Rating: 
Summary: Another great reference from Andre
Review: This book is top notch for any beginner. Andre' demonstrates once again that he can reduce the difficulties of game programming for us mortals. His coverage of DirectX and Windows programming is straight-forward, simple, and humorous. The game library is an excellent start to discovering the inner-workings of a game engine, creating wrappers, and using DirectX. Don't expect to use the game engine (as is) for the next big hit, but use it as a starting point for the expansion of your own creativity (i.e., you don't have to start a game engine completely from scratch). Another aspect of Andre's style of writing is the fact that he always encourages his readers to go further by suggesting the reader modify the existing engine and game code.Don't worry about the 'for Dummies' aspect of the book. It is well worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book. You will not find a better book on DirectX
Review: Having purchased 2 others books on DirectX programming, I was leary of purchasing this book. This was the case because the two previous book suceeded in teaching me squat! I'm not an idiot, or even a dummy, just a guy who HATES windows programming with a passion. Andre' was however the author of the best computer book I have ever read or looked at, "The Black Art of 3D Game Programming", so I figured that he would succeed where others failed! I could not have been more right. This book kicks !@#. Like Andre's other books it basically provides you with a first class game engine, then writes a book around it. Using this book I wrote my first DirectX game (a space invaders clone) in about 8 hours, and most of that time was spent drawing the graphics! Yup, this book is that good. Do not hesitate to buy this book. At 23 bucks it's about half the price of other DirectX books and it is a far, far better book. If I had one complaint it would be that Andre! ' was constrained by the IDG Dummies style, the ridiculous little icons, and even the title. But rest assured that this is not a book for the computer illiterate! or for the stupid! But if you have a reasonable understanding of programming and want to write killer windows 95/98 games, this is most certainly the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: the best way to get started!
Review: This book is really good for a begginer just getting into the world of game programming. It describes every aspect of game programming, and does a great job of making DirectX easy and entertaining. It even comes with 2 simple sample games and a game engine to make your first games easy. It also goes into a lot of detail about how DirectX and Windows works. But beware! the parts on DirectX can be very confusing if you skim. I also would have liked it if the author gave more code samples in the book itself so you can see how it all works. Nevertheless, if you want an introduction to the world of DirectX with C++, buy it. Oh, and get Visual C++ because it took me hours to get the game engine to work on my Metrowerks Codewarrior. That's what real game programmers use anyway. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Actually a pretty damn good book for starters
Review: I have read several dummies books in the past and quite frankly I told myself I'd never purchase a 'Dummy Book' again because I thought they were all just terrible, and only successful because of the marketing team at IDG. :) But I had to purchase this book for one of my classes in college. I was actually suprised that it wasn't bad at all and quite good. The writing style is pretty clear cut with no ambiguity. A good brief overview of DirectX. In some cases the author is not very clear about things because he would have to get into lengthly language sematics or OO abtract concepts like COM but if you know C or C++ with Data Structures you shouldn't have any problems with this book at all. In fact, if you are an aspiring game programmer this is probably one of the best books to get your start in, you can then move on to more advanced stuff later like 3d programming. This book will not teach you C or C++! You have to already know it and contrary to the cover stating that you need a little C (probably there to generate sales), you should at least know data strutures (stacks, queues, linked lists, binary trees, etc...). If you know that you won't have any problem with this book and you can breeze right through it and you'll be writing video games in no time, but not 3d games it does not cover that. The reason why I say having data structures is important because it was proven in my class, the only students remaining in the class at the end of the semester had a data structures class already or were concurrently taking one. Everyone with just a C class or some C experience dropped. My only complaint with the book was that in some sections the author would just skim over material sometimes not providing any explaination on what is going on. But if you know how to research you can find it elsewhere which is usually a trait of a successful developer. I've outline my opinion on the requisites to this book and hopefully will help you in your buying decision, I definately recommend this book even if you want to just write games for fun or just want to see how it is done.
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Summary: My 2nd Review of this book, it is that good.
