Now you can build your own games for your Xbox 360, Windows Phone 7, or Windows-based PC—as you learn the underlying concepts for computer programming. Use this hands-on guide to dive straight into your first project—adding new tools and tricks to your arsenal as you go. No experience required! Learn XNA and C# fundamentals—and increase the challenge with each chapter Write code to create and control game behavior Build your game’s display—from graphics and text to lighting and 3-D effects Capture and cue sounds Process input from keyboards and gamepads Create features for one or multiple players Tweak existing games—and invent totally new ones
Using XNA Game Studio 3.0, any programmer can master the art of game development and begin selling games to millions of Xbox 360 users worldwide. Now, there’s a practical, comprehensive guide to game development with Microsoft’s powerful new XNA Game Studio 3.0 and the entire XNA Framework. In Microsoft® XNA® Game Studio 3.0 Unleashed, XNA expert Chad Carter covers the entire XNA platform, presents extensive sample code, and explains that code line by line. Carter walks you through the entire process of game development, including installing XNA, creating objects, handling input, managing and extending the content pipeline, optimizing game performance, and creating both 3D and 2D games. Carter presents sophisticated coverage of using XNA’s high level shader language; creating physical effects; and endowing characters with realistic artificial intelligence. A case study section walks through the entire process of planning and coding a game, improving it, and putting on the finishing touches that make it marketable. This edition contains nine new chapters, including all-new sections on creating networked games, programming games for the Zune handheld, and preparing and submitting games to Xbox LIVE, where accepted titles will reach gamers worldwide. Plan your games to deliver solid performance on the platforms you’ve targeted Understand essential XNA Framework concepts, including object creation, cameras, input handling, libraries, game services, and managing and extending the content pipeline Create a 2D game that will run across 3 platforms (Windows, Xbox 360, and Zune) with a single code base Create a Visualizer media player for the Microsoft Zune Use the High Level Shader Language (HLSL) to communicate directly with graphics hardware Bring realistic physics to your game action and realistic artificial intelligence to your characters Create sophisticated 3D effects that use advanced texturing and a particle system Build networked games, including multiplayer demos, turn-based games, and real-time network games Create 4 full games–2D parallax side scroller, 3D shooter, multiplayer turn-based 2D card game, and a multiplayer real-time 3D game Discover best practices for creating Xbox LIVE Community Games Sell your finished game on Xbox LIVE Marketplace CD-ROM includes: All C# examples and source code presented in this book.
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
Get Started Fast with XNA Game Studio 4.0-and Build Great Games for Both Windows� Phone 7 and Xbox 360� This is the industry's best reference and tutorial for all aspects of XNA Game Studio 4.0 programming on all supported platforms, from Xbox 360 to Windows Phone 7 and Windows PCs. The only game development book authored by Microsoft XNA development team members, it offers deep insider insights you won't get anywhere else-including thorough coverage of new Windows Phone APIs for mobile game development. You'll quickly build simple games and get comfortable with Microsoft's powerful XNA Game Studio 4.0 toolset. Next, you'll drill down into every area of XNA, including graphics, input, audio, video, storage, GamerServices, and networking. Miller and Johnson present especially thorough coverage of 3D graphics, from Reach and HiDef to textures, effects, and avatars. Throughout, they introduce new concepts with downloadable code examples designed to help you jumpstart your own projects. Coverage includes Downloading, installing, and getting started with XNA Game Studio 4 Building on capabilities provided in the default game template Using 2D sprites, textures, sprite operations, blending, and SpriteFonts Creating high-performance 3D graphics with XNA's newly simplified APIs Loading, generating, recording, and playing audio Supporting keyboards, mice, Xbox 360 controllers, Touch, accelerometer, and GPS inputs Managing all types of XNA storage Using avatars as characters in your games Utilizing gamer types, player profiles, presence information, and other GamerServices Supporting Xbox LIVE and networked games Creating higher-level input systems that seamlessly manage cross-platform issues From Windows Phone 7 mobile gaming to Xbox 360, XNA Game Studio 4.0 creates huge new opportunities for experienced Microsoft developers. This book helps you build on skills you already have, to create the compelling games millions of users are searching for.
