Stacey's bookshelf: gamedev en-US Mon, 01 Jul 2024 19:33:17 -0700 60 Stacey's bookshelf: gamedev 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Computer Organization and Embedded Systems (Int'l Ed)]]> 21042435 832 V. Carl Hamacher 0071089004 Stacey 2 gamedev 2.88 1980 Computer Organization and Embedded Systems (Int'l Ed)
author: V. Carl Hamacher
name: Stacey
average rating: 2.88
book published: 1980
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves: gamedev
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games]]> 2966354 Master the craft of game design so you can create that elusive combination of challenge, competition, and interaction that players seek. This design workshop begins with an examination of the fundamental elements of game design; then puts you to work in prototyping, playtesting and redesigning your own games with exercises that teach essential design skills.

Workshop exercises require no background in programming or artwork, releasing you from the intricacies of electronic game production, so you can develop a working understanding of the essentials of game design.

Features:
* A design methodology used in the USC Interactive Media program, a cutting edge program funded in part of Electronic Arts.
* Hands-on exercises demonstrate key concepts, and the design methodology
* Insights from top industry game designers, including Noah Falstein, American McGee, Peter Molyneux

]]> 496 Tracy Fullerton 0240809742 Stacey 5
Fullerton focuses on designing games with the constant goal of vigilantly keeping the player experience at the center of the design process. Everything should be prototyped iteratively. Repeatedly. The upbeat tone encourages experimentation, failure, and revision, reassuring budding designers that games are not some divine inspiration that happens perfectly the first time around. For someone with little experience, this was exactly what I needed to hear, and Fullerton is sure to repeat the message through examples and anecdotal interviews from some of the biggest names in the field.

I also found the exercises in the book extremely helpful for thinking about games, but more importantly for thinking about how I was thinking about games.

Fantastic and inspiring.]]> 4.06 2008 Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games
author: Tracy Fullerton
name: Stacey
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2013/01/07
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: research, game-design, gamedev
review:
Like most people of my generation, I have been playing video games since I can remember. I've read bits and pieces of other game design books, but none have been as clear or as aligned with my own vision of games as this book. It helped me really make the transition from thinking like a consumer to thinking like a creator. It is indispensable for designers of paper and digital games alike.

Fullerton focuses on designing games with the constant goal of vigilantly keeping the player experience at the center of the design process. Everything should be prototyped iteratively. Repeatedly. The upbeat tone encourages experimentation, failure, and revision, reassuring budding designers that games are not some divine inspiration that happens perfectly the first time around. For someone with little experience, this was exactly what I needed to hear, and Fullerton is sure to repeat the message through examples and anecdotal interviews from some of the biggest names in the field.

I also found the exercises in the book extremely helpful for thinking about games, but more importantly for thinking about how I was thinking about games.

Fantastic and inspiring.
]]> Pilgrim in the Microworld 1366788 David Sudnow 0446512613 Stacey 5 research, gamedev
Following in the style of Ways of the Hand, Sudnow's deeply detailed exploration of the phenomenology of playing jazz piano, Pilgrim in the Microworld provides an equally detailed account of Sudnow's quest to master Breakout on the Atari--from the physical feeling of the controls to the subtle changes in his strategy of where to look on the screen. The book follows his transition from bemused to curious to obsessed and back, all the while revealing the most subtle changes in outlook and strategy, changes that most of the rest of us would never consciously stop to think about.

Sudnow is clearly catering to a high brow audience. His descriptions are peppered with references to classical music, and never misses an opportunity to name drop Debussy, Lenny Bruce, Nietzsche; but his tone only serves to legitimize the deep study of games at a time when they were regarded as low brow entertainment. As you might expect from the title, the writing recalls Thoreau or Dillard in its tone and approach--carefully balancing obsessive detail with a narrative arc whose drama you only appreciate when you've finished the book. At times the depth of his analyses of the most trivial functions of the hand or the eye can become exhausting, as--no doubt--his frustrating play sessions were, and these sections toward the middle are best handled by giving the book a rest. While others might complain about the pace of the middle chapters, to me, these sections only further highlighted the experience of Sudnow's frustration, and as a whole the book is engaging, thought-provoking, and masterfully written.

