HomeFeaturesGet Ready for NJ Makers Day with Mercury Learning

Get Ready for NJ Makers Day with Mercury Learning

Though most PAX East attendees visit the convention to play video games, there are a number of individuals who are equally as interested in learning how to make them. With NJ Makers Day — a tradition promoting STEM-based innovation and creativity — going on March 24-25 this year, one booth in particular had what any NJ maker needs to succeed: Mercury Learning.

Mercury Learning and Information exists for one specific purpose; to publish books and courses concerning a variety of STEM topics, ranging from Pre-Algebra Essentials to Photograph Restoration. Most relevant to budding game creators, however, are their books on topics like Video Game Writing and Classic Game Design.


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Video Game Writing

Mercury Learning - NJ Makers DayAccording to the official description, the latest edition of Video Game Writing “explores the challenging and evolving world of the games writer.” It is authored by Marek Walton and Maurice Suckling, two writers with more than a decade of experience writing for over 40 games, including titles such as Stuntman, Driver and XCOM. The book breaks itself into four parts spread across 24 chapters, beginning with a history of game stories; it then explains what to expect from NDAs and contracts, how to collaborate with a team of developers; and, of course, offers advice about narrative design, plot structure, and the future of games writing.

Though game writing doesn’t actually require any STEM knowledge, NJ Makers Day is also about fostering collaboration; since most programmers and 3D modellers won’t specialize in game writing, they’ll need to collaborate with someone who does.


Classic Game Design

Mercury Learning - NJ Makers DayGamers with an interest in game development who pine for the nostalgia-inducing arcade games of yesteryear will find Classic Game Design right up their alley. This guide details how to design the essential components of classic arcade games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders and Breakout. It includes everything from coloring graphics and manipulating the scoring system to creating sound effects and coding the AI. As a bonus, the book includes a companion DVD filled with source code as well as art and sound sources. (Those who purchase the digital edition will have access to these resources via the book’s website.)

Classic Game Design is written by Franz Lanzinger, the president and owner of Actual Entertainment Inc.; this veteran programmer is responsible for designing Crystal Castles, an arcade game by Atari, Inc. from 1983.

If you’d like to participate in NJ Makers Day, you can find the full list of participating locations on the official website, which also includes a number of other useful resources. You can also keep tabs on what fellow NJ makers are working on via social media by visiting NJ Makers Day on Facebook and Twitter.

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