3 comments about Basic Game Design & Creation for Fun & Learning (Game Development Series).Book & CD-ROM..

1. Tired of your kids playing video games? Buy this book.
   Easy to follow, my 10 and 14 year olds are using this book and having a great time. It is has step by step instructions. They are having fun designing and creating their own game.
   No prior experience necessary.
   I hope that more books like this are in the works.



2. This is a welcome addition to the game development bookshelf. It is oriented to having youngsters begin designing games. If you have a young boy or girl, and they are into playing games on a PC, this book is intended to get them into designing their own games.
   
   The book uses, and supplies a copy on the CD-ROM, Game Maker software. This is a 2D game development system that allows for the creation of games without requiring programming. Building a game, hoever, is not unlike programming. You have to define what the characters look like, you have to define what they can do. You are doing a lot of the same logic that programming requires.
   
   Perhaps your little game player can be made into a game maker. And just possibly he or she will learn something about computers while they are developing their own game. Possibly this will give them an introduction into what they want to do later in life, not necessarily design games, but almost any task in the computer industry.
   
   I know of no other books that take this approach, and I like it.



3. I bought this book for my kid to learn GameMaker. A very good book for beginners.

2 comments about God of War: Chains of Olympus Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Official Strategy Guides).

1. This guide is well laid out. The bestiary, photos, and campaign walkthrough are top notch. I really liked the sections that explained the Greek myths, which provided extra background info about the characters in the game. It was definitely an abbreviated history lesson. The guide also contains lots of concept art in the back. You also get a nice rundown of all the hitpoints for all the enemies. All the combos are explained. If you are a fan of the series, you can't go wrong with this little guide.



2. The GoW guides are some of the best out there because the include every tiny bit on what you have to do in the game. I also liked that the Bestilery has improved and is a lot more clear. The only problem I have with this is that it doesnt show you the bonus costumes that you unlock as Kratos. So overall this is a very good guide and it comes in handy a lot.

5 comments about Final Fantasy IX Official Strategy Guide.

1. I have pretty much the same gripes as everyone else. Although the Internet is faster, more widespread, and more reliable than when this guide was first released, I still don't approve of essentially half of the guide being on PlayOnline. It's a nuisance to have to stop in the course of a game, and it takes the information away from your fingertips. Aren't you entitled to have the full guide in front of you at all times, seeing as you paid for it? I think so.
   
   The bestiary is also very lacking, so much that I don't even refer to it. The descriptions of boss battles seem thrown together at the last minute, and they don't really offer much insight. There is a wealth of information about the game in here, so the guide isn't worthless, but I still would have liked a much better one.



2. For an "official strategy guide", this book is very short on strategy.
   
   Apparently, the idea with this book was to make it more interactive. It frequently points you to an official Square company website and has you use keywords to find the information you need. "For more strategies against this boss, or to find a special treasure in that room, go to the site and input such-and-such keyword!" Interesting idea in theory. Very bad in practice.
   
   First of all, how many people have the time to leap up to their computers in the middle of the game and hit a website? It can be done, but that is so annoying. The point of having a dead-tree guide is to have the info at your finger tips when you need it. But a huge chunk of the info can't be found in the book. Useless.
   
   And just to add insult to injury, the website is barely functional. If you actually do go there and input a keyword from the guide, there's a good chance that you'll get back an error message telling you the page you want doesn't exist. Gee, how wonderful that the main feature of this interactive strategy guide **frequently doesn't work**. Of course, you may be spared the annoyance of the website not working, because instead you'll suffer from the annoyance of not even being able to find it. While it is still up, it is no longer at the playonline URL included in the book and is not easy to find.
   
   Now, the actual book-portion of the guide does have some good info that you don't have to coerce the website into giving up. For instance, in the book there are tables of all the learnable abilities, organized by which characters can learn them, complete with which items the character can learn them from. That is quite handy if, for some reason, you're hunting down a specific ability for a specific character. There is also an appendix of info about the monsters. This beastiary really is quite complete and, from what I've been able to see, quite accurate. Though, again, a fair amount of info about each monster has been redacted from the book and can only be found on the website.
   
