Synopses & Reviews
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.
Synopsis
Microsoft XNA Game Studio 3.0 Unleashed is the most practical and thorough guide to game development with Microsoft's powerful new XNA Game Studio 3.0 and the XNA framework. XNA expert Chad Carter covers the entire XNA platform, presents extensive sample code, and explains that code line by line. You will walk through the entire process of game development, including installing XNA, creating 3D objects, handling input, managing the content pipeline, creating both 2D and 3D games, optimizing game performance, and much more. The book contains 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 salable. This edition contains eight new chapters, including all-new sections on creating networked games and programming games to run on the Zune handheld. A third new section will be especially valuable to thousands of game developers: it walks through preparing and submitting games to Xbox LIVE, where accepted titles will reach an audience of millions of gamers worldwide.
Covers the entire XNA 3.0 platform, including networking, Zune, and Xbox LIVE Community Games - a new capability that's attracting thousands of new game developers Explains every line of code in detail Covers both 3D and 2D programming, unlike many competitive books Builds on a highly successful previous edition with eight new chapters, plus major updates throughoutSynopsis
In this practical, comprehensive guide to game development with Microsoft's powerful new XNA Game Studio 3.0 and the entire XNA Framework, Carter presents extensive sample code and explains that code line by line. This edition contains nine new chapters, including all-new sections on creating networked games, and more.
About the Author
Chad Carter authored the previous edition of this book, Microsoft XNA Unleashed: Graphics and Game Programming for Xbox 360 and Windows. He is Chief Technology Officer at Robertson Marketing Group. Carter recently wrote a 3D simulator for Norfolk Southern, a transportation company, which teaches children how to understand and obey railroad signals.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part I Get Up and Running with XNA Game Studio on Your PC and Xbox 360
1 Introducing the XNA Framework and XNA Game Studio 7
2 XNA Game Studio and the Xbox 360 19
3 Performance Considerations 33
Part II Understanding XNA Framework Basics
4 Creating 3D Objects 55
5 Handling Input to Move Our Camera 83
Part III Content Pipeline
6 Loading and Texturing 3D Objects 113
7 Sound and Music 123
8 Extending the Content Pipeline 151
Part IV 2D in XNA Game Studio
9 2D Basics 171
10 2D Effects 191
11 Creating a 2D Game 217
Part V XNA Game Studio and the Zune
12 Programming for the Zune 255
13 Running the Game on the Zune 273
Part VI High Level Shader Language
14 HLSL Basics 291
15 Advanced HLSL 311
Part VII Physics and Artificial Intelligence
16 Physics Basics 325
17 Finite State Machines and Game State Management 343
18 AI Algorithms 375
Part VIII 3D Effects
19 Advanced Texturing Techniques 391
20 Special Effects 417
21 Particle System 435
Part IX Putting It into Practice
22 Creating a 3D Game 471
23 Improving the Game 501
24 Finishing Touches 525
Part X XNA Framework Networking
25 Networking Basics 549
26 Creating Multiplayer Demos 565
27 Creating a Networking Game Skeleton 583
28 Creating a Turn-based Multiplayer Game 631
29 Creating a Real-time Multiplayer Game 671
Part XI Xbox LIVE Community Games
30 Best Practices for Creating an Xbox LIVE Community Game 719
31 Selling the Game on Xbox LIVE Marketplace 727
Index 739