5 comments about Game Boys: Professional Videogaming's Rise from the Basement to the Big Time.

1. Michael Kane's "Game Boys: Professional Videogaming's Rise from the Basement to the Big Time" is a complete page-turner for both gamers and non-gamers alike. Considering that this is the first and only book to ever chronicle the evolution of "elite e-sports", I started reading this book with an open mind. I have to admit that I was apprehensive when I started the book since, how will the author connect the reader to the unknown world of e-sports? The terms are as intricate and technical to explain to a person who might not be a part of the Counter-Strike phenomenon. Kane has not only managed to use the most creative analogies (bringing laughter to some of them), but he illustrates the stories in such a way that it felt like everyone was or can be a part of the inherent rivalries, the drama, the secrets and the action that lies within watching an elite Counter-Strike match. What makes this book so unique, was that as a former girl gamer from 2003 to 2005, I had followed the rise of the e-sports scene and had ran across the people that Kane highlights in this book, either through the internet or through watching these matches at home. What I did not know about these individuals were their lives outside of Counter-Strike and what it took for each of them to get to where they are today. Kane brings to you every team's successes and failures, while adding flair to what goes on when the cameras are off. The struggle to bring the gamers subculture out to the mainstream was a challenge, where gamers tend to face the fine line between choosing to play for pleasure or to play strictly for business. I send my praises for entertaining while educating the public of the world that once reached a momentum for gamers, I recommend this book for anyone who ever took part of the gaming community, plan to take part or are just curious to understand this growing 11 billion-dollar industry.



2. Games Boys: Professional Videogaming's Rise from the Basement to the Big Time by Michael Kane is the best inside look at the competitive videogaming industry I have read to date. He peels back the layers of this very complex subculture and lays it all out there for anyone to read - from the gamers themselves to the parents who try to understand. Game Boys has it all - the celebratory victories, the heartbreaking losses, the passion of its supports and accompanies it all with backroom dirty laundry. This book is an informative, exciting read. Author Michael Kane has managed to translate the excitement of competition into his words, and sometimes I found myself reading faster through the competition gameplay to get to the moment of victory - even though I already knew the results of many of the matches he wrote about.
   
   As a participant full of passion for the videogame industry, there were so many times I found myself identifying with CompLexity GM Jason Lake and harbouring feelings of resentment towards Craig Levine. Like Jason Lake, I believe in the grassroots foundation of this wonderful industry, and even though Craig Levine has done much to get competitive videogaming out there into the main stream of today's world, I often felt that Levine's tactics were less than honourable, and I am of the generation when honour was at the forefront of how you conducted your life. These are elements which make for a great book - eliciting emotion and appreciation from the reader, making the reader care about the characters in the story.
   
   Michael Kane has artfully included every aspect of our advancing technological world - global friendships and rivalries, heroes and villains, supportive families and families who feel the gamer is wasting his or her time. Corporations who only look at the biggest and the best for exposure, instead of looking at and supporting the grassroots events and players who keep the industry churning forward on a daily basis. Event promoters who are in it for the dollar, and to heck with the injury they do to our industry by scamming the players who have poured their heart, soul and often their last dollar into feeding their passion for gaming in hopes of making it to the winner's circle.
   
   I commend Michael for the honesty of his words, even the ones which cast a less than idyllic light on the e-sports industry, because the end result shows that our cyberathletes truly are no different from the mainstream sports athletes. They train, they play, they do things they shouldn't, but when it comes right down to the final seconds it's all about the game and the opponent in front of them. Game Boys shows how far we as a competitive market have come, but also shows how far we have yet to go. Michael touched very briefly on the girls in gaming, and while some things have changed since Game Boys went to print, much has stayed the same, from the disdain which meets many girl gamers head on, to the insults and unwelcome photos hurled at them on XBL. While the industry is still very much a boys' club, the girls are rapidly gaining ground - perhaps in the future we can look forward to a book on Gamer Girls to compliment Gamer Boys - what do you say, Michael?



3. Game Boys is like Remember the Titans but for Counter-Strike. M Kane's background is in sports writing and that is to the advantage of the book. I could feel my heart pounding as he described the matches. I found myself covering the page with my hand so as not to spoil the outcome.
   
