Advanced Android 4 Games

“Wolfenstein 3D”-like and “Doom”-like game apps are some of the classic Android games presented in the original edition of this book. Since their release, Android has progressed with the debut of Android 4.0, adding better fonts, new User Interface and Experience (UI/UX) APIs, tablet considerations, multi-touch capabilities, multi-tasking, faster performance, and much more to the Android game app development repertoire.

Multi-touch code gives these games and their players dynamic input and exchange ability, for a more realistic arcade game experience. Faster and better performance offers game players a more seamless, fun arcade experience like never before on Android. There is also improved native C/C++ integration with Android’s NDK as well, which makes coding, compiling, and converting both productive and efficient with gains in app performance.

With actionable real-world source, Advanced Android 4 Games shows you how to build more sophisticated and addictive Android games, harnessing the power of these recent advancements.

• Coverage of the new UI, UX, multi-touch and multi-tasking features available with Android 4.0.
• Learn other techniques for improving the game playing experience including Wi-Fi tethering, better multi-tasking, new and better streaming Web video using WebM, and more.
• By combining the elegant object-oriented features of Java and the raw power of C, there is no limit to the types of games that you can build for the platform, such as the “Quake 3D”-like game app case study in this book.

You’ll definitely have fun, and perhaps you’ll even make some money. Enjoy!

What you’ll learn

• Key advanced Android gaming techniques using the new Android SDK 4 to help you earn more money in the app stores
• How to compile native code (C) in Android using the NDK
• How to add and integrate multi-touch
• How to use Bluetooth controllers (Zeemote)
• More gaming tricks and tips, such as hybrid 3D graphics with OpenGL and JNI
• How to port and augment a 2D shooter game app similar to “Wolfenstein” for Android
• How to port and augment another 2D shooter “Doom”-like game app for Android using OpenGL
• How to build a 3D shooter game like “Quake”
• How and where to best deploy these game apps

Who this book is for

This book is for savvy Android app developers who are looking for professional or advanced techniques for porting, augmenting and building 2D and 3D game apps that are complex, fun and lucrative.

Table of Contents

1. Welcome to Android Gaming
2. Gaming Tricks:
3. More Gaming Tricks: Hybrid 3D Graphics with OpenGL and JNI
4. 2D Shooters: Wolfenstein-like App for Android
5. 2D Shooters with OpenGL: Doom-like App for Android
6. 3D Shooters Part I: Quake-like App
7. 3D Shooters Part II: Quake II
8. Appendix: Deployment and Compilation Tips