As a game studies text, this is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in phenomenology or player experience. No other personal account of playing games has come close to this level of thought and analysis. At times his descriptions teeter on the edge of what might be considered obsessive mental illness, but Sudnow's perspective is entirely unique among the field, and this level of detail will be incredibly hard for most researchers to duplicate.

A must-read for game studies researchers, obsessive gamers, and gamers who also happen to be musicians.]]> 4.57 1983 Pilgrim in the Microworld
author: David Sudnow
name: Stacey
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1983
rating: 5
read at: 2013/01/30
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: research, gamedev
review:
Jazz pianist David Sudnow didn't play video games until he went to retrieve his teenage son from an arcade in the early 80s, and he immediately dismissed them as a silly money-sink designed to keep teenagers occupied. When an Atari 2600 ruined a party of academics, however, he decided to give games another shot and try the Atari for himself. Thus began his decent into obsession.

Following in the style of Ways of the Hand, Sudnow's deeply detailed exploration of the phenomenology of playing jazz piano, Pilgrim in the Microworld provides an equally detailed account of Sudnow's quest to master Breakout on the Atari--from the physical feeling of the controls to the subtle changes in his strategy of where to look on the screen. The book follows his transition from bemused to curious to obsessed and back, all the while revealing the most subtle changes in outlook and strategy, changes that most of the rest of us would never consciously stop to think about.

Sudnow is clearly catering to a high brow audience. His descriptions are peppered with references to classical music, and never misses an opportunity to name drop Debussy, Lenny Bruce, Nietzsche; but his tone only serves to legitimize the deep study of games at a time when they were regarded as low brow entertainment. As you might expect from the title, the writing recalls Thoreau or Dillard in its tone and approach--carefully balancing obsessive detail with a narrative arc whose drama you only appreciate when you've finished the book. At times the depth of his analyses of the most trivial functions of the hand or the eye can become exhausting, as--no doubt--his frustrating play sessions were, and these sections toward the middle are best handled by giving the book a rest. While others might complain about the pace of the middle chapters, to me, these sections only further highlighted the experience of Sudnow's frustration, and as a whole the book is engaging, thought-provoking, and masterfully written.

As a game studies text, this is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in phenomenology or player experience. No other personal account of playing games has come close to this level of thought and analysis. At times his descriptions teeter on the edge of what might be considered obsessive mental illness, but Sudnow's perspective is entirely unique among the field, and this level of detail will be incredibly hard for most researchers to duplicate.

A must-read for game studies researchers, obsessive gamers, and gamers who also happen to be musicians.
]]> <![CDATA[Game Feel (Morgan Kaufmann Game Design Books)]]> 3385050 Game Feel exposes feel as a hidden language in game design that no one has fully articulated yet. The language could be compared to the building blocks of music (time signatures, chord progressions, verse)—no matter the instruments, style or time period—these building blocks come into play. Feel and sensation are similar building blocks where game design is concerned. They create the meta-sensation of involvement with a game.

The understanding of how game designers create feel, and affect feel are only partially understood by most in the field and tends to be overlooked as a method or course of study, yet a game's feel is central to a game's success. This book brings the subject of feel to light by consolidating existing theories into a cohesive book.

The book covers topics like the role of sound, ancillary indicators, the importance of metaphor, how people perceive things, and a brief history of feel in games.

