Writing a book
Well, I have mentioned a few times that I have a project which has been taking shape in the background and I am now in a position to share more information.
Based on the success of this blog and the excellent feedback I have received from those using the tutorials I am currently writing a book for Addison Wesley which is tentatively entitled Learning iPhone Game Programming: A Hands-On Guide to Building Your First iPhone Game.
I am really excited to be writing the book and I’ve been working hard running through all the code I’ve used in my tutorials making improvements to the performance using what I have learned since starting the blog. The real key to the book I feel is that it will take the reader all the way from coming up with an idea for a game and at the end of the book they will have developed a fully working game using all the common concepts needed to then start working on their own game ideas.
As well as taking the reader through the creation of a complete game, it will also provide video tutorials for each chapter where I will be talking through the chapters content, a little like I have been for my tutorials on this blog.
I’m really aiming to create a book for people new to game programming who want to get their ideas onto the iPhone in the form of a game, but who do not know where to start or how to take their ideas forward. I’ll still keep posting updates to the blog in terms of tutorials and technical information etc and also keep blog readers up to date on the progress I’m making.
I’d like to thank everyone who has been supporting the blog and who’s encouragement has really helped me get to this point. I want to continue to see this blog grow and become an even more useful source of information for people developing games on the iPhone.
So exciting times ahead and I had better get my head down and keep writing as I have deadlines which need to be met :o)
Mike
42 Comments
mike on July 28th, 2009
Thanks mawek, I appreciate the support and I’m glad the tutorials are helping. There will be more to follow :o)
Mike
peter on July 28th, 2009
Mike – out of at least half a dozen books, tutorials, online guides etc. I’ve tried yours is the only one that has been helpful to me. This tutorial series deserves to be a book (and you deserve the cash ;) )
peteosx on July 29th, 2009
Mike, as a lurker for several weeks I can tell you that your approach to conveying this information is very good. Write the book FAST! There’s a dearth of information out there right now and what you’ve put together I’m sure will be well accepted.
Now, onto another note ; )
Is it just me, or is the main game loop/rendering timing a bit quirky? There’s an obvious jitter or slow down every few seconds in your current implementation. I’ve tried this with and without tilemaps. Any idea what is causing this?
Tony on July 29th, 2009
Hey Mike.
If your book will be anything like your tutorials, I am certainly buying a copy. The two books that I bought were written to capitalize on the iPhone game ‘frenzy’ and are very superficial in details and substance. Your tutorials propelled my knowledge by light years! I’m looking forward to your book. I guess that we’ll be seeing much less of you for a while – book writing can time consuming. I tried it once – didn’t have the discipline needed. Please let us know when it becomes available.
Didn’t you recently go on vacation? Hope it went well.
Thanks for the tutorials!
Cheers,
Tony
A Person on July 29th, 2009
I will definetly buy it mike your, without your tutorials I still would have been figuring this all out they have been an amazing help.
NSAshtray on July 29th, 2009
Well the book offer comes as no surprise to me – your tutorials are such a valuable resource, it was only a matter of time before someone threw some money your way. Congratulations and good luck!!
Sorry but like petosx, I’ve got “another note” too…
I think I’ve found a leak in your SoundManager class, specifically in the loadSoundWithKey method. The Leaks instrument keeps pointing to the outData variable. Tried to fix it myself but I can’t quite get my head around it.
wuzutags on July 29th, 2009
Hi mike,
This blog is already awesome. I’ve used this to explain concepts to up coming african game programmers. Your book is certainly a must have for everyone! Looking forward to it :D
Good luck
bob on July 29th, 2009
@Mike
Hope the vacation is going well. You know I’m going to buy a copy of your book. I’ll say it like I have many times before NOTHING COMES CLOSE to what you have done.
vlanda on July 29th, 2009
Looking forward to your book!
Great site, thank you!
penguins on July 29th, 2009
I will buy it. Looking forward.
mike on July 29th, 2009
Thanks everyone. Your comments are really kind and its certainly helped push me to keep the tutorials coming and get also the book.
I didn’t really think that tutorials based on how I have been learning and thinking about this stuff would be as useful to people as they have been, so hearing how its helping people out is fantastic and I’m going to be using the same formula in the book as well.
I’m also looking forward to being able to share the new code I have in the book as I’ve been making a ton of changes which I think will be really useful. So rather than the book just being a copy of what’s in the blog, it will contain new code as well as the complete game I’m working on.
I’ll keep you all posted and will still be adding to the blog as well :o)
Mike
chuckdude on July 29th, 2009
Welcome aboard, Mike. I’m very happy and pleased to be your editor for the book.
Chuck Toporek
Senior Acquisitions Editor, Addison-Wesley
Pearson Education, Inc.
Boston, MA
mluelmo on July 30th, 2009
One more buyer here!!!
You are making so great tutos, make the same with the book and it’ll be a bestseller.
Good Luk with this new project. (even when I think you don’t need luk)
Eskema on July 30th, 2009
Congratulations Mike, seems that your book is a “most wanted” :)
Incredible iPhone Game Programming Tutorials With Video | iPhone Development Tutorials and Tips on July 31st, 2009
[...] I don’t think it’s available for pre-order yet but you can read some info about it here. Share and [...]
amazium on August 3rd, 2009
Another *must-have* book!
If you need proofreaders or dummies to try out what you write, you can let me now… happy to do it for free. ;)
Wkr
Jeroen
JohnnyWey on August 4th, 2009
Hi Mike,
Really enjoy the tutorials … been a pleasure going through them and I especially appreciate the descriptions of why you are changing things from one post to the next.
