Train2Game Designer student Sharon McCormick returns with another funky video, this time about [how teaching can be used in an effective manner, with games as an educational tool. What do you think?
Train2Game Designer student Steven McCullouch talks to us about what he’s been up to, how he’s finding the course and how it’s affected him and why he’s been enjoying Heavy Rain.
Train2Game Designer student Jonathan Carter tells us what he finds most enjoyable about the course, what he’s learnt from train2Game and the project he is working on — Chess: Pirates VS Ninjas.
Train2Game Games Developer student Lee Davis explains how he’s making a game and shows us his Developers Den.
Stay tuned for more videos from other Train2Game students.
Digital and pre-owned games constituted one third of the United States market last year, with US consumers spending over $4.5 billion dollars on them according to research by the NPD Group.
It wasn’t so long ago that discs, or cartridges, were the only way for the consumer to purchase a video game. But thanks to the wonders of the internet, it’s now so easy to buy games without even leaving the house.
Of course, there’s the standard online shopping which allows consumers to buy the latest Call of Duty or FIFA through just a few clicks, but even then they’ll have to wait a few days for the postman to deliver what they want. So the gamer might be happy about not having to leave the house – because let’s face it, if we can avoid moving we will – but less pleased about not instantly receiving the game.
Digital downloads almost entirely bypass this issue. When purchasing a game, then downloading it, the consumer doesn’t have to wait long at all before they can play it. Of course, Train2Game has previously examined the discs vs. digital debate, but over the weekend I saw for myself just how easy it is for us download games – games that we may have had no intention of actually buying in the first place!
I like to relax – if relaxing can be defined as bellowing instructions to teammates down a microphone – by playing Team Fortress 2. Now, in order to play Team Fortress 2 I need to log into Steam, Valve’s content delivery system. When I logged in, a special offer popped up saying the Mass Effect games were on offer over the weekend only, with a whopping 75% off the RRP. Having never played a Mass Effect game, and having heard how great they are, I decided to buy the first Mass Effect title for the grand total of £3.24. If I could have afforded to, I would have bought Mass Effect 2 for £12.99 too.
So, having signed into Steam to play Team Fortress 2, I find that I’ve parted with my hard earned cash and soon have a shiny digital copy of Mass Effect installed on my hard drive.
This is why digital downloads are ever-increasing their share of the consumer games market – it’s just so easy to download a game! The thought of buying Mass Effect hadn’t even crossed my mind before I logged into Steam on Sunday afternoon, but a few hours later the game had been added to my collection.
Of course, the knock down price played a massive part in my decision to make the purchase – which is probably why pre-owned games are doing so well too – but the fact is I parted with my cash and bought a game that is two years old through digital distribution.
Train2Game students should take heed of how powerful the digital market has become in recent years, and strive to take advantage of it. A Games Developer, Games Designer and Games Artist & Animator can get together and make a game yes, but ultimately in order to become successful in the industry their creations will have to sell. For Train2Game graduates just starting out in the industry, digital distribution would be by far the easiest way to do this, be it through a standard PC download, Steam, the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live.
There’s a consumer market out there, who with the right incentives will buy new games at the drop of a hat. What will you do to market yours? As usual, freel free to leave your comments here or on the Train2Game forum.
Microsoft and Sony, I haven’t mentioned Nintendo? ‘Why?’ I hear you ask? But fear not, Train2Game hasn’t ignored you Nintendo fans, in fact my most excellent colleague Gabe has written a comprehensive round up of every Nintendo announcement on his own blog. Good ay?
As usual you can leave a comment – on his blog this time – or discuss it on the Train2Game Forum.
Video games are not only one of the greatest forms of entertainment, but will in future, become a key part of a single system – That’s the opinion of Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee.
Speaking to a BBC reporter at Activision’s impressive E3 event, the veteran comics publisher spoke very positively of video games.
“I love games, I’m no good at them myself, but I love to watch people play them and I love to watch people play the games.
