In a very straight-forward and readable manner, the book covers the many complex issues that make up today’s development environment. It does an excellent job of establishing a project framework that works well in the creative element of a game design studio. This framework keeps the business side as its first focus but manages to do that without overwhelming the need for creativity and fun. Customer satisfaction and a successful product are the clear result of such a disciplined approach.

Whether you are planning on a career in game design or are already a seasoned professional, no matter if you are a senior producer, coder, or design game art, a thorough understanding of a game development methodology will benefit your career immensely.

I bought this book to gain a broader understanding of the issues surrounding the game development environment. I could not be happier with my choice.

Rating: 5 / 5

“It isn’t your game, it’s the player’s game.”

This has been written more for Persistent World Games as they need a community for them to thrive. There are chapters that look at how to build these communities and nurture them so they continue playing your (or is it their?) game. One chapter looks at the different players you will encounter that can help, hinder or downright sabotage the success of a game (the 3 broad groups are aptly called Barbarians, Tribesmen and Citizens).

This book is also worth a look for the Online Timeline starting in 1986 and the anecdotes from games that worked and games that didn’t. You might chuckle a bit in remembrance of some of the events mentioned, like the first testing of Quake in 1995. If you are looking to develop a game that has a following, there are definitely some tips here worth knowing about.

Ghada

http://www.ZoDAL.net

New Zealand
Rating: 4 / 5

But several chapters cover material widely available in other computer books that are much cheaper. Like the chapter on the Internet Protocol, describing IPv4, the IP address formats and routing methods. Or the chapter on using widely available tools like tcpdump to find where the players are coming from. Then there is the chapter on broadband access networks. Addison-Wesley and O’Reilly have several books that treat these topics adequately.
Rating: 3 / 5

MMOGs are expensive to make

MMOGs require expensive support and development after launch

MMOGs are complex

You probably knew this already though – in which case you would be wondering why you should buy the book? The answer is that the book drills these facts into your head through repetition over 500 pages. If you plan to spend 20 million to make an MMO it’s good to get these facts clear.

If you were looking for practical information from which to build an MMO you won’t much in this book. While the the technical reviewer’s qualifications are strong the authors have only worked in management positions.

Developing Online Games wasn’t useful to me as a developer but producers and managers should pick up a copy.
Rating: 2 / 5

Building secure software using McGraw’s yin and yang theme from “Software Security: Building Security In” is discussed in the book and, if practiced in software shops, may secure the software (the root of the problem) and thus alleviate the need for additional software such as rootkits that can lead to privacy violations. A few really interesting discussions about the more interesting design flaws involved with time and state are also included. Anyone who is concerned about software security (which should be everyone) or wants to learn about software security should read Exploiting Online Games!

Rating: 5 / 5