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Learning XNA 3.0: XNA 3.0 Game Development for the PC, Xbox 360, and Zune |  | Author: Aaron Reed
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Category: Book
List Price: $34.99
Buy New: $21.65
as of 7/30/2010 07:00 CDT details
You Save: $13.34 (38%)
New (33) Used (18) from $17.31
Seller: pbshopus
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 55286
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Pages: 512
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 0596521952
Dewey Decimal Number: 794.81526
EAN: 9780596521950
ASIN: 0596521952
Publication Date: November 25, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Do you have what it takes to become a game developer? With this hands-on book, you'll learn quickly and easily how to develop computer games with Microsoft's XNA 3.0 framework-not just for your PC, but for Xbox 360 and the Microsoft Zune as well.
Written by an experienced university-level game development instructor, Learning XNA 3.0 walks you through the framework in a clear and understandable step-by-step format. Each chapter offers a self-contained lesson with lots of illustrations and annotated examples to help you master key concepts. Once you finish the book, you'll know how to develop sophisticated games from start to finish. - Learn game development concepts from 2D animation to 3D cameras and effects
- Delve into high-level shader language (HLSL) and introductory artificial intelligence concepts
- Develop three complete and exciting games using 2D,3D and multiplayer concepts
- Develop and deploy games to the Xbox 360 and the Microsoft Zune
While teaching XNA to beginning game developers, author Aaron Reed noticed that several key concepts were difficult for students to grasp. Learning XNA 3.0 was written specifically to address those issues. With this book, you can test your understanding and practice new skills as you go with unique "Test Your Knowledge" exercises and review questions in each chapter.
Why wait? Amaze your family and friends by building your own games for the PC, Xbox 360, and Zune-with Learning XNA 3.0.
"An outstanding book! Teaches you XNA development in a smart way, starting from 2D basics and going into 3D and shader development. What I really like is the 'peeling the onion' approach the author takes, which builds up knowledge from previous chapters." --David "LetsKillDave" Weller, CEO, Cogito Ergonomics, LLC, and former XNA program manager
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
 Learning XNA 3.0: XNA 3.0 Game Development for the PC,Xbox 360, and Zune December 20, 2008
AkiraRaptor
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I've purchased many of the XNA books available on the market. They all offer XNA insight, but this book tops them all.
The author teaches the material, so the book is feels like what you'd get out of a very good class on the subject. It digs in right off the bat in the the first chapter, and never lets up.
Out of every book I have on the subject, I've learned and understood the material faster. The chapters are ordered as you build an application and you build your knowledge step by step. Every new concept is clearly discussed as it gets added.
I recommend this as a first book on the subject for anyone looking to get into XNA programming.
Just what I wanted... October 21, 2009
penguinassault
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I did not need an introduction to the C# programming language, almost all the books I looked at had this. I just wanted a book that explained the basic concepts of creating games with C# and this book does that and does it very well. It is easy to read and follow. If oyu are new to making games with C# and have some knowledge of C# this is the best book to get.
On a side note every review of any book involving this subject i have seen has included a review by someone saying they are experienced game developers and that particular book sucks. If you are experienced in this how about try to find books that dont have "Learning" or "Beginning" in the title. It will save you some time and money.
This Book "Clicked" with Me! February 18, 2010
M. Chomer (Wyandotte, MI)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Here's my experience before this wonderful book. I have been a hack programmer for close to 30 years (started with the Apple ][, VIC-20 and the Commodore 64.) I've written a few small games over the years in basic and one in C (after reading Andre LaMothe's wonderful books on game programming.) I am pretty proficient in Visual Basic .Net (I write and sell CRM software for salespeople online). I've recently wanted to write some small games again and actually purchased a Mac and IPhone to try to write games for it but found Objective C very cumbersome. So, with that--I--on a whim and after reading reviews--bought Learning XNA 3.0 and what a great purchase it was for me! With my "hack" experience, I just want the facts--here's how you put a sprite on the screen, here's how you move it, here's how you check for collisions, here's how you play a sound. This book was perfect for me. As of right now, I have no interest in 3D programming and have skipped the chapters on that topic but found the 2D programming chapters to be fantastic. I jumped right in and was moving a stupid little sprite around with my xbox controller in no time. I was animating sprites a little later. 3 days later (with no C# experience) I have written a "Kaboom" clone that rocks (remember Kaboom on the Atari 30 years ago?) What a thrill it is to see my little game running on my xbox 360! It is fun and you know what? I plan on fixing it up a little and seeing if I can sell some copies on xbox live! Next in line is a Robotron clone and a clone of the old Odyssey 2 video game U.F.O. This is some fun stuff--my CRM programming is suffering because I am having a blast programming games! Buy this book if you have any interest in XNA programming--you will not be sorry. I'll bet I could program any 70's - 80's arcade game now (when games were a blast!) except for the fact that I am a terrible artist.
Really learning... January 21, 2009
FConde (Madrid, Spain)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Having no previous experience at all with C# or XNA, I find really surprising the ease with which this book is guiding me through the very interesting process of creating the elements needed to shape a game. Clear, practical, concise and well guided. A must for people learning or teaching the concepts and process of creating a game and harnessing the power that XNA 3.0 offers.
Great Reference Too! August 7, 2009
Andriy Drozdyuk (Toronto, Canada)
I see a lot of people giving this book 4/5 just for it being too basic for them. This is what I thought too when I first read it.
However, you must understand that were this book shines is not in it's depth, but in breadth. It's great reference and resource for further research into the topic of interest.
For example when porting my PC game to XBOX, all I had to do is crack open the XBOX chapter (which I hastily skipped the first time I read the book as I found it irrelevant). All I needed to know about xbox and it's quirks, and where to start. Easy!
The book is also very well written. I don't mean it only in the "correct grammar" kind of way. You can approach any chapter individually and get the information that you need.
I also liked how some of the "edge" cases were explored where it was applicable. For example author points out the XACT does not work for ZUNE and presents an alternate solution. Basic? Yes, but necessary AND sufficient knowledge.
This is a great book. True, it's a great "first" book, but this just means it has to be the first book on Your shelf. Follow it up with Riemers book and you are good to go!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
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