5 comments about Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide (Nrg-Programming).

1. In an industry still in its infancy, but with more of a history than most people realize, comes a couple of experienced pros to share their experiences and understanding of the phenomena of online games. This book is chock full of real numbers and real documents as well as anecdotal material to back it all up. Jessica and Bridgette give the floor to some well known designer/developers to let them share their experiences with us, too. And most of it is in Ms. Mulligan's slightly ascerbic but eternally hopeful-that-we'll-finally-get-it, wit that we have come to know and love in her Biting the Hand online games column. If you are about to spend several million dollars on one of these modern epics or have some part of the responsibility of getting one to market, you have to have this book right by your side all the way through the process. Great forward from Raph Korsten (Ultima Online, SWG), good stuff from Gordon Walton (Kesmai Games, EA, SOE), Jonathan Baron (XBox Online), Damion Schubert (Meridian59, Shadowbane), and several others. Looking forward to her next book in the series - how to manage one of these beasts!



2. The know-how of professional in game programming are like a gold mine. You can buy this one and take some for you. Great book.



3. I've always been curious as to what is the appeal of online games. It seems to be a thinly-veneered way of getting anti-social computer users to interact in a pseudo-social environment. My roommate is a big fan of Dark Ages of Camelot, and the devotion he places into playing the game on a regular basis confounds me.

   I picked up this book to try and see what the key ingredients are that make some games flop and others flourish. I learned that it's service. Most computer games leave the publishers office, and are never dealt with again, except for patches and such. Online gaming requires a certain amount of devotion after publishing that many game publishing companies don't understand. A persistent world requires persistent staff, running servers, customer service, etc.

   The book is excellent for developers; they will see the pitfalls and dedication they must place into a game during and after placing them on the retail shelves. I was more interested in the social aspects of gaming from the point of view of the player, and I wasn't that impressed with the book. If you use my review as a basis to purchase/not purchase this book, understand that I wasn't the target audience that this was directed to.




4. Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide is worth reading if you are making an MMOG because the cost of admission is low relative to the cost of making an online game. I know this because of the three useful facts presented in the book:
   
   MMOGs are expensive to make
   MMOGs require expensive support and development after launch
   MMOGs are complex
   
   You probably knew this already though - in which case you would be wondering why you should buy the book? The answer is that the book drills these facts into your head through repetition over 500 pages. If you plan to spend 20 million to make an MMO it's good to get these facts clear.
   
   If you were looking for practical information from which to build an MMO you won't much in this book. While the the technical reviewer's qualifications are strong the authors have only worked in management positions.
   
   Developing Online Games wasn't useful to me as a developer but producers and managers should pick up a copy.



5. This book focuses on the elements necessary to develop a successful launch of an online game. In order to have the successful launch, the book looks at what needs to be considers in creating the game from the development team's point of view. The assumption is that you know how to code, you know what kind of game you want to create and you have the resources to create one. But this is the toolbox for the pre-launch, launch and the post-launch. It is an interesting look at the theories behind creating your game for longevity. The post launch is probably the most interesting phase from this point of view.
   
   "It isn't your game, it's the player's game."
   
   This has been written more for Persistent World Games as they need a community for them to thrive. There are chapters that look at how to build these communities and nurture them so they continue playing your (or is it their?) game. One chapter looks at the different players you will encounter that can help, hinder or downright sabotage the success of a game (the 3 broad groups are aptly called Barbarians, Tribesmen and Citizens).
   
   This book is also worth a look for the Online Timeline starting in 1986 and the anecdotes from games that worked and games that didn't. You might chuckle a bit in remembrance of some of the events mentioned, like the first testing of Quake in 1995. If you are looking to develop a game that has a following, there are definitely some tips here worth knowing about.
   
   Ghada
   www.ZoDAL.net
   New Zealand

1 comments about Mind at Play: The Psychology of Video Games.

1. Among other available books about video games, the most important and unique contribution of this book is the attempt to discuss the video game phenomenon from a psychological perspective. For example, the theory of partial reinforcement is used to explain why people are hooked and addicted to the various video games. The author ascribed the cause to the rewarding but unpredictable feedback of a game, which gives the players a feeling of "almost getting there" and the victory is likely to be "right around the corner". This leads to the highest motivation and quitting the games becomes difficult. This book as a whole starts with similar arguments and explanations like this, which is interesting and illuminating. But, the latter half of the book is a bit irrelevant and disappointing, especially the last chapter about basic concepts of computer such as what are memory, input / output and CPU. This should no longer be able to interest the readers of today. Though it is understandable that there are actually not many serious researches and findings done about video games, the author seems to include this part in order to have enough to make up a book. Altogether, this book is a summary of psychological theories related to video games, and I think this book is a good background reading for studying video games.

