Author Description

"In worlds where storytelling is a science, the 'Big Idea' is king, and fantasy makes good business sense, this is an excellent overview, not just of the technology, but of the personal points of view of many of the professionals who make it happen." -- Bran Ferren, Executive Vice-President, Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development, Inc.Digital Illusion is the future of entertainment. That future, as seen in this book, is at the intersection of show business and interactivity. It is a future where games, theme-park attractions, and networked virtual worlds are built with seamless, interactive, computer technology, and where exciting new kinds of experience and enjoyment are made possible. It's a future that has already begun!Clark Dodsworth has participated for years in this convergence of the computer and entertainment industries. Here, he gathers prominent contributors from both worlds to describe the design and implementation of computer-based entertainment applications. With striking examples, they show what has been accomplished and preview what is yet to come.The book covers diverse subjects in some technical detail, making it a useful resource for readers designing or developing their own applications. Topics include the infrastructure required for new applications; advances in creative tools, multiplayer systems, and networking; interface-design techniques, including avatars and agents; and practical hardware issues. A section on business applications, with predictions from industry insiders, explores economic opportunities for both content vendors and providers, and shows how digital entertainment is fast becoming a key profit center in our economy. Much of the book, however, is accessible and interesting to the general reader-anyone fascinated by the potential for high-tech fun-who wonders, say, what it might be like to wield magical powers in an imaginary universe.