Game Development Essentials: Online Game Development by Rick Hall & Jeannie Novak (2008) Paperback | Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Game Developers | Perfect for Indie Studios, Classroom Learning & Professional Skill Development

I only received the book about three days ago, and am currently on page 141 of about 250, so I want to say that I have not yet had time to finish the book. However, I'm so excited by it that I wanted to write this review anyway during a break from reading it.The book is an MMOG enthusiast's dream. For a long time I have been interested in eventually breaking into the gaming industry, with an eye towards one day designing an MMORPG of my own. This book puts the whole process into great perspective, and being that my degree is in engineering, I can say that the business approaches and practices espoused in this book work in all facets of business, design, and planning. Indeed, if one looks closely there are abstract bits of wisdom throughout the book that apply to all of life, and it becomes clear while reading that there are bits of wisdom throughout all of life that must be applied to game design in order to produce a good game. I could not be more pleased with this book, and find myself repeatedly amazed at how professionally researched, organized, and written it is. It is extremely accessible to all readers, and works to provide a brilliant foundation for MMOG design in general.While there is a great deal of breadth in the book, and it is accessible to all, only the most creative and intelligent minds will be able to fully grasp, digest, and appreciate everything it has to say. For this reason, it could be a great read for young gaming enthusiasts and industry leaders alike. In life, all great philosophical ideas are accessible to all, yet the full bouquet of intertwining reasoning will only be realized by the most brilliant. The same rings true of this book. I will be reading it more than once for my own enhanced benefit, as I admit that I cannot swallow at once all that it has to say.The book would make a great gift for anyone who is fascinated by MMOG design, its history, or just sound business practices.