Ultimate Game Programming with DirectX [With CDROM]

I don't know that it is any sort of ULTIMATE game programming guide by any means, so maybe the title is what has thrown everyone and they are reading too much into it (and/or maybe the first edition was considerably different than the second, as well) but it is a quick, solid intro to DX10-era game programming. If you just need to quickly learn the general basics of how the Windows platform works for game/3D programming, I think it does the job. It goes over the basic D3D10 system, game controller input, the current audio APIs, etc. If you are new to a platform it can be hard to know where to begin. This quickly gets you right past that and you can take it from there. The important part it knowing where to begin and what the basic components are, from there just use everything you already know.

This book is excellent. It is technically well written and easy to follow. The Author is obviously very knowledgeable in game programming and DirectX.

This book is aimed at the C++ programmer who wants to move into game development and programming. It is oriented around the Microsoft DirectX SDK, which is included on the CD supplied with the book. The format of the book is tutorial in nature. It takes the construction of a game from concept to a finished game one chapter at a time so that each major component of the game is constructed in a logical sequence. By the end of the book a game engine has been constructed as well as the game itself. (It a first person shooter type game.) The book presumes no game experience, but as stated does presume that you already know C++, so should be classified as an intermediate level book. The book is divided into three basic sections: the first is an introduction of DirectX and the Direct 3D API; the second section covers game mathematics and collision detection, input detection and sound; finally it covers model building and animation. The creation of a game is by no means an easy task. This book, however is a great primer on the techniques and skills needed to do good games.