Visual Basic Resource Center: Game Programming with Direct X

Game Programming with Direct X

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Top_Issues_for_Windows_Titles.asp

Article: Top Issues for Windows Titles" by Chuck Walbourn. Discusses common issues in current generation PC games including CPU limited, poor batch management, excessive memory copying, excessive use of dynamic draw submission, high file processing overhead, slow installation, not taking physical memory into account when configuring, overreliance on real-time audio sample rate conversion, virtual memory fragmentation and manipulating the float-point control word.

Game Timing and Multicore Processors

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/DirectX_9_Frequently_Asked_Questions.asp

Article: "Game Timing and Multicore Processors" by Chuck Walbourn. Discusses the Windows QueryPerformanceCounter and QueryPerformanceFrequency APIs.

Authenticode Signing for Game Developers

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Authenticode_Signing_for_Game_Developers.asp

Article: "Authenticode Signing for Game Developers." Discusses test certificates, how to obtain a public certificate and how to integrate the certificate into the build process.

Best Security Practices in Game Development

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Install_on_Demand_for_Games.asp

Article: "Best Security Practices in Game Development." Discusses how to improve security and why it is important.

Games and Firewalls

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Games_and_Firewalls.asp

Article: "Games and Firewalls" by Lang Beeck. Discusses the new firewall in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 and how game developers can configure their applications to work with the firewall.

Windows Installer for Game Developers

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Windows_Installer_for_Game_Developers.asp

Article: "Windows Installer for Game Developers" by Dave Bartolomeo. Discusses how to use Windows Installer to install games on end-user machines.

Simplifying Game Installation

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Simplifying_Game_Installation.asp

Article: "Simplifying Game Installation."

Installation and Maintenance of Games

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/Installation_and_Maintenance_of_Games.asp

Article: "Installation and Maintenance of Games" by Dave Bartolomeo. Discusses how to reduce user frustration over game installation, prevent unnecessary user support calls and more.

Tutorial: DirectX Graphics for Visual Basic: Part

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article1606.asp

Tutorial: "DirectX Graphics for Visual Basic: Part 3" by Jack Hoxley.

Tutorial: "DirectX Graphics for Visual Basic: Part

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article1350.asp

Tutorial: "DirectX Graphics for Visual Basic: Part 2" by Jack Hoxley.

Tutorial: DirectX Graphics for Visual Basic: Part

http://www.gamedev.net/reference/articles/article1308.asp

Tutorial: "DirectX Graphics for Visual Basic: Part 1" by Jack Hoxley.

DirectX FAQ

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/directx9_c/DirectX_9_Frequently_Asked_Questions.asp

Microsoft's DirectX FAQ includes questions and answers regarding development, Direct3D, DirectSound, XInput and more.

DirectX 9.0 SDK Download

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=69bf704d-cd35-40c4-91a5-aa0e27c8f410&displaylang=en

Download the DirectX 9.0 SDK.

DirectX Developer Center

http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/

Microsoft's DirectX Developer Center. Includes software downloads, articles, tools, community forums and more.