The associated web site contains a playset with ready-made tools to design feel in games, six key components to creating virtual sensation. There's a play palette too, so the designer can first experience the importance of that component by altering variables and feeling the results. The playset allows the reader to experience each of the sensations described in the book, and then allows them to apply them to their own projects. Creating game feel without having to program, essentially. The final version of the playset will have enough flexibility that the reader will be able to use it as a companion to the exercises in the book, working through each one to create the feel described.]]> 376 Steve Swink 0123743281 Stacey 4 Game Feel is an interesting look at the phenomenon of controls in video games having "feel," whether they feel "floaty", "heavy", etc. Swink discusses at length what each of these descriptors means and how they are achieved. By examining these phenomena and illustrating his points with several case studies of popular games, Swink is able to construct metrics for defining game feel and ideas for how game designers can best use it to create their desired user experience. The book is filled with insightful non-digital analogies of how we control objects and utilize proprioception, and how we might relate those experiences to the game world.

Despite very readable prose and colloquial examples, I was tempted to read this as an academic book. That's not how it was intended, so I caution any game theorists approaching the book from that position. If you read this as an academic book, you will find several "holes" in Swink's "argument," particularly his theories about the extension of self that connects the player with their avatar. Keep in mind that this is a book for designers, and as such it is extremely useful: "feel" is certainly an observable phenomenon in games, and Swink's examination is thoughtful and could indeed serve as the basis for more "academic" inquiries into the nature of feel and the extension of the self into the game world.

]]> 3.91 2008 Game Feel (Morgan Kaufmann Game Design Books)
author: Steve Swink
name: Stacey
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2013/02/05
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: research, game-design, gamedev
review:
Game Feel is an interesting look at the phenomenon of controls in video games having "feel," whether they feel "floaty", "heavy", etc. Swink discusses at length what each of these descriptors means and how they are achieved. By examining these phenomena and illustrating his points with several case studies of popular games, Swink is able to construct metrics for defining game feel and ideas for how game designers can best use it to create their desired user experience. The book is filled with insightful non-digital analogies of how we control objects and utilize proprioception, and how we might relate those experiences to the game world.

Despite very readable prose and colloquial examples, I was tempted to read this as an academic book. That's not how it was intended, so I caution any game theorists approaching the book from that position. If you read this as an academic book, you will find several "holes" in Swink's "argument," particularly his theories about the extension of self that connects the player with their avatar. Keep in mind that this is a book for designers, and as such it is extremely useful: "feel" is certainly an observable phenomenon in games, and Swink's examination is thoughtful and could indeed serve as the basis for more "academic" inquiries into the nature of feel and the extension of the self into the game world.


]]> <![CDATA[The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work]]> 9484114 Our most commonly held formula for success is broken.

Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe.

In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research—including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard and others at companies like UBS and KPMG—to fix this broken formula. Using stories and case studies from his work with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in 42 countries, Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work.

Isolating seven practical, actionable principles that have been tried and tested everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms, stretching from Argentina to Zimbabwe, he shows us how we can capitalize on the Happiness Advantage to improve our performance and maximize our potential. Among the principles he outlines:


•The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility, so we can see—and seize—opportunities wherever we look.
•The Zorro Circle: how to channel our efforts on small, manageable goals, to gain the leverage to gradually conquer bigger and bigger ones.
•Social Investment: how to reap the dividends of investing in one of the greatest predictors of success and happiness—our social support network


A must-read for everyone trying to excel in a world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity, The Happiness Advantage isn’t only about how to become happier at work. It’s about how to reap the benefits of a happier and more positive mind-set to achieve the extraordinary in our work and in our lives.


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 272 Shawn Achor 0307591565 Stacey 5
This is a great example of the rare pop-psychology book without very much “fluff�. It is up there for me with James Clear's Atomic Habits and Brene Brown's Dare to Lead as books that really have probably changed my whole outlook on life and have certainly changed the way I approach my work.

My only complaint is a small one, that Achor's constant references to being a grad student at Harvard do come across as increasingly insecure after the fourth or fifth mention. Still, this is a relatively small gripe for a book that has probably changed my whole outlook on life.]]> 4.11 2010 The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
author: Shawn Achor
name: Stacey
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2021/08/01
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: leadership-teambuilding, gamedev
review:
In his first book, Achor argues that although we normally think of happiness arising as a result of success—common wisdom holds that if we just get that promotion, lose a few pounds, reach our goals, then we’ll be happy—the opposite is actually true: success follows happiness. He details seven different principles of positive psychology, recounts various psychological studies that led to these insights, and then connects these principles to how they might translate into success in the workplace. Interesting insights include the idea that people who believe they are lucky actually are better attuned to seeing opportunities than the average person, that having strong social bonds predicts success and ability to cope with stress, that with effort and gratitude we can literally rewire our brains to be more optimistic, and that positivity is a greater predictor of success than skill or intelligence.

