Thomson Course Technology.

Thomson Course Technology

25 Thomson Place, Boston, MA 02210

www.courseptr.com

Joseph Nalven and JD Jarvis' Going Digital: The Practice And Vision Of Digital Artists (1592009182, $39.99) is written by a cultural anthropologist who developed photography as a tool for working on ethnographic research, and an author who has long worked in TV production and graphic design: the two together offer a survey of the digital process as it applies to creating the art, from photos to finished products. 17 artists were asked to take three seed photos and use the images creatively in their own works of digital art: Going Digital takes these 17 efforts and blends them with discussions and examples of digital art from around the world, considering common challenges, presenting step-by-step processes from digital pioneer efforts, and creating a solid set of practical examples. A must for any aspiring digital artist. Matt Kelland, Dave Morris and Dave Lloyd's Machinima: Making Animaled Movies In 3d Virtual Environments (1592006507, $29.99) provides examples of a new way of making movies based on technology originally developed for computer games. Machinima movies are made on virtual sets using virtual characters and 2D graphics engines derived from popular games--so any filmmaker with a home PC an create them. Learn how to build sets, handle animation, customize existing sets, and plug in characters through a title which addresses everything form camera angles and acting to a history of machinima. David McCarthy, Ste Curran an Simon Byron's Art Of Producing Games (1592006116, $29.95) is a recommended pick for any programmer interested in designing a successful video game. From concepts to sketches and story lines through building workable prototypes, scripts, storyboards and screenplays with video and music, The Art Of Producing Games isn't just the author's experiences alone: it's backed by interviews with well-known industry figures who offer their valuable insights on how games are designed, prototyped, tested and published. John W. Gosney's Beyond Reality: A Guide To Alternate Reality Gaming (159200737, $29.99) narrows the focus to alternate reality games, which ask players to ignore the usual barriers between real and fantasy worlds to use web sites, TV ads, and game-generated phone calls as clues to uncovering the game's mystery. When lines between real and virtual worlds are blurred and intersect, a higher-quality gaming experience can be achieved: that's the message of Beyond Reality which leads programmers to uncover just how this can be accomplished, from honing critical thinking skills to building an ARG simulation which works. Game Programming For Teens, 2nd Edition (1592008348, $29.99) by Maneesh Sethi tells teens how to program their own games, developing skills needed to produce a video game from graphics to sound and music. Sethi is himself a California high school student who has long worked in web design and gaming, offering fellow teens his own set of processes for learning game programming. The goal of Game Programming For Teens is to have the teen create a working game by book's end--and any teen who follows Sethi's directions will find themselves with a game to their name.