   This game is not meant for gamers. In fact is is exactly the opposite. This book is for people on the periphery who are sports fans, not gamers. It makes competitive gaming into competitive sports.



4. As a teenager and gamer involved in the very e-sports scene Kane so accurately describes, I've come across many books that have attempted to describe gaming, gamers, and the elements surrounding the scene, but never have truly grasped the passion that so many competitive gamers have felt towards the community that has been created around these games.
   
   I started reading this book with reservations...I expected this to be another "oh yeah, some guy thinks it's cool," type of approach that would miss the mark on the intensity and seriousness that teenagers and younger adults were taking these games...these e-sports.
   
   After completing the final chapter today, I'm so enthused to say that Kane has put to words what no one, to date, had been able to. From the coach/jock-like description of Jason Lake, to the journalistic rumors of Levine's business practices, Michael Kane has captured many aspects of the gaming community that, until now, I thought would take years to be written down as a part of history.
   
   The truth is, if you're involved in the e-sports scene, inspired by the younger generation's choice of competition, or simply a parent of a gamer, this book is for you. Your jaw will be dropped at how far gaming has come, and how immense, intense, and elaborate the gaming community has become, not only in size, but in personality and every aspect that could define a competitive sport!



5. Before I start telling you WHY I love it, let me state, "I LOVE IT!"
   
   This book is amazing. I had been following e-Sports (professional gaming) since 2003 and loved every minute of it. I had favorite teams and watched all the tournaments like ESWC and CPL. I thought I understood the scene and why everyone did what they did. Game Boys brought so many things to light that I never had even thought about. I always figured most of these kids were gaming because it was something fun for them to do and they could win some cash. As the book reveals its more than that. These kids are not only looking to be the next professional sports stars but the behind the scenes is like a real sports team. There is countless amounts of drama between the top players and arguments about who should be calling strategies. The scene is much more tense then you'd be lead to believe on the outside. The rivalry between compLexity and 3D brought to light a whole other side of the game. To see the 2 polar opposites of each other facing off is incredible.
   
   If you ever enjoyed e-Sports or gaming for that matter you should definitely pick up this book. It will show you things that you never knew about. It not only holds a plethora of information for those who have never heard of professional gaming until now, but also goes so much deeper for those who have been into the scene.
   
   This is a must-have for any gamer.

5 comments about Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. Very good product. Fast delivery. AAA+++. Please leave me positive feedback, if it is allowed.
   
   Thanks. God is good.
   
   Martha in TN
   sngwrtrme



2. Every time I looked in this guide it made me want to play it, but unfortunately I'm not very far. That's because my skills in this game aren't good. I did manage to get from the Vulker base to creating my own light saber. I do think you should get this cheat book. It helped me get through an area when I couldn't do it on my own (in the sewers on Teris). But above all, it's a good cheat book.
   K. (8 years old)



3. Great product, really helpful and also very cheap for mint condition A++



4. Despite the beliefs of others, I believe this guide is actually helpful. Of course, the guide is not going to pass the game for you, you have to do that yourself. More or less, this gives you an outline of what you need to do, you just have to be smart enough to comprehend what it is that they are telling you. All one should need when playing these games is to know the answers to the most difficult puzzles. If you cannot accomplish something on your own, then Knights of the Old Republic isn't for you, so look elsewhere.
   
   Of course, with everything, there is also some faults, but then everything can't be perfect. The maps are helpful to guide you to where you need to go, especially on Dantooine. From what I've seen, there are times when the guides can be wrong. They also sometimes use pre-production graphics which you look forward to and then are let down. That is practically it.
   
   One should look at these guides basically as outlines. For the most part, outlines help you learn and remember things, but they are not going to teach you everything on the subject. So learn to deal with what you've got.



5. I am one of those completist gamers who likes to get everything available the first time through the game; therefore, a strategy guide is usually an absolute must for me. Unfortunately, there is a wide variation in quality, and this one leans pretty heavily towards the lower end of the spectrum. Don't get me wrong, it's still useful, but on the whole it feels sloppy and thrown-together, rather than comprehensive and helpful.
   
