Now you can build your own games for your Xbox 360®, Windows® Phone 7, or Windows-based PC—as you learn the underlying concepts for computer programming. Use this hands-on guide to dive straight into your first project—adding new tools and tricks to your arsenal as you go. No experience required!
Learn XNA and C# fundamentals—and increase the challenge with each chapter
Write code to create and control game behavior
Build your game’s display—from graphics and text to lighting and 3-D effects
Capture and cue sounds
Process input from keyboards and gamepads
Create features for one or multiple players
Tweak existing games—and invent totally new ones
Getting Started
Chapter 1 Computers, C#, XNA, and You
Introduction
How the Book Works
C# and XNA
Getting Started
Writing Your First Program
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 2 Programs, Data, and Pretty Colors
Introduction
Making a Game Program
Working with Colors
Controlling Color
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 3 Getting Player Input
Introduction
Reading a Gamepad
Using the Keyboard
Adding Vibration
Program Bugs
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Images, Sound, and Text
Chapter 4 Displaying Images
Introduction
Resources and Content
Using Resources in a Game
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 5 Writing Text
Introduction
Text and Computers
Getting the Date and Time
Making a Prettier Clock with 3-D Text
Creating Fake 3-D
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 6 Creating a Multi-Player Game
Introduction
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 7 Playing Sounds
Adding Sound
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 8 Creating a Timer
Making Another Game
Finding Winners Using Arrays
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 9 Reading Text Input
Using the Keyboard in XNA
Working with Arrays, Objects, and References
Displaying Keys
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Writing Proper Games
Chapter 10 Using C# Methods to Solve Problems
Introduction
Playing with Images
Creating a Zoom-Out
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 11 A Game as a C# Program
Introduction
Creating Game Graphics
Projects, Resources, and Classes
Creating Game Objects
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 12 Games, Objects, and State
Introduction
Adding Bread to Your Game
Adding Tomato Targets
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 13 Making a Complete Game
Introduction
Making a Finished Game
Improving Code Design
Adding a Background
Adding a Title Screen
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 14 Classes, Objects, and Games
Introduction
Design with Objects
Classes and Structures
References
Value and Reference Types
Creating a Sprite Class Hierarchy
Adding a Deadly Pepper
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 15 Creating Game Components
Introduction
Objects and Abstraction
Constructing Class Instances
Adding 100 Killer Tangerines
Adding Artificial Intelligence
Adding Game Sounds
From Objects to Components
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 16 Creating Multi-Player Networked Games
Introduction
Networks and Computers
Xbox Live
Bread and Cheese Pong
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Making Mobile Games for Windows Phone 7 with XNA
Chapter 17 Motion-Sensitive Games
Introduction
The Accelerometer
Acceleration and Physics
Creating a “Cheese Lander” Tipping Game
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 18 Exploring Touch Input
Introduction
The Windows Phone Touch Screen
Creating a Panic Button
Creating a Touch Drumpad
Creating a Shuffleboard Game
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 19 Mobile Game Development
Introduction
The Windows Phone
Maximizing the Phone Battery Life in XNA Games
Dealing with Changes in Phone Orientation
Using a Specific Display Size for Windows Phone Games
Hiding the Windows Phone Status Bar
Stopping the Screen Timeout from Turning Off Your Game
Creating a Phone State Machine
Handing Incoming Phone Calls
A Game as a Windows Phone Application
Getting Your Games into the Marketplace
Conclusion
Chapter Review Questions
Appendix Answers to the Chapter Review Questions
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Appendix About the Author
Rob Miles
Title:
Microsoft® XNA® Game Studio 4.0: Learn Programming Now!
Rob Miles has been teaching computer programming for more than 25 years. An expert on Visual C#® and a Microsoft® MVP for Device Application Development, Rob enjoys inspiring new and experienced programmers. As well as writing his own games, programs, and poetry, Rob has consulted on a wide range of commercial software projects.
Comments about Microsoft Press Microsoft® XNA® Game Studio 4.0: Learn Programming Now!:
This product is good for beginners starting using XNA Game Studio. The book is covering only textures 2D with some detail. some code examples are not working due to lack of some files
9/4/2011
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
4.0
A good book to begin with
By Arindam Bhattacharya
from Kolkata, India
About Me Developer
Pros
Easy to understand
Helpful examples
Well-written
Cons
Best Uses
Intermediate
Comments about Microsoft Press Microsoft® XNA® Game Studio 4.0: Learn Programming Now!:
A very good introductory book on Microsoft XNA and game programming.
4/2/2011
(5 of 6 customers found this review helpful)
3.0
Good, but marred by numerous errors.
By jupina
from Montreal, Qc
About Me Game
Pros
Concise
Easy to understand
Helpful examples
Cons
Too many errors
Best Uses
Novice
Student
Comments about Microsoft Press Microsoft® XNA® Game Studio 4.0: Learn Programming Now!:
I already had very basic knowledge of programming when I first started learning XNA with this book. In my case, it was ideal to strengthen all the concepts needed for programming.
This books offers a good gradual learning curve for people who want to learn programming but only have very basic knowledge. However, there are mistakes or short but vital missing information which makes the understanding of some concepts almost impossible in some situations. For some chapters, you're actually forced to download the source code of the book to look into it because some important explanations are entirely missing from the actual text.
It's too bad because I really enjoyed reading it, but I'd only recommend to wait for a new revised edition.
NB: I tried to submit errata from this website, but since we can only submit 1 at once, I abandoned the idea. It would have taken too much time to enter each individual error one at a time. I would have needed a "for loop" to do that instead :P