Review: This book is for programmers with a fair grasp of C; you should understand macros, pre-compiler directives and a little bit of Windows programming (IMHO). This book is NOT for people who do not have some programming knowledge (basic understanding of C is REQUIRED) Also this book does NOT use MFC or C++ for a very good reason. MFC adds too much overhead to game programming and since MOST games using DirectX run in fullscreen mode - MFC is USELESS for DirectX programming. C++ can also add a large amount of complexity for someone trying to LEARN game programming. While I prefer C++ myself the author chose the right language to write the samples in (why worry about inheritance relationships/polymorphism/templates etc when you dont have to :). Many 'evil' reviewers (heh how COULD you give this book a bad rating) stated that this book focuses on Windows programming too much. Believe me that is a GOOD thing. It is amazing how much code is required just to print the text "Hello, World!" in Windows. The book gives a great overview of the NECESSARY and FUNDAMENTAL workings of the Windows API. You MUST read those sections if you have never programmed in Windows. It does help. What Andre Lamothe does with the Windows API is build a game shell that handles all the Windows implementation details (messages etc), freeing you to work on game specific details and DirectX. He explains the characteristics of fonts, bitmaps and how Windows handles output using GDI (which leads to why DirectX is faster for games...read the book you'll get it :) Some people have given this book bad reviews because the code samples are not done in C++ or by using the VC++ 6.0 APP wizard etc. To those people I'd like to say that all the code in this book is EASILY portable to C++. That was part of the fun of this book for me: implementing his ideas into C++ (using ADTs etc, polymorphism woohoo). I challenge those reviewers to show me any SUCCESSFUL commercial game that uses DirectDraw/Direct3D and uses MFC. Can't find any? I suppose they are the same people who think the next great first-person shooter game should be written with Visual Basic... Also using wizards to create and maintain your code is great but NOT while you are learning a language/API. Wizards and application frameworks (MFC) can hide implementation details which doesn't help you understand the code. I like to understand what I am coding before I let a tool (VC++) help me maintain my code. When you finally reach the DirectX section you get a clear, focused discussion of the DirectX API. I have never read a book that explained DirectDraw so well. Never. If you want more of a reference to DirectX just download the DirectX 6.1 SDK and use the documentation provided, or get Inside DirectX, by MSPress (surprisingly good book on DirectX 5) C is NOT dead. C is a highly portable (though using DirectX negates that =P) language that has seen use in the most popular games, i.e. the Quake line of games. To summarize, This book WILL teach you how to use DirectDraw using C. While the book does teach you about DirectInput (great intro) and DirectSound, its main focus is on DirectDraw (how to use bitmaps to make sprites/animation, different special effects etc). I do recommend that you at least know C before buying this book. You don't have to be an expert C programmer but at least feel comfortable with the language. Understanding how the Windows API works (namely messaging) is also recommended but NOT a requirement (Andre does a great job of helping you here). If you know C++ then you'll probably be tempted to convert his code, I know I was - but I learned a LOT about how to use DirectX from his C code. If you want to understand DirectDraw (before going on to Direct3D (yikes)) then get this book... This book does NOT cover advanced topics but this IS a dummies book after all... For a good reference book, check out Inside DirectX; while not a tutorial it is a GREAT reference on some of the more advanced features of DirectX (especially DirectInput).
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: The book starts out great, with clear step-by-step explanations about everything. One really begins to feel like they're getting somewhere. However, just over half way through, the author abandons this step-by-step approach and dumps a massive 'library' of code in front of you with little explanation, and leaves you for dead. From here, one is expected to tinker with the existing code, making alterations as necessary to fit one's own idea for a game. A very disappointing conclusion to what started out as a great book.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of value in one book
Review: As can be seen by the majority of reviews this is a great book, actually three books in one. If you want a solid introduction to programming using Windows buy this book and read the first third of the book. If you want to know more buy Charles Petzhold's book. If you want a solid understanding of DirectX, read the middle third of the book (if you have 5 years or so read Microsoft's online documentation). The last third of the book provides numerous examples and ideas on how a video game works. For those who complain about using C (versus c++) and 2-D graphics (versus 3-D), think for a minute the added confusion this would've added for a "beginning 400 page" book on a fairly complex subject. Rarely have I read a single topic book that is so easy to follow, nevermind three distinct topics. The author is obviously a bright guy (read the chapters and article on the CD) who actually has the ability to relate his knowledge to the reader in a clear easy going fashion. When's that next book coming out ?