   But the lion's share of the book (the walk through, side-quest info, and treasure hunting) is abysmally lacking. So no, this guide isn't completely useless, but it is mostly useless. Don't waste your money on this rip-off. Web-surf to a Final Fantasy IX fan site or to Gamefaqs instead. It's free and their strategy guides are much more informative.
   
   
   Pros:
   
   + Good info on abilities and monsters.
   
   
   Cons:
   
   - No info on pretty much everything else.
   - Partner website is hard to find and almost non-functional.
   - Complete waste of money.



3. This guide depends on the Final Fantasy IX online site to function. THIS SITE HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN. THIS BOOK IS NOW NON-FUNCTIONAL. DO NOT BUY.



4. Totally worthless. All of the in depth info that I buy strategy guides for is missing, with "Go to playonline for more information" tags everywhere. It's more worthwhile to just print out a guide from Gamefaqs.



5. Every page of this strategy guide says (at least once, often 2 or 3 times) "...and to find out EXACTLY how to do this or find that, visit our website!"...what a terrible, terrible, TERRIBLE idea for a strategy guide, and for one of the greatest RPGs ever made too! A real shame.

3 comments about Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Official Strategy Guide.

1. This guide is probably the guide that most people will consider to be one of DoubleJumps worst. Not because it is bad, but because it is, well, different. We are all used to DoubleJump guides being small and crammed to the brink with detail. This one is distributed through Prima so it is a full sized guide and as far as the detail, there isn't nearly as much to include. Almost all other DoubleJump guides are for epic RPGs and Tactical RPGs, games where there is so much stats and details that they will be huge guides. Since Devil Summoner is an action RPG, there simply isn't nearly the same amount of things to include to create a huge guide. What this one does have though, is sufficient.
   
   The guide goes through the basics and the overviews of characters, controls, etc. Pretty much the norm. Then it takes a page out of Nocturne's guide for anyone familiar with it. They show the area maps from each chapter in one section and then the actual walkthrough breakdown in the next one. While some people have issues with this, it can actually be quite nice for those of us who don't want to pass up any items, but also don't want to be lead by hand through the game either.
   
   The walkthrough is pretty much the meat of the guide, nothing too amazing. There is a secrets section, but surprisingly, there really isn't much in the way of hidden things in the game. There are several subquests or side stories covered in the walkthrough, but the secrets section itself only contains three or four major things (some of which are only for second playthrough).
   
   Luckily the wonderful job that DoubleJump has always done on bestiaries, demon fusion and item/magic tables hasn't changed at all. Everything is all laid out clearly and is easy to understand. For some people this may be the most used section, just to find out the enemies weaknesses.
   
   Overall, the guide isn't anything special. For those of us used to DoubleJump's monster "bible" guides, this isn't it. There just simply isn't that much information to put into the guide in comparison to those of other games. What is in the guide though, is done very well and in a clear and concise fashion. It is a good guide, but definately not a necessity for the game.



2. I have never played a game like this. Not only do you solve crimes but you also get to fight with a sword and a gun, not to mention demons! You can capture demons to which after you can summon them into battle. You can also summon them to help you solve crimes effectively. I reccomend the stratagy guide because some parts I was stuck on for a bit, but also so you can get a heads up on extras and demons. Besides, what's a great game like Devil Summoner without a Stratagy Guide? They just go together.



3. Awesome guide and the service / delivery was great too.

2 comments about Purge the Unclean (Warhammer Dark Heresy).

1. The production value of the book is well worth the price. I am amazed by the high-quality of what has been put out by the DH line so far. This is not an FFG reprint, but the original Black Industries printing distributed by FFG. This has more new backgrounds to create characters. It also had package deals for starting characters, alternate career paths, elite advance paths, as well as a new career . Furthermore, the equipment section is to drool over...A must for PCs and GMs alike!



2. This book contains THREE excellent adventures for the Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy role-playing game. All of the adventures take place in the Calixis Sector (i.e., the setting from Dark Heresy). The first adventure, Rejoice For You Are True, is an investigation into a heretical cult. The second adventure, Shades of Twilight, is a fast-paced adventure full of combat and danger within the corridors of a warped space hulk. The characters are even assisted by a Space Marine! The final adventure, Baron Hopes, is a horror-filled look into the corruption of Chaos and rebellion against the Empire.

