Rating: 
Summary: Good for starters
Review: This book is not a COMPLETE guide on writing games in Windows. It would take an entire library to handle such a topic in a thorough manner. Rather, this book gets you started down the road to windows programming and directx. Be forwarned, though, that there are a few errors in the code listed in the book (a missing (HBRUSH) cast being the most notorious), and that the final result of the book is a directx wrapper that is supposed to be a game engine. On the plus side, this book has the single best windows api crash course I have read to date, and Andre has a great style of writing, so you won't get bored with the material. You will learn the BASICS of directx, but will definitely need to suppliment your knowledge with some other source (I suggest the internet).
Rating: 
Summary: This book not for dummies!
Review: This book is not bad although it dont teach you much you can learn from the DirectX SDK helpfiles!The examples are hard to follow for the dummie game programmer at some point you get lost and dont know how to combine these code examples to a cool game. Maybe this book give you some details about Windows programming and a reference to DirectX but dont expect to write a tripple A game from the examples provided in the book. Furthermore I think some remarks from the author like: You need about $750.000 for creating a game is not something a newbie likes to hear! NOT 4 DUMMIES
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book to get your feet on the ground!
Review: An idiot who slapped the 1 - star rating on this book is, in fact, a dummy. You CANNOT expect to write any game without having C or C++ down. Before buying this book, make sure that you are strong in using pointers and such 'advanced' things found in the C language. Some Windows programming is nice, however, Andre LaMothe is able to explain it nicely in the pages that are in the book, without going into explicit detail (which is a good and a bad thing). If you want to learn how to write games using your C language, then this book is a very good one. It explains Direct X fully, although, it doesn't go into explicit detail. On a final note, this game teaches a lot in the pages that it houses. It teaches basic Windows Programming, DirectX, as well as Physics and AI. Don't expect to get an extremely detailed tutorial on each concept taught in the book. If you need every detail found in Win32 Programming, then head off and purchase Windows 98 Programming by Schildt. If you want to learn DirectX (no D3D..) by going into explicit detail, Inside DirectX is the way to go. However, if you want a brief and somewhat detailed tutorial of both (including many, many other aspects of game programming), you'll find that this book provides you with everything you need to know. However, don't expect to write ANYTHING 3d. Right now, after reading that book, I am able to program my own Secret of Mana type game. How many people can say that after reading a 480 page book?
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book
Review: I really liked this book, it was fun and easy to read.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Game Programming is a very dificult and time consuming thing to learn. I have never read a book or online review about this topic that even comes close to this book. I read the book over about two months, and by that time I had all the knoledge I needed to make any 2d game I wanted. Don't get me wrong, game programming is not easy, it is just this book will make it easier. Also, don't expect this book to get you wrighting games if you have never programmed before. Buy this book when you have a well rounded knoledge of C and a tad of C++. Knoledge of the Win32 api not essential, but would help.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, but confusing at times
Review: Windows game programming for Dummies was the first book that I bought that taught me a little about DirectX programming. I must say, it is an excellent read and the sources and executables that the author provides are very helpful in creating a few games. To tell you the truth, this book is geared more towards beginners, like me, who just want to know what makes DirectX tick. If you're one of those "C++ Gods" that beleive they could write Quake in just a few days with a few lines of Assembly Code, then get another book. The book's only drawback is the fact that after the author explains the details of DirectX, he provides a game engine that insulates the average programmer (like myself) from having to handle the details of DirectX. This is an advantage in the fact that you can go ahead and start programming your own games quickly. However, I found myself skipping a few chapters at the end of the book to see what the new features of the engine would be and, as a result, passed off everything else as a reference. Still, this does not detract from the usefulness of the book. If I ever want to go back and write a few wrapper functions of my own to make my game programming go along a bit quicker, then I have a good jumping off place. Overall: This is a great book for the beginner.
Rating:
Summary: should be 10 stars
Review: this book is extreamly helpfull, the only downside is that it isn't long enough, and that "tricks of the windows game programming gurus", writen by the same author, has twice the number of pages (good) and 3 times the information (very good) and has tons more text on the cd (can you say Direct3D). i have read both books and they are both very very good just one has more info, so its up to you (by both) this book also has a different "full" game at the end with a contest for who can improve it the most.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the way to go.
Review: Unless you are dumb as a brick, I would NOT recommend this book. If you are dumb as a brick, you shouldn't be making games! Get Inside DirectX instead, and go on a game programming web site to get the extremely simple "pathfinding" and "game logic" routines found in this book. There is nothing about games here you couldn't learn yourself without thinking for 5 minutes. The DirectX portion is also confusing. The code doesn't compile, it is messy, and quite frankly, wrapper classes are not the way to teach anything. This book is a dead end. It IS funny to read, however.
Rating:
Summary: Just a few words about a great book
Review: I just wanted to say that the people that say "I want to be able to make Unreal in one sitting" are absolutely wrong! I am working on a tile-based game right now and I've been working on it for about a week now. It isn't even close to being done, but am I giving up? No. If you want to make Quake, be prepared to throw away the next few years of your life, and get a really comfterable computer chair!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: This is a very good book, if you are a beginner to directX this book is a must. Mr. Andre you are THE BEST.
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