Monthly Archives: August 2010

Microsoft announce Kinect launch date and Xbox Live for Windows Mobile

Posted on by
1

Kinect – the controller free device for the Xbox 360 – will be available in the UK from 10th November Microsoft have confirmed.  They’ve also revealed that Xbox Live will be coming to Windows mobile phones before Christmas, which could in theory provide Train2Game students with more opportunities to publish games. The announcements about Kinect and Xbox Live for mobile phones come before Microsoft’s pre-Gamescom event today.

Kinect for Xbox 360 is having its European premiere at Gamescom 2010, where several new games for the hands free device are expected to be launched. Microsoft say this will include more than fifteen exclusive Kinect titles.

Speaking before the show, Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft Europe was of course keen to speak about Kinect.

“We are bringing the Kinect experience to Europe for the first time at Gamescom because this is the biggest show in the region and we’re committed to investing in Europe and the critical role it plays in Xbox’s global success.

With Kinect launching on November 10, it’s set to not only transform our business but also change how we use entertainment.

With Kinect, YOU become the controller, giving you the choice in how you and your friends navigate entertainment and gaming experiences. We’re already seeing a high level of anticipation in Europe with sales of the Kinect ready Xbox 360 250GB creating an all-time record weekly market share.”

The Microsoft Europe Vice President then moved away from Kinect and went on to discuss Xbox Live coming to mobile phones.

“This is a crucial time in expansion for Xbox 360, in terms of new audiences, new markets for Xbox LIVE and multiple platforms. With Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7 we are bringing the quality, consistency and community of the Xbox experience to gamers on the go.”

With Xbox Live games launching on Windows phones, Microsoft will be looking to compete with the highly successful iPhone which has seen games sold in the millions. Could Xbox Live for Windows phones also perhaps provide Train2Game students with another avenue to promote games?

Of course, Microsoft have more than Kinect for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live for Windows Phone to promote at GamesCom, as Chris Lewis points out

“With Age of Empires Online, Fable III and new games still in development, we’re also bringing social, connected gaming experiences to all new audiences on the PC. When you look at what we are bringing to the market this year, with the magic of Kinect, alongside our blockbuster line-up of games, including the biggest game for 2010, Halo: Reach, we’re confident that Xbox 360 has something for all the family and will be the gaming and entertainment console of 2010 and beyond.”

So Train2Game, what do you think about Microsoft’s pre GamesCom announcements? Will you be buying Kinect for Xbox 360 on November 10th? And do you believe developing games for Xbox Live for Windows Phone would benefit your future career as a Games Designer, Games Developer or Games Artist & Animator?

Leave your thoughts about Microsoft, Kinect for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live for Windows mobile here or on the Train2Game forum.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Dev Diary – Building Story & Character

Posted on by
Reply

Ninja Theory have launched the first in series of Developer Diaries that allow us – that’s you too Train2Game students – a look at their upcoming title Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

The first Enslaved Dev Diary is titled ‘Building Story & Character’ and looks at the process of doing this for Odyssey to the West. The developers talk about creating the characters of Monkey and Trip, along with developing the relationship between the two. (Monkey is apparently ‘Like Tarzan having a bad day) We also find out a bit about the Chinese origins of the story.

The Ninja Theory team also discuss how the importance of both the acting and writing of Enslaved. Actor Andy Serkis provided character motion capture for Monkey, while screen writer Alex Garland – famous for his work on 28 weeks later – has provided help with writing the game.

The key thing to take from the video seems to be how the developers want Enslaved: Odyssey to the West want the game to feel like a movie. You can watch the Enslaved Developer Diary below.


So Train2Game, what do you think of the Enslaved Developer Diary? Do you think having film writers involved will help the game feel more like a movie? Will you be buying Enslaved: Odyssey to the West?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Codemasters reveal F1 2010 release date and new trailer

Posted on by
Reply

Formula 1 fans rejoice! Not only have Codemasters confirmed F1 2010 will be released on September 24th, they’ve also released an F1 2010 game play trailer. The  F1 2010  game is set to be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

The F1 2010 game trailer showcases the full race experience at a Grand Prix with the gameplay video showing what players can expect from F1 2010. We see the full F1 2010 field of drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel racing at Suzuka, Melbourne and the iconic Spa Francorchamps

The F1 2010 gameplay video also provides and insight into the full F1 2010 experience with footage of press interviews in the paddock, race engineers doing their thing and motion captured pit-lane crew working on an F1 car.

