With many of today’s games being released simultaneously on all platforms, the need for a good cross-platform development strategy is essential. Cross-Platform Game Programming covers this rarely discussed area and provides the techniques needed to develop your games effectively. It explains the plethora of problems that exist within every cross-platform game, and gives you the understanding and ability needed to solve them. It also teaches you how to write code that behaves identically on all machines.
In addition, the book explains why standard libraries are not standard enough, and covers the nuances between compilers, debuggers, and operating systems. Throughout the book, how-to guidelines are provided for using the same code to handle different hardware specifications without change for ported games, or those being build to work cross-platform from the ground up. It helps senior and lead programmers determine where the platform-specific features should start and end, and provides methods for achieving this. It also includes support for those using middleware by demonstrating how to write code that will run identically on different machines, despite the platform making use of the same APIs. Because this book teaches the methods, not the API, it scales well for future platforms and empowers you to create your own designs. • BuildTools – Jam, the cross-platform build tool covered in Chapter 11 as an alternative to Makefiles • Graphics – OpenGL, GLUT, and Microsoft DirectX SDK • Utility Libraries – STLport, Boost, POSIX threads for Windows, and PLib • Scripting – Lua, source for the Lua interpreter and Lua compiler, and the basic Lua core required by both
System Requirements IBM PC or 100% compatible, 128MB RAM (256MB recommended), 100MB of available hard-disk space (500MB additional space is required for the full DirectX SDK), and a copy of Microsoft Visual C++ version 6 or above. An Intel Pentium 90 Processor is required, although Pentium II or higher is recommended for the majority of the code. A Pentium III, 1 GHz is recommended for the DirectX SDK. Windows 98 SE or later is required with a VGA or higher-resolution monitor (Super VGA recommended). The DirectX SDK requires a DX9-compatible graphics card with suitable drivers and OpenGL.
About the Author
Steven Goodwin has been in the games industry for over 10 years, progressing from Windows programmer to lead and management roles on console platforms such as the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox. During this time, he was responsible for five titles, including the #1 selling Die Hard: Vendetta, which appeared on all three of the above platforms. He has also written over 30 articles in major publications, including the UK games development industry trade magazine, Develop.
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