XNa advanced programming: Xbox 360 and Windows Preface

Preface

It was only recently possible to develop a home game using Xbox 360 as a platform. For most people, it is absolutely impossible to create a console game, not only because the SDK is very expensive, but also because the SDK is not available at all, or there is no development information available.

All of this has changed. Microsoft's new xNa framework makes it possible for developers to use cross-platform (Windows and Xbox 360) games. XNa is not only a new framework, but also the best game development framework today. You can easily create powerful games without using other languages or tools, after reading all the games in this book, you will understand why I dare to say so. Without xNa, it would be impossible for me to develop a good game like a racing game in such a short period of time.

Readers of this book

This book is intended for a wide range of readers. First, you need to understand C # programming. If you use C ++ or Java, you can easily switch to this development language. If you do not have any advancedProgramming LanguageDevelopment experience, I suggest you first look for a good C # tutorial. Even if you have no programming experience, this book lists many tips and tips for readers who are about to become game programmers. However, to better use this book, you need to understand all the examples and encode them. The organizational sequence of most chapters in this book is applicable to beginners and experienced people. To write a successful game, all you need is the willingness to learn the game programming technology introduced in this book, as well as the desire to explore the world of computer games and keep moving forward.

Content and organizational structure of this book

The first part is "xNa framework basics", which describes the basics of xNa. You will learn everything about xNa framework and xNa game studio Express. Even if you have some basic knowledge, Chapter 1st introduces many useful tips and tips. Chapter 2 introduces the creation process of your first game. Although this game is simple, what you have learned here is very helpful for your subsequent learning. Chapter 3rd and Chapter 4th will create more games, but more importantly, here we will create the infrastructure of your game engine.

With some helper classes created in the first part, it is very easy to write the game engine in the second part-"Basic Image Engine, you can focus on 3D models and shader processing. Because everything in xNa is based on shader (because there is no fixed function rendering-fixed function rendering), we will discuss shader and Normal mapping most of the time) and post-screen effects. At the end of the second part, we will introduce the game rocket Commander xNa, which integrates all the shader and game engine described in the previous section.

Part 3-"improve your game engine", and return to the basic Section to discuss the sound, UI, user input processing, and manage your game engine in a better way. Based on the xNa image engine and the game rocket Commander, you will create a new game called "xNa shooter". It is a very interesting old game that supports 3D images and advanced shader effects.

Part 4: "Write a racing game". You will use all the knowledge you have learned to create a racing game in xNa. This section focuses on some advanced topics, such as landscape, 3D track rendering, creating and processing physical engines, and many new shader technologies, for example, Shadow Mapping, detail mapping, and optimal rendering to achieve optimal performance.

If you are ready to start xNa game development, I suggest you continue to read and start from Chapter 1 "xNa Introduction. Good luck to write your first game. The most important thing is to have a good time! I hope that you will enjoy the joy that this book brings to you, just as you will enjoy when I write this book.

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