The F1 2010 game  is the official game of the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship and includes all of the official teams, drivers and circuits – so now you can live live that dream of driving the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen and taking him to F1 2010 World Championship Glory! Or maybe not…

F1 2010 features a range of game modes, from quick-fire races and time trials to full Grand Prix weekends and an extensive F1 2010 career mode.

The F1 2010 game is being developed at Codemasters Studios Birmingham and we only have a little over a month to wait for it now! In the meantime, you can check out the F1 2010 trailer below

If that doesn’t quench your thirst for F1 2010 game footage, interested Train2Game students can always go back and watch the F1 2010 developer diaries.

So Train2Game, are you looking forward to F1 2010? Is this an essential day one purchase for any of you?

You can leave your thoughts about F1 2010 here or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts: Toy Story 3 stays Number One

Posted on by
Reply
Toy Story 3

The toys are still in town

Toy Story 3 is once again top of the UK All Formats chart. It’s the third week at number one for the movie tie in, which is more than any other previous Disney game. Toy Story 3 is one of only four titles that have been number one this year with Red Dead Redemption, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and Just Dance being the others.

In fact, Rockstars hugely successful western Red Dead Redemption got close to claiming the number one spot once more after rising from fifth to second, while Dance on Broadway is still going strong in third.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 shows it still has some magic left with its rise from fourth to eighth. The biggest riser of the week is Nintendo DS game Art Academy which jumps twenty three places from twenty eighth to fifth place in its second week in the charts.

Just Dance still remains in the top 10 and holds onto sixth place this week while Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies is also a non-mover in seventh.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hasn’t quite become the UK’s best ever selling game just yet after a drop in sales sees it move down to eighth from last weeks second.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 remains in ninth place while there’s just one new entry into the top ten this week with Madden NFL 11 sneaking into tenth in its first week.

Meanwhile, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty has crashed out of the top ten from fourth place last week to twelfth this time around. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has also slipped out of the top ten, dropping one place to eleventh. By far the biggest loser in the top forty is Crackdown 2 which drops fifteen places from twenty fifth to fortieth. Crackdown 2 held the top spot for two weeks as recently as one month ago!

The full ELSPA GfK Chart-Track All Formats top then is as follows:

1. Toy Story 3 (Disney Interactive)
2. Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar)
3. Dance on Broadway (Ubisoft)
4. LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 (Warner Interactive)
5. Art Academy (Nintendo)
6. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
10. Madden NFL 11 (EA)

So Train2Game, how long will Toy Story 3 remain top of the pile? What game to you think will knock it off top spot?

Has Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty dropped out of the top ten for good, or will it return? Will Modern Warfare 2 finally become the UK’s best selling game of all-time next week? And why has Crackdown 2 suffered such a fall from grace?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

EA GamesCom Line Up Details

Posted on by
Reply

EAEA have revealed their line up for GamesCom and it looks rather strong.

FIFA 11, Need for Speed, Medal of Honour and The Sims will be among the titles consumers will be able to get their hands on. EA say their line up will  highlight ‘the company’s focus on delivering fewer, better games and building direct to consumer digital offerings’

Media and consumers are invited for hands on experience with a whole host of innovative game play that highlights the company’s focus on delivering fewer, better games and building direct to consumer digital offerings. Senior Vice President and General Manager for EA in Europe, Jens Uwe Intat, is positive about both the companies games, and the showcase in Cologne:

“Gamescom has grown to become the largest show for interactive entertainment, and offers a unique chance for us to engage directly with consumers, retailers and media at one event,”

“Our line up demonstrates the intense focus we have on building quality games with deep innovation for our consumers, and it’s great to see the industry coming together to create such a milestone event in Europe”.

GamesCom takes place between August 18th and August 22nd in Cologne, Germany.

