What is it that sets games apart from other forms of entertainment, keeping players coming back for more? Interactivity. The ability to control the outcome. Programming is an integral part of that interactivity, and C++ is a vital skill in programming for games. Beginning C++ through Game Programming, Second Edition will provide you with the core skills you need to begin programming with C++ specifically as it relates to games. You’ll reinforce each new skill by creating small games along the way, and you’ll put these skills to the test with one ambitious game project at the end. By the time you finish, you’ll have a solid foundation in the programming language of the professionals!

Interactivity - the unique feature that sets games apart from other forms of entertainment. The power of interactivity lies in the programming that occurs behind the scenes. If you’re ready to jump into the world of programming for games, "Beginning C++Game Programming" will get you started on your journey, providing you with a solid foundation in the game programming language of the professionals. As you cover each programming concept, you’ll create small games that demonstrate your new skills. Wrap things up by combining each major concept to create an ambitious multiple player game. Get ready to master the basics of game programming with C++!

Interactivity?the unique feature that sets games apart from other forms of entertainment. The power of interactivity lies in the programming that occurs behind the scenes. If you?re ready to jump into the world of programming for games, "Beginning C++Game Programming" will get you started on your journey, providing you with a solid foundation in the game programming language of the professionals. As you cover each programming concept, you?ll create small games that demonstrate your new skills. Wrap things up by combining each major concept to create an ambitious multiple player game. Get ready to master the basics of game programming with C++!

review

It was bought as a gift. The shipping was fast and the product was as expected

As promised

This book does a very good job of covering the basics of C++. Whenever I come across a book that delivers what it promises I am happy... and "Beginning C++" delivers.

A great C++ teaching book

A friend bought me a copy of this book through amazon.
Both of us (my friend and I) started to learn C++ together through the internet before having this book.

The book is amazingly good, very good structure for teaching the programming language, C++.
Everything is done in a very interactive way, giving you concepts on how game developers do it, how stuff run in more advanced program.
And what use every function has.

While it doesn’t go into deep details of every possible library and function in C++, it teaches you enough to get on your own and go from there.

After finishing this book, it was very easy to go on and move to DirectX, Allegro and SDL libraries.

Very recommanded!

Good Introduction to C++ Using Games

(In reference to 1st Edition) As my title suggests this book is a pretty good introduction to C++ using basic games as the subject of the examples and exercises. Its main focus is on teaching the fundamental aspects of C++ for beginners and how to use the Standard Template Library (STL). Creating games is not really the focus as much as the the chosen subject of the examples and lessons. That said, what this book does, and does fairly well in my experience, is give a good overview and introduction to C++ and how it can be used to create the basic flow structure of a game program. Console text output is the focus, not windows programming. Those with more programming experience and looking for material on 2D or 3D graphics, or event scripting and control using C++, would be better served by another text as it does not address these subjects at all.

I have used this book successfully to help teach teens fundamental C++ and the basics of game programming (within the limits described). It is an easy step from here to go to basic text adventures and RPGs, and a then onto adding graphics, etc. as a more advanced topic (using other texts). This is really a natural progression for someone who wants to learn programming and games, but perhaps not for someone who wants to design games from an art or interaction perspective. More advanced topics such as AI, graphics, and scripting can really only be learned after one understands basic programming (in C++ or another language) and the basic of how game programs are structured.

I have found many students do not necessarily understand what it means to "program games" or how programming relates to game design and implementation. Beginning C++ Game Programming is a good text but if you are already a programmer and/or not interested in the basic code structure of games then perhaps you should find another book.

Bottom Line: Good choice for a real beginner, who is really interested in learning programming because of games, but not a good choice if you are an experienced programmer or want to make your own 2D or 3D video game "right now".

C++ for the computer illiterate

This book was nothing more than another poor purchase decision on my behalf. Written towards the audiance of those who ought not be reading it in the first place this book takes on an annoying simplistic tone. Reading it is like sitting through the basic trig review before taking multi var calculus, the most complex example is a cheap command line version of blackjack.

