Beginning game development with Python and Pygame : from novice to professional ; [create stunning video games using popular open source technologies!

As the title says, it is a beginner's book to the topic, though I am unaware of any other books that deal with Pygame as much as this one, beginner or otherwise. The book deals more with the language and libraries themselves instead of "game development" per se. By that I mean there is no chapter on developing ideas or group structures in a company, etc. As a guide to picking up Pygame, though, this book was great. Each chapter uses it's own examples, but I feel that that helps to better cover the topics being discussed, versus a book that creates a game from the ground up throughout the entire book, where the example code may feel unrelated or contrived. As other reviewers have noted, the book focuses more on the example than on the theory, often showing working code and explaining each piece. The book starts out with an short introduction to Python. The author assumes a general programming background. The tutorials are lacking if you've never used Python before, but some side-reading should give you enough information about the language to continue with the rest of the book. To those who already know Python, the first two chapters serve as a good refresher. The 2D section was great. Everything was in there you'd need to begin coding your own small games. There's an interesting section on AI. The section on 3D design I found myself skipping over, mainly because that wasn't what I was looking to use for my own project. Glancing through it, though, it seemed like a good place to get your feet wet with PyOpenGL (the 3D rendering engine). There were only a few problems I noted: Occasionally the sample code provided on the website did not function properly, and needed a bit of fiddling with. The code in the book worked fine, however. Events could have been covered at greater length, as they are extremely important in game design. Also, something that I found great but others might scoff at was the author's use of his own gameobjects library. It allowed you to skip the mathematics and just use the functions and get through, but without really knowing how the functions work. Personally I think that's a great approach, because there's no real-world situation in a large game project where you're going to know how all the code works everywhere in the program.

Like music and movies, video games are rapidly becoming an integral part of our lives. Over the years, you’ve yearned for every new gaming console, mastered each blockbuster within weeks after its release, and have even won a local gaming competition or two. But lately you’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about a game idea of your own, or are exploring the possibility of making a career of this vibrant and growing industry. But where should you begin?

Beginning Game Development with Python and Pygame is written with the budding game developer in mind, introducing games development through the Python programming language and the popular Pygame games development library. Authored by industry veteran and Python expert Will McGugan, who worked on the MotorStorm game for PlayStation 3, you’ll be privy to insights that will not only help you to exploit Pygame to its maximum potential, but also make you a more creative and knowledgeable games developer all round.

• Learn how to create advanced games by taking advantage of the popular open source Python programming language and Pygame games development library
• Learn about coding gaming preferences, sound, visual effects, and joystick/keyboard interaction
• Discover the concepts that are crucial to success in today's gaming industry, such as support for multiple platforms, and granting users the ability to extend and customize your games

What you’ll learn

• Take advantage of Python and the Pygame library to build compelling cross-platform games
• Learn to best use these technologies to turn your dream game into reality
• Create professional games by accounting for sound, special effects, and user interaction through the joystick and keyboard
• Build both two- and three-dimensional games, and learn more about the factors that contribute to choosing one approach over the other
• Provide users with the means for extending your games through level creation and custom modifications as a means to build a vibrant community around your product
• Package your games in a manner that allows even novice computer users to install, use, and update your games with ease

Who this book is for

This book has been written for any budding games developer. While knowledge of the Python language helps, it isn’t required. To help new programmers along, two early chapters are devoted to an overview of Python.

This book provides readers with an introductory resource for learning how to create compelling games using the open source Python programming language and Pygame games development library. Authored by industry veteran and Python expert Will McGugan, readers are treated to a comprehensive, practical introduction to games development using these popular technologies. They can also capitalize upon numerous tips and tricks the author has accumulated over his career creating games for some of the world's largest gaming developers.