Gaming Books Round-up

The HL2 book is sold out at Steam, but it's available from the publisher.

http://www.primagames.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780761543640

Nothing on the Mass Effect prequel book? I think that's a glaring oversight!

I suppose I wanted to focus more on books about gaming as a whole since they seem to have been revitalised lately, not specific tie-ins. They've been around since the Mario and Lemming gamebooks sets. Raising the Bar and Masters of Doom only got counted because they cover a multitude of games and look at the process of design as a whole, not just one title and story.

A great old book is called Game Over, it gives the whole history of Nintendo from Hanfuda (sp?) through Light Guns and Arcade machines to the NES era. I read it when I was about 12 I think.

The single greatest gaming book ever created was The Doom Construction Kit. Back in the days before the Web was what it is today, you couldn't simply go on a forum and look up modding guides. Instead, you either learned it the hard way, or, like me, simply read this book. It covered everything from a detailed look at the engine (and a preview of the Quake engine: "Doom, but amazingly even better looking!"), to level editing, graphics editing, sound editing, coding and how to put them together to make TCs (Total Conversions, ah that takes me back). It included a CD with all the relevent tools on, and masses of appendicies for all the file names and specific entity names you could ever want.

I must have read it dozens of times cover to cover, and it still sets the benchmark against which all modding guides should be based.

I remember you taking it to primary school to show it off you big nerd.

http://www.gamebooks.org/nablist.htm - THOSE are the best gaming books ever :P

I have raising the bar and it is a great book for the concept art, if you want a little bit more of the backstory of the half life series its even better at that. I read through it cover to cover and thought it was worth buying.

But that good experience aside I am very reluctant to pick up a book about a computer game and read it, the "bad" list could be much longer if Joe had the time.

Originally Posted by TurtlePerson2
The HL2 book is sold out at Steam, but it's available from the publisher.

http://www.primagames.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780761543640

Thank you very much :D
I have been thinking about getting this for some time but have never been totally sure wether to as im not a massive reader, but after this review I decided I would, much to my dismay of then finding out of stock :(

Also while reading this artical I decided the "Paid to Play" title might be worth a read, after having a quick look I found that there is a newer edition, although it seems on Play.com at least it has been over due for nearly 3 months. Here is the link for Amazon, though it seems they may be having the same problems.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paid-Play-Revised-Expanded-Official/dp/0761557059/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199804022&sr=1-4


Here are links for the orignal, cheaper than the reviewed prices.
http://www.primagames.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780761552840
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paid-Play-Insider-Guide-Careers/dp/0761552847/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199804606&sr=1-1

bah reading is for losers!!

lol, hehe - i might get a copy of that carmack and romero book, well interesting, and i think a design student friend of mine has that Game Art book, some cool stuff in there if conceptual stuff is what you're into.

I have a book called "I Am 8-Bit" and it is filled with video-game inspired art. Most of it is retro nintendo and Atari style, but a great coffee table book . Fans of art and Nintendo should check it out.

I bought Masters of Doom a couple of years ago and can recommend it as a good read, if you're interested in the history of id Software etc

Originally Posted by The_Pope
I bought Masters of Doom a couple of years ago and can recommend it as a good read, if you're interested in the history of id Software etc

I love all the gruesome realities in that book - that they spent all their time in a hut in a swamp, writing Doom, got some money, fame went to Romeros head, they get an office, release Quake as shareware too and get shafted by pirates but don't really mind. I'm also aching to see them develop Quest, the shelved epic RPG they talk about.

Originally Posted by TurtlePerson2
The HL2 book is sold out at Steam, but it's available from the publisher.

http://www.primagames.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780761543640

Unfortunately they say they won't ship to the UK, seems like the only place to get it over here now is from eBay (one copy, £40 right now), unless Valve do another printing run.
Shame, I'd love to read this sometime, anyone in bristol got a copy they'll lend me for a day or two?

Raising the Bar is sooo great !
Ivan the Space Biker F_T_W! (try writing for the win in 3 letters, it prints "cheesecake" !)
http://g3n3tix.free.fr/files/Pics/Ivan%20the%20Space%20Biker.png

Is it just me, or does Ivan come across as just having to be from the highlands?

Originally Posted by CardJoe
I remember you taking it to primary school to show it off you big nerd.

Come now, you were mighty impressed with the size of my hardback! ;)

Mr Friendly the phallus monster is still my favourite :P

Originally Posted by CardJoe
Mr Friendly the phallus monster is still my favourite :P

This, eh ? (Big image warning !)
Are you making nightmares at night about him Joe ? Are you glad he got removed from the game ? (he is still modeled in the HL1 .pak files, look for it, he is lurking somewhere.)

Still in the .pak files you say? I've never seen him, but I think Ill have to go and have a look...

Yep I'm pretty sure I saw it in mods, on opened it using HLMV (model viewer)
my buddy google showed this ^^ : I remember discovering them by looking in the .PAK, and was very surprised.
Features HL1 music in the vid...

X8gZaB49ugc

Originally Posted by Video comments

Names of enemies:
1: Mr. Friendly
2: Archer
3: Chumtoad, Chubtoad or Chub.
4: Bloater
5: KingPin
6: Stukabat
7: Don't know
8: Blue Panther
9: Red Panther
10: HWGuy
11: Robo Soldier
12: Don't know

I've only got Raising the Bar and the Doom 3 dev/art book. I wish there were more single-game books like those, they're the sorta thing people like me would love to collect given the chance ^^
Tangent: has anyone read the Halo spin-off novels? I've always wondered if they're turd or not.

The books from thegnomonworkshop.com and ballisticpublishing.com are not wholly related to gaming but many of the artists & designers featured in said books work in the games industry.