Here's a work in progress list that I will keep update from time to time whenever I, or someone finds a really great book for software engineering, or game development. I'm not going to review though, just a list with some wonderful random access support. The purpose is to be able to nudge at both class mates and Internet friends, and say "Hey! I recommend checking out... theeese books." \o/
Game Design:
The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses, Jesse Schell
Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman
A Theory of Fun for Game Design, Raph Koster
Game Design Workshop, Tracey Fullerton
Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design, Scott Rogers
Universal Principles of Design, William Lidwell (Design in general, but can be applied to Game Design)
Programming Basics:
C++ Primer 4th Edition, Stanley B. Lippman:
The best starter C++ book that I've ever read. Explains everything you need to know in an understandable way.
Effective C++ 3rd Edition, Scott Meyers:
Explains how to use C++ efficiently.
Effective Java 2nd Edition, Joshua Bloch:
Explains how to use Java more efficiently.
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship, Dean Wampler:
Focuses on explaining and giving exercises in how to write elegant code.
Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction, Steve McConnel
Programming, Game Development:
Game Programming Gems:
Goes through solutions to daily problems within game programming.
Real Time Collision Detection, Christer Ericsson
Artificial Intelligence for Games, 2nd Edition, Ian Millington, John Funge
Real-time cameras: a guide for game designers and developers, Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
Programming, Graphics:
OpenGL SuperBible:
Great for learning how to code with OpenGL, however I've heard some nasty issues with the latest edition.
Introduction to 3D Game Programming with Direct X 9.0c: A shader approach, Frank Luna
Great for learning how to code with DX.
Real-time Rendering 3rd Edition , Tomas Akenine-Moller
Programming, Network:
Unix Network Programming, Volume 1: The Sockets Networking API
Great book for learning Network programming in general, even though it says Unix in its name its content is abstract enough to be applied to other platforms. The author's personal wrappers in the code examples makes the book annoying as a 'reference book'.
Software Engineering:
Component-based software engineering : putting the pieces together, Addison Wesley (2001)
Component software : beyond object-oriented programming, Addison Wesley (2002)
Last updated: 2010-11-09
Thanks! Helped me a lot!
That's great! ;)
I would recommend "Introduction to 3D game programming with directX9.0c - a shader approach", Frank D. Luna, Wordware game and graphics library. (or any later version by that author).
It's got all the math needed, it doesn't simplify things and it starts from the beginning. If you are into using directx for graphics of course...
I used this book learning 3D graphics programming from the scratch. The result is in my game "Rolling Coaster"
Thanks!
I'll definately read that book, and put it in the list since it has already been recognized as an essential book around DX programming, on both gamedev.net and Amazon.
Math, it's such a broad area such a topic should get a whole volume just for itself so it can cover all areas. There's some book that was considered a gem, that I heard of, a few years ago. It was a book just about the math needed for game and graphics development... 3D Math Primer for Graphics and Game Development by Fletcher Dunn, Ian Parberry.
I haven't read that book though, but some people point at minor issues that will be solved in the next edition, if Fletcher Dunn holds to his word which I believe.
Once I find books about math such as Professor Strang's 'Linear algebra and its applications' but at a cheaper price I'll put them up here. :)