Game Engine Architecture
Two Volume Set
4th Edition
Will be published approx. on 21. April 2026
Book
1424 pages
978-1-041-16259-9 (ISBN)
Description
In this new and improved fourth edition of the highly popular Game Engine Architecture, Jason Gregory draws on his two decades of experience at Midway, Electronic Arts and Naughty Dog to present both the theory and practice of game engine software development. In this book, the broad range of technologies and techniques used by AAA game studios are each explained in detail, and their roles within a real industrial-strength game engine are illustrated.
This fourth edition offers the same comprehensive coverage of game engine architecture provided by previous editions, along with new material that includes:
Two brand new chapters covering 3D rendering and photorealistic lighting
A discussion of motion matching technology for character animation
Improved coverage of undefined behavior in the context of compiler optimizations
Fuller coverage of C++ language standards up to C++23
An improved index, plus fixes for various errata found by our readers in previous editions
This book is intended to serve as an introductory text, but it also offers the experienced game programmer a useful perspective on aspects of game development technology with which they may not have deep experience. As always, copious references and citations are provided in this edition, making it an excellent jumping off point for those who wish to dig deeper into any particular aspect of the game development process.
Key Features
Covers both the theory and practice of game engine software development
Examples are grounded in specific technologies, but discussion extends beyond any particular engine or API
Includes all mathematical background needed
Comprehensive text for beginners and also has content for senior engineers
This fourth edition offers the same comprehensive coverage of game engine architecture provided by previous editions, along with new material that includes:
Two brand new chapters covering 3D rendering and photorealistic lighting
A discussion of motion matching technology for character animation
Improved coverage of undefined behavior in the context of compiler optimizations
Fuller coverage of C++ language standards up to C++23
An improved index, plus fixes for various errata found by our readers in previous editions
This book is intended to serve as an introductory text, but it also offers the experienced game programmer a useful perspective on aspects of game development technology with which they may not have deep experience. As always, copious references and citations are provided in this edition, making it an excellent jumping off point for those who wish to dig deeper into any particular aspect of the game development process.
Key Features
Covers both the theory and practice of game engine software development
Examples are grounded in specific technologies, but discussion extends beyond any particular engine or API
Includes all mathematical background needed
Comprehensive text for beginners and also has content for senior engineers
More details
Edition
4th edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Professional Practice & Development and Undergraduate Advanced
Illustrations
278 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 94 Farbfotos bzw. farbige Rasterbilder, 107 s/w Zeichnungen, 11 farbige Zeichnungen, 13 s/w Tabellen, 385 s/w Abbildungen, 105 farbige Abbildungen
13 Tables, black and white; 11 Line drawings, color; 107 Line drawings, black and white; 94 Halftones, color; 278 Halftones, black and white; 105 Illustrations, color; 385 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 178 mm
Weight
2780 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-041-16259-9 (9781041162599)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 01/2026
4th Edition
CRC Press
€445.67
Not yet published
Person
Jason Gregory has worked as a software engineer in the games industry since March 1999, and as a professional software engineer since 1994. He got his start in game programming at Midway Home Entertainment in San Diego, where he worked on tools, engine technology and game play code for Hydro Thunder (TM) 2 (arcade). He also wrote the PlayStation (R) 2/Xbox animation system for Freaky Flyers (TM) and Crank the Weasel. In 2003, Jason moved to Electronic Arts Los Angeles, where he worked on engine and game play technology for Medal of Honor: (TM) Pacific Assault and served as a lead engineer on the Medal of Honor: (TM) Airborne project. Jason is currently a Lead Programmer at Naughty Dog Inc., where he and his team are working on an exciting new game title for PlayStation (R) 5. He also developed engine and gameplay software for Naughty Dog's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (TM), Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (TM), Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (TM), Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (TM), Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (TM), The Last of Us Part I (TM) and The Last of Us Part II (TM) for PlayStation (R) 5, PlayStation (R) 4, PlayStation (R) 3, and PC. Jason has also developed and taught courses in game technology at the University of Southern California.
Content
Preface, 1 Introduction, 2 Tools of the Trade, 3 Fundamentals of Software Engineering for Games, 4 Parallelism and Concurrent Programming, 5 3D Math for Games, 6 Engine Support Systems, 7 Resources and the File System, 8 The Game Loop and Real-Time Simulation, 9 Human Interface Devices, 10 Tools for Debugging and Development, 11 Rendering, 12 Lighting and Post-Processing, 13 Animation Systems, 14 Collision and Rigid Body Dynamics, 15 Audio, 16 Introduction to Gameplay Systems, 17 Runtime Gameplay Systems, 18 You Mean There's More?