If you have any computer knowledge at all and you purchase this book I can guarantee you that it will be one of the ones that just sit on the shelf and make you look smart, never to be opened.

Awsome book seriously

Seriously this book is the best I have read yet when I first started it I was a newbie programmer but the way micheal dawson explains the c++ fundamentals keeps things fun and exciting this is one of the only c++ books you can find that isnt dry or boring think of it like being in a game industry school he has you apply your new skills in projects by the end of the project you learn what you need to learn and quick you wont want to miss this book I guarantee it!

To learn C++, but not deep

First of all you have to keep in mind that the purpose of this book is not to teach game programming, but C++ programming. With that in mind, don’t expect to learn graphics, AI or anything like that (except for some extremelly basic concepts).

However, in teaching C++ it succeeds. But it doesn’t go much deep into anything and it is somewhat disjointed. If you can’t be motivated by anything but game programming and can’t stand to learn any other way, then pick this book - if you really want to learn pick another and this book to give you some (very basic) basics on game programming.

Good Starting Point

This book is an amazing book if you take it for what it is. It teaches the basics of C++ programming. The games you make in this book are fun and used as instructional tools, they aren’t meant for you to go off and start making WoW 2. It’s a great book if you want to learn the basics of C++ but in a more entertaining method than in a standard C++ book.

Absolute MUST for the novice C++ programmer.

I’ve read my fair share of C++ programming books and they all have one thing in common... BORING. Not this one! All the examples are geared towards game programming so at the end of each lesson you actually have a playable, albeit simple, game.

As an example, take the chapter on string manipulation. Instead of making some trivial program that displays a bunch of strings to prove how they work, the author walks you through writing a word jumble program that you get to play with when you’re finished. For me this had two positive consequences. First, I didn’t just skip the example (like I usually do) because it was pointless. I wanted to see how the word jumble game actually worked. Second, once I had programmed it, I went back and played around with the code, adding more words to the jumble to make it more difficult. As anyone whose ever programmed knows, the way to really grasp a concept is to experiment with the code.

I highly recommend this book to ANYONE who wants to learn how to program C++, especially to younger readers. The straightforward examples and a dash of comedy here and there keep the reading light and engaging.

Easy introduction with lots of content

If you’d like to get into game development I can certainly recommend this book. C++ is fairly easy to learn, but takes a long time to master. This book will help you learn how to use C++ to create working applications, but it is just an introduction.
You’ll want to read up on some type of graphics programming to make a real game, but as far as general coding goes this book provides a great start.

Another C++ Learning book.

I bought this book thinking I’m going to learn something about game programming but that wasn’t the case.

The book is like any other C++ learning book. There’s only 10% game programing which was the Tic Tac Toe game and that’s it.

If you are looking to learn game programing with C++ then i don’t recommend this book.

Great Intro

This book is great for anyone looking to get off the ground with C++. The game examples throughout the book are fun and the logic used to put them together flows very well. I highly recommend using the compiler he promotes as its truly the easiest and least fussy of the bunch. This book is great for those looking to get into game or financial programming.

Effective

While not the most in depth C++ book, it is effective in its approach. Uses game examples that helps develop your mind towards game development thinking. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Perfect choice

hi all,
I bought this brand new book for 21$ including delivery charge.(New one is 31$) Once i ordered it, It comes to my apartment door in 4 days. I feel its the easiest way to buy book. Event i dont have to worry about going to store.

Need more explanation

This book doesn’t explains well the fundamental of c++. What this book does is basically gives you a piece of code to copy and tells briefly why it works.

Everything’s useless unless you know how and why does that code work. And the how and why is lacking on this book.

Great Review of C++ for Simple Games Logic

I have to say, I have had my fill of programming books over the years. And, C++ books were so boring that I never wanted to read them and do the homework. I worked at Borland Tech Support for one of the programmming language products and had a mentor in the C++ Builder department. I picked up this book because I had been working out some issues with Random Number Generator and other design issues involved with mathematical logic. I was looking at C++ because I had previously prototyped my project in FORTH. Since I do not have a graphics library for FORTH, I need to port my prototype to another language. It seemed that I had to finally do some C++. I would say that reading this book helped to figure out the simple issues of restating a problem for C++ syntax.

very basic

This book is very, very basic.It’s for beginners. It not contains graphics
or videogames programming.

very basic

This book is very, very basic.It’s for beginners. It not contains graphics

or videogames programming.

an ok book

I teach c++ and while I could use this as a text book or for demonstrations, I think there are really too many details left out for someone to read this on their own and learn to program.