No comments about Rune Factory 2 Official Strategy Guide.

2 comments about The Book of Games Volume 2: The Ultimate Reference on PC & Video Games (Book of Games series).

1. I was privileged to be sent an advance PDF copy of The Book of Games Volume 2 by author Bendik Stang, and having now completed my reading of this volume in one evening, I am eagerly looking forward to the print version. The Book of Games Vol. 2 has matured exponentially over its previous incarnation, which I feel is very appropriate as Volume 2 has a very pointed focus on the maturity which the videogame industry as a whole is experiencing. While I am still disappointed in regards to the lack of coverage in regards to the Guild Wars properties, that is largely due to personal bias, as I am a casually hardcore Guild Wars player. Now that I have my only truly negative viewpoint out of the way, let's move on to the good stuff.
   
   I was extremely impressed with the amount of research which had obviously gone into the production of Volume 2, as well as the new features which had been added for the individual game listings and ratings. These additions show that the authors listened to those who took the time to give them feedback on Volume 1, and as such have made themselves a part of the gaming community in a way which some authors never achieve, no matter how knowledgeable they may be on their topics. Another interesting sidenote was seeing another book which I am in process of reviewing featured in a sidebar in this book. As a journalist with a heavy research addiction, I always consider how useful a publication will be to me on my endless quest for knowledge, and The Book of Games Volume 2 passed that consideration with ease. There are many, many sources for further reading and education.
   
   While The Book of Games Volume 1 was a handy reference for the parents and relatives of gamers, Volume 2 fully opens up the changing videogame industry, from development to tournaments and beyond. The authors have successfully put the industry into a nutshell - one which gamers, teachers, parents and even grandparents will appreciate. This volume has every component of the videogame world between its covers, and takes a look at every aspect in a well-worded, well-researched, and well-presented manner. Every chapter contains evidence of how videogames have become an integral part of our lives in the 21st century - from those who pick up a quick game of solitaire to those who travel the pro-gamer circuits. One photo I could immediately relate to was that of Norway's Olav Undheim, winner of the 2007 World Cyber Games Grand Final Warcraft III Tournament. I saw that match, along with all of the other events held on that final game day in Seattle this past October. I was there when Olav hoisted that $ 20 000.00 cheque over his head at the medals presentation - and that's what this industry called videogaming has at its core - a vibrant, global community - one which we experience at our own annual LAN tournament, and one which The Book of Games Volume 2 has opened to the world.
   
   I think that this book will do more to bring an understanding of the videogame culture to non-gamers than any collection of web sites and media articles could possibly do. Parents everywhere will benefit from this book, while gamers will embrace this book for the validation it brings to our gaming culture. The Book of Games Volume 2 is an excellent counter-weight to those who vocalize loud and long their negative views on the gaming industry as a whole. I challenge those who, without really understanding what videogames are truly all about to pick up this book and read it. Understand what draws those of us who game into our multi-pixelled worlds. The artwork is amazing, the music is incredible, and the passion insurmountable. As the owner of a company which has been trying unsuccessfully for three years to obtain a business license for a digital media centre for youth in our hometown, I would love to see the members of our Township council who oppose us, as well as those in the licensing department who insist on calling us an arcade, read this book. The Book of Games Volume 2, I believe, will become a very useful tool for those of us who are not only proud members of the gaming culture, we support the up and coming designers of tomorrow and all of the possibilities the world of gaming has opened to them, whether they become game designers, engineers, architects or even doctors.
   
   I whole-heartedly give The Book of Games Volume 2 a five star rating, and if there have been this many improvements in the series just between volumes 1 and 2, I can hardly wait until I get a look at Volume 3 which will be out in November 2008. To the authors I say "this is a work to be proud of, a job very well done."



