Java 2 Game Programming (The Premier Press Game Development Series)

By Thomas Petchel

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931841071
• ISBN13: 9781931841078
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: Course Technology PTR
• Length: 782 Pages
• Weight: 3.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.8" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

Awesome?

What I cannot believe is how unfair recent reviews of this book have been. If you're a beginner hobbyist, then maybe this book isn't for you?Let's mention instance modelling, advanced collision detection, triple-buffered animation, quad trees, hardware acceleration and framerate syncing. Maybe this book is ideal for a Mathematician interested in game development using Java. But as a newbie Java developer that just did part of a training diploma, in one word: Terrific!I just got an invaluable introduction to linked lists and hash trees - and even better, their applications in todays professional game programming industry.Just please don't mention Vector Geometry for now (lol).You also get to look at implementing abstract classes -- that surely sets the programming standard? And there's a bonus for people that either do C++ or have had a long look at it. There's great looking boxes that delineate Java limitations and advantages by comparison.On the down side, a few examples don't seem to compile straight away and probably need to be revised -- mostly the networking section which seems outdated.Based on this I'd give this book four stars only, except for wanting to boost this books terrible review ratings!I personally really really wish there was a home page for the included professional level Java engine - where it could be maintained and updated.Also it could be fully documented, so newbies like me could just use the whole thing more easily.But it was worth it even if only for the custom controls library -- Swing is SLOW! (note for Sun developers)I think that without having a full grasp of everything that's covered (and its a lot) I'm now better equipped than ever to get those Java game applets up and running.And now i can realistically gauge myself against the real professionals. Oh, and I loved the style too.I shan't discourage!!

Good as a starting point, with some flaws

This book is a decent starting point for someone who already knows Java basics, but has no idea how games (animation, controls...) are made. After reading this book you are ready to continue on web-based articles on specifics and advanced features. I also liked the fact that this is not one of those five-year old books with obsolete/deprecated code.But this book is far from perfect. I think the Java basics -chapter is too long. It almost presumes no pre-knowledge of Java. The author should not have wasted so many pages on Java basics. Also, the book doesn't go that far either. After you know how to listen to the mouse/keyboard and how to double-buffer your animation for smooth operation, you're left alone.I would have liked to see some interesting real projects done through the book, maybe a small-scale scroller shoot'em up or whatever. Now you get shown all the pieces separately but ain't shown how to solve the puzzle.

Not perfect, but excellent nonetheless.

There are very few books on the subject of game programming in Java that are much help to an experienced programmer, and although this book does waste some time covering the fundamental basics of Java, it does a remarkable job of explaining concepts in a way that is understandable as well as accurate. Petchel has mastered the art of writing in a way that is both entertaining and informative, adequately covering technical subjects while holding the reader's interest with colorful language and down-to-earth explanations.I have only a few minor complaints. First, there are some errors in the code printed in the book, but these errors do not appear to be present in the code on the CD, so no real harm done. Furthermore, the real "meat and potatoes" of the examples are intact, so to an experienced programmer, such syntactical errors are merely trivial details. Just check out the CD before trusting what is printed.Also, the book begins with a crash course on the basics of Java programming, which may have been better left to a general programming book, as opposed to one whose intended subject is game programming specifically. But even that part is well-written and concise, as is the remainder of the book.But those trivial complaints aside, the book's content is excellent. It's organized in a logical manner, the examples are simple yet meaningful, and even experienced programmers can gain useful tips and insights on good design ideas. This book was worth the long and frustrating wait.