   One of the things that really mars the presentation is how badly organized it is. The walkthroughs are relatively helpful, but oftentimes a crucial bit of information that was mentioned previously is left out, leaving you to flip back through trying to find it. Another problem is that the guide was apparently written for a beta version of the game - it talks about gameplay and story elements that aren't available in the game itself and leaves out others that are. Taken as a whole, it just feels like it was done in a hurry by someone who wasn't paying attention.
   
   On the whole, the guide does work, but I wouldn't recommend purchasing it - you can find much better-organized and more thorough collections of the same information for free online. It's far from unusable, though, so it'll work if you need to have something nearby for reference and don't own a laptop computer.

3 comments about Killer Poker Online, Vol. 2: Advanced Strategies for Crushing the Internet Game.

1. I read a lot of poker books and a lot of the information in these books is repetitive. This is not the case with Killer Poker Online 2 by John Vorhaus. Vorhaus takes a more cerebral look than some other books that focus on technical analysis. This book is more about the philosophy and psychology of the online poker table than the other books I have read. Some of the concepts and information in the book I already subconsiously knew, but Vorhaus fleshed them out and made me think on a deeper contextual level.
   
   I like best the section on heads up play. I think it is better than Harrington's HU strategy(HOH Vol 2). I love playing heads up and I can thank Vorhaus for improving my HU game light years.
   
   This book will stay part of my poker library for years to come, along side the Harrington On Hold'em Volumes, Phil Gordon's Little Green and Little Blue Books, Brunson's Super System 1 & 2, and Caro's Book of Poker Tells. I am also planning to read Vorhaus's other poker books.



2. Killer Poker Online Vol. 2 was to be the redeeming value of this two part series. Most would expect that since the original book, "Killer Poker Online" left a lot to be desired, and focused on just about everything but actually playing, that this latest endeavor would expand upon the apparent foundation that Vorhaus was attempting to define previously. Unfortunately, we just get mostly more of the same useless information.
   
   The major flaw with this book is that it provides little insight into how to actually win big pots, lose small ones, and "crush the internet game". To make matters worse, some of the advice about actual play which is given has been routinely dis-proven via real life examples. For instance, Vorhaus mentions that Sit-n-go tournaments should be utilized for entertainment only, in that trying to build a bankroll via this method is hazardous. He further mentions that Sit-n-go tournaments require more luck than skill.
   
   The problem here is that many online regulars play only Sit-n-go games, and many famous, world renowned players found their way to stardom by focusing on Sit-n-go style games. But then to contradict himself, Vorhaus mentions that regular, multitable tournaments are your best bet. Any poker regular understands that multitable tournaments require luck as a prominent variable in your play. I don't understand how Vorhaus would consider luck to be too big of a factor in sit-n-go play, but not one in multitable tournament play. On top of that, at the final table in a multitable tournament the play is almost identical to sit-n-go games with the exception that not all players will begin the final table with the same amount of chips. Where are we to get this final table experience if we don't play sit-n-go games, especially considering that one position apart at the final table can be thousands, or even millions of dollars in payout differences?
   
   His advice on cash game playing is limited, and mostly focuses on the philosophy of getting a big pot when you have a big hand, or folding your cards before you commit too much of your money with a losing hand. This is common sense stuff.
   
   But sadly, most of the book involves the same type of "advice" given in the first; which is to talk about things outside of the game. Telling readers things like, "don't play tired", "don't play distracted", or "don't play with the TV on" all make sense and are worthy of mention, but I fail to see why they should be reiterated to the point of consuming a large percentage of the book.
   
   Advice on booking is reiterated here as well, which is keeping track of other players' habits. This is good advice and should be stressed because most players will not do this, even those that agree that it would give their play an edge. With online poker however, unless you are playing very high limits where you regularly (on a daily basis) play the same people over and over, you rarely see the same person twice. This becomes especially true when considering that a single poker site may have tens of thousands of players in your limit range, and you play at 3 or 4 different sites on top of that. Not to mention, it doesn't serve much purpose to keep track of play styles if you don't know which strategies to use against such playstyles. Vorhaus successfully convinces the reader of the advantages of booking, while simultaneously failing to teach the reader what to do with his findings.
   
