Windows Phone 8 Game Development

A practical guide to creating games for the Windows Phone 8 platform

Overview

• Create a 3D game for the Windows Phone 8 platform
• Combine native and managed development approaches
• Discover how to use a range of inputs, including sensors
• Learn how to implement geolocation and augmented reality features
• Allow communication between players via social networks and web services
• Publish your game in the Windows Phone Store

In Detail

Currently almost everyone has a mobile phone that is used not only for calling, texting, and browsing the Internet, but also as an entertainment and social platform. Developers can create advanced 3D games with outstanding functionality that allow the player to enjoy the game directly on their mobile phone and cooperate with other players via the Internet!

Windows Phone 8 Game Development is a practical, hands-on guide that will show you how to create a fantastic 3D game for the Windows Phone 8 platform. It shows you how to start development, implement 2D and 3D graphics, support sensors, geolocation, augmented reality, social networks, web services, and even covers publishing your game.

What you will learn from this book

• Combine native and managed development approaches
• Run and debug Windows Phone 8 applications
• Use XAML language to create the user interface
• Create 3D graphics with Direct3D
• Draw 2D graphics with DirectXTK
• Create game logic and detect collisions
• Steer the game with sensors
• Use maps, geolocation, and augmented reality features
• Share data via social networks
• Add audio and video support
• Recognize and synthesize speech

Approach

Written as a practical Packt tutorial, this essential reference will show you how to develop games on the Windows Phone 8 platform.

Who this book is written for

The book is dedicated to the beginners in a field of game development and the Windows Phone 8 platform who want to create their first game! No prior experience regarding 2D and 3D games development, the mobile platform, as well as XAML and Direct3D technologies, is necessary. However, some basic knowledge of object-oriented programming (especially in case of C++ and C# languages) is required to understand parts of code described in the book.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Game User Interface
Chapter 3: MVVM Design Pattern
Chapter 4: 3D Graphics Basics
Chapter 5: 3D Game World
Chapter 6: Steering, Sensors, and Collision Detection
Chapter 7: 2D User Interface in 3D Game
Chapter 8: Maps, Geolocation, and Augmented Reality
Chapter 9: Exchanging Data via Web Services
Chapter 10: Social Networks, Feeds, Settings, and Local Rank
Chapter 11: Improving Game Experience
Chapter 12: Game Publishing

Appendix A: Useful Resources
Appendix B: Languages and Technologies