Rating: 
Summary: Stimulating book, but slightly biased
Review: I liked this book a lot, actually. There were some parts, especially in the beginning, when the author went through the design of some pseudo games that was really intriguing. As a reader, it was easy to tell that he was enthusiastic about the initial concept, and an excellent designer. However, as the book went on (and especially in the brief section on programming), it became clear that the author was suddenly addressing a much less diverse audience than in previous sections. Admittedly, the book DID manage too keep the programming information to a minimum, but I think it would have been better to have left it out altogether. Also, I have to agree with the other reader who pointed out that it was focused a little too much on strategy games. Strategy games are excellent, of course, but there are some concepts that can be applied universally and some that...well, can only apply to strategy games. I'm currently writing a card game for the Macintosh, and neither the design or the programming section helped very much. And as a network game fanatic, I was incredibly disappointed with the short section on networking. I read the whole chapter, and was looking forward to this one section, and it said almost nothing at all. The book would have been better if there had been either a more focused audience (Windows strategy game programmer), or had had different people writing different sections (maybe there could have been a different section for each genre, and the programming section could have been left out altogether!)
Rating: 
Summary: Starts out great, gets bogged down in business
Review: If anything, this book shows why most game software is bland and uninspired. The authors start off with a series of interesting and well written chapters about game design and all-important playability. Good, good stuff! Then it degenerates into Dilbert-esque management nonsense which is completely at odds with the first section. "Let's be creative and innovative while we work with a team of fifty people in a corporate environment!" Unfortunately, this makes the first part seem like so much hot air. As a cog in a development studio, your influence over the direction of a game is limited, to say the least. So, sadly, the book is more for managers than anyone else.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book!
Review: I think the reader from Amherst must have read a different book. This book is an excellent in depth look at game architecture and design. I've read the case studies in the book and didn't see any "thinly veiled" references at all. For a start, all of the names used in the case studies are alphabetical - starting with A, then B, then C... and the authors state clearly that they are for the most part fictional. I noticed no real egotistical writing on the part of the authors - they always offer alternatives to their ideas, and repeatedly state that their ideas may not work for you, and don't have to be followed to the letter - if you find something that works better - use it. Where's the ego in that?Here's a hypothesis for you - maybe the reader from Amherst has worked on one of the projects that was 'thinly veiled' or at least thinks he has - and a little bitterness has crept in there. As one other reviewer said, it *is* a controversial book, but that is one of its strong points - it makes you think! Just because you may not like some of the things that are said, that doesnt mean it's not an excellent book. Don't attack the book and it's authors because it doesn't fit in with your cozy little world view, or it offends your sensitive little sensibilities. Live and learn - a blanket attack on the authors is pathetic - there is a lot in this book that is excellent. Don't let a jumped up little code monkey with hurt feelings affect your opinion of this book. Check out the other reviews, and find out for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Game Management + Diatribe
Review: The reason this book is getting such good reviews is that it DOES cover game design, a poorly documented topic. As such, it's game design section is the best, by default. It also covers management from a game designers viewpoint, something many designers have never formally been introduced to. However, the book is poorly written. The author makes a point of mentioning how egotistical members of the game writing community are, and shows himself to be one as well, taking a dictatorial approach to describing various creative aspects of th field. He also makes sure to add plenty of derisive comments about past experiences he's had... the people remain un-named, but the hints at who they are are not very vague. Furthermore, the game design section, while useful, focuses too much on strategic war gaming. Finally, the book is repetetive and long winded. I think people would be better off getting a concise book on software production management, and a book on software design, and then skimming this one for points applicable to the game design field.
Rating:
Summary: This is the current state of Game Design
Review: Besides reading it myself, I have recommended this book to a number of other game design professionals. It has led to a number of interesting discussions. That may be it's best point. The authors are detail oriented and bring every possible item of interest in the imaginative yet practical process of bringing a major game design to life. Yet it would be impossible to agree with everything Andrew or Dave have to say in this book. It is too personal. On the other hand, these are all things that need to be thought about, that need to be answered beforehand. The dress code thing was weird, no doubt about it, maybe even the time constraints for programmers. Yet the authors make good arguments for their opinions about these issues and you must counter those arguements in your own mind to decide how you will herd your own cats. In short, the authors give you lots of direction, lots of ideas, and forces you to make conscious decisions about issues in the design and development process instead of just leaving it to chance and reaction. Clearly this book is not for everybody, not even everybody in the game business. It is about designing and managing a large computer or video game project specifically and designing and not about coding. However, I think even in smaller ventures, someone has to wear all these hats, make all these decisions, even if it is often the same person. I liked the courage of the authors to say what they thought particularly where it was unpopular. Just great stuff! For those readers who picked this book up expecting it to be something other than what it is, don't take it out on the book or the authors. You should be blaming yourself for not reading the reviews or knowing what you were buying. You just bought the wrong book; so you were right - in your case you did waste $50!
Rating: 
Summary: 1/3 of a great book
Review: The first 1/3 of this book is a wonderful analysis of how to playbalance a game. This section alone is worth the price of the book. If the book stopped here, I'd give it 5 stars. The next 1/3 is a confusing screed about implementing the software factory in order to make games come out on schedule. There's a humorous bit about the personality types seen in the game industry, a silly digression about dress codes and some really great advice on how to alienate one's already overworked employees. My advice here is to ignore this section of the book and instead read _Rapid Development_ by Steve Mc Connell. If your company won't implement any of the best practices from _Rapid Development_, run, screaming. In the end, as long as there are creeping feature requirements, significant amounts of research during development and unrealistic initial schedules to meet Christmas deadlines, there is no hope of getting a game out on schedule, and no book can help you until you address these fundamentals. The final 1/3 of this book is a mostly harmless discussion of architecture, but much like the second section, it's been done better elsewhere (just not in the context of game design). Rather than read this, go out and procure Steve Mc Connell's _Code Complete_.
Rating:
Summary: Only for the Pros
Review: GA&D has a great deal to offer to the game programming industry. This book is full of good content on running a large game developement shop. Working with team members, dealing with management problems, etc. However it is not a hands on approach (the author tells you straight up, this is not a book with code in it.) If you are looking for how to design a game, and you are a small shop or shareware author, this book is not for you. This is really a design guide for the high profile game industry only.
Rating:
Summary: Simply the best
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: You can get many theories for game design
Review: I'm writing research paper for game design. I thought there is few theory for game design, but this book gave me many theoratical ideas for my research. This book defined game and gave important factors for good game design. Descriptions of game design factors which you must concern on for making good games are understandable and acceptable theoratical ideas. If you want to learn methods and design factors for making good games, you must read this book.
Rating:
Summary: The last reviewer, Ishai Asa, is misguided
Review: This book is excellent, although not perfect. Just check out the other reviews to get a *real* opinion.
|
