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Game Architecture and Design: Learn the Best Practices for Game Design and Programming

by Andrew Rollings (Author), Dave Morris (Author)

3.4 40 ratings

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A guide to computer game design, architecture, and management explores the application of design principles, shares the experiences of game programmers, and offers an overview of game development software

ISBN-10

1576104257
ISBN-13

978-1576104255
Publisher

Coriolis Group
Publication date

November 18, 1999
Language

English
Dimensions

7.5 x 1.75 x 9.5 inches
Print length

650 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Game Architecture and Design, addressing itself to industry programmers and managers, makes a compelling case that game developers should manage software the same way the other computer companies do it--even though they may not want to hear it.

This book's real-world perspective on the video game business makes it a standout, and its dozens of case studies and anecdotes from the field, including behind-the-scenes details on some well-known recent titles, are particularly valuable. Besides notable successes, there are plenty of stories of what can go wrong. One of the most entertaining sections features interviews with game industry experts who universally argue against a formal software process while describing the many problems inherent in writing games. The text replies convincingly that long hours, missed deadlines, and mediocre software grow out of sloppy (or non-existent) design and management techniques and a hacker mentality on the part of programmers.

Besides a diagnosis of what doesn't work, the book suggests several cures, including proper design, planning, and project management (used in mainstream business computing). The authors predict that in the future, "software factories" will use third-party engines, reusable objects, and other tools--along with team organization and management--to create better games.

After listing the steps for designing and developing game software successfully, a full-fledged example (using DirectX and C++) helps get you started. If you want a glimpse of the often disordered world of game development--and advice that can bring some order to the chaos--you should read this intelligent and well-argued book. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Software design and management techniques for game development, gameplay and playability, game specifications, design documents, game balance, look and feel, storytelling, the game business vs. the movie business, history of video games, future predictions and trends, team management, problem developer personalities, best practices, software factories for games, milestones, implementing software process, risk management, reusability, patterns for gamers, DirectX, game engines, tips for prototyping, coding, testing and deployment, case studies, sample game design documents, and code.

About the Author

Andrew Rollings (Chicago, IL) is a freelance consultant who designed and wrote a core part of the cryptography system used by the Bank of England, several Swiss banks, and the European Commission. He is also a regular contributor to several game development magazines.

Dave Morris (London, UK) is a top-selling author and game designer. He has worked as a freelance consultant for several leading international developers and publishers. His realtime strategy game, Warrior Kings, is being developed by Black Cactus Games and will be published in 2000.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Coriolis Group (November 18, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 650 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1576104257
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1576104255
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.95 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1.75 x 9.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,588,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #954 in Computer & Video Game Design
- #2,173 in Object-Oriented Design
- #7,218 in Introductory & Beginning Programming

Customer Reviews:
3.4 40 ratings

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Andrew Rollings
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Dave Morris
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I'm equally drawn to both stories and equations, to both literature and science. Over the years I've written novels, textbooks, comics, gamebooks and television shows and I've designed videogames, boardgames and role-playing games. And co-authored a paper on the propagation of light delivered to the Institute of Physics. What can I say? I thrive on variety and I'm always looking for a fresh challenge!
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3.4 out of 5

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Robert Gamble

Two thirds of the book was great for me.

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2001

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This really is an odd book. I would have given it 3 1/2 stars if possible, but decided it was above average so stuck with 4. This book serves a niche apart from the pure programming books that cover graphics or game design. Specifically, it covers three areas:
1) Game design 2) Game Company Environment and Procedures 3) Game development
To me, the first and third elements were the most interesting. They described ways to inject originality and stability both into a game. The discussion on Stone-Paper-Scissors interactions was very worthwhile though the explanations of the mathematical equations is somewhat rushed. The application of design patterns to gaming was quite welcome.
Part two simply didn't interest me, but then again, I don't plan to be part of a gaming company. A description of working procedures, environment and personalities seems mostly of interest to large projects. It was interesting reading, but not useful personally to me. This part also didn't seem to fit well with the rest of the book.

5 people found this helpful

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Sören Meyer-Eppler

An ocean of information - but only knee-deep

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2005

This book is a little unusual in that it claims to cover very technical topics while reading more like a light novel. While it was still interesting, it's of the 'read once and forget' type, i.e. I do not regularly get this book out for reference like most of my other technical books. It's biggest problem is that it tries to cover too much ground in too little space (~700 pages) - there is no way to deal with the whole process of developing a commercial quality game in a single book. As a result the author only briefly touches on many topics which would have been better left out for more in-depth coverage from other books. For example, management, architecture design, design patterns and testing each require a book for themselves, rather than a short and superficial one chapter treatment. What's left is a lot of stating the obvious (breaking news: testing is good!) and a lot of personal opinions. While the chapters on design are quite readable, by their very nature they deal with lots of 'religious' issues, and although the author tries to be careful I sometimes felt offended by his preachy tone. I sometimes got the feeling the author had a somewhat ivory-tower, disconnected from reality view on many of the topics, especially the treatment of 'software factories' sounded utopian. The book also features lots of useless diagrams and code snippets of varying quality, which are, presented in isolation, again useless. The highlights are probably the 'case-studies', small anecdotes, scattered throughout the book. In summary, the book is like the internet: an ocean of information but mostly only knee deep.

One person found this helpful

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JM

Simply the best

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2000

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This is, quite simply, the best book on software design and development that I have ever read. It describes in painful detail the trials and tribulations that anyone who has ever worked on a growing software team has encountered. I read this while working on a project that was in a downward spiral and every problem we had was documented in this book.
This is a book that discusses not only how software should be designed and developed, but also tackles the formidable task of handling interactions between developers, perhaps the most tempermental creatures since the grizzly bear. The most often overlooked problem in rapidly growing software companies is not project size, but how the developers handle the growth. This book tries to address this, and other issues.
If this book was retitled Software Architecture and Design it would sell millions of copies. I think that it should be required reading for undergrads and for new programmers. For those who have been in the field for a while, it will convince you that you don't have to beat your head against a wall to develop good software in a team environement. There is a better way to develop software, and this book sheds light on that path.
While there are many good books on software design, few are as approachable as this one.
This book earns its price many times over.

4 people found this helpful

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Phokus

An Excellent Title for the game designer

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2000

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A large, highly encompassing tome, this book covers an enormous amount of material. If you've ever wondered about some of the more fundamental pieces of game design, or never worked in a formal or high process development environment, this is the book for you.
I can't say much else that has not already been mentioned in previous reviews, but I will re-iterate: BUY THIS BOOK!

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2010

Verified Purchase

A solid book on the formal aspects of game analysis and design.

Provides the reader with the correct vocabularly, methodologies, and practises to create a solid game design.

Samples on the CD are also very helpful.

Excellent book for use by Academia on any course involving games.

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