Great!

I have read C++ for dummies and this book was actually easier to read than that. Not only was the language that much clearer but it covered nearly every aspect of C++ console programming. But therein lies the one flaw. It is called C++ Through Game Programming, but the closest you can get to a game right from this book is a text-based adventure. It may seem a little misleading, but nowhere on or in the book does it mention visual/graphical work or tutorials. Great book for the basics though!

May never see the reader again.

I bought this for my 15 year old son. He spends loads of time reading and using the information. He says it is a very useful book.

Not really beginning

This book is excellent for someone who already knows the basics of C++ I wouldn’t recommend trying to learn C++ with this book even though it is called Beginning C++. I recommend Starting out With C++ 5th ed by Tony Gaddis to learn basic C++ if you are truly a beginner to programming. Once you know some C++ programming, this book is great for teaching interactivity and programming for many of the basic games like Tic-Tac-Toe and Hangman.

Great book

I borrowed a different C++ programming book from a friend awhile ago. Much to my dismay, I couldn’t understand a single sentence in it! So I got this book, and I’m very pleased with it. Of course there’s still tons of C++ territory that’s left unexplored, but this book gave me some solid ground to stand on. Kudos.

Beginning C++ Game Programming

No doubt one of the the finest C++ primers I’ve ever encountered, because C++, as a language, is not presented so much as a language as it is a means to teaching the reader GAME programming! Author Michael Dawson’s approach to C++ is lean and meaningful. The reader learns C++ in bite-sized pieces as he/she is coding examples. The book outlines different ways of achieving the same result in it’s quest to teach game and, incidentally, C++ programming! As Bill Cosby used to quip, "If you’re not careful, you just might learn something!" Just as surely as the logic of the program cycles and iterations are absorbed, so are solid C++ programming fundamentals! The accompanying CD-ROM contains valuable coding examples and tools. The programming lessons migrate from the bare essentials (data types, variables and standard I/O) through decision-making to object oriented approaches and advanced use of classes. Great for the would-be beginning C++ programmer!

Fast Delivery, good product

The book was shipped on time, and in good condition. I have no complaints with this dealer.

Great Book For Beginners

this is a great book if you wanna learn c++ or game programming. it gets you started in both areas. it explains everything very well and teaches you how to write ms-dos batch files and stuff like that to go with your cpp applications. also the disk comes with a good IDE Dev-C++. Great Buy.

Beginning C++ Programming -- With game examples

As mentioned earlier, this book is more like an introduction to c++ than it is an introduction to game programmnig for people already knowing c++.

I was so very very disapointed, when I got this book.
I had the same interpretation of the title as Aaron F. Young (earlier review).

If you consider bying this book be careful to read other reviews, so you know that what you get is a book on c++ with game examples.

mistitled?

if you, like me, sometimes go by titles alone, then you may be disappointed in this book. I am a professional programmer, and I was looking for a beginner book on games for someone like me. a title like, "Beginning C++ Game Programming for Non Game Programming Professional Programmers", is what I wanted and what this book is not. What this book is, is an introduction to c++ programming to write some simple games for someone that’s never programmed.
that being said
I found this book well written and very good at what it actually is, which is "Beginning C++ Game Programming for Non Programmers". The simple games you create will come together slowly enough that you will learn a little programming (there ARE better learn c++ texts out there) but quickly enough that you’ll be able to play these simple games and get a taste for what game programming is probably all about (remember, I still haven’t found the book I need).
If I hadn’t already typed in games from Compute! as youngster, this book would be just what I needed. But I have, so I happily passed it on to my younger brother who needs a book like this.