5 comments about Homeworld 2 (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. Simply put, this book is a horrible excuse for a game guide. After reading the original Homeworld guide, one would expect better for a game much tougher than the original. The guide contains many exeprts straight from the game manual. The game guide does not give specific directions for the single player campaign (the main reason one buys a game guide), only broad strategies that any decent gamer could have come up with on their own. Some major game events listed in the guide do not even happen in the game! I am not sure if that is due to bugs or misleading writing but is obvious that the writers played very little (if any) of the game themselves and only wrote what they were told to by the project management. To be blunt, the guide is impersonal and flat out inacurate in its strategies for Homeworld 2. Very dissapointing.



2. The Homeworld2 strategy guide contains the critical hints and tips that are necessary to beat the game without loosing the element of surprise in exploring the rich single-player campaign.

   Written by Dan Irish, the Executive Producer of Homeworld2, he lends a lot of in-depth strategies and a ton of backstory to an already rich universe.

   Contrary to other reviews, many others on the relicnews.com forums and www.homeworld2.com have raved about the complexity of the game that is revealed in this book. No Homeworld fan should be without one.




3. Homeworld rocks, but the single player campaign can be pretty difficult, what with the reactive fleet and all. I read some strategy guides online, but this book had a rocking walkthrough for the campaign, as well as a ton of additional tips from the designers (who'd have thought of using scouts' EMP against the keepers?).
   I don't know what axe our reviewer from Chicago has to grind, but Dan Irish was the producer of this title, so he would have had
   extensive access to the game, and I think the content of this book shows. There are three chapters dedicated to the single player campaign walkthough - what more could you want?
   This book gave me 2 positives: I enjoyed reading it - it's written in a very militaristic style, and the information it gave me helped me to improve my game in ways I would have never thought of.



4. The Homeworld 2 Strategy Guide has lots of info; LOTS. It starts out with a listing of some changes from Homeworld to its sequal. This was very helpful to me, being a Homeworld fan for a long time. It then goes on with the ship listing.
   Yes, they stole some quotes from the ship listing in the manual... but they also included a comprehensive Pro-Con listing for each ship. They then went through with you some basic fleet control and strategy, which is very important considering Homeworld 2 is a very unique game, even from Homeworld. It discussed how ships relate with each other, work against each other, and what balance is required and how it can vary. The guide then went into specific strategies, not all military. While I don't use any of these directly in a game, I used the basis of one and evolved it so far that it eventually became an entirely different strategy... a very good one.
   Then the singleplayer walkthrough. Boy was this GOOD! I recall while playing the game reports of bugs in the single player campaign, making it impossible to proceed and win until the patch. Well, not even knowing it, the guide bypassed the error and let me proceed to win! The guide not only reveals surprises, but hidden elements on the map that can give you am edge against your enemy.

   however, once you read through the guide about 5 times, you memorize it all and it becomes useless, and you should sell it. Nevertheless it's a good thing to buy for a newbie, as they can learn important skills before they head into the real world of Homeworld 2.




5. I am in broad agreement with the other reviewers, but i would like to add that this is the only place you can get the full backstory of the conflict, and that is a really good real and really helpful to get into the why of this conflict. Highly recomended.

3 comments about Collecting Star Wars Toys 1977-Present: An Unauthorized Practical Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. greAT



2. I really should not review this book because most of the stuff photographed in it is mine. But I saw this book and loved it so I will share a little bit with you. This is a really great book with a large varity of Star Wars Toys and other Star Wars items. The pictures are all in color and very large. Every toy with the exception of 4 from the original Kenner 3 3/4 line are displayed in the book. Most toys from the new line are displayed also, along with everything from cereal boxes to the command tower swing set. This is a great book to use as a referance for collectors new and old.



3. Overall, I'd give this book very good rating (three-and-a-half stars... but I rounded up to 4). It was fun to flip through, and includes a nice sample of full color pictures (including several that may be difficult to find elsewhere). It also shows you a sample of items from a wide variety of categories. It is very heavy on figures (a plus), and also covers a wide variety of other items including plush toys, glasses/mugs, games, cereal boxes, cards, comics, and even stained glass sun catchers. However, the book is not exhaustive/comprehensive in any one area. For example, it doesn't show you every vintage figure ever made... or the various card variation. Nor does it show you every vehicle or playset ever made... or their boxes. The same is true for comics, cards, etc.. Further, there is NOT a lot of information/text/description. Finally, there is a picture of a 1977 Luke figure with a BLUE light saber very early on in the book (this really bugged me, and unfortunately made me question the accuracy of some of the other pictures). Overall, this book provides a nice overview of Star Wars collectables (i.e., if you want to know a little about everything, this may be the book for you). It would also be a good backup book if you already have a good primary source on a given area. However, this book is not for the person who wants in-depth information/photos from any one area (i.e., if you want to know a lot about JUST cards, comics, or figures, there are probably other books you might consider buying first).

