Good Morning everyone!

When we talk about the game biz, we have to understand – as I Always say – that it is an industry as all the other and you will work in a real JOB. Yeah, JOB, work, duties, tasks, etc. And like any other job, you have to keep developing yourself to build a great career and a great resume, with a lot of experience and knowledge.

I don’t know if you remember, but in an older post I said that you have to be an avid reader. And that is true. Not only about worlds of fantasy, technology, medieval or character, but about the industry itself and how it works. Or you plan to be a tester for the rest of your life???

My point is, you have to study, and study a lot. Read a lot, talk with people, discuss, and ask, research. No knowledge will come to you out of the blue.

So that’s why, once more, Tom Sloper, gives us the opportunity to make our professional life better. He listed at his site a few books that he consider recommended reading for Aspiring Game Designers and more.

Here we go with this list. Hope you guys can have the opportunity to check them all, because here in Brazil is kind of hard and most of the books we can only have access through Amazon and in the original language. (Just to let you know. Still, not a problem to be, by the way. rsrs)

Enjoy the reading!

TOM SLOPER

NOTE: these lessons are primarily aimed at aspiring game designers, but many of the concepts described herein also apply to those who aspire to other types of jobs in the game industry.[…]

Game designers are creative. So I list books on creativity — and I list creative novels about games to spark the reader’s creative thinking.

Game designers work in industry. So I list books about how to survive in industry.

Game design is intricately interwoven with what producers do (well, sort of – but I’m a designer and producer). So I list books about how to manage, and about projects.

Games do not exist in a vacuum — players use a “language” which was developed in earlier games. So I list books about the history of the game biz.

Programmers are designers too — one or two books in this list may be addressed to the more technically-minded “designers” of games.

Introduction to Game Development

Edited by Steve Rabin

Charles River Media; ISBN: 1-58450-377-7

Reviewer says: An introduction to all aspects of the theory and practice of game development, design, and production. The book, which can be used as a text for introductory courses or as a comprehensive reference for game developers and designers, is divided into seven independent parts. 27 leading game developers have contributed chapters. […]

 

Game Design Perspectives

Edited by Francois Dominic Laramee

Paperback – 401 pages, with CD (May, 2002)

Charles River Media; ISBN 1-58450-090-5.

Book Description: This unique compilation of design articles provides designers with insight into how their colleagues approach game design, where they have stumbled, and how they have succeeded. The articles are written by a diverse group of designers with a wide variety of game backgrounds. The topics covered range from proper design documentation, user interfaces, design theory, characters and storytelling, to quality management, platform- and genre-specific design issues, relationships between designers and the user community, and game development project management. If you are just beginning in game design, you’ll find new ideas to complement and compare with your own designs. Producers and managers will also benefit from The User Community and Managing a Game Development Business sections.

 

Secrets of the Game Business

Edited by Francois Dominic Laramee

Paperback – 338 pages (March, 2003)

Charles River Media; ISBN 1-58450-282-7.0

Book Description: Explore the inner workings of the game development and publishing industry through the experiences and insights of industry experts. These publishing executives, developers, veteran producers, designers, owners of independent studios, and academics have written a unique collection of articles that really delves into the intricacies of the business. A must-have resource for anyone interested in starting a game development studio or improving an existing one.

 

David Perry on Game Design; A Brainstorming Toolbox

by David Perry, Rusel DeMaria

Charles River Media ; ISBN-10: 1584506687. ISBN-13: 978-1584506683

The author says: It’s the biggest book on game design ever written, at over 1,000 pages long. It’s designed to help students & designers come up with innovative new ideas, and also to expand current ideas.

 

The Game Production Handbook

by Heather Chandler

Publisher: Charles River Media; ISBN: 1-58450-416-1

Book Description Written by a veteran game producer, The Game Production Handbook is the ultimate industry reference. It answers the questions new leads, managers, and producers have, and it gives the pros new insights and valuable tips to improve their existing processes.

 

 

(Blog’s Author: Man, as the post goes through more than 14 pages, I will slip this post.

See you guys later with the 2o part of Book tips for the Game Biz)

Originally posted in 20/01/014.