Good book for learning WP7 game programming
354080
This book was a great way to get into WP7 game programming.  I really liked that it covered both XNA and Silverlight gaming.  This approach gave me a good deal of information to go off of when comparing the different technologies.  The code samples from the book's website were also a big help.  If you are looking into writing a WP7 game this book is a great place to start.
773928
A very well written and easy to read book. This book isn't for the beginning game developer, but it is for the game developer looking to move into Network game programming. Topics aren't focused heavily on game design or game development theories, but how network set ups work for Client-Server setups(which ideas/processed can be used universally).

If you are new to Javascript, I recommend doing a quick javascript tutorial to get through some of the language barriers that you might have. The Node. JS chapter, is a little bit difficult to keep up with if you miss a step and have to backtrack(as I did and was my first time doing this), but after following through the chapters again, Node. JS was awesome to learn and there is so much more to learn about it.

The examples given work with no issues and the code examples are easy to follow on. As I mentioned before, not every game theory is explained that is put in the code, but the big take-aways are the network part of the programming. I recommend this book to anyone looking to get into Network Game Programming, web based or not.
822465
Most of the game-writing books you find will cover a little bit of everything * some Windows programming, some C++ (or Java), some basic graphics knowledge, and a little bit about how to put it all together.  My main complaints about those sorts of books is that much of it is not specific to games.
This book covers a different set of topics.  It isn't about the programming aspect, but about the entire development process.  There are three sections:
A. Game Design.  As a non-professional game programmer, I found this section to be the most interesting.  It covers things like game balance, skill levels, and making the parts of a game fit together nicely.
B. Project Management.  This section covers aspects of game development that hobbyists will find overkill, but that professionals will want to read.  It includes both history and prescriptions for managing a project.  Some of it seems to be excessively specific, like descriptions of exactly how teams "should" be structured, why you should not allow inflatable furniture at the office, and what signs you should look for to identify "problem" developers.
C. Architecture.  This section is a mix of stories about existing games and techniques to use when writing game code.  It covers things like class hierarchies, state machines, game engines, design patterns, commenting style, whether you should use "goto", and other coding issues.
The first section was great.  I think most game developers (both hobbyist and professional) would find it interesting.  I did not find the second section interesting, probably because I'm not involved in the industry.  Parts of the third section were good, but at some point it descended into 40 pages addressing little things like the use of braces in C++ code, using goto, why you should comment your code, and so on.  That's the kind of thing that's already covered by software engineering texts, and doesn't change just because you're writing games.
Overall, I liked this book because it tackles the important issues in game development.  However, I found that parts of it just weren't interesting, because I had read about those topics in books unrelated to game development.
2159069
This book has been very good helping me run my Galaxy S7,  showing me not only how to do something but what to do if it doesn't work.  It covers a wide range of topics and it even lists some apps that are great to use.  I do learn by just playing with the phone but I like to know what I should do and why that is why I like books to help me along while learning a new piece of technology.
105757
This book teaches you how to program 2D games and a game engine. It doesn't teach you DirectX or OpenGL, just programming with the Windows API. I've got a Dutch translation, I don't know if the code is cleared from bugs in my edition, but chapter 3  compiles, even in Dev-C++.
I want to say to the poster about the C++ language: you can't give a book a low rating because the author uses a language you don't understand. Learn C++ and read the book again then, maybe you will understand it better.
3855972
Windows Phone programming is an area of interest to me as a mobile programmer, both as someone who has done Windows Mobile 6.x development and Android programming. I wanted to get started with a single resource that would not only give me a good overview the Windows Phone ecosystem but also quickly get started without too many details.

This book definitely met those needs. It has probably the best introduction that I have found where the author takes you through a quick introduction to Windows Phone. The chapter is a must read and covers the key areas for a developer so that by the time you begin the next chapters, you will you are ready.

The book gives good introduction to XAML, which I had not used before and a discussion of the appropriate tools. So you find Expression Blend and Visual Studio being used when it is the right tool for the task. The teaching experience of the author comes out throughout the book where necessary screenshots accompany the text.

The topics cover just about enough to determine if you need that functionality in your phone apps. Simple screen navigation, Phone Calls, Network Services, Background Tasks, Databases -- these topics are enough for anyone to begin writing serious Windows applications.

If you have to start with Windows Phone programming, give this book a shot.
1645470
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.
3461305
I am very much enjoying "walking through the code" for the Froot Wars now and looking forward to the RPS game that follows. This book is directed at the new comer to game development so if you already have experience working with HTML5, the canvas and physics engines (Box2DJS is used for Froot Wars) then you might find it the code samples a bit repetitive.  I am new to all three so I found it refreshing to be able to follow along by typing the code and reading his explanations of why/how things work, and then running in the browsers that support HTML5 and the canvas object.  I am also very happy that Mr. Shankar uses jQuery.  I have also purchased Core HTML5 Canvas: Graphics, Animation, and Game Development (Core Series) by David Geary (May 14, 2012) but Mr. Geary employs JavaScript only (so far, I'm only in the beginning chapters) which seems to be considered one of, if not the, best HTML5 Canvas book.