So Train2Game, are you looking forward to any of EA’s titles? Or do you think it’s just rehashes of the same old franchises? As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

2K reveal Bioshock Infinite

Posted on by
1

Bioshock Infinite

2K have revealed the next instalment of the Bioshock series, Bioshock Infinite, which sees us leaving the underwater city of Rapture and heading to the skies.

The art-deco utopian setting of Bioshock and Bioshock 2 has been replaced with the sky city of Columbia for Bioshock Infinite, while this latest episode in the Bioshock series moves back in time to 1912. That means the events of Bioshock Infinite take place almost half a century before Bioshock.

Bioshock: Infinite will see the player assuming the role of Booker DeWitt who is sent to the ‘lost’ city of Columbia to rescue a prisoner named Elizabeth. The trailer actually seems to show people in the city, so perhaps unlike Bioshock there will be more character interaction in Bioshock: Infinite? Unfortunately, we’ll be waiting until 2012 to before we can play the game to find out for sure.

Bioshock: Infinite is being developed by Irrational Games, the team behind the original Bioshock, and is once again being led by Ken Levine – who didn’t work on Bioshock 2. Of course, this is Bioshock we’re talking about so enough with the text – here’s a very pretty looking Bioshock Infinite trailer:


How impressive does that look?

The press release from 2K fills us in with the rest of the details about Bioshock Infinite:

“Set in 1912, BioShock Infinite introduces an entirely new narrative experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky. BioShock Infinite is currently planned for release during calendar 2012.

Originally conceived as a floating symbol of American ideals at a time when the United States was emerging as a world power, Columbia is dispatched to distant shores with great fanfare by a captivated public. What begins as a brand new endeavour of hope turns drastically wrong as the city soon disappears into the clouds to whereabouts unknown.

The player assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the lost city to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned there since childhood. He develops a relationship with Elizabeth, augmenting his abilities with hers so the pair may escape from a city that is literally falling from the sky. DeWitt must learn to fight foes in high-speed Sky-Line battles, engage in combat both indoors and amongst the clouds, and harness the power of dozens of new weapons and abilities.”

So Train2Game what do you think of the Bioshock Infinite trailer? Are you a fan of the Bioshock series? If so, what are your thoughts on the setting? And of course, how visually impressive does the game look?

You can leave your thoughts on Bioshock Infinite here or on the Train2Game forum.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood First Developer Diary

Posted on by
Reply

Ubisoft have released the first of a series of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood developer diaries. In this first one titled Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood ‘The Birth’; the Ubisoft team explain the history behind the story which may be useful for those not familiar with Assassin’s Creed or Assassin’s Creed 2.

The video also tells us a bit about new features in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood including the recruitment system, a little bit about multiplayer and the fact that the game starts exactly where Assassin’s Creed 2 left off. You can check out the first Assassins’ Creed: Brotherhood Developer Diary below.


Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood game is scheduled for release in Europe on November 19th. Despite this being just one year after the release of Assassin’s Creed 2, Ubisoft are keen to stress that Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood isn’t a rushed sequel and is a full part of their planned story.

So Train2Game, What do you think of the Assassin’s Creed Developer Diary? Are you a fan of the franchise and if so, are you looking forward to Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood? And how important do you feel pre-planning a storyline across multiple games is for franchise titles?

You can leave your comments about Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood here or on the Train2Game forum.

Football Manager 2011 Revealed!

Posted on by
Reply

Football Manager 2011Sports Interactive have announced that Football Manager 2011 will be released before Christmas this year.

Football Manager 2011 will feature more new features than ever before, including real-time contract negotiation, a revamped training system, match engine improvements and a ‘dynamic league reputation’ system.

For the first time ever, Football Manager 2011 players will be able to negotiate contracts with players in real time. Sports Interactive have been working real-life football agents, to gain an  insight as to how these negotiations can be made as realistic as possible in Football Manager 2011. Different agents will have different personalities, and therefore players will need to work differently with each one to succeed with Football Manager 2011.