   Something quite disturbing to me is that Vorhaus does spend quite a bit of time explaining what you shouldn't do, rather than what you should. He presents problems without solutions, and quite honestly gives more advice on how you can lose money than how you can make money. Any fool can go to a poker table and lose money, we don't need to learn that. While some may point out that examining mistakes is important in learning to avoid them (something I do not disagree with), it serves no purpose if a lesson isn't learned from it. For example, let's say I'm faced with a situation where big money could go either way on a big hand. Rather than simply understanding how I could lose big, it would be nice if a potential error was followed up with a practical solution or approach. So I know how not to lose big money on a hand, but do I know how to win big money on a hand? It seems to me a more productive approach to teach me the right way to do things, rather than teach me the wrong way to do things and then expect me to figure out an alternative.
   
   To be honest there is no substitute for experience, and I think we know that holds true with just about anything. Getting experience in online poker is expensive though, so books are a good way to offset that cost by giving insight and helping to develop your game faster. Unfortunately, this book won't do that for you, unless of course you didn't know that distractions can make you lose focus. If you have absolutely no clue as to what online poker is, then this book comes highly recommended, otherwise you'll get a better return on your money elsewhere.



3. I received this book as a Christmas gift from my brother who knows that I like to play online; my first impression was "Oh no, not another poker book...and worst of all, this one looks like a gimmicky attempt to address online poker rather than live casino play." I wondered whether it would teach me anything new, or whether it was simply going to be one of the dozens of books out there that have a simple preflop chart, and advocate a no-frills tight and aggressive playing style. I must say I was pleasantly surprised -- Vorhaus has clearly done his homework and understands that online play requires a markedly different approach than playing live. I (like many others) used to place too much emphasis on "reading people", which is of course impossible when playing online. Not having that tool at my disposal made me delve deeper into the mathematics and probability of poker, and I think ultimately has made me a much better player, both live and online. I think truly appreciating this book requires enough humility to "unlearn" the strategies that you've become accustomed to while playing live -- Vorhaus discusses a lot of sit-and-go and multi-table tournament play (maybe because that's what you see most on TV) but I wish he had devoted a little more space to cash games.
   
   Now for my constructive criticism: I can empathize somewhat with Vorhaus, because it's admittedly hard to write a book about online poker with a long life-span because the state of online poker changes so rapidly...for example, online play today looks substantially different than in 2004 (what some would consider to be its "glory-days"). The average online player today is better-educated, tighter preflop, and trickier post-flop. I think a lot of poker authors a few years ago got away with writing books advocating a simple tight and aggressive strategy, which was good enough to beat the average player back then, but at present might only be enough to turn you into a break-even player. But what I think Vorhaus COULD have included in his book -- or at least what I'd like to see published in SOME contemporary poker book -- is a description of the add-on software programs that have become more or less essential to optimize your online play. PokerTracker, PokerAce HUD, datamining tools...all of these I would consider to be a "must" for anyone wanting to get serious about their online game. Would it have been so hard for Vorhaus to at least pay lip service to these tools...? Sure, they may be outdated 3 or 4 years from now, but they've been the "gold standard" for the past few years, and I think any book about online poker wanting to present a complete picture of the online game requires a section explaining these tools and how to optimize their use. I guess one thing Vorhaus couldn't have foreseen was how the U.S. legislation in the Fall of 2006 would change the online poker scene forever...I think a lot of American players erroneously came to believe that the law made playing poker online illegal...when NOTHING could be further from the truth. It simply made it more difficult to deposit from the U.S., but there are still plenty of ways to fund accounts at the US-friendly poker sites. THe PokerSavior website has an oft-updated list of sites that continue to serve the U.S. market and the most frequently-used deposit methods at each. I think a book about online poker written today would look very different than Vorhaus' offering, although I will admit that his is one of the few to specifically address some aspects unique to online play...I've seen a few other books for sale that purport to discuss online poker, but they're simply poorly-written attempts to cash in on the online poker boom, and don't really offer anything new. Vorhaus' book doesn't fall into that trap, and I think it's a worthwhile investment for any online player.

5 comments about Creative Projects with LEGO(R) Mindstorms(TM).

