Designing 3D Games That Sell!

Rating:
Summary: A must have for any newbie Game Developer
Review: At first I only bought this book as reference material for the world of game design, however, the provides far more valuable information than how to make a design document. The book gives any new developer/designer an insight as to the whole process of producing games. It also shows how to produce a complete game proposal starting with a conver letter and ending with budgets and shcedules.

A MUST have as far as I am concerned.

Rating:
Summary: A must have for any newbie Game Developer
Review: At first I only bought this book as reference material for the world of game design, however, the provides far more valuable information than how to make a design document. The book gives any new developer/designer an insight as to the whole process of producing games. It also shows how to produce a complete game proposal starting with a conver letter and ending with budgets and shcedules.

A MUST have as far as I am concerned.

Rating:
Summary: A must for someone New or Old! to game Development
Review: Great book! The first 13 chapters are devoted to getting a game ready for a publisher. It goes into great depth of every thing from your design document to your budget scheduals, and more..

Then the second half of the book teaches you to use Genesis 3D a free 3DEngine. Also has alot about level design, lighting, texturing, etc...

Im not new to game development but this book was really helpful, even if you are an indie developer.

The only complaint I have is that it doesnt have anything on Milkshape 3D(trial version) and Truespace2 wich comes with the CD.

Rating:
Summary: Mixed Bag; Uneven Coverage
Review: This is a typical Charles River Media title: It promises a lot upfront (starting with the title), but goes only so far in delivering it.
In particular, it reads like a glorified (if incomplete) manual for 'Genesis 3D,' a free, no-programming game development engine for developing Quake-like games - with a few chapters toward the end about the possibilities of another prototyping tool called 'Reality Factory,' a supposed Genesis 3D enhancement (again free).
The good stuff, however, is in the beginning of the book: the game development (business) process, detailed and put as it is. I liked that, and feel THAT, if nothing else, should be the basis for buying this book. Even the Appendices are moderately useful (Paul Steed's article on Low-poly tricks, anyone?).
It's pretty much a mixed bag, really, when seen as a whole: you like some parts, but are left wanting for more in the 'actual' game development process. The author walks you through the creation of your first level, and you feel - there *could* be more; you *want* to have more; and there *should* have been more. But after reading through the first half about the do's and don'ts of the gaming business, you expect a fairly even treatment toward actually "designing" a complete, playable and likeable (if basic) game that "could" sell, perhaps at the bargain store down the road... That, unfortunately, just isn't there. Just, just isn't there. (Nope, it ain't). Create the first level, look at the features of the given game engines, check these coupla websites, resources, modeling tools, what's on the CD, there's more to come, etc., and that's it, end of story... Good beginning, directionless middle, disappointing end; a typical Charles River Media title from the year 2001. Beginners might benefit from knowing how easy it to develop a game, yet how hard it is to sell it for some real money. Professionals (even semi-professionals), however - I don't think they'd be much interested beyond the business half.
Recommendation: This really is a good book and a bad book rolled into one. A sort of 2 1/2 stars book (though I gave it 3). But if you really want to purchase it despite its deficiencies, you might want to look at getting "Game Programming: All In One" by Bruno Miguel Texeira de Sousa too, which, I feel, covers the technical ("necessary") side of game development in much greater detail than Mr. Ahearn's effort here. In a way, it even complements the information in the latter, and may justify purchasing it for its tips-n-advice value, if nothing else.