And I think it’s one of the greatest methods of entertainment, and I think it’s only at the beginning now, it’s burgeoning, growing.
….There was a survey and it said the average age of game players now is mid 20s to mid 30s, it’s no longer just a kids thing and it’s a wonderful form of entertainment.
Because you’re seeing the story, but you’re participating in the story and what can be better than that?”
Stan Lee is certainly right about the growth of the games industry. It’s amazing to think how far it’s come in such a relatively short space of time – just compare how Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Nintendo Wii looks compared to the first ever Super Mario Bros, released on the NES just over 20 years ago!
And with new innovations in recent years like motion controllers – including PlayStation Move and Microsoft’s Kinect – and 3D gaming, in addition to ever more photo-realistic graphics, who knows where the games industry will be in another 20 years time! The big name Games Designers, Games Developers, and Games Artist and Animators of the future – who could very well be current Train2Game students – could be revealing absolutely mind blowing new innovations at E3 2030! (In case you’ve somehow managed to miss the key events from the current E3 2010, you can catch up with developments here)
When asked about the future of video games by BBC reporter Daniel Emery, Stan Lee only sees great things:
“I think they’ll get better and better. I think the whole of entertainment is coming together, sort of homogenising.
You’re going to have comic books, you’re going to have cartoons, movies, television, video games and music.
They’re all becoming one thing and you’ll be able to watch it on your little telephone screen when you’re travelling, then everybody’s going to want the biggest TV set, bigger than his neighbour.
It’s incredible. Everybody wants the biggest TV set and the smallest little thing to watch it on, but everything will be on one screen eventually, including video games and everything else.”
If Stan Lee’s predictions do come to pass, it’s entirely possible that Train2Game course graduates could be designing games that will be accessible to anyone through a single multi-purpose entertainment system. Are the first steps towards this already happening? Possibly, with OnLive going live tomorrow (Thursday 17th June) we could be seeing the future of gaming, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Of course, smart phones such as the iPhone already provide people with multiple forms of entertainment – including games – in one place, and as we’ve discussed previously on the Train2Game blog, the iPhone could give a Train2Game student their big break.
The video games industry has a very bright future, and as a Train2Game graduate, you could very well be a part of it. Do you think you could end up developing games for a home entertainment hub? As usual let us know here on this blog, or on the Train2Game Forum.
Like Microsoft’s presentation before it, Sony’s press conference not only saw key titles get release dates, but also full details on their own motion controller – the PlayStation Move.
In surprising – but welcome on this side of the Atlantic – twist, the PlayStation Move will be available in Europe on September 15th this year, four days before it’s released in the United States. The motion controller and PlayStation eye will be available in a bundle for €59.99 – a price in pounds sterling is yet to be revealed, but it’ll be much lower in cost than Microsoft’s Kinect.
Speaking at the E3 press conference, Sony President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America Jack Tretton, added that 40 developers are currently working on Move titles. Hopefully some of these will be innovative games, and the type that Train2Game students – be they a Games Designer, Games Developer, or Games Artist & Animator – would be proud to work on.
In non-Move related news, several of the PlayStation 3’s flag ship titles we’re given release dates including the long awaited – and long delayed lest we forget! – Gran Turismo 5. The racer will be available in the USA from Novemer 2nd with a trailer revealing the Top Gear test track as one of the circuits. Jack Tretton also revealed that the game will be fully 3D compatible.
In other PlayStation 3 games news, Killzone 3 will be released in February 2011 – slightly earlier than thought, while it was announced there will be PS3 exclusive content for Assassin’s Creed’s Brotherhood, Medal of Honour and Dead Space 2. There were also new details about the much anticipated Little Big Planet 2.
However, perhaps the biggest surprise of the show so far, was that Valve’s Gabe Newell himself appeared on stage to announce that Portal 2 will be coming to the PlayStation 3. It’ll be connected to Valve’s powerful Steamworks service with the PlayStation 3 being the only system doing so. It represents a huge turnaround for Gabe Newell – previously one of Sony’s consoles biggest critics. While on stage he joked “I’d like to thank everyone at Sony for their hospitality and not repeatedly punching me in the face.”
