Windows Game Programming for Dummies (Paperback)

This book is NOT for people who do not have some programming knowledge (basic understanding of C is REQUIRED)

Also this book does NOT use MFC or C++ for a very good reason. MFC adds too much overhead to game programming and since MOST games using DirectX run in fullscreen mode - MFC is USELESS for DirectX programming. C++ can also add a large amount of complexity for someone trying to LEARN game programming. While I prefer C++ myself the author chose the right language to write the samples in (why worry about inheritance relationships/polymorphism/templates etc when you dont have to :).

Many 'evil' reviewers (heh how COULD you give this book a bad rating) stated that this book focuses on Windows programming too much. Believe me that is a GOOD thing. It is amazing how much code is required just to print the text "Hello, World!" in Windows. The book gives a great overview of the NECESSARY and FUNDAMENTAL workings of the Windows API. You MUST read those sections if you have never programmed in Windows. It does help.

What Andre Lamothe does with the Windows API is build a game shell that handles all the Windows implementation details (messages etc), freeing you to work on game specific details and DirectX. He explains the characteristics of fonts, bitmaps and how Windows handles output using GDI (which leads to why DirectX is faster for games...read the book you'll get it :)

Some people have given this book bad reviews because the code samples are not done in C++ or by using the VC++ 6.0 APP wizard etc. To those people I'd like to say that all the code in this book is EASILY portable to C++. That was part of the fun of this book for me: implementing his ideas into C++ (using ADTs etc, polymorphism woohoo). I challenge those reviewers to show me any SUCCESSFUL commercial game that uses DirectDraw/Direct3D and uses MFC. Can't find any? I suppose they are the same people who think the next great first-person shooter game should be written with Visual Basic...

Also using wizards to create and maintain your code is great but NOT while you are learning a language/API. Wizards and application frameworks (MFC) can hide implementation details which doesn't help you understand the code. I like to understand what I am coding before I let a tool (VC++) help me maintain my code.

When you finally reach the DirectX section you get a clear, focused discussion of the DirectX API. I have never read a book that explained DirectDraw so well. Never.

If you want more of a reference to DirectX just download the DirectX 6.1 SDK and use the documentation provided, or get Inside DirectX, by MSPress (surprisingly good book on DirectX 5)

C is NOT dead. C is a highly portable (though using DirectX negates that =P) language that has seen use in the most popular games, i.e. the Quake line of games.

To summarize,

This book WILL teach you how to use DirectDraw using C. While the book does teach you about DirectInput (great intro) and DirectSound, its main focus is on DirectDraw (how to use bitmaps to make sprites/animation, different special effects etc).

I do recommend that you at least know C before buying this book. You don't have to be an expert C programmer but at least feel comfortable with the language. Understanding how the Windows API works (namely messaging) is also recommended but NOT a requirement (Andre does a great job of helping you here). If you know C++ then you'll probably be tempted to convert his code, I know I was - but I learned a LOT about how to use DirectX from his C code.

If you want to understand DirectDraw (before going on to Direct3D (yikes)) then get this book...

This book does NOT cover advanced topics but this IS a dummies book after all...

For a good reference book, check out Inside DirectX; while not a tutorial it is a GREAT reference on some of the more advanced features of DirectX (especially DirectInput).