Game Engine Architecture

Unlike my last review, this one I'm happy to write. I'm a game engine programmer, but I don't have a long history with games, and how their engines are typically structured. Every in-house AAA engine will be different of course, and obviously you won't find books (or typically any docs at all really) on the structure of these behemoths, so the best you can hope for is something that tries to give you the high level overview of what to look for - how a tools pipeline is setup, what subsystems to expect, how they interact, etc. This book provides all of that, and so, so much more. I really can't believe how much is packed in this thing. A really nice section on OS fundamentals, extensive coverage of concurrent programming, tools, audio, physics, it's all there (in one way or another). Like most of these kinds of books, you probably don't want to try and read it front to back (although that would be awesome, who has the time for that?) Instead, I've been going to sections on an as-needed basis and picking up just the stuff I need most at that time, and it's been great. I'm at the point in my career where I'm just not buying as many books as I used to, either because they don't deliver on their promises, they only cover the basics, or they just rehash things that have already been covered extensively in other books. This book's definitely got me excited, because it provides a ton of real-world info that's hard to get anywhere else. 100% recommend to anyone new to game engine software development. UPDATE: 6 months later, and this book continues to amaze. After studying every line of code in the section on memory allocators, I've added this feature to my engine and it works great. Same with quaternions. I just keep finding myself reaching for this book! What a great resource, rock solid.

Basically, best practices in game engine architecture, citing a wide array of game engines used by a wide array of top game makers. Out of a ~1150 page book: The longest chapter is ~150 pages, on Parallelism and Concurrent Programming. Rendering Engine is ~100 pages Collision and Rigid Body Dynamics is ~100 pages 3D Math for Games is ~50 pages I had hoped for treatments on quaternion camera and for entity component system, but alas, no. What I did get was still crucial. The most illuminating guidance was in Engine Support Systems (~50 pages) which talked about best Memory Management, and in Game Loop and Real-Time Simulation which talks about ideal orders of operations in a highly efficient game loop. The first 400 pages of this book are not exclusive to games. A new programmer that wants to do high performance programming can gain a lot from this before it gets into 'primarily' game topics. My strategy for getting through this whale was to never peek at the next page. I did not read (Character) Animation Systems (~100 pages) or Audio (~100 pages), as I do not need them at this time. You can certainly damage the book if you don't keep in mind its weight, or if you do that maneuver where you forcibly open it against its spine. I did that and the binding popped off the backing. It's all in one piece, and it's easier to read. It's a big tome.

I’m not kidding when I say the first 350 pages of this book are quite literally an entire computer science degree. In fact, many CS majors would learn more about some of these subjects here than in their classes. I’m incredibly impressed with the thoroughness and depth of this absolute tome, and I’ll be far more impressed if the binding is able to hold on to all 1200 pages for the whole time it takes me to read it.

Libro esencial para entender aspectos técnicos y completar la formación de los estudios universitarios .

Game Engine Architecture" by Jason Gregory has proven to be a treasure trove of knowledge, especially in the realms of lower-level computer programming and the inner workings of CPUs. The first third of the book, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, dives deep into the intricacies of memory management and concurrent programming. Gregory’s explanations are so lucid and engaging that the complex concepts of memory orders such as relaxed, release, and acquire have become clear to me, showcasing their critical roles in programming. What is particularly remarkable is how the book's first 400 pages serve not just as a guide to game engine architecture, but also stand on their own as an excellent introduction to computer science. It's a testament to the author's skill in distilling complex material into digestible content that even those without a vested interest in game development would find immense value in. However, a caveat I must mention is the book's physical heft. Its size and bulk make it somewhat unwieldy, and I learned this the hard way when it fell from my desk. The impact caused the page binding to tear away from the hard cover, which was disappointing considering the book's cost. Nevertheless, with some craftiness involving thick drawing paper and glue, I managed to repair it. If the author adds any more information to the next edition, it'd probably be best to turn this into a 2-3 volume set to manage the size. Despite this setback, the book remains an invaluable resource. Its depth and clarity are unmatched, making it a worthy addition to any tech enthusiast's library. Just be sure to handle it with care.

There are supposed to be color images at the back of the book, but my copy has only black and white images. I'm not sure if this is an original copy. The content otherwise is however superb.

One of the most important books I own as of now. Really deep dives through everything.

I liked that it's very complete in the information it provides... I also dislike that fact too because there was a lot of unnecessary reading and sometimes filler I could do without - but I read it all anyone in case I missed anything that I might need to know. Overall, fairly useful but it did use up a ton of my free time. It must have been very tricky to compile all that information and write that. Very thorough and very impressive.

Awesome content, great print quality.

Comme décrit, est arrivé très en avance par rapport à l'estimation ! Je recommande ! Top pour les programmeurs et games design !