So, that’s a quick round up of Sony’s E3 Press Conference? Are you impressed? If so what are you looking forward to? As usual, leave your comments here or on the Train2Game forum.
Last night saw Microsoft present the first major presentation of E3, and boy did they deliver. The press conference kicked off with Senior Vice President Don Mattrick saying that 2010 will be “a year of transformation” and will ‘transform the way you play games and connect to friends and family.’
Of course, Microsoft’s biggest claim to transforming the way we play – and perhaps design and develop games – comes with the introduction of the Kinect, the motion controller for the Xbox 360.
Kinect – the device formerly know as Project Natal – will be released in the United States on Thursday, November 4th with 15 exclusive title’s including the Rare developed Kinetic Sports. No European date has been announced yet, but it’s likely it’ll be some way behind the USA if it follows the pattern of the new Xbox 360 Slim. While the new console is ships in the United States today, it won’t be available this side of the Atlantic Ocean until July 16th.
Train2Game Game Designers, Game Developers and Game Artist & Animators will no doubt be encouraged by Microsoft’s Phil Spencer stating “Microsoft Games Studios is constantly looking to partner with talented new development partners.” Perhaps if you play your cards right, you could be developing games exclusively for the Xbox 360 in the years to come.
In addition to announcements about Kinect and the Xbox 360 Slim, a number of highly anticipated games were given release dates. Peter Molyneux himself took to the stage in Los Angeles to reveal that Fable III will be available on October 26th this year. Meanwhile, Dead Space 2 executive producer Steve Papoutsis revealed that the horror sequel will be released on January 25th 2011.
These are just some of the many announcements made last night, and E3 isn’t even in full swing yet with Nintendo and Sony still to give presentations today at 5 p.m. and 8.pm. respectively – that’s the British times anyway!
So it’s over to you. Are you impressed by Microsoft’s announcements? If so, what are you most looking forward to? Kinect The Xbox 360 Slim? As usual, let us know either in the comments section below, or on the Train2Game Forum.
Another big name has waded into the Discs vs Digital debate in the form of Namco Bandai VP of sales, marketing and publishing Olivier Comte.
You may remember that recently, SCEE President Andrew House acknowledged that games sold on discs in boxes are still popular but that digital content could possibly the way forward. His comments were discussed in great detail on the Train2Game Forum.
In an interview with MCV, Comte spoke about a number of subjects including the digital market. He questioned its relevance on consoles;
Today digital is a significant part of PC gaming. We are a Japanese company and Japanese companies are not known for PC titles. But we need to have a product on every platform – including PC – so in that sense digital will start to become more important for Namco Bandai. There is better margin and using a digital platform gives us direct access to the consumer.”
“But in terms of console, it is a little bit too early to say. The only real business model for digital on consoles is DLC because the consumer will always want to have the box because it is an expensive thing.”
He raises a good point about the contrasts between the digital markets of console and PC games. As mentioned in a previous blog, the PC has embraced the idea of digital distribution and downloadable content far more enthusiastically than the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 has. The dominance of Steam in the digital distribution market has of course helped this along. Meanwhile, console owners prefer their games to some on a disc in a box.
So, while downloadable games may not be to the tastes of major distributors, it’s an ideal way for independent Games Designers, Games Developers, and Games Artists and Animators – like Train2Game students – to get their work out there.
This appears to have worked for independent studio Hello Games, who’ve just released their first production in form of Joe Danger on the PlayStation Network – and it’s had some very good reviews. We’ll have to wait and see if these positive reviews transform into downloads, but with a relatively low price it’s likely that many gamers will be tempted to try it out.
We’re not so willing to risk our money on something new if it costs £40 and doesn’t even come in a box. But this raises an important question for independent developers; do you save costs by releasing your first game as a digital download? Or do you sell it in a box which consumers can pick up on the shelf. Train2Game students, as producers, which medium would you prefer?
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