1. I've read both this book and Dave Baum's Definitive Guide and both are excellent. I enjoyed Baum's book more because it caters to an older audience: Baum seems to be writing to an older reader, there's an emphasis on the programming aspect of Mindstorms, and there are more semi-advanced projects.
   Erwin's book is a thousand times better for children. The brilliant full-color pictures blow away Baum's black and white book. Erwin is a genuinely interesting author and obviously loves teaching.. Anyone who wants to teach a class with Mindstorms should take a look at the book, because it's full of great "this didn't work, but THIS did" anecdotes.
   Ultimately, this never really goes above that level. Teachers and younger students should purchase this book, because it's a beautiful guide and will inspire quite a few youngsters. For the robotics engineers, programmers, and older geeks who wish that they'd had Mindstorms as a child, check out Baum's Definitive Guide - it's definitely more of what I was looking for.



2. This book is a great introduction to the world of LEGO Mindstorms robots. I've been working with the LEGO Mindstorms kits for about 6 months, and I've often been frustrated by the lack of detail in the manuals for the kits. This book provides quite a bit of the missing information. For instance, it explains that you lose your firmware if you take your batteries out of your RCX for more than a minute or two (I wish that I'd seen that in a manual somewhere!). It provides a broad overview of alternatives to programming in RCX code, together with examples from each alternative mentioned for comparison. These coding examples are discussed in the text and they are also included on the accompanying CD. In addition to the coding examples, the CD also includes videos and stills of the robots described in the book. The book includes descriptions of a broad range of robots, from the very simple Acrobot robot featured in the Constructopedia, to robots designed by school kids, to robots designed by parent-kid teams, to advanced robots using IR communication and data logging. In each case, Erwin provides the details of the development process, how the robot was first conceived, how it was developed, and how the design problems were identified and solved. This approach makes the book much more than a simple code cookbook- -it explains to parents, teachers, and older kids how robots actually come about. Scattered throughout the book are "Asides" that explain various topics such as LEGO geometry, how to calculate gear ratios, understanding compound gear trains, programming decisions, etc. The book includes appendices of useful information, a bibliography, an excellent glossary, and an index.



3. In the fall semester of 2003, I taught a special topics course in robotics at Mount Mercy College with two students. A Lego Mindstorms kit was purchased and in the first segment of the class, the students built a robot and programmed it to move around the halls. We then moved on and used a more advanced robot in the remainder of the class, because I did not consider the Lego kit to be sophisticated enough. From some of my professional communications, I learned that entire college classes are being taught using only Lego Mindstorms kits.
   After reading this book and evaluating the projects, I am now completely convinced that Mindstorms kits are all you need to teach a robotics class. Some of the projects in the book are a giraffe that simulates feeding, a flashlight follower, a robot painter, robots that communicate with each other, a machine that makes bubbles in response to stimulation, an infrared fax machine and even a submarine. To get these projects to work, it is necessary to solve some of the standard problems in Artificial Intelligence (AI). For example, the giraffe and all other animals require that the standard problem of getting a robot to walk be solved. The flashlight follower requires that the robot be able to dynamically process sensor input, using it to make decisions. Standard problems in machine-to-machine communication must be solved when the actions of a robot are in response to what another has told it.
   The robots can be programmed using visual basic, robolab or NQC (Not Quite C). Robolab is a visual development environment where many of the actions are coded by connecting icons. The visual basic and NQC languages have many differences from their true counterparts, basically, they are stripped down versions with altered syntax.
   Legos are one of the most mind-expanding toys that children can use. Applying some of the concepts in this book, they can be used as learning tools for some of the most complicated tasks that we can try to do, making a machine do intelligent tasks.



4. It's a great book. But the Mindstorms microproessor is now NXT -- it has been updated. Until this book is updated, you'd be better off to find a good book which is based on the NXT system.



5. I have an eight year old that loves Mindstorms and needs the step-by-step instructions that Lego generally provides. Looks great for older kids.
   
   Also, its NOT NXT.

5 comments about Online Poker: Your Guide to Playing Online Poker Safely & Winning Money.

