Some helpful resources

Now that the class has come to it's conclusion I hope that you feel you have all the tools necessary to at least begin the process of building games. Below I've compiled a list of resources, books, websites and supporting software to help you in that pursuit as well as a link to download some example game maker files that you can use in your projects.


Drawing programs
Any project requires art and often times a search of sprite DB or the spriter's recourse will give you what you need to get up and running, but most often you'll want to create your own graphics.  Below are a list of drawing software both free and pay for.

• Gimp: mac/pcopen sourcefound at www.gimp.orgThis is a robust image editor meant to be a suitable stand in for powerful pay for applications like adobe photoshop.
  
  
• Photoshop: mac/pc
  pay for (30 day free trial available)
  found at www.photoshop.com
  This is the industry standard for artist and designers across many fields and disciplines including game development.  If your goal is to get a job in the industry as an artist it would be worth familiarizing yourself with photoshop.  If you are just looking for something to make assets for your indy project you could probably get by with a cheeper or free alternative
  
  
• Graphics Gale: pcopen source
  found at www.humanbalance.net/gale/This is a powerful graphics editor for pixel art with support for animation and detailed pixel manipulation.
  
  
• Fireworks: pc/mac pay for
  found at http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=fireworks
  Fireworks is a great tool for making pixel art and animations.  It mixes both vector and pixel drawing in a very simple to use yet powerful package.
  
  
• paint.NET pc
  free
  found at www.eecs.wsu.edu—downloads.html
  A simple, easy to use drawing app for the windows platform.
  
  

Audio Editing and creation software

Audio is something that is often overlooked in the early stages of an indy project but it's certainly an important piece of the overall look and feel of the game.  

• Audacity: pc/mac
  open source
  found at audacity.sourceforge.net
  Audacity is a straight-forward full featured audio editor and converter.  It's free and available for all dev platforms.
  
  
• Ardor : mac
  open source
  found at http://ardour.org/download
  Another free audio editing program.  This one for mac only
  
  
• Fruity Loops : pc/mac
  pay for
  found at https://support.image-line.com/jshop/shop.php
  A powerful music creation software for both mac and pc.  It ships with loads of sound samples and a powerful loop building interface that is perfect for making music for games.
  
  
• CFXR : pc/macfree
  found at http://thirdcog.eu/apps/cfxr
  This is more of an 8 bit sound effects generator but it's pretty funky and can be super useful for quickly bringing sound into your game.
  
  

Game Design Resources

I can only cover so much in four one and a half hour classes.  Below you'll find some awesome resources to learn more about game maker, game design, and how to find people in the New York City game industry.

• Yo Yo games site www.yoyogames.com
  Game Maker's official website.  Go here is learn more about the platform, get help from the forums or to post your finished or in progress games for review.
  
  
• Gamasutra www.gamasutra.comGamasutra is the industry leading news and informational site for all things related to video games.  Great job board.
  
  
• Nyc Game Industry www.nycgameindustry.comKeep track of the local scene, with news, events and other resources.  Has a job board.
  
  
• Games Brief www.gamesbrief.comIf you are interested in the business side of games, especially the social and casual markets, this is a fantastic resource.  I read it every day.
  
  
• The Game Prodigy http://thegameprodigy.com/A good resource for game design tips and other game related information
  

Books
I used a lot of books for reference while creating class materials.  I've listed them below along with some other books that I have found useful to my growth as a game designer.

• Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
  
• The Game Maker's Apprentice
  Jacob Habgood, Mark Overmars, Phil Wilson
  
• The Game Maker's Companion
  Steph Habgood
  
• Rules of Play
  Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman
  
• The Game Design Reader
  Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman
  
• Theory of Fun
  Raph Koster
  
• Challenges for game designers
  Brenda Brathwaite, Ian Schreiber
  
• Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and SoftwareSteven Johnson
  
  

Game Maker Examples

http://www.jmauriello.com/buildinggames/snippets.zip