The brutal short answer to the question above is no. But let's not be too hasty. This book is very important. I dare say very, very important. How can this book be both very important and at the same time, be just a little too small for the bigger beast that is game development? I will first explain what the book is. Picture Yourself Creating Video Games takes you step-by-step through the process of creating a game using a program called The Game Factory 2. This program is available for demo use, just like from the book, by simply Googling the program or checking out the link below. There is also a step-by-step on-screen tutorial you can work from, that the demo provides. So you may think I am telling you the book is useless, and you would be wrong. What author Jason Darby does is painstakingly walk you through many of the gaps that the online tutorial has. Plus, he fills you in on how the core development process unfolds. He also, for lack of a better term, "Layman-izes" the core elements of what is actually game development. So not only is it important for giving you an overall big picture of how a game is and "can be" designed, it also gives the reader a true hands-on experience in making a working game.
You are actually going to be making a game, not a mod. Your own true creation. So if this is what makes it very important, than what makes it very, very important is that it inspires people. People are excited about making games or getting into the industry. You can take this book and do some very creative and imaginative stuff, all of which is well within an average reader's, not to mention younger reader's, abilities to comprehend and work from. Now that this is out of the way, it is time to talk about why this book is also a little small to get all that you need.
Nothing about the core elements of the book is missing. The problem, if there is one, lies in the actual tools themselves. This is a great springboard book and program. It could help someone get noticed, but may not demonstrate all of the needed elements to acquire a position in a game company. When it comes right down to it, and the state of game development industry, they are looking for key people with a specific expertise, experience, and familiarity with certain tools. So who is this book for? This book is for the enthusiast who wants to make some games on the side. It is for a designer to demonstrate that he can work with a tool set, and execute a design plan. This alone is a great asset if design is the specific direction you're moving towards. This is going to get a small percentage of artists noticed just due to the state of graphics in the industry, but is great for introducing them to game development and implementation. The fact that it is designed not to take advantage of a programmer obviously gives them little to work from.
If you are interested in just getting a real honest taste of game development, then I recommend this book. If you are looking for it to get you into the industry as an artist or programmer, you may need to look for other supplementation. I should mention that the book makes no claims that it will get you into the industry. But many are looking for it to lead to something other than the garage. If, however, you are a designer, this is a very good book to get into and understand. It will get you a good way to understanding what you will need to know for the basics of design and implementation. Read, Enjoy, Imagine, then Create.
