Rating: 
Summary: Why are You Picking on this guy?
Review: The book is from before the C++ STL was verified, so how would he be able to write in C++? And it don't say DirectX programming for dummies. It says, Windows Game programming for dummies. Get a grib guys. The man is doing an honest job, writing this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Half fast job...
Review: This book isn't what i expected. I expected this to teach me DirectX instead it throws functions at me, and shows an example. For the complete program of each function, I look on the CD and theres lines of code he hasnt covered and doesnt bother to explain. Andre Lamothe does a half fast job of explaining DirectX. I give this 2 stars because I was enjoying the book up until Chapter 9. His Windows coverage was very good. This book is 3 years old now, but thats now excuse for the poorly described code.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy his "tricks of the 3d programming gurus" instead
Review: Based on the amazon reviews, I purchased both this book and Andre's more recent tricks of the 3d programming gurus. His newer and much more detailed book covers everything in this book in more detail.Both books are definitely excellent tools for learning the basics of game design. Game programming can be extremely difficult due to the real-time nature of the application. Because of this, a good game programmer knows how to write efficient code. My suggestion to ANY aspiring game programmers is to learn C or C++. C++ is MUCH more difficult to learn due to the added complexities of Object Oriented Design. Get comfortable with dealing with data structures (such as arrays, linked lists, binary trees) because many times efficient code requires efficient management of data. Once you have a grasp of the language, then move on to Andre's gurus book. The learning curve will be fairly steep at first as you try to understand windows programming, although you really only need to know how to design a basic shell to create a window and handle messages. Andre's DirectX explanations are usefull, but VERY outdated. DirectX 8.0 marks a vast change in many areas as it seems to be becoming more openGL-like. I would not suggest that anyone writing a game today use the older direct draw 2D methodology. Instead, you can utilize the added functionality of direct3D and get access to the 3D accelerator and still create a top-view or side-view game that appears 2D. What this means is that you're working in a 3D space (x,y and z coordinates) but placing all of your 3D objects on the x-y or x-z or y-z plane and using the third axis to view this 2D plane. Get a hold of the DirectX 8.0 SDK from the msn website. Go over the documentation and look at and edit their sample programs until you understand the concepts you want to learn. They provide you with predrawn 3D meshes in their 3D donuts game, which also contains all of the source code. I'm actually writing my first game now after a long time of researching to make sure I do it right. The game is a simple asteroids like top-down game except that I'm using 3D ships, asteroids and such. I first learned how to render my 3D ship in a window, then learned how to move (translate) it and also rotate it by reading the keyboard inputs. I then figured out how to render a background behind the ship. The next step was to learn how to use directShow to play an mp3 theme when the level started. The next steps will be to learn how to play a .wav file when say thrusting or firing, and then editing the lighting effects of the models and the entire scene. If you break the project down into small steps, as described by Andre, the task because much less daunting. One last thing, C++ is definitely going to become a HUGE asset to engine and game programmers. It's portability and modularity makes for easy partitioning of tasks and reusability. Even John Carmack (Doom, Quake)is debating learning C++ as the games are getting extremely complicated over time and reusability could save him a great deal of recoding.
Rating:
Summary: It's OK, but it doesn't teach much for a Dummies book
Review: First let me start out by saying that the book is written in C. Not beginning-level C, mind you, but anywhere from intermediate to advanced C! This wouldn't have annoyed me so much if the language was C++, but it's not. This greatly limits the capabilities of this text, and leaves it being very outdated. Another thing that I have a complaint about is that this book really only teaches you one thing, Windows programming. If you're good at interpreting what the author might have meant in his or her programs, you MAY be able to pick up on some basic game logic and algorithms. It also uses the infamous LaMothe-line, "You don't need to know how it works, just that it does." That has always really made me angry. I'm one of the people who wants to be able to understand everything that you're typing, because that's how you become a GOOD programmer, regardless of what language or for what purpose. I have to admit, the Windows programming section is fairly good. It teaches you about menus, mouse coordinates, mouse and key states, and other good stuff you need to make a game. It has the pieces, but it just doesn't have enough glue in it for the reader to be able to figure out how to do very much on their own. If I can give you one piece of advice, it would be to not make the same mistake I did in purchasing this book. If you want a real good introduction to game programming, buy Isometric Game Programming with DirectX 7.0 by Ernest Pazera. You will need to know some C++ for this though, so I would also recommend you get an intro to the language such as Teach Yourself C++ in 21 Days or something to that liking. P.S. I highly recommend the new game programming series by Prima Tech, despite the fact that LaMothe is the series editor.
