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Submission + - Suggestions for learning C# for game programming

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: So I, like many people, want to make my own game. Outside of MATLAB, Visual Basic, and LabVIEW I have no real programming experience.
I initially started with Ruby, but after doing my homework decided that if I ever wanted to progress to a game that required some power, I would basically need to learn some form of C anyway. Further digging has led me to C#.
The other parts of game design and theory I have covered:
- I have ~8 years of CAD modeling experience including Maya and Blender
- I have a semiprofessional sound studio, an idie album on iTunes, and am adept at creating sound effects/music in a wide variety of programs.
- I'm familiar with the setbacks and frustration involved with game development; I beta tested DotA for 9ish years.
- I already have my game idea down on paper (RTS), including growth tables, unit types, unit states, story-lines, etc. I've been planning this out for a year or two.
- I will be doing this on my own time, by myself, and am prepared for it to take a couple years to finish.
The reason for listing that stuff out, is that I want people to understand that I know what I'm getting myself in to, and I'm not trying to put out a not-so-subtle "help me make a game for free lol" type of post.
With all of that said, where is a good place to start (ie, recommended books) for learning C# for game programming? I am familiar with object oriented programming, so that's a little bit of help. I'm not necessarily looking for the syntax (that part is just memorization), but more for the methodology involved.
If anyone also has any suggestions for other books or information that deal with game development, I would love to hear that too. I know enough to understand that I really don't know anything, but have a good foundation to build on. That statement kind of goes contrary to what I've said above, but I hope you get the gist of what I'm trying to say.
Either way, this is the best place I know of to ask these sorts of questions, so thank you everyone for your time.

Submission + - Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and Lately, Coding

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: The NY Times reports that the national educational movement in computer coding instruction is growing at Internet speeds. "There’s never been a move this fast in education," said Elliot Soloway, a professor of education and computer science at the Univ. of Michigan. But, cautions the NY Times' Matt Richtel, it is not clear that teaching basic computer science in grade school will beget future jobs or foster broader creativity and logical thinking, as some champions of the movement are projecting. And particularly for younger children, the activity is more like a video game — better than simulated gunplay, but not likely to impart actual programming skills. "Some educators worry about the industry's heavy role," adds Richtel. "Major tech companies and their founders, including Bill Gates and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, have put up about $10 million for Code.org," which recently announced its CS programs will be rolled out to more than 2 million students — nearly 5% of all U.S. K-12 students — at 30 school districts this fall. Among the 20,000 teachers who Code.org says have signed on is Alana Aaron, a fifth-grade math and science teacher who, with her principal’s permission, swapped a two-month earth sciences lesson she was going to teach on land masses for the Code.org curriculum. "Computer science is big right now — in our country, the world,” she said. “If my kids aren’t exposed to things like that, they could miss out on potential opportunities and careers."

Submission + - Coding finally pays off (independent.co.uk)

Submitted by techfilz
techfilz writes: A site has sprung up that uses scantily clad models or 'code babes' to train aspirant coders. The instructor removes her clothing when you pass code tests. Spoof or real — you be the judge ?

Submission + - Mt. Gox Questioned by Employees for at Least 2-years

Submitted by Rambo Tribble
Rambo Tribble writes: Reuters reports that Mt. Gox employees began to question the handling of funds at least two years ago. Although only CEO Mark Karpeles had full access to financial records, a group of a half-dozen employees began to suspect client funds were being diverted to cover operating costs, which included Karpeles' toys, such as 'racing version of the Honda Civic imported from Britain'. Employees confronted Karpeles in early 2012, only to be given vague assurances with a "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" ring. Unfortunately, since Mt. Gox was not regulated as a financial institution under Japanese law, it is unclear what recourse might be gained in pursuing this question.

Submission + - CmdrTaco: Anti-Beta Movement a "Vocal Minority" (washingtonpost.com) 30

Submitted by Antipater
Antipater writes: The furor over Slashdot Beta is loud enough that even outside media has begun to notice. The Washington Post's tech blog The Switch has written a piece on the issue, and the anti-Beta protesters aren't going to be happy about it. The Post questioned Slashdot founder Rob Malda, who believes the protests are the work of only a vocal minority or readers: "It's easy to forget that the vocal population of a community driven site like Slashdot might be the most important group, but they are typically also the smallest class of users." The current caretakers of Slashdot need to balance the needs of all users with their limited engineering resources, Malda argues — noting wryly, "It ain't easy."

Comment Re:Virtual slave (Score 1) 664

by techfilz (#46142491) Attached to: Virtual Boss Keeps Workers On a Short Leash

In related news, I am pleased to announce my new "virtual slave" hardware, which intercepts communication from the "Virtual Boss" device to PHBServer and provides an excellent replacement stream of communication indicating you always participate in meetings, visit precisely three fellow employees for ten minutes each day, and never go to the bathroom. ("Virtual Slave eXtreme" will be available soon, with many customization options.)

