Unity Game Development Essentials (Paperback)

Build fully functional, professional 3D games with realistic environments, sound, dynamic effects, and more!

• Kick start game development, and build ready-to-play 3D games with ease
• Understand key concepts in game design including scripting, physics, instantiation, particle effects, and more
• Test & optimize your game to perfection with essential tips-and-tricks
• Written in clear, plain English, this book is packed with working examples and innovative ideas
• This book is based on Unity version 2.5 and uses JavaScript for scripting

In Detail

Game engines are central to the video games we know and love. From the artwork to the mathematics that underpin the frames onscreen, the engine calls the shots. Aside from offering one of the leading 3D game engines, Unity also provides a superlative development tool - a tool that can produce professional standard games for Mac, PC, and the Unity Web Player.

This book is a complete exercise in game development covering environments, physics, sound, particles, and much more, to get you up and working with Unity quickly.

Taking a practical approach, this book will introduce you to the concepts of developing 3D games before getting to grips with development in Unity itself. From creating 3D worlds to scripting and creating simple game elements you will learn everything you'll need to get started with game development for the PC, Mac, and Web.

This book is designed to cover a set of easy to follow examples, which culminate in the production of a First Person 3D game, complete with an interactive island environment. By introducing common concepts of game and 3D production, you'll explore Unity to make a character interact with the game world, and build puzzles for the player to solve, in order to complete the game. At the end of the book, you will have a fully working 3D game and all the skills required to extend the game further, giving your end-user, the player, the best experience possible. Soon you will be creating your own 3D games with ease!

What you will learn from this book?

• An understanding of the Unity 3D Engine and game development
• Build a 3D island and set of mini-games for your players
• Incorporate terrains and externally produced 3D models to get your game environment up and running
• Build your own first person player character
• Combine scripting and animation to transform your static objects into dynamic interactive game elements
  
• Add realism to your games by using particle systems
• Create a professional, easy-to-navigate menu and link the menu scene with levels of your game
• Add sound, lighting effects, realistic shadows, and other dynamic effects to your game environment
• Creating stunning user interfaces with textures and scripting

Approach

This book follows an informal, demystifying approach to the world of game development with the Unity game engine. With no prior knowledge of game development or 3D required, you will learn from scratch, taking each concept at a time working up to a full 3D mini-game. You'll learn scripting with JavaScript and master the Unity development environment with easy to follow stepwise tasks.
The printed version of the book is in black and white, but a full color version of the images is available for download here. The eBook version, available from Packt, is in full color.

Who this book is written for?

If you're a designer or animator who wishes to take their first steps into game development, or if you've simply spent many hours sitting in front of video games, with ideas bubbling away in the back of your mind, Unity and this book should be your starting point. No prior knowledge of game production is required, inviting you to simply bring with you a passion for making great games.