This is a great example of the rare pop-psychology book without very much “fluff�. It is up there for me with James Clear's Atomic Habits and Brene Brown's Dare to Lead as books that really have probably changed my whole outlook on life and have certainly changed the way I approach my work.

My only complaint is a small one, that Achor's constant references to being a grad student at Harvard do come across as increasingly insecure after the fourth or fifth mention. Still, this is a relatively small gripe for a book that has probably changed my whole outlook on life.
]]> <![CDATA[Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being]]> 35758073
“A vibrant book on how to bring out the best in others—and how they can bring out the best in us.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the podcast WorkLife

In a world that thrives on competition and individual achievement, we’re measuring and pursuing potential incorrectly. Pursuing success in isolation—pushing others away as we push ourselves too hard—not only limits our potential but makes us more stressed and disconnected than ever.

Harvard-trained researcher Shawn Achor reveals a better approach. With exciting new research combining neuroscience and psychology with Big Data, Achor shows that our potential is not limited by what we alone can achieve. Instead, it is determined by how we complement, contribute to, and benefit from the abilities and achievements of people around us.

When we—as individuals, leaders, and parents—chase only individual achievement, we leave vast sources of potential untapped. But once we put “others� back into the equation, and work to make others better, we ignite a Virtuous Cycle of cascading successes that amplify our own.

The dramatic shifts in how we approach work today demand an equally dramatic shift in our approach to success. In Big Potential, Achor draws on cutting-edge original research as well as his work with nearly half of the Fortune 100 and with places like NASA, the NFL and the NBA, and offers a new path to thriving in the modern world.]]> 240 Shawn Achor 1524761532 Stacey 4 The Happiness Advantage, Achor argues that although we learn from a very young age that success is the result of our individual efforts, this is actually only our “small potential,� and real achievement or “big potential� is the result not of a star that shines especially brightly, but of star systems, productive communities that influence each other for the better. Achor discusses how to foster such communities—both for individuals and for companies. He argues that every person we’ve considered a lone genius was actually surrounded by a community of achievers that fostered them, and he presents compelling evidence that even a team of modest talent can outshine the most brilliant individual contributors. At just over 200 pages, this book is a pretty breezy read. Still, for as impressed as I was with the lack of fluff in The Happiness Advantage, this one felt bloated in places, and there's some repetition from The Happiness Advantage. The core ideas are interesting, but they probably could have been distilled into a long journal article.]]> 4.14 Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being
author: Shawn Achor
name: Stacey
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: leadership-teambuilding, gamedev
review:
Continuing his explorations into what makes us happy and successful that he began in The Happiness Advantage, Achor argues that although we learn from a very young age that success is the result of our individual efforts, this is actually only our “small potential,� and real achievement or “big potential� is the result not of a star that shines especially brightly, but of star systems, productive communities that influence each other for the better. Achor discusses how to foster such communities—both for individuals and for companies. He argues that every person we’ve considered a lone genius was actually surrounded by a community of achievers that fostered them, and he presents compelling evidence that even a team of modest talent can outshine the most brilliant individual contributors. At just over 200 pages, this book is a pretty breezy read. Still, for as impressed as I was with the lack of fluff in The Happiness Advantage, this one felt bloated in places, and there's some repetition from The Happiness Advantage. The core ideas are interesting, but they probably could have been distilled into a long journal article.
]]> Dare to Lead 40109367 In her #1 NYT bestsellers, Brené Brown taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead.

