Game Development Essentials: An Introduction, 2nd Edition offers a thorough and insightful introduction to the game development industry, with industry updates that will keep readers current and well-prepared for a career in the field. The book begins with a highly informative chapter on the evolution of game development, providing a historical context for later chapters, and moves on to examine content creation and the concepts behind the development of story, character, environment, level design, user interface, and sound. With the same engaging writing style and examples that made the first edition so popular, this new edition features expanded coverage of today’s hottest topics - such as next-generation platforms (Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii), level design, interface design, project management, serious games, game accessibility, and online social networks. 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.

"Get ready for a fascinating ride through the fastest-growing segment of the entertainment industry!" As gaming evolves into a powerhouse industry and a dynamic career opportunity, the need has never been greater for a book that offers a penetrating introduction to the field and a clear explanation of the keys to success. A highly respected industry observer and gaming instructor in Southern California, author Jeannie Novak showcases in this definitive work every important aspect of game development, beginning with a highly informative chapter on the background of the industry that provides the historical context for later chapters. The latest addition to the Game Development Essential series, An Introduction to Game Development examines content creation and the concepts behind the development of story, character, environment, level design, user interface, and sound. Novak also looks to the future of gaming, and in particular, at such promising technologies as online and mobile gaming. An entertaining read and a thoroughly researched and knowledgeable overview of the field, this book is an indispensable gateway to one of the most exciting career opportunities in the country today.

?Get ready for a fascinating ride through the fastest-growing segment of the entertainment industry!? As gaming evolves into a powerhouse industry and a dynamic career opportunity, the need has never been greater for a book that offers a penetrating introduction to the field and a clear explanation of the keys to success. A highly respected industry observer and gaming instructor in Southern California, author Jeannie Novak showcases in this definitive work every important aspect of game development, beginning with a highly informative chapter on the background of the industry that provides the historical context for later chapters. The latest addition to the Game Development Essential series, An Introduction to Game Development examines content creation and the concepts behind the development of story, character, environment, level design, user interface, and sound. Novak also looks to the future of gaming, and in particular, at such promising technologies as online and mobile gaming. An entertaining read and a thoroughly researched and knowledgeable overview of the field, this book is an indispensable gateway to one of the most exciting career opportunities in the country today.

Good Gaming Book

If your into gaming this is a book for you. It delivers what it promises in providing the key essential to gaming. I recommend it.

Very good text book for school

No complaints here, the author gives very good examples to go with each topic she’s explaining. Great excerpts from industry professionals add additional insight into the reading.

Game Essentials

Excellent book as an introduction to developing games - My students (and i) found it very hard to put down after reading through the first chapter!

One question i have is about the instructor resource on DVD mentioned in the book. As this is the first time using the book for our game development course it would be helpful to have some material - especially the powerpoint slides. Does anyone know how to get a copy of this DVD? - Thomson learning doesn’t seem to have a link for this resource.

Cheap & With CD!

Ordered this book for my husband’s class. Not only did Amazon have it in stock, it was $20 cheaper than Barnes & Noble (with member discount) and that’s even after upgrading the shipping. Was a little worried at first that the book wouldn’t come quickly cause the tracking was awful, but it arrived fast.
A note worth mentioning: this book comes with a CD as well even though it does not say so.

My husband has not used this book much for his class yet, so as for the material I am not sure. But we are very pleased with the product & Amazon (as usual) so far.

Stylish book that really meets its goals

I picked up this book as a possible replacement for the book that is currently used in my ’Game Design’ course. This book is very attractive and professionally put together. It covers the material that would be essential (hence the title) when discussing the elements of game design:
1. The history of the medium
I found some annoying factual errors in this part of the book. Which initially turned me off but I continued to read since errors seemed to be in the sidebars which may not get the same editorial review.
2. Who plays and why?
This contained very interesting material for students to discuss with respect to player motivation, personality and gender. The eye-opening part for me was the view of game playing from the perspective of generations. Baby boomers, Generation X and the Millennial Generation look for different things from the games they play. (This part made me examine my own choices for games and the characters I am most attracted to in them!)
3. The elements in a game - genres, platforms, player mode

Part II is where the real gems are for people who really want to design games:
4. The elements of storytelling
5. Creating the characters/roles
6. Creating the game experience, e.g. challenges
7. Creating the World and Atmosphere (anyone else listen to the audio CD to remember the delight in playing the game?)

