Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide: An Introduction to XNA Game Programming

Book Description

Bring your gaming visions to life with Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express

Create complete 3D games using Microsoft XNA Game Studio Express and this hands-on guide. Written by experienced game developers, Microsoft XNA Game Studio Creator's Guide details the fundamentals of great game programming and offers detailed examples.

Inside, you'll learn to program a game engine, write shader code, create and animate 3D models, and add fluid motion and special effects. You'll also find out how to launch ballistics, add realistic scenery and terrain, and integrate lighting and textures. Step-by-step tutorials on underlying C# code and explanations of vector and matrix techniques are included.

• Build and dynamically update XNA game windows and custom 3D objects
• Learn scintillating animation techniques
• Create lifelike skyboxes, textures, lighting, and shading effects
• Program shaders using high-level shader language
• Develop single- and multi-player games
• Generate and code terrain with height detection
• Construct impressive graphics using sprites, multi-texturing, and blending
• Integrate audio, game dashboards, and score tracking
• Develop realistic collision detection, ballistics, and particle effects
• HaHHhhndle keyboard, mouse, and game controller input
• Create static *.fbx and animated Quake 2 models and control them in code

About the Author

Stephen Cawood is a former program manager at Microsoft Corporation. He has written several gaming titles.

Pat McGee is a faculty member and course developer at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He is a game programmer.