Physics Principles for Game Development

If you want to enrich your game’s experience with physics-based realism, the expanded edition of this classic book details physics principles applicable to game development. You’ll learn about collisions, explosions, sound, projectiles, and other effects used in games on Wii, PlayStation, Xbox, smartphones, and tablets. You’ll also get a handle on how to take advantage of various sensors such as accelerometers and optical tracking devices.

Authors David Bourg and Bryan Bywalec show you how to develop your own solutions to a variety of problems by providing technical background, formulas, and a few code examples. This updated book is indispensable whether you work alone or as part of a team.

Key Topics Covered

• Refresh your knowledge of classical mechanics, including kinematics, force, kinetics, and collision response
• Explore rigid body dynamics, using real-time 2D and 3D simulations to handle rotation and inertia
• Apply concepts to real-world problems: model the behavior of boats, airplanes, cars, and sports balls
• Enhance your games with digital physics, using accelerometers, touch screens, GPS, optical tracking devices, and 3D displays
• Capture 3D sound effects with the OpenAL audio API