1. I cant believe that Doyle Brunson feels he needs money so bad that he should put his name on this book. This book is aimed at someone who has never used the internet before. If you have managed to play online poker for real money then you are already too sophisticated for this book. Yet another book that is simply cashing in on the poker boom and doesnt offer anything of value.
   Buy Harrington on Hold'em if you want to win money at poker.



2. I am shocked, stunned and appalled that a lifetime professional poker player would take advantage of poker newcomers simply for money! People, a few years ago you parents would have warned you to stay away from people like Doyle Brunsen! Now everyone thinks he is this kind old grandfater type! Get real!



3. I was browsing through Borders books the other day and I saw this book on the shelf. I thought to myself "Wow, I have never seen or heard of this book." I picked it up to have a quick look through and I ended up reading the whole book in about half an hour. (There isn't much to it). This book is just a total disgrace. It is the worst poker book I have ever seen- even worse than John Vorhaus's book "Killer poker online" (At least he probably spent quite some time actually writing that book ignoring the fact that the book sucks). There is no strategy whatsoever, it's basically about how to deposit money, how to download the software etc. The strategic advice is basically "Play very straightforwardly online because your opponents aren't paying attention anyway." Brunson ought to hang his head in shame, he is just trying to use his name to capitalize on the poker boom and dupe beginners into buying a product that will do nothing to help develop their game. I have lost any respect I ever had for Brunson.



4. Gives the basics without all the technical jargon. Great for getting
   started before moving to all the statistics and odds.



5. As a player who has been playing online poker for about a year, I was looking for any help I could find to take my game to the next level. As I was growing up, my father taught me that when you needed to learn something, find a book. I have followed that advice my entire life. With that idea in mind, I headed to the book store.
   
   I was pleased to find a book covering online poker since that is mainly what I play. The fact that it was written by the legendary Doyle Brunson was all I needed, I immediately purchased this book. I was looking forward to getting into this book that evening. A book by the great Doyle Brunson was bound to be helpful and I was excited about getting advice from a pro of this magnitude. Five minutes later, the excitement was gone.
   
   This book proudly claims on the front cover, "Your Guide to Playing Online Poker Safely & Winning Money."
   
   This line is the biggest bluff that Mr. Brunson has ever attempted. The fact that he didn't pull it off at a table of 9 but on the entire general public should make this his most successful and profitable hand in his career. There was almost nothing of value between the front cover and the back for a poker player to improve his/her game. This book would be helpful to a person(s) who meets the following criteria:
   
   Computer Novice (someone very inexperienced on a computer)
   
   Online Poker Newbie (someone who has never played poker online)
   
   As some of the other reviewers have noted, this book covers only the basics of online poker. How to download the software, what it will look like, what you will likely encounter. It has nothing for the player who is familiar with it already. It spends a great deal of time hyping doylesroom.com and reminding us how great a poker player Mr. Brunson is. The problem with that is that we already know how great he is, that's why we bought the book. The contents do not support the claims on the cover of his book. I would recommend this book to nobody. In fact, I feel dumber for having bought it.
   
   Do yourself a favor and save your money for the tables. This book will not increase your poker skill; it will only lighten your bankroll. There are plenty of other books out there that will help; this just isn't one of them.

5 comments about Shaders for Game Programmers and Artists (Premier Press Game Development).

1. Breaking into the world of shader technologies can be a daunting task and a constructing a library of accurate knowledge is essential. "Shaders for Game Progammers and Artist" is one of the most focused books I have ever purchased. It only covers 'shaders' and does not attempt to present the surrounding technologies of DirectX or OpenGL programming. At fist this tight focus disturbed me, as I did not have a secondary support book like "Programming Vertex and Pixel Shaders". Put these two books together and constantly cross-reference the code and you have the solution to understanding the core of building good shaders. (One other note:) You might want to add "3d Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development".



2. I'm a 3D Artist/Animator not a programmer, heck I couldn't program my way out of a wet paper bag. I've been trying to teach myself how to write shaders for awhile. I've had some success playing around, but didn't really understand what I was doing, and have been looking for a good book on the subject for awhile. Most books are very technical and aimed at only programmers, and while I have nothing but respect for my programmer friends I think artists should be more involved in writing shaders, after all they're the ones that have to create all the art assests the shaders will be used on.
   