Leadership is not about titles, status and power over people. Leaders are people who hold themselves accountable for recognising the potential in people and ideas, and developing that potential. This is a book for everyone who is ready to choose courage over comfort, make a difference and lead.

When we dare to lead, we don't pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don't see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it and work to align authority and accountability. We don't avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into the vulnerability that’s necessary to do good work.

But daring leadership in a culture that's defined by scarcity, fear and uncertainty requires building courage skills, which are uniquely human. The irony is that we're choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the same time we're scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines can't do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection and courage to start.

Brené Brown spent the past two decades researching the emotions that give meaning to our lives. Over the past seven years, she found that leaders in organisations ranging from small entrepreneurial start-ups and family-owned businesses to non-profits, civic organisations and Fortune 50 companies, are asking the same questions:

How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders? And, how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?

Dare to Lead answers these questions and gives us actionable strategies and real examples from her new research-based, courage-building programme.

Brené writes, ‘One of the most important findings of my career is that courage can be taught, developed and measured. Courage is a collection of four skill sets supported by twenty-eight behaviours. All it requires is a commitment to doing bold work, having tough conversations and showing up with our whole hearts. Easy? No. Choosing courage over comfort is not easy. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and work. It's why we're here.’]]> 332 Brené Brown 147356252X Stacey 5 Dare to Lead promotes strong leadership through soft hearts, which is, frankly, exactly the leadership book we need in 2020. Topics include how to be vulnerable as a leader and why you should, how to lead difficult conversations and elicit vulnerability from your team to get to the heart of issues, and how to avoid common pitfalls that make people “armor up� and fall into unhealthy patterns.

Like many, I first came to Brown’s work through her TED Talks on shame and vulnerability. If you’re wondering whether you’ll like this book, those talks are fabulous, and will let you preview some of the book's underlying themes. The energy she brings to her talks practically leaps off the page with a written voice that mirrors her lecturing voice almost exactly. Brown is engaging and insightful in a way that feels earnest and open, but never feels cloying or aggressive. She’s not asking you to Lean In; she’s asking you to bring your “whole heart� to the table. And she’s got practical, data-driven reasons why you should.

The book claims to be a quick read, one which could be devoured “cover-to-cover in one flight�. And by the numbers and tone, that should be true. But I confess it took me a considerable amount of time to get through it, largely because some off-handed remark would literally completely change my worldview and I would have to put the book down to reflect on it. For example “resentment is almost always related to a lack of boundaries� was a half-sentence that was not even the main point of that sentence, much less that section, but it was a profound enough point that I had to step away. And these moments happened so frequently that the book was actually pretty slow to digest for me. So while I think this could be a breezy read, I also don’t think that’s the most product way to consume it.

The content itself is a nice balance of theoretical research and actionable takeaways. Brown has done the research, collected the data, and interpreted its results—then gone a step farther into translating those into actionable takeaways. This is Brown’s fifth book, and like most researchers, her work has built on itself cumulatively for years. Though Brown repeats extended sections from her previous books, she does a good job of highlighting how this work builds upon and extends the previous work. It didn’t feel overly repetitive for me, but I also haven’t read the entirety of her catalog.

It’s rare for me to say that a book has changed my life, but this book has shifted my approach—not just to leadership, but to communication as a whole—so fundamentally that it would be remiss of me to undersell its impact. But that said, due to the subject matter, this book rewards introspection and reflection even more than most self-help books, and you get out of it what you put in. Brown asks you to dive into uncomfortable places with yourself and with others, and while the rewards are great, the process is unapologetically brutal. But as she says, courage requires vulnerability, and “who we are is how we lead.”]]> 4.17 2018 Dare to Lead
author: Brené Brown
name: Stacey
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2020/03/13
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: favorites, leadership-teambuilding, gamedev
review:
Brené Brown is a researcher of shame and vulnerability, and while that might seem like an odd fit for a book about leadership in the workplace, Brown brings her usual energy and winsome earnestness to a compelling argument that vulnerability is indeed at the heart of all courageous leadership. Dare to Lead promotes strong leadership through soft hearts, which is, frankly, exactly the leadership book we need in 2020. Topics include how to be vulnerable as a leader and why you should, how to lead difficult conversations and elicit vulnerability from your team to get to the heart of issues, and how to avoid common pitfalls that make people “armor up� and fall into unhealthy patterns.