You might already have a large number of requests, but I’d love to help technical edit the book if you are looking for some additional eyes. Regardless, I will definitely buy a copy the moment it is available!
Thanks again for the hard work!
Stefan on August 13th, 2009
Super tutorials. Hope you get the book faster. Let us know when it hits the stores. I need to order one in Romania :)
Very very good job. Keep up the good work. Thank you! Good luck!!
Anonymous on August 28th, 2009
I think it’s a amazing idea and will have a big sucess. All support from te guys of SEQOY in Brazil and Argentina.
mike on August 28th, 2009
Thanks for the great comments guys, its much appreciated. I’m working on the book as fast as I can to get it out for people to use :o)
Mike
Threepwood on September 4th, 2009
Hey Mike!
Yesterday was the first time i learn about the tutorials. Awesome!!! Please keep up the good work, i will be for sure one of the first readers of your book!
Carry on and God Bless you!! :)
Sorry for my English
JimBob on September 25th, 2009
The tutorials look great. I’m completely new to iPhone development, but have been a professional C++ developer for over 10 years so it’ll be interesting to see how I take to the new environment.
Again, if you need the opinion of a newbie (but experienced) developer drop me a line and I’d be happy to help proof the book.
James
mike on September 25th, 2009
Hi James
Thanks for the comments and I hope the tutorials help you out on the road to Xcode, Objective-C and OpenGL ES etc :o)
Thanks for the offer of checking the book out. I should be getting to a point soon when the publishers will be putting the first few chapters up on rough cuts. People can then check it out there and provide feedback :o)
I’ll post when that happens to let people know.
Thanks again
Mike
Ralph on November 13th, 2009
Hey Mike
I haven’t heard anything about your book lately and I remember reading a response from the editor that the book was going to be available electronically. Anyway I was going to look into that but I can’t find that post or any related link on the web. Do you have a link the books website?
Hope the book is still in the works and it’s going well.
Ralph
mike on November 13th, 2009
Hi Ralph
Still working hard on the book. Half way through now :o)
The chapters should start going up on Safari Rough Cuts soon. I will be posting a blog entry when that happens.
Mike
Ralph on November 13th, 2009
That’s great news! I’m really looking forward to checking it out. Thanks for the quick reply.
mike on November 13th, 2009
Did you see the post on the sneak peak. That video shows the game as it was for the book. All source and graphics will come with the book as I am basically documenting how I wrote the game.
Mike
Ralph on November 13th, 2009
Yes, the game looks awesome! I’m hoping to have my own game in the app store shortly and I will definitely mention you in the credits since my journey into iphone development started with your tutorials.
When I get it done I’ll send it over so you can have a play. My set up is very similar to what you’ve done but I’ve included a light weight physics engine that I use with my entities to handle realistic collisions and movement.
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time doing my own graphics. I definitely see the benefit of getting a graphics guy, making your own can be very time consuming. However, since this is my first game and it’s so basic I wanted to give it a go myself.
Keep up the good work!
sunwayda on January 4th, 2010
I will buy it. Looking forward 2.
Ovidiu Carstea on May 17th, 2010
Great video tutorials; I am waiting for the book release. There is a way to be announced when the book is released?
Alex on July 28th, 2010
Hey mike,
I just wanted to tell you that I have looked at a lot of tutorials(and i mean A LOT!!!). And your tutorials are the best yet! I was wondering if you have your own iphone game in the app store and if so what is it called?:)
I would love to buy it! Along with your book. Keep up the good work.
-Alex
mike on July 28th, 2010
Hi Alex and thanks for the kind words.
The game I’ve written to accompany the book is called Sir Lamorak’s Quest: The Spell Of Release and is available on the app store. If you check out the “Our Apps” page on this blog, there is a link to it. You’ll be pleased to know that it is free as well ;o)
Mike
Alex on July 30th, 2010
Okay awesome thanks a lot.
I’m currently going to school right now at the University of Redlands in California, and your tutorials have really given me a giant jump start in my first iPhone app. I’ll let you know when I’m finished so thanks again for the awesome tutorials.
Alex
Rakshak on August 9th, 2010
Hey, is this book out ..im sorry i do not know as i have just began learning about these video tutorials
mike on August 9th, 2010
Hi Rakshak
The book will be in shops in September. It is currently available for pre-order from sites such as amazon and Safari Rough Cuts.
I’ll be putting up a post when it is available.
Regards
Mike
Newbie on August 18th, 2010
I just got the SDK, and I just started the tutorials. I noticed that the first tutorial is for 2.0 SDK (I have the 4.0)
I found the tutorial great after I found the source code for crash landing.
Is the book going to be for SDK 4.0?
thanks
mike on August 18th, 2010
Hi Newbie
Yes, the source code with the book has been tested with SDK 4.0. By default, the projects that accompany the book have all been compiled and edited using the 4.0 SDK.
Hope that helps.
Mike
Newbie on August 19th, 2010
Thanks, I shall be planning on getting the book as your tutorials seem to be the only ones that actually explain what the code means and goes in depth.
dberryjr on August 21st, 2010
Hi Mike,
I got your book and I have to say kudos for delivering such a good product. I am a newbie as well and I found to book to be an easy read, providing the essentials needed to get better at programming!!!
I have one little question though, where exactly can I find the source code for SLQt:TSOR?
Thanks in advance!
dberryjr
sanjeev bharti on April 12th, 2011
i m working on ur tutorials, they are osum, i like ur all articles. thank u for make me learning opengl
mawek on July 28th, 2009
Hi Mike!
Thanks for tutorials, they are really great. Im waitnig for more :)
Ur book is my “must have”!
Btw. Sry 4 my eng, but it’s not my native language!