   This book is very artist friendly, it does require a slight amount of technical and mathematic ability, but it doesn't drown you in the technical jargon, complicated math tables and diagrams, but rather has you jump onto ATI's RenderMonkey and learn by getting your hands dirty. It does a great job of breaking down HLSL and explaining how a shader is put together.
   
   While it starts out very simple, it still manages to cover some more advanced techniques... render to texture shaders, high dynamic range lighting, spherical harmonics, advanced real-time shadows, parallax mapping, and displacement mapping.
   
   My only complaint with the book is some small typos, and some of the examples have some small errors. Nothing major, but the lack of any errata on the publisher or author's website to correct them is very frustrating.
   
   If you're already an established shader programmer looking for some new tricks and techniques... this book probably isn't for you; but if you're from a more of an artist background, not the best programmer, or just starting to learn shader programming, I highly recommend checking this one out.



3. This book is fantastic for artists or programmers looking to get started with shader programming. Anyone with a little C++ experience (or similar) ought to be able to get a good grip on the material in this book. Lots of practical techniques are introduced at a introductory level. The other great thing about this book is that it covers the use of ATi's Rendermonkey software for the creation and visualization of shaders. This is a great boon, as some similar books like The Cg Tutorial presume you already have a working real-time 3D engine you can write shaders for, and are already experienced with DirectX or OpenGL programming. Providing and explaining the use of a user-friendly API like Rendermonkey makes this book well-suited for entry-level programmers.
   
   I would have rated this book 5 stars based on these qualities, but much to my chagrin the book is weighed down by an inexcusable amount of typos and errors. The overall effect is that the author never even tested his own code, as MULTIPLE shaders presented in the book simply do not work as described by the author. Furthermore, in some of these cases (two major examples including the motion blur shader and the depth of field depth-impostor shader) the sample/reference code included on the CD does not work either, so the reader is left high and dry, wondering what the problem is. The author's website only includes errata for one error (which is neither of the above cited examples.) I have not yet completed this book, in fact, I'm only a third of the way through; but I can only assume the path ahead will be similarly rocky.
   
   These problems are particularly egregious as the book is ostensibly targeted towards beginners, who will be poorly equipped to solve the author's errors. While it could be said that this is an effective way of learning the language (i.e. learning by doing research and correcting the author,) it sometimes makes the process very discouraging and slow-going. Beyond these errors, the book is a fantastic introduction to learning real-time shaders and is accessible to artists even if they have little programming experience. A second edition of this book, rectifying the many errors in the book, would be a must-have for anyone interested in learning shader programming. Until then, however, the reader will have to be patient and willing to meet the book half-way on a lot of occasions.



4. this book is very good book
   it's full book
   notice : you have to know some algebra to be a full usefull book



5. I really needed to learn Shaders, specially HLSL for XNA programming. So I searched and searched and this book kept on coming, but because of its published date I had my doubts. So at the end I gave it a try, and I am very happy I did.
   
   You will certainly learn about shaders with this book, and will be writing your own shaders very early. By using RenderMonkey as a Shader development platform you will focus on the HLSL instead of your gaming API. But it is very easy to port this samples and your creations to your own games.
   
   As I said, I have used this book to write shaders for my XNA games, even post processing ones. If you are a programmer trying to learn shaders, search no more.

2 comments about Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. The Armageddon guide may seem intimidating and interesting due to the number of pages it's toting - but do not be fooled.
   
   I had the chance to check this guide out at a local Walmart and after looking through the information - I couldn't buy it. Now, before you question me - I have been an MK fan since MKI, and the recent streaming of guides has been horrible. From bad to worse, and this one takes the cake.
   
   In the middle of the information, the authors decide to randomly throw in UMK3 strategies. This is an MKA guide, not UMK3. It completely throws off the flow of information the guide gives. This however, is not the worst of it.
   
   The Deception guide at least featured all of the character renders, aside from Liu Kang. This guide does not. You'd think with the page count, new renders and the character's accurate story would greet you - however, it doesn't. There are some renders for characters - again, some. However, it's reused from Mortal Kombat Deception, and Shaolin Monks.
   