The last part covers:
8. The key roles/titles in the game development process
9. The process of producing games
10. The future of gaming

The book ends with the following bonuses:
11. A list of resources for those who are serious about actually getting into the game business
12. List of books to read and learn more
13. A CD with tools

The key thing I value when spending time on a book is one - am I learning something new? This book offers many ideas central to designing video games. It is an excellent book for a course on the topic or for any budding game designer to pick up start the journey.

Excellent book

It’s an excellent book. The fact that she included my incredibly detailed game design document in no way influenced my rating.

Classroom Warning

Just wanted to let people know there is a later version if you missed it, and you should check with instructors before buying this book and be sure it is the dated version needed!

Gwenn McElwee’s Review

I find this book to be well rounded in the history and in the aspect to the gaming and simulation world. It was not what I originally expected to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and now can look at the gaming world a lot differently with more respect.

I purchased this book because it was required for the class I am taking at DeVry University Online, but now that I have read it, I am interested in purchasing a few of the other books in this series by Jeannie Novak.

Interesting side notes, but not worth the effort

One interesting thing this book contains is little sidebar interviews with people from the game industry. It might serve people who are looking for jobs and want to get names of people in industry.

This book might also be a good read for parents of kids who want to learn more about the gaming industry. It is a very simple introduction (hence the title).

For anyone who has played computer games however, it will be overly simple and offer little value add.

It really is an intro and nothing more.

I enjoyed it

I would probably have given it 5 stars if it weren’t for the few mistakes made. For example on page 218 there is a screenshot of C&C Generals and the caption says "Praetorians uses terrain as a boundary" with the image credit given to Eidos Interactive! Wow... It’s probably just a mistake someone else made and not Novak, but still. I haven’t been able to locate an errata list on either the publisher’s website nor Novak’s, but aside from a few minor typos I haven’t found any other mistakes.

For a book published in late 2004, an updated edition seems a long time coming for a book that needed it. I see the second edition is due out August 2007 so that’s good. Too bad my class didn’t wait until then. I was required me to purchase this first edition.

I don’t know if I’d recommend this book to anyone just browsing the bookstore for a book on game design, unless you have more money than the typical student. At $64, I would hold this book to higher standards. Thomson Delmar Learning doesn’t really target the mass market, so you’d expect to pay a little extra and receive a little extra in return. But price aside, I agree with all the other positive comments. If you are interested in the subject matter then I really would recommend this book. Maybe just wait a few months for the 2nd edition.

Required for school

Aside from needing the book for school, it has some very interesting info about the gaming company, and some current games.

Game Development praise

Jeannie Novak’s book Game Development Essentials is an excellent text covering the scope of today’s gaming environment. Everything from story development, marketing, character development and audience demographics is covered in this text. She uses highly appropriate first person narratives from industry professionals and has excellent study guide questions at the conclusion of each chapter. The CD included also has great game demos and trials as well as excellent links to web sites that add enrichment to the reading. I look forward to her other upcoming titles.

Not BAD!

I’ve been making games for 19 years and I couldn’t disagree more with Mark Baldwin’s criticisms of this book. Jeannie Novak has written a fresh, all-encompassing book on the subject of game development. The industry is rapidly evolving and this is one of the few texts to keep up with current thinking and present it in a manner that is easy to digest.

I really enjoyed the sidebars and interviews. Jeannie went all out - interviewing some of the brightest stars in this business. OK, so you can dismiss my interview (pg.300), but the rest are informative and interesting.

It’s disappointing to see such nit-picky criticism. If this is the same Mark Baldwin that did Empire (I loved that game) then you’ve been around long enough to know how useful a book like this is. Students of game design and anyone eager to learn more about this industry will get a lot out of this book.

Excellent introduction to the industry

This book is a great introduction to the game industry in general. It doesn’t delve deeply, but does a flyover of what is becoming an increasing complex medium. It hits the points someone seeking to enter the industry needs to know - everything from features of the companies creating games to current styles of development.

It would work great for an introductory class for students entering the industry, and as a good overview for non-students who find themselves called upon to understand the industry as it grows and challenge other media.

