Video games are a popular form of media, and today it is easier than ever for people to create their own. This title explores the history and future of gaming technology, as well as the equipment, skills, challenges, and marketing strategies involved in designing and releasing video games. It also looks at the differences between big-budget developers and independent developers. Features include a glossary, references, websites, source notes, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Join videogame industry veteran Michael Thornton Wyman on a series of detailed, behind-the-scenes tours with the teams that have made some of the most popular and critically acclaimed videogames of the modern era. Drawing on insider's perspectives from a wide variety of teams, learn about the creation of a tiny, independent game project (World of Goo), casual game classics (Diner Dash, Bejeweled Twist), the world's most popular social game (FarmVille) as well as the world's most popular MMORPG (World of Warcraft), PC titles (Half Life 2) to AAA console games (Madden NFL 10), and modern-day masterpieces (Little Big Planet, Rock Band, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves). Hear directly from the creators about how these games were made, and learn from their stories from the trenches of videogames production. This book is an excellent resource for those working directly on game design or production, for those aspiring to work in the field, or for anyone who has wondered how the world's greatest videogames get made.

Unleash your creativity and bring your game ideas to life with How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself. Written by games industry veteran Matt Hackett, this inspirational and motivational guide takes you through the process of discovering your passion, picking the right game engine, and finding the fun in your unique game. Filled with advice, personal anecdotes, handmade illustrations, and quotes from renowned game developers, this book is the ultimate resource for creative folks looking to make their own video game. It’s a lean, practical guide that gives you the tough love and encouragement you need to ship your game! Let’s get started.

Fun introduction to game development by well-known game designer using PuzzleScript, a free online tool for creating puzzles/platform games. PuzzleScript is a free, web-based tool you can use to create puzzle games. In a PuzzleScript game, you move objects around to solve problems and play through the levels. In Make Your Own PuzzleScript Games! you'll learn how to use PuzzleScript to create interactive games--no programming experience necessary! Learn the basics like how to make objects, create rules, and add levels. You'll also learn how to edit, test, and share your games online. Learn how to: Decorate your game with fun backgrounds Write rules that define how objects interact Add obstacles like laser guns and guards Herd cats and even pull off a robot heist! With colorful illustrations and plenty of examples for inspiration, Make Your Own PuzzleScript Games! will take you from puzzle solver to game designer in just a few clicks!

Learn to make interactive games with Scratch—the beginner-friendly, block-based programming language from the MIT Media Lab! Anna Anthropy, game designer extraordinaire, will show you how to do everything from building a game map to creating animations and debugging the end product. Take a peek inside the history of video game design, learn programming basics, and turn your ideas into creative games that you can play and share with your friends. Learn how to: •Draw characters like a hungry, leaf-eating bug •Animate characters—make them walk, jump, climb, and fall! •Create objects for your player to collect and obstacles to avoid •Design multiple levels to create a cave exploring platform game •Create sound effects and music for your games •Share your games online and use player feedback to improve your games Isn’t it time to Make Your Own Scratch Games? The world is waiting! Covers Scratch 3.0

Level design connects the player to the game through challenges, experiences, and emotions. This book is an invaluable introduction to the evolving practices of Level Designers across the games industry. The increasingly complex role of the Level Designer requires technical and creative skill as it brings together architecture, art, player psychology, interaction design, usability, and experience design. This book explores in detail the principles designers employ when planning levels and building engaging spaces for the player. As well as practical approaches to level design, the book delves into the theoretical underpinnings of the processes and charts a path towards thinking like a Level Designer. Throughout the book you will be guided through the fundamentals of level design: each chapter builds on the types of research, ideation, best practices, and methodologies Level Designers employ when creating prototypes and shipped games. A series of interviews with designers and case studies from game studios examine the application of industry-wide expertise used to create triple-A and indie game titles. By the end of this book you will have gained valuable insight into the role of a Level Designer and be able to devise, plan, and build your own engaging and entertaining game levels.

The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Media Management and Business connects research and industry practice to offer a strategic guide for aspiring and current media professionals in convergent environments. As a comprehensive one-stop reference for understanding business issues that drive the production and distribution of content that informs, entertains, and persuades audiences, aims to inspire and inform forward-thinking media management leaders. The handbook examines media management and business through a convergent media approach, rather than focusing on medium-specific strategies. By reflecting media management issues in the information, entertainment, sports, gaming industries, contributed chapters explore the unique opportunities and challenges brought by media convergence, while highlighting the fundamental philosophy, concepts, and practices unchanged in such a dynamic environment. this handbook examines media management through a global perspective, and encourages readers to connect their own diverse development to a broader global context. It is an important addition to the growing literature in media management, with a focus on new media technologies, business management, and internationalization.