This book's real-world perspective on the video game business makes it a standout, and its dozens of case studies and anecdotes from the field, including behind-the-scenes details on some well-known recent titles, are particularly valuable. Besides notable successes, there are plenty of stories of what can go wrong. One of the most entertaining sections features interviews with game industry experts who universally argue against a formal software process while describing the many problems inherent in writing games. The text replies convincingly that long hours, missed deadlines, and mediocre software grow out of sloppy (or non-existent) design and management techniques and a hacker mentality on the part of programmers.
Besides a diagnosis of what doesn't work, the book suggests several cures, including proper design, planning, and project management (used in mainstream business computing). The authors predict that in the future, "software factories" will use third-party engines, reusable objects, and other tools--along with team organization and management--to create better games.
After listing the steps for designing and developing game software successfully, a full-fledged example (using DirectX and C++) helps get you started. If you want a glimpse of the often disordered world of game development--and advice that can bring some order to the chaos--you should read this intelligent and well-argued book. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered: Software design and management techniques for game development, gameplay and playability, game specifications, design documents, game balance, look and feel, storytelling, the game business vs. the movie business, history of video games, future predictions and trends, team management, problem developer personalities, best practices, software factories for games, milestones, implementing software process, risk management, reusability, patterns for gamers, DirectX, game engines, tips for prototyping, coding, testing and deployment, case studies, sample game design documents, and code.