Programmers for Windows Phone 7, Xbox 360, Zune devices, and more can use this hands-on guide to dive straight into their first project--adding new tools and tricks to their arsenal as they go.
This book is designed as a step-by-step tutorial that can be read through from beginning to end, with each chapter building on the last. Each section, however, can also be used as a reference for implementing various camera models, special effects, etc. The chapters are filled with illustrations, screenshots, and example code, and each chapter is based around the creation of one or more example projects. By the end of the first chapter you will have created the framework that is used and improved upon for the rest of the book, and by the end of the book you will have implemented dozens of special effects, camera types, lighting models and more using that framework. This book is mainly written for those who are familiar with object oriented programming and C# and who are interested in taking 3D graphics of their XNA games to the next level. This book will be useful as learning material for those who are new to graphics and for those who are looking to expand their toolset. Also, it can be used by game developers looking for an implementation guide or reference for effects or techniques they are already familiar with.
A detailed look at a diverse set of Cloud topics, particularly Azure and Office 365 More and more companies are realizing the power and potential of Cloud computing as a viable way to save energy and money. This valuable book offers an in-depth look at a wide range of Cloud topics unlike any other book on the market. Examining how Cloud services allows users to pay as they go for exactly what they use, this guide explains how companies can easily scale their Cloud use up and down to fit their business requirements. After an introduction to Cloud computing, you'll discover how to prepare your environment for the Cloud and learn all about Office 365 and Azure. Examines a diverse range of Cloud topics, with special emphasis placed on how Cloud computing can save businesses energy and money Shows you how to prepare your environment for the Cloud Addresses Office 365, including infrastructure services, SharePoint 2010 online, SharePoint online development, Exchange online development, and Lync online development Discusses working with Azure, including setting it up, leveraging Blob storage, building Azure applications, programming, and debugging Offers advice for deciding when to use Azure and when to use Office 365 and looks at hybrid solutions between Azure and Office 365 Tap into the potential of Azure and Office 365 with this helpful resource.
You haven't experienced the full potential of Xbox 360 or Windows until you've created your own homebrewed games for these innovative systems. With Microsoft's new XNA Framework, the only thing limiting you is your imagination. Now professional game developer and Microsoft DirectX MVP Benjamin Nitschke shows you how to take advantage of the XNA Game Studio Express tools and libraries in order to build cutting-edge games. Whether you want to explore new worlds or speed down a city block in a souped up dragster, this book will get you up and running quickly. You'll learn how to implement 3D models, generate huge landscapes, map cool-looking shaders to your 3D objects, and much more. Nitschke also steps you through the development of your first fully functional racing game. You'll then be able to apply this information as you write your own XNA cross-platform games. What you will learn from this book Tricks for managing the game engine and user interface How to program an old school shooter game and space adventure Tips for improving racing game logic and expanding your game ideas Methods for integrating amazing visual effects using advanced shader techniques Steps for adding sound and music with XACT-bringing your game to life How to fine-tune and debug your game for optimal performance Who this book is for This book is for anyone who wants to write their own games for the Xbox 360 or Windows platforms. You should have some experience coding with C# or a similar .NET language. Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.
RPG Programming Using XNA Game Studio 3.0 provides detailed information on role-playing games (RPGs) and how to create them using Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio 3.0. The book examines the history of the genre and takes a piece-by-piece approach to producing a 2D tile-based game, demonstrating how to create the various components that make up an RPG and implement them using C# and XNA Game Studio 3.0. By the end of the book, readers will have built a complete toolset that can be used to create data for their own RPGs. Learn how to: * Creating the characters and monsters that populate RPG worlds * Add stats and skills to allow game entities to perform actions * Populate the game world with items and treasures. Construct a conversation editor to add another degree of interaction * Create a multiple-step quest system to give players goals to research during gameplay * Creating a tile engine for displaying the world Populating the game world with items and treasure * Implementing a sound and music system * Adding multiplayer support