2. The 2nd edition to this gaming reference series makes a fine coffeetable book or for a quick browse for short snippet info on gaming titles. By all means, this is not a book of in-depth reviews, the titles are covered very briefly (summarised) and categorised according to genre/replayability value/plot sypnosis. If you need comprehensive info on gaming titles, you'd do better on gaming mags or websites. However, it remains a good collector's item as most of your favourite games are included with nice colored screenshots, which makes it a fine addition to your gaming library for all gaming fans. I was very impressed by this 2nd edition in that it included some very recent games which I thought would not make it in before the release date. The only disappointment is that the 2nd edition came in paperback whereas my 1st edition was a hardcover.

4 comments about This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities.

1. I received an advanced reading copy of this book through LibraryThing recently. While I am most definitely NOT a gamer (except for the occasional game of Cake Mania 2), I was looking forward to reading this book since both of my sons are gamers. In fact, I would classify my older son as a hard-core gamer. I have always wanted someone to explain to me what was so wonderful about these games, and I was hoping this book would enlighten me. Well, it didn't satisfy my curiosity very much. The conclusion that the author comes to is that basically, games are there to alleviate boredom, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the first part of the book, I detected a very defensive attitude, as if Rossignol wanted to justify his life's passion with gaming. Towards the end of the book, there is some discussion about some practical applications of games, including education and the defense industry; I was hoping to see more of this. I learned a great deal about the gaming culture in South Korea, which I actually found interesting. I also learned way more about the game EVE than I ever, ever wanted to know. I understand that there are some social aspects to these games and that it takes a certain level of intelligence to play them, but I still don't get it! While I did learn some things in this book, for the uninitiated gamer, it was tedious reading at times.



2. Right from the start, you can tell that Jim is a talented writer who succeeds in vividly describing the settings and the people he encounters in his travels to the three major cities in the book (London, Seoul, and Reykjavik). The stories he tells serve to illustrate his points and provide a vivid backdrop for his personal quest to better understand the hobby, passion, or obsession that we call gaming, a major theme of the text.
   
   While the book is written in a way that's meant to initiate the non-gamer into the world of gaming, I think that it's gamers themselves (and particularly those of us who dissect, analyze, think, and write about games) who will most benefit from considering the issues he examines and asking ourselves the questions he raises. The most compelling question that the book tackles, in my opinion, is whether or not we're wasting our time with the thousands upon thousands of hours that we sink into gaming. It's certainly a question I've asked myself on numerous occasions.
   
   The book is an odd mix of travel narrative, journal, and philosophical examination on the purpose of gaming (which it readily admits to being, if you glance at the inside cover). While the individual personal examples and discussions of gaming sub-culture are well-written, the parts I enjoyed the most were the sections towards the end of each chapter and the book's concluding chapter, "The Window," wherein Rossignol ties everything together and discusses the relevance of the medium from a number of different angles.
   
   There are times when the book seems like it's trying to pull in too many directions at once or tackle too many topics in rapid succession, and much of the discussion of EVE Online in the later chapters seems unnecessarily detailed and ponderous. Even for someone like me, who lives and breathes this stuff, there's only so much I care to read about the intricacies of one specific, complicated game whose purpose in the text is to illustrate a larger point about player creativity.
   
   Still, This Gaming Life is well worth reading for anyone interested in what it means to be a gamer and what purpose gaming might have in both a personal and larger social context. The international examples provide some much-needed multicultural perspective on the phenomenon of the universal attraction of electronic entertainment, the personal stories give insight and encouragement for those interested in striking out into the games industry themselves, and the philosophical meanderings of a traveling lifelong gamer scratch the surface of issues that could easily be spun off into entire books or academic dissertations in their own right. If you're serious about games and the culture of gaming, the read is worth the price of admission.



3. This book is a basic overview of different aspects of gaming. It discusses some cultural differences in the way Westerners game vs. those from the East (with the possible general exception of Japan). It is interesting to note the difference not only in game style preferences, but the way gamers are perceived in Western vs. South Korean culture, specifically.
   