I find Mr. Shankar's book much easier and more fun to work through as a beginner and highly recommend for developers wanting to begin games development with HTML5.
2841836
This is a very well written book on designing your  own graphics applications for Windows, no matter what type of application you are wanting to do. Mark Walmsley goes into good detail about designing many  different types of applications from simple display program to advanced  subjects such as 3D modeling. Mr. Walmsley address many common errors and  pitfalls with the included examples. The only downside to this book is that  you must have a good working knowledge of C++ and Windows to be able to  fully understand all of the concepts he describes. Being a relativly new  person to C++ I found on many occasions having to look through many other  resources to understand some items that the book takes for granted that you  should already know.
I would reccomend this book to anyone who is  interested in writing a graphics application, but I would say that if you  are a beginning programmer you either will want to keep other books handy  or try one of the other titles that is available first.
1001884
If you come from a background of com+, interface implementation, n-tier and so on, and want to get into c# then this is the book for you. It assumes a general level of OO knowledge but goes over it again as a refresher. It covers both web and win(cli/svr) forms,ado.net and more. The book gave me the confidence to keep going with it, and I often use it as a quick reference to some of the concepts. e.g. I used to do X in vb6, I can't quite remember how to do it in C#. I have other .net books but this is the one I use the most. (other books: wrox prof. vb.net; sams asp.net unleashed;ms.net(developmentor) essential asp.net with c# examples)
4052813
I purchased this book and C# in a nutshell. I read the first chapter of both, and this book explained things much better with more examples. Having only minor experience in Visual Basic, C++, and HTML, the explanations are extremely helpful. The free examples online (provided by the book) are also very nice. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in programming (Windows store or desktop; it explains for both and works with Windows 7).

Quick heads up, this book is around 800 pages, so it isn't exactly light reading; it is comprehensive.
975470
overall Book is good , i can confidently say even though i am only half way through this book.
The thing i liked in this book is detail explanation where a mid level developer can easily get on to the topics and understand the subject easily. I would recommend this book for Mid level C# developers.
4133524
Of all the Win Phone 8 books I checked out, this the one book I purchased and it has been a valuable resource for my getting up to speed on writing windows phone 8 apps. I purchased the kindle version and kept it by my side while writing my first app.

Pros: The author does a great job of explaining the concepts and seems to have a good understanding of windows phone 8 sdk.

Cons:  Most of the sample code is what I would call bare minimum to get the authors point across.  Meaning, to write a good and fully functioning app according to MS guidelines there is much for research you need to do on the windows phone sdk and sample web sites.  I feel, for the price of the book, the author could have created more in depth sample with detailed explanations.  For example, hid Background Audio Player sample use static audio files and does not explain how to setup and use a playlist or to change media files in a play, or how to effectively communicate with the background audio agent.. In writing my own Background Audio Agent, I spent weeks researching other web sites and sample trying to come up with a clean way to handle BAP and APP communication.

However, I am looking forward to an 8.1 update or revision of this book.  I hope Andrew considers writing an update with explanation and sample for ALL the new 8.1 SDK code.
4710492
My personal experience with this book was very different than the previous reviewer. I am a Java programmer who has been looking to get into game programming, but didn't have a reference to start from. I thought that this book very much lived up to its title. It's focused on getting the reader in tune with what is possible with Java in the current iteration. It then follows the step by step foundation for getting a game made and running. The book moves from the basic architecture into 2d game programming and then on to more advanced concepts like sound programming, database development and even JNI (Java Native Interface) coverage (though that thought scares me as a Java purist). Before getting the book, I had found very limited documentation on the Java libraries for gaming online and this book showed me the basics of using each one of them in turn. The samples were very good and they provided me a basis from which to build my work. As of now, I have a small, but playable version of a 2D Platformer, built right out of the book.

My only criticism of the book is that it has alot of assumptions when you go to the 3d components. The explanation is very solid, but my personal background in 3D Math was very limited when I started with the book. There is coverage on 3d foundations, but it could take a whole book just to adequetly cover that topic. I continue to practice that as I go.

Overall, a good selection. I would be interested in a sequel to cover more advanced topics.
4364773
This book is a C++ primer of sorts. It is based on the more abstract, high-level powers of C++ that can possibly (and apparently frequently do) show up in the game design/development process. I am not a game programmer yet so I expected this to be more of a step by step on different parts of the game creation process (handle input, make HUDs, things like that) and it was more of a review of how certain parts of C++ can be helpful to make games, but with plenty of performance-based caveats to help you make good decisions.

I'm happy with the book.
121243
Very useful and helpful book for explaining programming in general concept wise, and giving good detail into how to use C# effectively.
1366680
This is a nice entry book into iOS game programming with Cocos-2d-x. The strong point of this book is the way author goes and helps you out setting up your game asset logistics, to get you up and running quickly. Some of the apps he suggests are propriety and costs a little bit, but usually you have the option to try out for a while before buying. The example code is available from the publishers website. There are lots of tips and tricks in the book to polish your game, which I think another strong point of the book (The scope the Author delivers is quite wide). However, the weak point of the book is that the coverage of the material might be considered little bit shallow. The book is focused on iOS development only, and the Author makes a brief coverage of Swift as well, however I have to say that the coverage of Swift is rather slim.