   There are little to no screen shots, no pictures of the fatalities, there's no mention of the Vault, and the guide's overall composition is horrible. If you bought the Deception guide and knew why it was so horrible, get ready for another horrible guide.
   
   Do not buy this Guide. Your best bet is to contact their customer Service and tell them to just recall it and do it over - much like Brady did with their MKD guide and released a special Code Book.
   
   One Star.



2. This book was nice. It had a comprehensive walkthrough of the Konquest Mode and had tips for Motor Kombat. It had maps of every fighting stage in the game and explained all the death traps in each very thoroughly. It talked about Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 because the Armageddon premium edition lets you play that game as one of its special features. This book has an unlocking guide and complete move lists. Some of the pictures of moves are flip flopped around but that was the only thing. About renders, does a book really need good renders to be good? Overall, the book really halped me because it pinpointed all the best combos for every character in the game giving you a percentage of health that it takes. This is an excellent resource!

2 comments about Virtools Fundamentals.

1. The book covers many aspects in Virtools. A great part of the book is used for explaining different building blocks (how to make an animation etc.). After this the book takes you through a complete example showing how to produce a complete computer game step by step.
   
   I think, the book is missing 2 important features:
   - a detailed table of contents, where different keywords can be found
   - a sort of quickstart example to get you up and running with a
   smaller, working computer game - to get this overview you have to
   wait for many chapters, and the game is big and very detailed.



2. This book can help any beginner to learn how to create a complex game by Virtools, especially it made by a comic author Daniel Liu. The fareast art style characters are very attractive to readers, you can keep your patient to complete whole book courses. Other benefits are following:
   1. You can learn how to use and integrate many building blocks detailed step by step in Virtools.
   2. You can know more 3D game develping proceedure, and give you many game ideas using Virtools.
   3. The DVD rom includes Virtools 4.0 evaluate version and many useful demos, that help readers try Virtools easily.
   4. You can do many game or VR projects by Virtools if you can follow and complete all of Chapters.
   
   I found many readers of this book in Taiwan complete some good game prototypes.
   [...]

2 comments about Conan Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames Official Strategy Guides) (Bradygames Official Strategy Guides).

1. For those who like game guides, this one is pretty good. The maps are easy to read and everything is marked with icons (slave girls, etc.) so it's easy to find and know what's coming up so you don't miss anything. Has a nice extra section with Conan lore and information for the uber fan.



2. Game is tough, but that is what we like, Right?... Constant action, (Gore), and wicked annimation!

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Game Audio: For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, and Game Developers.

1. This is a great book for those composers and sound designers wanting to break into the gaming industry. I do not understand why many people read this book hoping to find technical audio information, but this is NOT a TECHNICAL AUDIO or ENGINEERING book. This book is in the same vein as Jeff Rona's Reelworld book or Richard Davis's Complete Guide to Filmscoring.
   
   Invaluable industry advice and at preparing your audio demo reels, and making connections. Must have for any aspiring game music composer or sound designer.



2. This book is very well written, its easy to go through it quickly. One of the features I really like is the different interviews with game music composers asking everything from equipment to techniques to inspiration.
   
   This book gives a detailed look into the industry, don't expect to learn how to compose from buying this book. This book is for musicians that are beginning or are already working with computer games and need to know about the industry. Sorry but there will never be books around pretending to teach you how to compose music, composing like anything else is something that you learn by doing and not by reading books. But if you are a musician already, and love computer games, then you won't regret this book.



3. This book contains very good and valuable information for those wanting to get into the game industry, unfortunately it was written in 2000, so most of the information is completely old for today standards, specially in this field.



4. I've been working in the field of game audio on the content side for about 5 years. I got this book as I was starting out and I found it a quick, easy read that offered alot of helpful insight and pretty much everything Marks said has held true in my experience. There are people complaining here that this book doesn't offer deep technical information or insight on how to provide content or help with audio programming and that's true. Maybe the title could have been clearer - it's more an idea of what game audio is about and what it's like to work in that field. But if that's what you're looking for, it's a quite worth reading and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know how to break into the industry on the audio side.



5. I found this book an excellent resource for a composer like me. Not only does it addresses elementary issues, but takes readers into intermediate topics which are very useful for someone getting into gaming audio.