If there are any faults, they are in the book covering so much territory that it can’t provide detail. This is OK for an introductory book, but to get to specifics one might look at other books in the same series by Thomson Delmar Learning, e.g. the newly published Game Story & Character Development.

Great book

Having written for games over the past few years, I found Ms. Novak’s book to be an essential part of understanding the professional game world. The book takes the reader on an informative journey through the ins and outs of the game development industry, starting from the beginning of electronic gaming. This book is not only a good learning tool for students, but also for anyone interested in game design as a profession. Further, the clean and understandable language is pleasure to read. Simply a must-have for any aspiring game designer.

Great Introductory Text

I’m a professional game designer with 7 years experience and found Ms. Novak’s book to be a great introduction to the process of game development. It is well-organized and covers a wealth of relevant topics. The lucid writing and full color screenshots make it easy to read.

Unlike many other introductory books, Ms. Novak’s text does not mislead the reader into thinking that becoming a game developer is an easy path, where a great idea and good pitch can allow you to create your dream game. It is a responsible and accessible text that anyone interested in game development would find helpful and insightful. Obviously, as an introductory text, its content is not particularly useful to industry professionals, though I found the profiles and the section on history to be enjoyable.

I don’t understand Mark Baldwin’s objection to the profiles, because I feel that they provide insight to the industry that is immensely valuable to those new to the field. Ranging from industry greats, such as Louis Castle and Richard Garriot, to current students, a wide variety of perspectives and thoughts are presented. As an aside, I can understand some of Mr. Baldwin’s comments from an academic perspective, but from a practical point of view, I must disagree with his harsh appraisal.

I would recommend Ms. Novak’s book to anyone who wants to learn the basics of the game development process.

Bad, Bad, BAD!

I teach game development for both the University of Advancing Technology and Westwood College. Although I respect Alan Emrich who gave the book 5 stars, I must say that this is the worse book I’ve ever seen on the subject! I find the book superficial, the author does not understand the subject, and the editor has confused the material even more with bizarre and inconsistent formatting.

As far as superficial is concerned, half the book is side bars mostly interviewing individuals in the industry. While some such information is interesting and valuable, the quantity that the book uses is excessive thus reducing the ’meat’ of the book, actual information.

An example of the authors lack of knowledge is exhibited on page 80. There Novak states "Two-player (also known as head-to-head) games initially evolved from single player arcade games." This sentence is wrong in every possible interpretation. First "head to head" is not the equivalent to two player games (the former is a subset of the latter). But more important, two player games did not evolve from single player arcade games. The oldest games known to man (Mancala, Chess, Go) are two player games. The oldest computer game ever developed (Space War, 1964) was a two player game. The oldest arcade and console games (Pong) were two player games. Two player games did not evolve from single player games and there is absolutely no basis for the statement.

Another example is on page 128 where the author seems to equate non-linearity in computer games with non-linearity in movies.
As far as the editing is concerned, allow me to point to page 93. Two side bars are stuck in the middle of the text and the divisions are not distinct. The primary text then becomes difficult to follow.

Graphic aids have the same problem. On page 76 we see a diagraph of both a client server network and a peer to peer network. Although not incorrect, the peer to peer diagram can be misinterpreted to imply that there is still some type of server managing the communications.

The book is saturated with these types of problems making it erroneous and confusing. Every time the author has an insight that might be of value, she then turns around and makes some type of blunder.

I do not recommend this book either for the individual or for schools as a text book.

Required Reading (literally)

I teach Survey of the Game Industry, Game Design & Game Play, and Project Management at the Art Institute of California: Orange County. Being a frugal person myself, I have not required my students purchase a textbook for any of my classes until now. Ms. Novak’s book has become the single source of required reading for ALL 3 of my classes. Breezy, intelligent, and designed from the first sentence as an instructional tool, you will learn a great deal about the game industry from it. I could not possibly recommend this book any higher than to commit my classes to it.

Great book very informative!

I highly recommend this book. I love gaming and I haven’t seen another book as thorough or well written as this one! This lady is tops in her field!

Antonio Pontarelli

Covers just about everything

This book is as good an introduction to the game development process as I have come across. Incredibly current, peppered with wonderful interviews and comments from major professionals in the field. I especially like the CD-ROM which includes a wealth of demos and development tools.