DeLucas - GameMaker game programming with GML : learn GameMaker language programming concepts and script integration with GameMaker: Studio through hands-on, playable examples

Matthew DeLucas has been a gameplay engineer with Schell Games in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for over five years. He has worked on a wide range of interactive projects for PC, Web, mobiles, and consoles. Matt has also released independent projects for PC and Xbox 360, such as Convextrix, a puzzle game, and Battle High , which is a fighting game series. Being a programmer and designer, Matthew has also participated in almost every official, 48-hour Global Game Jam, managing to help his team achieve success while experimenting with new ideas.

Matthew began his programming career in GameMaker: Studio and has become proficient with additional game engines, such as Gamebryo and Unity3D, and scripting languages such as C#, Python, Lua, and MaxScript for 3DS Max. Often, he chronicles his experiences with game production on his blog at www.mattrifiedgames.blogspot.com.

Matthew has had a desire to work in the game industry ever since he was young, and he enjoys all of the facets of game productionprogramming, design, and art. His favorite genres include platformer, puzzles, racing, and fighting games, all of which influence his designs.

I wish I could list everyone I am thankful to for helping me complete this book; however, I don't think you, the reader, whom I am also thankful to, would appreciate pages of acknowledgments. Instead, I'd like to simply thank the teachers who inspired me, the friends and co-workers who give me the confidence and drive to finish this book, and most importantly, my family, for supporting me and my choice to pursue a career in the gaming industry.

Ronny Nilsson is an independent game developer with degrees in both interaction and game design. His master's degree project focused on ethical gameplay design and how it can be operationalized into an actual game. His interest in games is deep rooted, ever since his first encounter with Mario, and has always been present even when he was studying. While primarily being a designer, he also enjoys developing, especially mechanics and prototypes.

Residing in Malm, close to Copenhagen, Ronny lives in an area where the game industry is booming; both independent and multinational game companies are expanding. Still waiting for his own first wide release, he is currently working on both commercial and experimental games in an attempt to find playful and unique gameplays.

Chris Sanyk , by day, is an IT professional with over 15 years of experience, and an indie game developer by night. Inspired by the Atari 2600 as a young child, he first started designing videogames at the age of six, and has been using GameMaker since 2010. He is an active member of the Cleveland Game Developers, Central Ohio Game Developers, and International Game Developers Association, and a regular participant in game jams such as Ludum Dare and Global Game Jam. He has been using GameMaker since 2010, and blogs and releases his projects on his website, csanyk.com.

Chris co-authored Wireless Reconnaissance in Penetration Testing , with Matthew Neely and Alex Hammerstone , for Syngress . He has been a technical reviewer for the book HTML5 Game Development with GameMaker , by Jason Elliott , Packt Publishing .

I'd like to thank everyone in the game development community for making the scene what it is, especially my friends and colleagues in the Ohio area: Mike Substelny, Ian Schreiber, Mike Geig, Sam Marcus, Steve Felix, Justin Demetroff, Matt Perrin, Jarryd Huntley, Brian Gessler, Eagan Rackley, Ian Faleer, Jeremy Handel, and everyone else.

Chris Watts is a student at the University of Southampton, studying a three-year Bachelor of Science degree course in Computer Science. He first took interest in computer systems at the age of four as a result of receiving a primitive computer from his grandparents and has followed the interest ever since.

Chris has had a very inquisitive mind from a young age and was often found disassembling toys, getting his hand stuck in VCR machines, pulling every lever and pressing every button (much to his parents' dismay) in the quest to learn how everything works.

Today, Chris contributes to open source projects and invents new scripts and programs to make life easier in the digital world. He is experienced in working with over 15 programming languages and has interests in electronics, web security, design, photography, and video production.

He also offers computer/mobile repair services and web design/development services, and gives tuitions in computers to the elderly during his spare time. Chris' ambition is to make an impact in the technology world, solving problems such as interfacing with portable devices and mass adoption of cloud services.

I would like to thank, in particular, my grandmother Susan for dooming me to the domain of computers, my parents for repairing my trail of destruction around the house, and all my friends for putting up with my nerdy nature. It's all very much appreciated.