings, genre, intended audience, and educational use -Tips, research, and advice from game developers, educators, psychologists, parents, and teens -Information on game development as a career, including examples of higher education programs and how to start building important skill-sets -A listing of useful additional references so that readers can continue to explore the role of video games in today's society Discover new ways to connect with your children through video games with "Play the Game!" Show less

Game Development Essentials: Game Artificial Intelligence provides an engaging introduction to "real world" game artificial intelligence techniques. With a clear, step-by-step approach, the book begins by covering artificial intelligence techniques that are relevant to the work of today's developers. This technical detail is then expanded through descriptions of how these techniques are actually used in games, as well as the specific issues that arise when using them. With a straightforward… Show more

Game Development Essentials: Game Artificial Intelligence provides an engaging introduction to "real world" game artificial intelligence techniques. With a clear, step-by-step approach, the book begins by covering artificial intelligence techniques that are relevant to the work of today's developers. This technical detail is then expanded through descriptions of how these techniques are actually used in games, as well as the specific issues that arise when using them. With a straightforward writing style, this book offers a guide to game artificial intelligence that is clear, relevant, and updated to reflect the most current technology and trends in the industry. Show less

Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management is the only book on the market that offers a comprehensive introduction to game project management in an informal and accessible style, while concentrating on both theory and practice. This book offers an overview of the game project management process including: roles and responsibilities of team members; phases of production; concept development; testing, marketing; scheduling; and budgeting. The fast-growing game industry has fueled rapid… Show more

Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management is the only book on the market that offers a comprehensive introduction to game project management in an informal and accessible style, while concentrating on both theory and practice. This book offers an overview of the game project management process including: roles and responsibilities of team members; phases of production; concept development; testing, marketing; scheduling; and budgeting. The fast-growing game industry has fueled rapid upward movement of game production staff into the ranks of management. This book will train readers in the tools and techniques necessary to become effective team leaders. Show less

*Game Story & Character Development* shows how to create compelling stories and characters specifically for games. The book examines the history of storytelling, traditional and game-specific story structure, and all aspects of character development, including physical, psychological, sociological, and verbal. Filled with commentary from game industry professionals-and featuring a companion DVD containing game story documentation and demos-Game Story & Character Development is an essential… Show more

*Game Story & Character Development* shows how to create compelling stories and characters specifically for games. The book examines the history of storytelling, traditional and game-specific story structure, and all aspects of character development, including physical, psychological, sociological, and verbal. Filled with commentary from game industry professionals-and featuring a companion DVD containing game story documentation and demos-Game Story & Character Development is an essential guide for game designers, writers, students, and professionals. Show less

A total hands-on guide to producing interactive live webcasts Here's all the practical information you need to create exciting online broadcasts that take full advantage of the Web's unique interactive nature. Webcasting pioneers Novak and Markiewicz offer an honest appraisal of the capabilities and limitations of current webcasting technology. They acquaint you with the various forms of webcasting now possible. And they use fascinating case studies to show you what today's most successful… Show more

A total hands-on guide to producing interactive live webcasts Here's all the practical information you need to create exciting online broadcasts that take full advantage of the Web's unique interactive nature. Webcasting pioneers Novak and Markiewicz offer an honest appraisal of the capabilities and limitations of current webcasting technology. They acquaint you with the various forms of webcasting now possible. And they use fascinating case studies to show you what today's most successful webcasters are up to. Focusing on webcasting production, they tell you everything you need to know about:
* Datacasts, wordcasts, audiocasts, animacasts, and videocasts
* Webcasting hardware, software, and development tools
* Assembling and managing a webcasting team
* Using e-commerce technology to make webcasting a paying proposition
* Scheduling broadcasts, managing venue operators, and working with performers, copyrights, and other day-to-day issues
* Successful webcast publicity, marketing, and promotion
* The future of webcasting and the impending consolidation of traditional broadcast media and the Internet into one medium
Wiley Computer Publishing. Timely. Practical. Reliable. Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/ The companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/novak supplies you with:
* Links to webcast multimedia players, servers, and authoring tools
* Demo versions of audio/video. streaming and media management software
* Hundreds of links to webcast resources and live Internet broadcast sites Show less

This book is a comprehensive guide to maintaining and updating Web sites. It identifies the important issues and offers the solutions needed to move beyond basic maintenance into advanced issues. The companion Web site features CGI and Java freeware and shareware utilities, as well as demo versions of commercial Web maintenance and updating programs.

Entertainment sites comprise the fastest growing segment of the Net. Even web masters at non-entertainment sites are fast discovering that they must add some sizzle to their sites to attract and retain users. This is the definitive guide to planning, creating, and operating an entertainment-based World Wide Web site. After defining the elements of an entertainment site, the book walks through its entire development and implementation, from targeting an audience to creating compelling content… Show more

Entertainment sites comprise the fastest growing segment of the Net. Even web masters at non-entertainment sites are fast discovering that they must add some sizzle to their sites to attract and retain users. This is the definitive guide to planning, creating, and operating an entertainment-based World Wide Web site. After defining the elements of an entertainment site, the book walks through its entire development and implementation, from targeting an audience to creating compelling content. The authors address both technical issues like selecting and maintaining the server as well as promoting and marketing the site for maximum exposure and profit.

Includes CD-ROM with...
* Connectivity software--a free custom package designed specifically for the book
* Cutting-edge Web browser tools for enhanced video, audio, graphics and chat
* Development tools, including HTML, sound and video editing tools. Show less