Books to help you with a career in video games

Making a video game is the ultimate in creativity. You can make complete games or you can focus on specific areas of game making like level design, story telling, quest creation, graphic design or character model making. The creative routes you can pursue are almost endless. You can even do music and sound for games. And if you are on a tight budget you will be glad to hear that a lot of this stuff can be done for free! You just have to know what software to get and how to use it. Everything you need is right here whether you want to do it for fun or you are considering a career in video game making.

Hot Jobs In Video Games (Young Adult book)

Every kid knows playing video games is fun, but making them is serious business! Cool Careers for Gamers offers readers an introduction to the world of game development by profiling professionals with jobs kids can relate and aspire to. How about making sure golf superstar Tiger Woods looks as lifelike as possible, or picking out songs for a new iteration of Guitar Hero? Someone has to do it! This book shows that the challenge of creating games can be just as much fun as playing them.

Video Game Design Revealed (Revealed (Charles River Media))

Whether you are a professional game developer working in an established studio or a creative thinker interested in trying your hand at game design, "Video Game Design Revealed" will show you the steps and processes involved in bringing a video game from concept to completion. Beginning with an overview of the history of video games and an examination of the elements of successful games, the book breaks down the video game design process into its simplest elements and builds from there. You'll learn how to take an idea and tweak it into a viable game based on the genre, market, game style, and subject matter, moving on to creating and organizing a timeline for the production of the game. Once you've mapped out your game production plan and gathered all the information you need, you'll learn how to choose the development platform and other technologies that best suit the game you've designed, add sound and graphics, and apply game mechanics such as whether the game will be single-player or multiplayer and what levels and objects to add to your game to make it challenging and interesting. "Video Game Design Revealed" concludes with guidelines on how to compose a proposal to be used to present your idea to the game industry as well as tips and information on how to find and contact game studios, publishers, and investors to help you make your game design a reality.

Game Development Essentials: An Introduction - Game Development Essentials: An Introduction, 2nd Edition offers a thorough and insightful introduction to the game development industry, with industry updates that will keep readers current and well-prepared for a career in the field. The book begins with a highly informative chapter on the evolution of game development, providing a historical context for later chapters, and moves on to examine content creation and the concepts behind the development of story, character, environment, level design, user interface, and sound. With the same engaging writing style and examples that made the first edition so popular, this new edition features expanded coverage of today's hottest topics - such as next-generation platforms (Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii), level design, interface design, project management, serious games, game accessibility, and online social networks. New game-related technology, development techniques, and the latest research in the field make this an invaluable resource for anyone entering the exciting, competitive, ever-changing world of game development.

Introduction to Game Development, Second Edition Welcome to Introduction to Game Development, Second Edition, the new edition of the book that combines the wisdom and expertise of more than twenty game industry professionals to give you a unique introduction to all aspects of game development, from design to programming to business and production. Organized around the curriculum guidelines of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), the book is divided into seven independent sections, each featuring articles written by the experts on those topics. Suitable for both an introductory game development course or as a reference for game developers and designers, the book offers coverage of all the key concepts and ideas that encompass game development, while providing real-life examples and practical insight. Fully revised for today's technology, this second edition features an expanded section on game design, a new chapter on game writing and interactive storytelling, and much more. And the accompanying CD-ROM contains all the source code, demos, art files, and other materials referenced throughout the book. Introduction to Game Development, Second Edition is a must-have resource for anyone who wants to understand the entire game development process.

TechCareers: Gaming Programmers & Artists From Pong to the newest iPhone application, the gaming industry re-creates itself daily. This book provides the information to stay current on the advancements in the field. TechCareers: Computer Gaming provides readers a thorough overview of graphics and programming, personal testament from experienced gamers and knowledge for success in the workforce. This TSTC Tech Careers Series book includes employment outlook, salary ranges, career paths, job duties, work schedules, sample degree plans, lists of employers and technicians and skills required. The book also lists gaming programs throughout the nation.

Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management: Game Project Management

Game Development Essentials: Game Project Management is the only book on the market that offers a comprehensive introduction to game project management in an informal and accessible style, while concentrating on both theory and practice. This book offers an overview of the game project management process including: roles and responsibilities of team members; phases of production; concept development; testing, marketing; scheduling; and budgeting. The fast-growing game industry has fueled rapid upward movement of game production staff into the ranks of management. This book will train readers in the tools and techniques necessary to become effective team leaders.

Paid to Play: An Insider's Guide to Video Game Careers

*Unique - Currently there are NO OTHER video game career guides with over 100 interviews from current, working game professionals. They are fully candid and give readers an unvarnished look inside the industry. The biggest secret? It's actually work.
*Written by Insiders - The authors are a professional, registered Career Counselor and two game writers who have worked on over 1000 game reviews, 70 strategy guides, and scripted storylines for over five different video games.
*Total Coverage - The authors will be interviewing over 100 professionals, all of them in different jobs within the video game industry. This will give readers a complete overview of what jobs there are in the industry and which ones may be suited to their talents. Rather than a vague list or a focus on programming and development, Paid to Play will blanket the various fields that are utilized in the world of video games.

Video Games (Career Launcher)

Game Art: Creation, Direction, and Careers (Game Development) (Game Development) Game Art: Creation, Direction, and Careers is written to give 3D artists who want to move into the games industry the tools and techniques they need to be successful. It is also written for practicing game artists looking to increase their knowledge and skills so they can advance to the next level.

Game Plan: The Insider's Guide to Breaking In and Succeeding in the Computer and Video Game Business The video game industry is hot and becoming more and more popular every year. -One of the fastest growing entertainment industries (even larger than film!) -Over 50,000 people in the U.S. alone are employed by interactive gaming companies -Video gaming makes more than six billion dollars in annual revenue. Game Plan-the only insiders guide to the video game bus-iness-reveals how to break in, survive, and produce video games for successful game companies. Industry insiders Gershenfeld, Loparco, and Barajas take readers on a journey from game conception to pre-production to launch and behind the scenes to detail everything from job types to assessing skills to getting a foot in the door. With Game Plan, getting a job in the gaming industry has never been simpler!

Get in the Game: Careers in the Game Industry Have you dreamed of obtaining a game industry job? Get in the Game will help you achieve this! This friendly guide shows you step-by-step how to prepare yourself for a game industry career. With insights from over a dozen industry experts, it's the only guide you will need for training yourself then finding a game industry job.

Computer Game Designer (Virtual Apprentice) Discover what it's like to bring games to life!"Virtual Apprentice: Computer Game Designer" is a perfect hands-on career guide for kids who love computer games.Profiles of working professionals, "Reality Check" sidebars, QctAs between real-life kids and pros, and a "Count Me In" journal feature help readers get a you-are-there feel for this exciting job. Loaded with full-color and black-and-white photographs and written in a lively tone, this entertaining guide allows kids to test-drive their dream career as a computer game designer.Chapters include: Get Ready for Action; Game Designer on the Job; The High-Speed Evolution of Electronic Games; Game Designer in Training; The "Players" Who Bring Games to Life; Kids Ask, Game Designers Answer; and, Game Designer for a Day.