Review of Java ME Game Programming (Paperback)

This book has little to do with game programming. It's a book about MIDP 2.0 programming with Java ME for building mobile applications (using GUI controls). The last three chapters (which are quite small) touch on tiles and sprites. So basically you've got a 400+ page book while only about 50 pages is actually about programming mobile games? I would have STARTED the book with chapter 13 and moved on from there into various game topics, instead of ENDING there and doing a poor job of it. The example game in the last chapter was designed for the old 128x128 screens and is probably about 4-5 years old (with 8x8 sprites) which is unacceptable for a book released in 2007 with this title. This is a GOOD book on MIDP 2.0 programming...if you ignore the "game" part of the title. I used this book to teach a course on the subject, but will need to find another for next semester.


Product Description
Get ready to create your own J2ME game! This updated edition to the popular J2ME Game Programming provides updated sofware coverage as well as updates to the programming approaches specific to Java ME software. It also covers the recent innovations in mobile games with relations to iPods and cell phones. You will learn the essentials of J2ME game development from the ground up. Throughout the book you will discover the issues involved in developing for multiple target devices and how to work through the jungle of device-specific libraries and device capabilities. Working on a limited platform it is important to squeeze as much as you can out of those precious bytes, so in this book you will find the tools and source code you need to get the most out of the constrained resources. You will also learn how to structure your code and classes to achieve as small an application footprint as possible. As you work toward developing your own J2ME game, you'll examine the game lifecycle, how to handle resources, various methods of drawing to the screen, optimizing memory usage, handling the users input, and even sharing high-scores online! Previous experience in programming object-oriented languages and a basic level of math skills is recommended.

About the Author
Martin J. Wells is currently the Lead Programmer at Tasman Studios Pty Ltd, located in Sydney, Australia. Throughout his 15-year career he has worked on a wide variety of development projects. He is an expert in multiple computer languages, including Java from its origins, and has extensive experience in the development of high performance networking and multithreaded systems. His first game programming experience came from writing and selling his own games for the Tandy and Commodore microcomputers at the age of 12.

John P. Flynt, Ph.D., works in the software development industry, has taught at colleges and universities, and has authored courses and curricula for several college level game development programs. His academic background includes work in information technology, the social sciences, and the humanities. Among his previous books are In the Mind of a Game, Perl Power!, UnrealScript Game Programming All in One, Simulation and Event Modeling for Game Developers (with co-author Ben Vinson), Beginning Pre-Calculus for Game Developers, Java Programming for the Absolute Beginner, Beginning Math Concepts for Game Developers, and Software Engineering for Game Developers. Among other engagements, he has been a speaker at game and educational conferences in San Antonio, LA, Atlanta, Austin, West Lafayette, and the 2004 Xtreme Game Developers Expo in Mountain View, CA. He has worked as a consultant on several curriculum development initiatives involving some of the largest proprietary colleges in the US and has taught literature, political science, computer science, and game development. He has been contracted by DeVry University as a game course developer, and DeVry has adopted Software Engineering for Game Developers for its national curriculum. John lives in the foothills near Boulder, Colorado.

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