Mark and Jacob have brought together decades of game development expertise in this book. As well as being a professor of computing, and the creator of Game Maker, Mark first cut his game-programming teeth creating versions of games like Super Breakout for the Atari ST. Jacob has a string of titles to his name, and his in-depth knowledge of "the craft" consistently yields outstanding results. Never more so was this the case than when I had the pleasure of working with him on the team that created the PlayStation hit Hogs of War (also mentioned in this book). Where Jacob differs from his peers is in his mastery of all four of the fundamental game development disciplines: programming, sound, art, and, of course, design. Now, thanks to Mark's Game Maker software, you can find out what it feels like in their world!

One of the key messages I hope you'll take away from this book is that there's a world of difference between having a great idea for a game and being a great game designer. The initial idea is simply the seed from which the game grows, or the stone from which the pillars are hewn. The role of a designer is to fully realize the vision: conceiving and continually refining the various supporting mechanisms to make them mesh like the components of a Swiss timepiece. As is repeatedly stated in these pages, there is no correct solution to game design-only a great idea, well executed and injected with personal flair and enthusiasm. Even if you're struggling to pin down that idea right now, I'm sure you will have wrestled it onto the screen and into the hands of friends and family before finishing the final chapter of The Game Maker's Apprentice.