This second edition offers the same practical, hands-on approach as the first edition to learning the C# language through classic arcade game applications.

The second edition of C# and Game Programming offers the same practical, hands-on approach as the first edition to learning the C# language through classic arcade game applications.

Complete source code for games like Battle Bit, Asteroid Miner, and Battle Tennis, included on the CD-ROM, demonstrates programming strategies and complements the comprehensive treatment of C# in the text.

From the basics of adding graphics and sound to games, to advanced concepts such as the .Net framework and object-oriented programming, this book provides the foundations for a beginner to become a full-fledged programmer.

New in this edition:

Supports DirectX 9.0

Revised programs and examples

Improved frame rate for game examples

Insult to programmers

When I got this book I already knew about 5 different languages and tried writing games in each. However, since my formal education taught me application driven programming, I have often wondered if I make games wrong. In addition, I have had problems doing some thing which I always thought would be very simple (sprite animation, tile mapping, etc). I thought this book would be very useful, especially with all the source code I could dissect. I soon realized what a blatant pile of crap I ordered when the source code didn’t compile. Who does not compile source code before publishing it? If it compiles once, it will compile always. In addition, almost anything I was unfamiliar with was explained so vaguely I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. The example were impossible to determine if he was discussing keywords or functions inherent to C# or ones which would need to be defined outside the example code. Considering this was also my first C# book, it would sometimes take me a moment to determine for myself. Don’t waste your time or money since neither seems to have be put towards making this book.

It’s just BAD!

Won’t waste anymore of my time telling
you why, you can read other posts!

Don’t belive the 4 start rating. I
doubt this Author has any idea how
to use C# or any language I would
imagine!

Not being an author myself I have
never critized those who are till
now.

I’ll never buy another book by this
publisher. I would return this one
except for it being a gift. If your
in the same position use it to prop
up your monitor - it’s only usefullness~

It’s just BAD!

Won’t waste anymore of my time telling

you why, you can read other posts!



Don’t belive the 4 start rating. I

doubt this Author has any idea how

to use C# or any language I would

imagine!



Not being an author myself I have

never critized those who are till

now.



I’ll never buy another book by this

publisher. I would return this one

except for it being a gift. If your

in the same position use it to prop

up your monitor - it’s only usefullness~

The Book Professor Review

Generally this text is for beginners, so if you are someone who knows nothing about C# or Game Programming, you’ll probably be very happy with the book or at least need to study it. Additionally, if you have already studied C# say in school or through other books, but want to learn Game Programming, then you’ll probably be very happy with the book or at least need to study it.

If, however, you already know C# and you have a fair knowledge of Game Programming, then you probably won’t like the book (seeing it as too simply). Or finally, if you are a total beginner to computers and are not really sure what a complier is, you’ll probably find the book hard to follow.

Another example of "Type now understand later (if ever)"

I’ve gone through half of this book and will not be completing it.

Despite this being a "beginner" book the author quickly overwhelms the user with advanced examples while providing nearly zero explaination of what he is doing or why he is doing it.

Only the simpliest of concepts (data types, casting, etc) are discussed before getting to some of the first extremely long and extremely complex examples.

From the beginning there is no discussion of code and very little in the way of explainatory comments. After 200 pages the author STILL has only mentioned "using" a few times and hasn’t even brought up a discussion of namespaces. Yet these items are included in every sample.

Many of the items being used are never explained, there is no step by step process that tells the reader what any particular command does or why he’s using it.

My criteria for a "good" book is that by the time the author starts an example he/she should have previously explained what the purpose the example serves. Is this an example that will re-enforce the graphic manipulation discussion of the most recent chapter? Is this an example that will show me in practice the simple coding practices the author explained in the last 100 pages? None of this is there. The author jumps from talking about datatypes to using some advanced C# libraries in a sample without any explaination ever provided.

This book expects you to type in dozens of pages of code (or get it off the included CD) and learn by osmosis the point of the sample; why it works; and what the key elements/procedures are.

Maybe some people can somehow mystically connect to the authors train of thought and understand unexplained code through this method, but I am unfortunate to not be one of them.

If you really want to learn C# and are a true beginner than Petzolds Programming in the Key of C# is probably the best book I’ve read to this point (I have high hopes for Murach’s C# but am just starting that one).

Unfortunately I haven’t found any acceptable books that link C# and games programming yet that discuss the subject at a newcomer level.

Another example of "Type now understand later (if ever)"

I’ve gone through half of this book and will not be completing it.



Despite this being a "beginner" book the author quickly overwhelms the user with advanced examples while providing nearly zero explaination of what he is doing or why he is doing it.



Only the simpliest of concepts (data types, casting, etc) are discussed before getting to some of the first extremely long and extremely complex examples.



From the beginning there is no discussion of code and very little in the way of explainatory comments. After 200 pages the author STILL has only mentioned "using" a few times and hasn’t even brought up a discussion of namespaces. Yet these items are included in every sample.



Many of the items being used are never explained, there is no step by step process that tells the reader what any particular command does or why he’s using it.