Ehh...Not so good

The book is pretty crappy...its written is a very confusing manner and the code doesn’t even work half the time...its completly unacceptable to have a PROGRAMMING BOOK with code thats flawed in such a huge manner, this is completly insane, it will teach you somethings...if you tweak all the code and get it to work,
The simple fact is that you can get this information in an easier to read and free formate online, just google C++ tutorials, search Digg, search anything the info in this book is "Eh" at best.

IT IS NOT ABOUT GAMES

this book is good for teaching C++. however, it has nothing to say about Game programming. the author is using simple DOS games to show you how to program in C++. so if you are interested in real Game programming, don’t buy this book. if you want to learn C++ using simple DOS games, then this is the book for you.

Very good, but not for the absolute beginner

This is a great book for game programming, though if you are just starting out, get a book that more easily understood. learn the basics of programming, then come back to this

Tries to do way too much in way too small a space

Chapters 1 through 8 were pretty good. They were mostly easy to follow and had good examples. Chapters 9 and 10 were terrible. The author acted as though he were writing for the obfuscated C contest.

Inline functions are nice, but not for those of us who haven’t seen the material before and need to know what is going on. Is it really necessary to write code like this for beginners:

Player(const string& name = ""): m_Name(name), m_pNext(0) {}

especially when the variable name (in parens by member m_Name) is passed through two functions before it gets here? The first variable name in this function is a default value not passed from any previous functions. I can do nine things in each line in my code too, but not if I want others to understand it. Code like this is not helpful for students.

It would be nice to have a little consistency as well. Writing code for functions like this:

Critter(const string& name = "")
{
cout << "Constructor called\n";
m_pName = new string(name);
}

and then two functions later like this:

Critter(const Critter& c)
{
cout << "Copy Constructor called\n";
m_pName = new string;
*m_pName = c.GetName();
}

to do essentially the same thing but in two almost irreconcilable convoluted styles is just plain useless.

If I hadn’t had 3 other C++ textbooks and a professor to ask questions to, I never would have been able to follow chapters 9 and 10 at all. A poor waste of my time.

The splitting code into seperate files exercise is appalling. The example given in the book splits code from one file with 15-20 lines of code into three small files with 5 or 6 lines each. Not bad, you can see what went where. The exercise itself is for splitting a monster file with a whopping 491 lines of code in it into 16 files: 8 header files and 8 code files. And naturally, to make the exercise even worse, the author adds the so-called hint:

The exact details of how you get a project contained in multiple files to run depend on your compiler, so check out its documentation.

The only reason I did not give this book 1 star is for the first 8 chapters which are written fairly well. For anyone using this book on thier own: just give up on the last 2 chapters.

Nice beginning, but terrible end

The book is ok, but has many shortcomings. Chapters 5, 9 and 10 do not have enough examples. Chapter 9 and 10 are the worst, you might as well rip these chapters out of the book. I would not recommend this book.

Beginning C++ Game Programing Review

For beginners and experienced programmers alike, this is a fantastic resource book, I would recommend it.

Absolute Beginner

I am not going to bash the book. I haven’t read enough to make that kind of judgement (I don’t think I intend to read much more). I have glanced over the material, and let me warn anyone planning on buying this book: This book is for the absolute beginner to programming, not game programming, programming in general. The most complicated program outputs to the console. So don’t expect to develop any windowed applciations or anything practical. In summary, this is a book that teaches C++ that orients the examples towards elementary text-based games. If you are like me, trying to get a niche in 3D game programming and already have programming experience, buy something else. If you are absolutely beginning, this book could introduce you to programming, but I would recommend a book specifically geared toward teaching C++. I find Premier books to be riddled with careless mistakes, so it is best to buy a book from a publisher like Addison Wesley, Wiley, Pearson, Wrox or O’rielly. This way you will be formally introduced to a language like C++ and you can learn about genuine game programming from the perspective of a experienced programmer. I recommend baby steps - learn the language first, then games. I hope this is helpful. Just looking out for other weathered programmers like myself.

Good logic for entry level C++

Book has some neat programming logic for coders starting out in C++. Demonstrates some console based AI like guess a number, boolean logic, game loops, the switch, pointers. Last two chapters introduce OOD. I liked it, fun , keeps your interest. Would buy the next book in series.