   The author also examines what he calls emergent gaming. These are methods of gaming and actions within the game that the designers did not anticipate. He goes on, at length, about the evolution of EVE Online and how it is the players that have largely driven that change rather than developers. He also waxes philosophical when it comes to what games mean in a larger context. Are games merely a waste of time and energy better spent on other endeavors or do they ultimately represent something else? This discussion is not very deep, but he does give reference to some other works that delve deeper into this debate.
   
   Besides the few annoying grammatical errors, the tone is kept fairly light, yet you can tell Jim Rossignol is passionate about his current chosen focus in life. There is some good information here, but it really is best for someone who is looking for a PC-gaming biased overview of what gaming has been, is in its current state, and could possibly be. Console gaming is touched upon, but not discussed in any great detail. Those looking for minute detail and insights into the gaming industry won't find them here. But he does point the way to others who discuss his more philosophical points at length. This Gaming Life is certainly worth a read if you're interested in gaming no matter what level you wish to explore, unless you've already delved into this field.



4. Rossignol has crafted a nice little book that exudes the feel of a series of expanded magazine articles. The stories he tells of his travels related to gaming and how these stories address his larger theses and sub-theses are engaging and insightful. Even though many "gamers" of today's ilk think more of the living room console when they consider their beloved activity, This Gaming Life centers on PC gaming. This is a fair enough choice as these are the experiences Rossignol has the largest revelations about and they do drive the points home.
   
   The way the book is promoted makes one think that it will be an autobiographical look at one person's adventures with games, but really the personal tales are just a nice starting point for his larger arguments. The book is well written and enjoyable. It is quite an easy read and its short length keeps it from really losing any punch as you continue through it.
   
   The only quibbles I have with the book are largely technical ones. As the book progresses and it begins to refer to its own previous sections, the choice was made to place parenthetical references back to those sections. Although this doesn't sound like a big issue, it is quite the distraction and somewhat insulting. An additional technical gripe is the misuse of the phrase "begs the question." This is a common mistake, but it shouldn't show up in a book from a professional writer, reviewed by professional editors. It just looks sloppy and detracts from Rossignol's authority. The concluding bits of the book are a tad meandering and don't really tie together the previous sections that were overall well thought out and almost poignant.
   
   All in all, this is a good read for anyone who enjoys gaming or tech and pondering the effect they have on our lives. There isn't an "inside baseball" feel to the book that should scare off non-gamers, but it is still unlikely that many who aren't gamers will pick it up and read it. This is another book, like Chris Kohler's Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life, that is working to create a discourse on games beyond screenshots and history lessons. This Gaming Life is a fun step in the right direction.

5 comments about Final Fantasy Anthology Official Strategy Guide (Brady Games).

1. It really doesnt get better than this folks. This book has it ALL. There is absolutly nothing you could possibly want that isn't presented in this magnificent tome. In fact, you could go through the whole game plot and all just by reading the book! It is CHOCK FULL of pictures and is made of nice durable material with a semi-hard cover. ...



2. Although FFA was superbly done, this guide leaves...something to be desired. There wasn't much space devoted to character stats, and the mpas could have been presented in a better way. Overall, though, this guide will get you thourgh FFA, without giving away ALL of the plot, and giving you many of the secrets needed for mini-games, etc. A must buy for a FF fan, but not for many other people.



3. This is an essential guide for the Anthology. It covers weapons, armor, accessories, and abilities well. A few reservations, though: 1) There is no extensive list of where to get Blue Magic spells for FFV (you'll find hints scattered throughout the wlkthrough); 2) There is no clarification of which classes can equip a certain item for FFV. Otherwise, you cannot ask for a better guide.



4. This is a remarkable book with hints and tips on how to beat bosses, get secret items, and completely beat both 5 & 6. I would recommend you first try to beat it yourself before buying this book. If you still have trouble getting the best out of these games then go right ahead and buy it. If you still are stumped after looking at the book then I would give up and play another game.



5. My girlfriend got me this guide for Christmas the year the game came out. I wasnt to sure how well it would help me, mainly because Cassady had to cram two games into one book. Well, he managed to do it, and to do a hell of a job with it. Each game has step by step walkthroughs that are a great help and helps you with tons of secrets. This is a very good guide.

No comments about Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life Scripting.