Synopsis
There are an estimated 500,000 retro computer and game enthusiasts who are absolutely fanatical about retro game machines. This number consists of four main groups: hardcore hackers, enthusiasts, seasoned programmers, and novices. Retro Game Programming: Unleashed for the Masses seeks to expose, teach, and preserve retro era programming techniques with the goal of providing a strong programming foundation on which to build the knowledge needed to understand modern game programming concepts. By teaching the fundamental principles of game programming the reader learns not to be intimidated by modern games because even the most complex modern games are based on repetition of simple tasks. This makes modern game programming concepts easier to understand and clarifies how they all work together. Written in clear and simple language, Retro Game Programming: Unleashed for the Masses does not require the reader to be tech savvy, yet it covers technical aspects of programming. The book also covers the importance of the history and preservation of retro game programming.By reading and practicing the techniques in the book the reader is contributing to the preservation of the world of retro game programming., "Retro Game Programming" is the gateway to the inner sanctums of game programming, past and present. It is designed to make retro game programming easy for anyone to learn. The staggering advances from the arcade games of yesterday to today's realistic computer games may seem daunting. When you conquer the underlying principles of retro game programming, however, you are on your way to understanding the complexities of modern game programming'by mastering the past, you are more likely to understand the present. The machines studied in this book are a part of a great legacy that began the journey leading us to the mind-blowing capabilities of today's computers. By studying the programming concepts used to create these classic games you will develop solid programming techniques that you can apply to more modern machines and software. What better way to accomplish that task than to start at the beginning'with the games that launched the video game craze!, There are an estimated 500,000 retro computer and game enthusiasts who are absolutely fanatical about retro game machines. This number consists of four main groups: hardcore hackers, enthusiasts, seasoned programmers, and novices. "Retro Game Programming: Unleashed for the Masses" seeks to expose, teach, and preserve retro era programming techniques with the goal of providing a strong programming foundation on which to build the knowledge needed to understand modern game programming concepts. By teaching the fundamental principles of game programming the reader learns not to be intimidated by modern games because even the most complex modern games are based on repetition of simple tasks. This makes modern game programming concepts easier to understand and clarifies how they all work together. Written in clear and simple language, "Retro Game Programming: Unleashed for the Masses" does not require the reader to be tech savvy, yet it covers technical aspects of programming. The book also covers the importance of the history and preservation of retro game programming. By reading and practicing the techniques in the book the reader is contributing to the preservation of the world of retro game programming.