Beginning C++ Game Programming

This is an excellent book. It really should be called Beginning C++ and we also talk about game programming. You learn all the Basics. You will understand C++ as well as all the principles that are taught in books that are 5 times the size. All the code works. Great book for beginners of C++ (especially if you intend on taking a course, it just reinforces everything you will learn.

Great book from this series, should be your first

if your going to learn game programming with this series of books and you have no expirence in programming this should be your first book.
I already know C++ and The basics of programming (acadmic knowlege). this book was for me more then a review of C++
the attached compiler "BLOODSHED C++" is a good compiler and in someways better for the beging Game Devolper from "Visual Studios" or "Borlan C++" so thats a plus.
i liked that all programming questions and discussions
where Game related from basic I/O with writtinga code for a story builder to Looping with "GUESS MY NUMBER" etc.
The Book will give some very good background on the meaning of code writting from relativity to logic and algorithms. still
this book will not teach you how to write your code right.
you will get your programs working and you will learn to think in C++’s but industry wise you will have some "holes" in memory use and the right way of constructing MAIN functions...
overall: very good for beginners.

Great Intro Book For C++ and early game concepts

Simply put, a very good intro to C++. I had some programmming experience with Basic, C#, and javaScript a long time ago and the ’beginner’ in the title caught my eye. I was terrfied of pointers and such but this book guides you through step by step. Not super easy but still workable. The term "Gaming" is a little misleading if you immediately think 3D graphics but the text concepts are all applicable. Only one problem I encountered was the need to use cin.get()and cin.ignore() in order for some programs to work properly when writing a console application. Can’t wait for an advanced book.

Perfect for beginners!

This is the PERFECT starting point for beginners. I had NO previous coding experience and I found this book pretty easy to follow. There were a few sections that I head to read more than once, but nothing in this book can’t be understood with a little time. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a place to jump into the programming world!

Great book but....

This is a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, but it was really too fast paced. had I never read a book on C++ programming, I would have been lost. I still got lost in places, but after rereading again, caught on.
I would recomend this book to someone who knows C++ but doesn’t know how to apply that knowelege to making games.

Extremely Helpful!

Beginning C++ Game Programming is, as it’s title states, an introduction to C++ with examples in gaming context. This book assumes no previous programming experience, but requires one to read carefully, understand the samples, and to really prove that you’ve learned a concept, do the exercises! You’ll learn all the basic capabilites of C++, then you’ll learn about classes, inheritance and polymorphism, and you’ll even get a taste of the STL (vector and string objects).

Granted you won’t be a C++ guru after reading this one book, but you will have enough information to be extremely useful, and to go ahead and learn APIs such as DirectX and OpenGL (in fact, game programmers typically don’t use the more advanced features of C++ as they cause their programs to incur a performance hit), or even study software rasterization!

So if you’re a complete programming novice and you’re driven to learn, then this is a great place to begin your C++ odyssey.

Not for true beginners, but a good book.

I bought this book after already having some knowledge of c++ and I think I would have a much harder time if I had simply started with this book. Regardless, There is a very good coverage of several libraries that I needed to learn about as well as a good way of viewing c++ from a game production point of view.

I would reccommend this book for anyone who already has minimal c++ knowledge, but if you feel dedicated enough to learn the language, you should do fine as well and should get a lot out of reading this book.

Good book with a few flaws on learning C++ using games

Up to now, there were few decent books that taught C++ and the Standard Template Library (STL) and how to use these within a game. This book fills the void. It is a very good book that covers the required material, but it does require that you have more knowledge than an absolute beginner.
The book covers the major aspects of C++ such as inheritance and encapsulation in a very easy to understand and accessible way. The examples for the games are clear, concise, well documented, and very carefully explained. It uses nothing other the STL to demonstrate how to implement the code, which means that anyone with a recent rev of a C++ compiler can use the book.
I subtracted a single star out of five because the chapter on pointers is insufficient, in my opinion. While the explanations and diagrams make the chapter easier to understand than many books, pointers are still made more complex than is really necessary. There is also no form of exception handling when "new" is used, which is a fundamental flaw with no real excuse given in the book for why is it not handled. It is too easy for new students of the language to get in the habit of letting memory handling go unchecked. Other than these flaws, I do recommend the book, especially to students who want to learn C++ for the purpose of getting into game programming.