No comments about Games on Symbian OS: A Handbook for Mobile Development (Symbian Press).

4 comments about Sonic Adventure 2: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. I really liked this book.It follows the game of Sonic Adventure 2 very well.In the beginning, sonic is making his way down a down-hill slope, escaping some sort of military attack,and in the end,he has to do some more running escaping from a giant truck that takes up the entire road!!!!This book will keep you on the edge of your seat,folks!So, to all of you readers out there, this is a book you'll enjoy. Chow!!!



2. Very resourceful and complete. Detailed maps for each stages, hints, tips and boss explanations! Covers the Story, Characters, Controls, Hero Story, Dark Story and Last Story. Highly Recommended!! If you have Sonic Adventure 2 BUY THIS ITEM!



3. This guide is great helped me alot to find those things that I just couldn't seem to be able to find as well as with the chaos I like giudes to help me get te full experience from a game and this one did.



4. The SA2 Prima Guide is very helpful but is has a few mistakes in it. 1. Page 5 In the section Knuckles and Rouge Punch or Kick attack. They have a picture of Eggman instead of Knuckles. 2. Page 6 In the swimming section it shows Rouge using her treasure scope instead of swimming. 3. Page 39 For Mission 4 In Metal Harbor it says you have 5 minutes. This is not true you only have 2 minutes in the game.

1 comments about Thief II: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. This guide is the one and only one you should get if you need help. It can ruin a lot of suprises, but if you beat the game, I suggest using this to go back and find all the secrets. Also, you'll never have more fun reading the storyline.

No comments about Elizabeth's Video Fever (Sweet Valley Kids).

5 comments about Microsoft Age of Empires Inside Moves: Inside Moves.

1. This book tells you in detail everything in a scenario you need to know to win. The book offers deeper insight on the historical aspects of the game, making it a different experience altogether.



2. Don't buy this book expecting alot. I could get much better tips for FREE from somebodys webpage.This book in my opinion is a waste of time if you plan to read it, and a waste of money if you plan to buy it. I hope if you read my review you will be smart enough not to buy this book.



3. I got this book free with the game, and it proved to be a waste of my time. Its only strong point is telling you how to beat the scenarios--and it isn't much fun to play them if you already know everything in them=no challenge or surprises. As far as strategy--WHAT strategy??? The only strategy I saw was "archers attack well in groups." As far as civilization strengths, you get that information in the tiny book that comes with the game anyway. Why pay money to read the same thing in more verbose language. If all you have is the information in this book, be prepared to be laughed at if you play anyone who has ANY experience with the game! Free web sites galore give you REAL information. I don't think this book was worth what I paid for it, which was nothing, since I got it for free. I'm ashamed of Microsoft for foisting off such worthless stuff when they could have made a great guide for a great game.



4. This book was awsome! Just the historical section was worth the 13 bucks. If you like Age of Empires fan, this is a must buy



5. I found the book very helpful. I am something of a newbie to the game. I have played AOE both 1 and 2 for only a couple of months but I found this book a real help in picking up some of the more subtle aspects of the game's dynamics.

   Compared to the Inside Moves Edition strategy guide for AOE 2, this one is far superior. Kent has obviously done quite a bit of work on figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of the various units. There are comparisons and contrasts and useful strategy suggestions. I particularly liked the discussions of the times required for particular units of one type to vanquish units of another type. The book would have been better for including yet MORE of this kind of information (e.g. How many stone age club men does it take to kill an Iron Age chariot archer? How does one recover from certain tactical mistakes and unit mismatches? What do you do when facing a catapult and you only have archers? etc.) The author goes into detail when explaining how he experimented using the scenario editor and explains this process to the user so that even the newbies can continue their educations beyond the book.

   The walkthroughs were readable, the instructions were clear and complete and the advice is good, given that the suggestions worked and behaved as indicated. The section on multi-player gaming may have been a bit light, but then, experience is definitely the best teacher in that realm and everyone has their own style. There may indeed be more extensive information on the various fan web sites, but as a tutorial, reference, and walkthough guide, I find the book useful and recommend it.

1 comments about Tony Hawk's American Wasteland(tm) Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. Gives you pictures and written descriptions and hints on how to do the tricks and gives you good aerial maps of Hollywood. Glad I bought it, it's helped me beat some goals that I was struggling with.