Sams Teach Yourself Game Programming in 24 Hours

Introduction

Although it’s kind of hard to imagine now, there was a time not so long ago when the concept of a video game was a “pie in the sky” idea. Computers were barely seen as useful tools in business, and were viewed as having even less potential for entertainment. Technology has a way of changing the way we think about things, and it wasn’t long before early video games captured the minds and quarters of an entire generation. Yes, I am a child of the eighties, and I feel fortunate to have spent part of my childhood in the decade where video games went from a pipe dream to a cultural phenomenon.

Video games are interesting in that they represent the first form of interactive digital entertainment. Perhaps more importantly, video games represent ...