Like many, I first came to Brown’s work through her TED Talks on shame and vulnerability. If you’re wondering whether you’ll like this book, those talks are fabulous, and will let you preview some of the book's underlying themes. The energy she brings to her talks practically leaps off the page with a written voice that mirrors her lecturing voice almost exactly. Brown is engaging and insightful in a way that feels earnest and open, but never feels cloying or aggressive. She’s not asking you to Lean In; she’s asking you to bring your “whole heart� to the table. And she’s got practical, data-driven reasons why you should.

The book claims to be a quick read, one which could be devoured “cover-to-cover in one flight�. And by the numbers and tone, that should be true. But I confess it took me a considerable amount of time to get through it, largely because some off-handed remark would literally completely change my worldview and I would have to put the book down to reflect on it. For example “resentment is almost always related to a lack of boundaries� was a half-sentence that was not even the main point of that sentence, much less that section, but it was a profound enough point that I had to step away. And these moments happened so frequently that the book was actually pretty slow to digest for me. So while I think this could be a breezy read, I also don’t think that’s the most product way to consume it.

The content itself is a nice balance of theoretical research and actionable takeaways. Brown has done the research, collected the data, and interpreted its results—then gone a step farther into translating those into actionable takeaways. This is Brown’s fifth book, and like most researchers, her work has built on itself cumulatively for years. Though Brown repeats extended sections from her previous books, she does a good job of highlighting how this work builds upon and extends the previous work. It didn’t feel overly repetitive for me, but I also haven’t read the entirety of her catalog.

It’s rare for me to say that a book has changed my life, but this book has shifted my approach—not just to leadership, but to communication as a whole—so fundamentally that it would be remiss of me to undersell its impact. But that said, due to the subject matter, this book rewards introspection and reflection even more than most self-help books, and you get out of it what you put in. Brown asks you to dive into uncomfortable places with yourself and with others, and while the rewards are great, the process is unapologetically brutal. But as she says, courage requires vulnerability, and “who we are is how we lead.�
]]> <![CDATA[Building HTML5 Games with ImpactJS]]> 13227077 137 Jesse Freeman 1449315178 Stacey 3 programming-tech, gamedev 3.22 2012 Building HTML5 Games with ImpactJS
author: Jesse Freeman
name: Stacey
average rating: 3.22
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/03/27
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: programming-tech, gamedev
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming]]> 17084501
JavaScript is the language of the Web, and it's at the heart of every modern website from the lowliest personal blog to the mighty Google Apps. Though it's simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is not a toy--it's a flexible and complex language, capable of much more than the showy tricks most programmers use it for.

"Eloquent JavaScript" goes beyond the cut-and-paste scripts of the recipe books and teaches you to write code that's elegant and effective. You'll start with the basics of programming, and learn to use variables, control structures, functions, and data structures. Then you'll dive into the real JavaScript artistry: higher-order functions, closures, and object-oriented programming.

Along the way you'll learn to: Master basic programming techniques and best practices Harness the power of functional and object-oriented programming Use regular expressions to quickly parse and manipulate strings Gracefully deal with errors and browser incompatibilities Handle browser events and alter the DOM structure

Most importantly, "Eloquent JavaScript" will teach you to express yourself in code with precision and beauty. After all, great programming is an art, not a science--so why settle for a killer app when you can create a masterpiece?]]> 224 Marijn Haverbeke 1457100339 Stacey 5 programming-tech, gamedev experiences this text bring this book from a great beginner's guide to the formally best ebook I've read. With mouse-over definitions, interactive code examples, and relatable prose, Eloquent JavaScript isn't just a model for what all programming books should be; it's (formally) a model for what all ebooks should be.