My criteria for a "good" book is that by the time the author starts an example he/she should have previously explained what the purpose the example serves. Is this an example that will re-enforce the graphic manipulation discussion of the most recent chapter? Is this an example that will show me in practice the simple coding practices the author explained in the last 100 pages? None of this is there. The author jumps from talking about datatypes to using some advanced C# libraries in a sample without any explaination ever provided.



This book expects you to type in dozens of pages of code (or get it off the included CD) and learn by osmosis the point of the sample; why it works; and what the key elements/procedures are.



Maybe some people can somehow mystically connect to the authors train of thought and understand unexplained code through this method, but I am unfortunate to not be one of them.



If you really want to learn C# and are a true beginner than Petzolds Programming in the Key of C# is probably the best book I’ve read to this point (I have high hopes for Murach’s C# but am just starting that one).



Unfortunately I haven’t found any acceptable books that link C# and games programming yet that discuss the subject at a newcomer level.

Amazingly Poor

I’m amazed at the good reviews for this book. The only reason I can give for that is that perhaps the good reviews are all from the publisher, author their and many aliases.

This book’s spelling, grammar, and coding errors make it impossible to use. I’m surprised that the code included on a CD even compiles. I was so frustrated after the first two chapters that I wanted to animate the book, just so I could choke it to death.

Do yourself a favor, if you want to buy this book just slap yourself in the face and save $30.

Beginning C# + Minor Gaming Discussion

Whatever gaming material is encountered in this book is minimal and irrelevant. This book is merely an introduction to C#, plus a superfluous discussion about games. It is my conviction that this book has no redeeming value unless all you want to get out of it is an introduction to C#.

If you want to write videogames in C#, I strongly recommend Managed DirectX 9 Kick Start : Graphics and Game.

I hope this helps.

Enoyable read

This book has a easy flow with actual working examples for both C# and the games. There are both Windows forms and DirectX version of the games (7 games two versions for each), but you have to get the patch via email see the How to get help section.

A Dichotomous Book...

This book was a bittersweet experience for me. The book is basically devided into three sections. The first is the basics of C#, the second basics of Game Programming, and the third more advanced C# using OOP methodology.

A quick rundown of the sections:
1: Ultra Simplistic - 2 stars
2: Brilliant! Worth buying the book for 5 stars
3: Rushed, Too Concise, doesnt explain anything and useless- terrible : 1 star

(hence my rating of 3 stars - interger average of these values)

I was glad that I had read C# The Complete Reference by Herb Schildt before reading this book. The first section on programming basics is VERY basic - teaching very beginner concepts such as loops, descisions etc that most people reading this book would already know. As someone who must read a book cover to cover I read all this, resisting the strong temptation to skim to the next section. It provides a simple introduction to C#, but not particularly useful,

The second section concerns itself with game creation using Windows Forms and GDI+. The first example in this section, Paddle Tennis, is quite good, and probably worth buying the book for this one example, if you have never done any windows forms or GDI+ programming in C# before (as I hadnt). On the accompanying CD there are all these application files you need to add to your project, which is not explicitly stated in the book, and left me scratching my head when I entered all the source code, compiled and got about 200 errors. Actually mentioning that these prewritten classes needed to be added would have been of tremendous help.

But these prewritten classes are the downfall of the book. Basically the example teaches you how to display images, initialize a form, override the OnPaint & OnKeyPress methods - but thats it. All the code for collision detection is prewritten for you with only very oblique references to it in the text. I built a version of Pong and Arkanoid from what I learnt from this book, but most of what I learnt came from analyzing the source code on the CD...

Unfortunately its downhill from here. There are about 7 more games in the book however there is a very brief introduction with very vague descriptions of the new features in the games followed by source code (that again uses the prewritten classes) - basically the text doesnt really teach you how the games were made, you have to read the code and work it out.

The final section on OOP is a very condensed coverage of all 77 keywords in the C# language. This section is utterly useless - it describes the entire language in 100 pages - meaning there is a very brief introduction on the topic (such as overloading or constructors) a single example and then its next topic! If I already didnt know the language I would be completely lost...

I said however this was a Dichotomous Book as I believe I would still have bought it knowing what I do now. It is worth it for the middle section, which is excellent. I recommend strongly that you analyze the source code on the cd (and remember to add it to your projects!!!) - this taught me more than the book. The very final part of section 3 goes over the classes in these prewritten functions (attempting to save grace)- but in the style of the latter half of the book is ultra condensed and basically mirrors the code - teaching you no more than the code itself does - there is no reasoning as to why the code is written in that way.

Something must have gone into my head however because within a week of reading I could make fairly complicated Forms/GDI+ applications - the book works for a good introduction.

In conclusion, dont buy it to learn the language (I recommend reading C# the Complete Reference - it is excellent), but buy it if you want to know something about GDI+ and Windows Forms - it teaches this well. Just skip sections 1 and 3 and read section 2 (which is brilliant by the way).

Deon Poncini