Rating:
Summary: Something not quite right
Review: Okay this is the deal. The book is based on direct X 6 or something. Too out dated. I bought the book for the direct X stuff but I realised the documentaion that comes with direct X are easy enough to learn from. This books only good as a game programming. You learn some neat tricks and ideas....
Rating:
Summary: Good, but...
Review: This is a good book, but i'm not so sure about the 'for dummies' part. I am now a professional game developer, and i own a development house which has made 10+ commercial games, and many freeware products. I brought this book, because i was curious what else Andre Lamothe could write about, having written loads of books about the subject already. I remember how hard it was for me starting out, and i don't think this book would of helped me, as it really uses too complicated language for a newbie. But also, this book isn't really that good for pro game programers either, because it doesn't go into that much detail about the subject. So i am unclear as to which audience this book was aimed at, too hard for a newbie, and not fulfilling enough for a pro developer. I would recommend Game Programming Gems, by him also, as it one of his 'better' books. James
Rating: 
Summary: Window game programming Review be me John
Review: When I first heard about this book I was real sceptical, I didn't believe that a dummy book can help me. Nut as I read , and read some more I realized that this nook not only helped me understand the difrent ways to program , but it also gave me a yearning to want to program. I don't know how the authors of this book did it? But I am going to buy the next version, If it comes out
Rating:
Summary: Great book, this REALLY IS easy enough for dummies
Review: Everyone else has pretty much said it all about this book, but I would just like to say to all the beginners out there, that even YOU can program a game with this book. I have only had 1 1/2 semesters of C++ in my high school, and I am using an old compiler made for Windows 3.x, but I can still figure out this book. At times it gets a little confusing, but after reviewing the section that confuses me, I always get it down pat!
Rating:
Summary: Good book for Direct X beginners
Review: I started off with this book awhile ago, not knowing anything about DirectX and having a fair understanding of C++. There are a few mistakes in the code and I really didn't care for his game engine. However, the rest of the book was instrumental in my understanding of DirectX and Windows programming. If nothing else, I have to say Thank-You to Mr. Lamothe for making his WinX shell program. It bridged the gap of my understanding on how to make a Windows program without using Visual C MFC. The DirectX code is dated, but the book is getting old and I definitely recommend his newer book for anyone wanting to learn DirectX. Contary to what some people have said, It is possible to learn DirectX from this book, although it does require some work on your part. Studying the code from his game engine is probably the most productive way of going about it. I've used a few snippets from the engine, but 98% I have thrown away in favor of developing my own. This book prepared me for Kawick's book which does a horrible job of explaining DirectX, but has some nice 'real world' code and handles more advanced subjects.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: I'm very new to programming, in fact, I do not plan to do it as a career, just to make a few games for fun. However, for people who don't know anything about C++ in general will have a hard time following this book when they first pick it up, but the coding is so simple you can figure it out in a flash just by reading a few simple programs, so don't worry if you don't understand it when you first see it. Trust me on this one though. The book includes many examples throughout the book, as well as in "Tricks of the Windows Game Programming Gurus," and also tells you what you're doing as you go. Plus, who can resist a little bit of humor here and there, along with tips on making commercial quality games. With this book, creating your own game doesn't seem so far out of reach...
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