That said, though the book is designed for beginners, I can't speak to how well it imparts the basic principles of programming to those who don't already know what, say, recursion is supposed to do. It seemed like the prose might be too shallow for that kind of thing, but it did offer great metaphors for those principles, so it might be fine. As someone coming to JavaScript with a light background in other languages, it was exactly what I needed. ]]> 3.60 2010 Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming
author: Marijn Haverbeke
name: Stacey
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: programming-tech, gamedev
review:
God is in the details, and the details of how the user experiences this text bring this book from a great beginner's guide to the formally best ebook I've read. With mouse-over definitions, interactive code examples, and relatable prose, Eloquent JavaScript isn't just a model for what all programming books should be; it's (formally) a model for what all ebooks should be.

That said, though the book is designed for beginners, I can't speak to how well it imparts the basic principles of programming to those who don't already know what, say, recursion is supposed to do. It seemed like the prose might be too shallow for that kind of thing, but it did offer great metaphors for those principles, so it might be fine. As someone coming to JavaScript with a light background in other languages, it was exactly what I needed.
]]> <![CDATA[Rise of the Videogame Zinesters: How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives,and People Like You Are Taking Back an Art Form]]> 12538914
Rise of the Videogame Zinesters is a call to arms for anyone who's ever dreamed of making their own games. Anna’s guide to game design encourages budding designers to bring their unique backgrounds and experiences to their creations and widen the playing field of an industry that has for too long catered to an adolescent male consumer base. Anna’s newest game, Dys4ia , an autobiographical game about her experiences with hormone replacement therapy, has been featured in The Penny Arcade, IndieGames, and TigSource.
]]> 208 Anna Anthropy 1609803728 Stacey 4 3.85 2012 Rise of the Videogame Zinesters: How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives,and People Like You Are Taking Back an Art Form
author: Anna Anthropy
name: Stacey
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2013/02/15
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: game-design, research, gamedev
review:

]]> Challenges for Game Designers 4726656 352 Brenda Brathwaite 158450580X Stacey 4 game-design, gamedev Challenges for Game Designers uses to encourage designers toward brilliant games, since most people, given a problem, will naturally tap into creative insights to find a solution. Designed for beginner to intermediate designers, each chapter focuses on certain aspects of game design: genre, manipulating mechanics, drawing from personal experiences, and so on to explore design problems and help the reader understand how designers think. The challenges are interesting and themselves creative.

The chapters are structured such that they provide a short introduction--usually only a few pages--to basic game design ideals. Each chapter then provides 5 design challenges, complete with concept, goal, and expected deliverables. Additional challenge ideas are available on the last page of the chapter. Though not as fleshed-out (which comes with pros and cons), these are also great motivators for designers to think of solutions to interesting problems.

Mostly, the challenges serve as the boundaries and starting point; designers have enough of an outline to avoid the anxieties that come with a blank page, while still having enough open-endedness to allow for innovative design.]]> 3.97 2008 Challenges for Game Designers
author: Brenda Brathwaite
name: Stacey
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/08/01
shelves: game-design, gamedev
review:
Most creative professionals understand that constraints foster creativity, and this is the approach Challenges for Game Designers uses to encourage designers toward brilliant games, since most people, given a problem, will naturally tap into creative insights to find a solution. Designed for beginner to intermediate designers, each chapter focuses on certain aspects of game design: genre, manipulating mechanics, drawing from personal experiences, and so on to explore design problems and help the reader understand how designers think. The challenges are interesting and themselves creative.

The chapters are structured such that they provide a short introduction--usually only a few pages--to basic game design ideals. Each chapter then provides 5 design challenges, complete with concept, goal, and expected deliverables. Additional challenge ideas are available on the last page of the chapter. Though not as fleshed-out (which comes with pros and cons), these are also great motivators for designers to think of solutions to interesting problems.

Mostly, the challenges serve as the boundaries and starting point; designers have enough of an outline to avoid the anxieties that come with a blank page, while still having enough open-endedness to allow for innovative design.
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