Mario Zechner & J. F. DiMarzio 
Beginning Android Games 

Learn all of the basics needed to join the ranks of successful Android game developers. You’ll start with game design fundamentals and Android programming basics, and then progress toward creating your own basic game engine and playable game apps that work on Android smartphones and tablets. Beginning Android Games, Third Edition gives you everything you need to branch out and write your own Android games for a variety of hardware.

Do you have an awesome idea for the next break-through mobile gaming title? Beginning Android Games will help you kick-start your project. This book will guide you through the process of making several example game apps using APIs available in Android. 

What You’ll Learn

• Gain the fundamentals of game programming in the context of the Android platform
  


• Use Android’s APIs for graphics, audio, and user input to reflect those fundamentals
  


• Develop two 2D games from scratch, based on Canvas API and Open GL ES
  


• Create a full-featured 3D game
  


• Publish your games, get crash reports, and support your users
  


• Complete your own playable 2D Open GL games
  

Who This Book Is For







People with a basic knowledge of Java who want to write games on the Android platform. It also offers information for experienced game developers about the pitfalls and peculiarities of the platform.

Table of Content

1. AN ANDROID IN EVERY HOME


2. FIRST STEPS WITH THE ANDROID SDK


3. GAME DEVELOPMENT 101


4. ANDROID FOR GAME DEVELOPERS


5. AN ANDROID GAME DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK


6. MR. NOM INVADES ANDROID


7. OPENGL ES: A GENTLE INTRODUCTION


8. 2D GAME PROGRAMMING TRICKS


9. SUPER JUMPER: A 2D OPENGL ES GAME


10. OPENGL ES: GOING 3D


11. 3D PROGRAMMING TRICKS


12. ANDROID INVADERS: THE GRANDE FINALE


13. GOING NATIVE WITH THE NDK


14. MARKETING AND MONETIZING


15. PUBLISHING YOUR GAME

About the author

J. F. Di Marzio is a seasoned Android developer and author. He began developing games in Basic on the TRS-80 Color Computer II in 1984. Since then, he has worked in the technology departments of companies such as the U.S. Department of Defense and the Walt Disney Company. He has been developing on the Android platform since the beta release of version .03, and he has published two professional applications and one game on the Android Marketplace. Di Marzio is also an accomplished author. Over the last 10 years, he has released eight books, including Android: A Programmer s Guide. His books have been translated into four languages and published worldwide. Di Marzio s writing style is very easy to read and understand, which makes the information in the topics that he presents more retainable.