And so began the Umbrella Corporation ...

Submission + - Senator Makes NASA Complete $350 Million Testing Tower That it Will Never Use

Submitted by Hugh Pickens DOT Com
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes: Phillip Swarts reports in the Washington Times that NASA is completing a $350 million rocket-engine testing tower at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi that NASA doesn’t want it and will never use. “Because the Constellation Program was canceled in 2010 the A-3’s unique testing capabilities will not be needed and the stand will be mothballed upon completion (PDF),” said NASA’s inspector general. The A-3 testing tower will stand 300 feet and be able to withstand 1 million pounds of thrust (PDF). The massive steel structure is designed to test how rocket engines operate at altitudes of up to 100,000 feet by creating a vacuum within the testing chamber to simulate the upper reaches of the atmosphere. Although NASA does not expect to use the tower after construction it is compelled by legislation from Sen. Roger F. Wicker, Mississippi Republican, who says the testing tower will help maintain the research center’s place at the forefront of U.S. space exploration. “Stennis Space Center is the nation’s premier rocket engine testing facility,” says Wicker. “It is a magnet for public and private research investment because of infrastructure projects like the A-3 test stand. In 2010, I authored an amendment to require the completion of that particular project, ensuring the Stennis facility is prepared for ever-changing technologies and demands.” Others disagree calling the project the "Tower of Pork" and noting that the unused structure will cost taxpayers $840,000 a year to maintain. “Current federal spending trends are not sustainable, and if NASA can make a relatively painless contribution to deficit reduction by shutting down an unwanted program, why not let it happen?” says Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union. “It’s not rocket science, at least fiscally.”

Submission + - The Moderately Enthusiastic Programmer (avdi.org)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Software developer Advi Grimm posts about the trend throughout the industry of companies demanding that job applicants be 'passionate' about programming when hiring into ordinary development jobs. Grimm says, 'I love code. I dream of code. I enjoy code. I find writing high quality code deeply satisfying. I feel the same way about helping others write code they can feel proud of. But do I feel 'strong and barely controllable emotion' about code? Honestly? No. ... I think some of the people writing these job ads are well-meaning. Maybe most of them. I think when they write “passionate” they mean “motivated.” No slackers. No one who is a drag on the team. But sometimes I worry that it’s code for we want to exploit your lack of boundaries. Maybe it’s fanciful on my part, but there’s a faintly Orwellian whiff to the language of these job ads: excuse me comrade, I couldn't help but notice that man over there is not chanting the team slogan with sincere revolutionary conviction.' Is it realistic for employers to expect us to be passionate about software we're hired to build? If they're looking for the head of a major product, then maybe it's warranted — but for everybody, even the grunts?

Submission + - Satya Nadella is Microsoft's Next CEO: Reports (slashdot.org)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: Microsoft’s next CEO will be Satya Nadella, if current reports prove accurate. According to Re/code, which drew its information from “numerous sources close to Microsoft,” Nadella could officially assume the role in early February. Meanwhile, anonymous sources speaking to Bloomberg suggested that co-founder Bill Gates could be forced to give up his longtime chairman role. Nadella (again, if confirmed) seems a logical choice for Microsoft. He’s been with the company for more than twenty years, eventually becoming executive vice president of its Cloud and Enterprise division. The enterprise remains a key—perhaps the key—customer segment for Microsoft, especially as its mobile and consumer efforts (excluding the Xbox) have floundered in recent years; in order to retain those business clients, Nadella and his team embarked on the creation of “Cloud OS,” the platform that powers Microsoft’s large-scale cloud services such as SkyDrive, Azure, and Office 365. Under his guidance, Microsoft’s revenue from cloud services has grown by several billion over the past few years, so he’s shown that he can expand a business. In addition, his technical background could afford him a measure of respect from Microsoft’s legions of engineers and developers. But if he’s ultimately tapped for the CEO seat, Nadella faces one of the toughest jobs in the technology industry: not only does he need to craft a plan that will allow Microsoft to grow and prosper in an integrated, holistic manner—he’ll need to do it while guiding the company through the massive internal reorganization initiated by his predecessor, Steve Ballmer.

Submission + - Iconic ZX Spectrum Home Computer Reboots (kickstarter.com)

Submitted by techfilz
techfilz writes: The Sinclair ZX Spectrum was a popular 8 bit home computer in the 1980's. Its colour graphics and 16K / 48K RAM for a low price made it a big hit in the UK at the time and helped launch the games industry there. One of the early game developers has now started a Kickstarter campaign to reboot the Spectrum as a Bluetooth keyboard for IOS and subsequently for Android and Windows, using the original form factor and rubber keys. The keyboard can be used with a catalogue of old Spectrum games available from App Stores.

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I tell them to turn to the study of mathematics, for it is only there that they might escape the lusts of the flesh. -- Thomas Mann, "The Magic Mountain"

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