Rating:
Summary: An excellent introductory book on game programming, but ...
Review: ...there are a couple (really) minor things that made me rate this book only 4 stars. For one, this book can only be considered an introductory book on this topic. It does very well on explaining Windows GDI and Direct-X programming, although there are times you wish he'd been more thorough explaining things. Ok, every book has a limited size plus Andre's rewriting one of his old classics (i think Tricks of the Game Programming Gurus) which should work well as a supplementary book. You will often long for other resources to look things up though. This book also does not cover Direct3D (not a real minus if you consider the complexity of D3D). I've already done some DirectX Game programming before buying this book and IMHO it was worth the money because Andre presents things differently (less technical and dry than Inside DirectX, which is a great reference, but not a 'good reading'). Here are my five cents on statements of some of the reviewers: >> I wanted to learn directx, NOT windows programming for C << Then get DirectX for DOS .... Let's face it - DirectX is a WINDOWS API! And knowing what you do in (or with) Windows helps a lot in programming DX. >> Definately not for anyone who has never programmed before. << >> The author simply does not teach the fudamentals << The book's not about teaching programming. If only people would at least *start* reading the introduction ("Who are you?" on page 1) before buying, they would know... Don't blame the author for what is simply your own fault! >> he threw tons of lines of functions and structures without explaining their purpose << Ahem...any programmer should be able to read and understand well presented code with proper variable naming and so on. It is essential for any programmer to be able to scan through code and figure out what it does - in fact that's the most effective way to learn things. I admit, it is not convenient, but learning involves a lot of do it/figure it out yourself. ;) >> C is in the stone age. The author also does not realize the power of MFC << Urgs... <embarrassedsilence> MFC, as convenient it might be for Windows programming (at least to some), is not used for game programming because games for one require a totally different functionality and secondly require every percent performance they can get. MFC just adds a lot of load on a game without being helpful. Also, have a look at common game source code and find out how dead C really is... My final recommendation goes like this: "There are Dummies that can't get better with any Dummies book if its content is not completely within their limits." Anyone else can easily find out by reading the reviews if they are fit for reading and learning from this book. It's worth it, no doubt! :)
Rating: 
Summary: Simple concepts
Review: Reading the author's brief bio reveals he's not really a programmer, and certainly hasn't programmed any of the high-tech games that came out in the last few years. Being an actual game developer myself, I don't see much value in this book. The only value is the beginner stuff about coding and basic game programming concepts. The book does present a lot of code, but in a way it satisfies a lazy dummy's desire to see what programming code looks like. Real game programming in these days of 3-D bells and whisles is much more complicated. I haven't got around writing a true game programming primer yet -- and in the publishing business it's often whom you know rather than how much you know about the subject that gets you a book contract -- but let me say this. If you want to write games, develop a solid foundation in C++, program a lot on a daily basis, and go work for a game company, or publish your own games as freeware. Reading a book and poring over somebody else's old-time code won't make you a game developer.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've ever spent my money on
Review: At least compaired to Game Programming All In One, this book is $20 dollars less and instead of leaving you with a crappy game library that the author made, this gives you enough info to create your own. The book was very easy to follow. When I first looked at some windows code I almost wanted to kill myself. This really simplified everything. Do note that this book is for those who already have a basic understanding of C or C++. If you know how to make DOS based C or C++ programs, want to get straight to making games, and want to learn windows, this book is perfect for you. You don't even have to have that good of an understanding of C or C++. This book will be especially perfect if you know C. You can still make very good use of it if you only know C++ but you might end up taking a few short online C tutorials. The languages are both very alike, so you should have a problem. The bottom line: if you already know how to program in C/C++ and want to learn a bit of windows plus directx, this is the perfect book for you.
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