Great C++ book based on gaming concepts.

There’s a lot of C++ books out there, but if you want to target your C++ development toward gaming, this is an excellent book to start with. I’ve never programmed C++ before and have learned a great deal from this book.

As other reviewers have stated, this book is not so much about gaming per se, but what makes it unique is that Mr. Dawson uses game terminology and instances to help give you a contextual framework for learning C++. An example: instead of describing random seed generators in the normal dry way other books do, he gives a context: generating a sudden strategy shift in an alien attacker or generating a sense of surprise in a game.

I found the numerous code examples and gaming references very valuable. Each concept is distinctly handled with good description and a code example. Bite-sized pieces make up for a full meal, as it were.

For someone who is an advanced C++ programmer, this book is likely not for you, unless you need a refresher course in the basics. For those of us who are just starting out and need a framework to place these concepts into practical code, it’s invaluable.

Highly recommended!

Somewhat helpful but mostly would say skip it

This book is somewhat helpful but I would say skip it even though you want to become a game programmer and what to start somewhere I would say go start with another book.

This book does a great job introducing C++ and showing the beginning but when he goes to programming and showing the stuff he does it like a 10 year old would do it. He sucks teaching atleast the basics.
Yes he shows all his code and puts code to make some games but for all those that have read the book and understand it(like me) should ask themselves, right after finishing the book and doing all the stuff, how good can they program.

My point being before programming a good game you need a lot of years of experience(I assume you already knew that) and so what this book is trying to do is show you how you can use some functions in C++ to make a simple game.

But after reading this book ask yourself this "Can I code a good program by just using the book for help?" and the answer would be HELL NO! YOU CAN’T CAUSE THE AUTHOR SUCKS IN TEACHING THE BASICS OF C++, instead he gives some explanation to stuff then gives code away to show you how can it be use for a game.

Verdict: 3.0 out of 5.0 For those that don’t know how to code might say this book is a 5 but really they even haven’t touched the surface of basic programming.


P.S. I learned much more using tutorials on the net and if you want I book buy another one. And for those that want to test my theory of finishing this book "Try to code a Spider Solitaire" just using the knowledge of the book not no more.

Nice Introduction to C++

A more fitting title for this book might have been "Beginning C++ Programming with Games," since this is more an introduction to the C++ language than it is to game programming. In fact, the information within this book is content which can be found in any modern book on the subject of C++. However, it is presented in a manner that feels more relaxed and manageable than books geared towards more "serious" applications. That is where the book really shines - its ability to explain complex topics in a way that isn’t overly technical.

I’ve been in the game programming scene since 1999, using Visual Basic 6.0 and Java for most of that time. Recently, I’ve picked up an interest in C++. Although a lot of things covered in "Beginning C++ Game Programming" are trivial for me, such as functions and if/switch/while/for statements, things like C++ classes and pointers are totally new. With this book, I was easily able to get up to speed with these new facets, while using the rest of the book primarily as an exercise and to see the differences between the languages.

The notes from the book (tips, hints, and traps) are also very helpful. While I was skimming through some of the earlier chapters, there were a few occasions where I had to say to myself, "that’s good to know." Reading these simple tidbits will help you in the long run, as they explain ways to speed things up, and help keep you from developing some bad habits.

However, the best part about the book is also its greatest flaw. The size and focus of the book indicates that it is for those who want a quick introduction to the language. It is by no means a comprehensive reference manual. Based on this information, if you have some programming experience in other languages, and want something to get you going in C++ quickly, this book is for you. However, if you’re new to programming, this is still a good book - just be sure to back it up with a deeper reference book.

All in all, "Beginning C++ Game Programming" is a great introduction for those who want to quickly learn C++ in a fun, relaxed manner.