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Want to develop games for Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7? This hands-on book will get you started with Microsoft's XNA 4.0 development framework right away -- even if you have no experience developing games. Although XNA includes several key concepts that can be difficult for beginning web developers to grasp, Learning XNA 4.0 shortens the learning curve by walking you through the framework in a clear and understandable step-by-step format.
Each chapter offers a self-contained lesson with illustrations and annotated examples, along with exercises and review questions to help you test your understanding and practice new skills as you go. Once you've finished this book, you'll know how to develop your own sophisticated games from start to finish.
Learn game development from 2D animation to 3D cameras and effects
Delve into high-level shader language (HLSL) and introductory artificial intelligence concepts
Build three complete, exciting games using 2D, 3D, and multiplayer techniques
Develop for and deploy your games to the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7
List of contents
Dedication
Preface
Chapter 1: What's New in XNA 4.0?
Chapter 2: Getting Started
Chapter 3: Fun with Sprites
Chapter 4: User Input and Collision Detection
Chapter 5: Applying Some Object-Oriented Design
Chapter 6: Sound Effects and Audio
Chapter 7: Basic Artificial Intelligence
Chapter 8: Putting It All Together
Chapter 9: 3D Game Development
Chapter 10: 3D Models
Chapter 11: Creating a First-Person Camera
Chapter 12: 3D Collision Detection and Shooting
Chapter 13: HLSL Basics
Chapter 14: Particle Systems
Chapter 15: Wrapping Up Your 3D Game
Chapter 16: Deploying to the Xbox 360
Chapter 17: Developing for Windows Phone 7
Chapter 18: Multiplayer Games
Answers to Quizzes and Exercises
Colophon
About the author
Aaron Reed has extensive software development experience and more importantly, experience in software development education. Since 2004 he has taught courses at Neumont University in .NET, web development and web services, XNA, systems design and architecture, and more.
Aaron's experience in teaching both DirectX and XNA for several years to university-level students helps him understand what topics are easily understood and which ones need more depth and emphasis. Through experience in the classroom he also has a good understanding of what format and sequence makes the most sense to present the material. This book follows that format and is meant to present game development concepts in the way most efficient and most comprehendible as proven in the classroom.
Summary
Want to develop games for Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7? This hands-on book will get you started with Microsoft's XNA 4.0 development framework right away -- even if you have no experience developing games.