The training system has also been revamped for Football Manager 2011 with athere is a new “match preparation” area of training so that managers can give their team specific areas to focus on in the lead up to a match. There are also more basic training schedules for players, and 14 different individual skill areas that you can focus your players on.  So no more having to spend hours tweaking schedules in Football Manager 2011 eh? Sports Interactive Studio Director Miles Jacobson says the training system hasn’t been changed before, because they couldn’t think of a way to improve it!

“At Sports Interactive, we always strive to give the end-user the best experience possible, the training system for example has always been the best we thought it could be, until now. We’ve found a way to make it even better!”

Interaction with players, staff and the board have also been improved for Football Manager 2011.

The 3D Match Engine of Football Manager 2011 has also been tweaked, with over 100 new animations added, as well as more player emotions, new player models, new stadiums, pitch textures, improved lighting, floodlit night matches, more goal celebrations and lots of other extras which improve the latest episode in the successful Football Manager series.

The other new features in Football Manager 2011 announced by Sports Interactive include a revamped media module, which will keep the managers better up to date with events going on in their football world.

The much requested dynamic league reputation will provide Football Manager 2011 with an even more realistic model of the footballing world.

Anyhow, enough with the text, for more information about the new Features in Football Manager 2011, Miles Jacobson explains them in the video below (While also showing off his collection of t-shirts)

So Train2Game, are you a Football Manager fan? Will you be rushing out to test your skills with Football Manager 2011? And does anyone have any horrific tales of addiction? (Like I was when I was at university!)

You can leave your thoughts on Football Manager 2011 here or on the Train2Game forum.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer Trailer Released

Posted on by
Reply

Treyarch have released a trailer that appears to have sent the internet gaming community mad. A Black Ops multiplayer trailer has gone live on the official Call of Duty Youtube channel, and gives a sneak peak into what we can expect come November.

Set in what appears to be a snow covered silo – appropriate given Black Ops Cold War setting –  the Black Ops multiplayer certainly looks impressive and reveals some new Multiplayer weapons. These include a crossbow with exploding arrows and a little remote controlled car bomb which could become the all new rage inducing bane of the Black Ops multiplayer aficionado.

Other Black Ops multiplayer reveals include new achievements including back stabbing… which is awarded for killing your fellow Call of Duty players from behind. Who says chivalry is dead ay? The trailer also hints at killcam play back and editing, which would allow you to record and relive your greatest Black Ops multiplayer moments.

Anyway, enough with the words, you can watch the full Call of Duty Black Ops multiplayer below.

Just in case you somehow haven’t heard of Black Ops before, it’s the next game in the Call of Duty franchise and is set to be released November 9th on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.  But before then, the trailer reveals that we’ll be getting a full Black Ops multiplayer reveal on September 1st.

So Train2Game, who’s excited about Black Ops?  Does anything in the trailer catch your eye in particular? Or are you suffering from a little Call of Duty fatigue?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

A useful developer diary for Train2Game students: The technology of Mafia II

Posted on by
Reply

2K Games have released a developer diary that provides an insight into their upcoming title Mafia II. It should hopefully be of interest to all Train2Game students be they a Games Designer, Games Developer or Games Artist & Animator.

The Technology of Mafia II gives us a glimpse behind the scenes at 2K Czech and demonstrates the effort that’s been put into giving the sandbox action game an authentic 1940’s and 1950’s feel.

The developers tell us how they want the player to become fully immersed in the Goodfellas inspired rags to riches story. 2K Czech decided the best way to do this was to build their game engine – the Illusion Engine – from the ground up. It appears to have worked with Mafia II looking very impressive, with 2K Czech promising plenty of attention to detail.

We’re also told how the Game Developers and Game Designers want Mafia II players to feel like they’re playing a part in a classic gangster film, with the cut scenes designed to reinforce this impression.

The video gives an interesting insight into Game Development and could be very useful indeed to Train2Game students. Mafia II itself looks impressive and is released on August 27th. You can see gameplay footage and hear the developers’ insights by watching the video below.


So Train2Game, how would you feel about attempting to build a game engine from the ground up? What would you do to fully immerse players into your game world? And are you looking forward to Mafia II?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.