Train2Game student James Bouckley is on a Train2Game work placement at Unity. In his first experience diary from the studio, James details how he’s settled in and the tasks he’s been doing.
Read what he has to say about his Train2Game work placement here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game Scribd page.
More Train2Game industry experience diaries are right here on The Train2Game Blog.
As usual, leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students might be interested to hear that Cold Stream the latest instalment of Left4Dead 2 DLC is almost ready for a full release.
The significant thing about Cold Stream is that it’s a community created campaign, the brainchild of a Left4Dead 2 player that started out as a personal project but is now almost ready to become part of the full game.
“Now that we have a solid version of the maps (some minor changes still coming), we are focused on the DLC and getting some pesky bugs out of the shipping version. As soon as we have a release date we will let you know.” read the Cold Stream update on the Left4Dead blog.
You can find out more about the community created map for Left4Dead 2 here on The Train2Game Blog.
Using community creation tools and modding aren’t only great ways for Train2Game students to practice their skills, but it can potentially provide a way into the industry. That’s what Valve’s Chet Faliszek, writer of Left4Dead, told The Train2Game Blog in an interview towards the end of last year.
“It’s a really good way for someone to get noticed because it shows that you’re able” he said.
“Normally modders have to work as a team and that’s important, and they also have to be able to finish something and that’s really important. So those two things together are a really good way to demonstrate that you’re ready to work in the industry.” Faliszek added.
For all the latest news about modding, and how it can be a great benefit to you, keep reading The Train2Game Blog.
What are your thoughts on a community created campaign becoming an official part of Left4Dead 2?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game student Georgij Cernysiov is on a Train2Game work placement at Playteau. In his first experience diary from the studio, Georgij details how he’s settled in.
Read what Georgij has to say about his Train2Game work placement here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game Scribd page.
More Train2Game industry experience diaries are right here on The Train2Game Blog.
As usual, leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students see a new No.1 this week, with FIFA Street topping the UK charts. It marks a third top spot for EA in a row, with the publisher achieving top spot with Mass Effect 3 last week, and SSX the week before that.
Those two games drop to No.2 and No.3 respectively, with another EA title in FIFA 12 a non-mover at No.4. Mario Party 9 is the highest placed non-EA title at No.5. Mario also sits at No.6 as part of Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, while price reductions help RAGE shoot up thirteen places to No.7.
You find out more about RAGE, and get advice on getting into the industry from Creative Director Tim Willets in this extensive Train2Game Blog interview from last year’s Gamescom in Cologne, Germany.
Zumba Fitness moves up two to No.8, while Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is a non-mover at No.9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 completes the top ten.
Twisted Metal is the highest placed new entry, reaching No.12 in its first week of sales.
The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 17th March 2012 is therefore as follows:
1: FIFA Street – EA Sports
2: Mass Effect 3 – EA
3: SSX – EA Sports
4: FIFA 12 – EA Sports
5: Mario Party 9 – Nintendo
6: Mario & Sonic at the 2012 Olympic Games – Sega
7: Rage – Bethesda
8: Zumba Fitness – 505 Games
9: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – Ubisoft
10: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Activision
New releases for the week ahead include Ninja Gaiden 3 and Armoured Core V.
So, what are your thoughts on FIFA Street taking top spot? Will it be another short lived No.1?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game News recently had a chat with Trion Worlds’ senior producer Chris Lena, who is currently working on upcoming MMORTS End of Nations. In a quick interview, Chris discusses what his role involves, how he got started in the industry and offers advice to those looking to follow in his footsteps.
Hi Chris, what does your role as senior producer of End of Nations involve?
It’s interesting, the partnership between Trion Worlds and Petroglyph. Petroglyph have a history of RTS games so they know that very, very well, but making an online persistent game is a lot more than that. So we have people watching the servers, we have the server technology, we have customer support, we have a lot of other departments that are required to support that, and that’s really want Trion’s strength is.
So, on one side I’m keeping an eye on those things, as well as working directly with Petroglyph on making sure that they have what they need to develop the best game possible.
How did you get started in the industry and how did you get to where you are today?
I started in tech support and just kept on working and working. It’s the story of a lot of people in the industry; we love games, we’ll work anywhere in games then see where that takes us and it’s been a lot of fun and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start in the games industry?
The number one advice is to keep on trying. Sometimes it’s difficult to break in, but don’t be afraid to start anywhere in the company if you can get it. Whether it’s in the mail room or driving someone’s car or making coffee, that’s where it all starts.
And there’s plenty of advice from industry professionals on getting into the industry here on The Train2Game Blog.
As usual, leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students might already be aware of this, but the BAFTA Video Game Awards take place tonight.
Comedian and gamer Dara Ó Briain will host the awards live from the London Hilton, Park Lane this evening, in which 48 different games have been nominated for awards. New award categories for this year include performer, debut game, online-browser and online-multiplayer.
A full list of nominees is available here on the BAFTA website.
The awards start at 9p.m. tonight and those interested in seeing which games and developers will walk away with awards can tune into the live stream on the BAFTA website at http://www.bafta.org/games/awards
More news involving BAFTA is here on The Train2Game Blog.
So, what are your predictions on which games will win awards?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students hoping for a new console reveal at E3 this year, especially a new Xbox, are seemingly out of luck, because Microsoft say they won’t be showing off next-generation hardware anytime soon.
“While we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon.” said a Microsoft statement released to Kotaku.
“For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360-and it’s the best year ever for Xbox 360. The console is coming off its biggest year ever-a year in which Xbox outsold all other consoles worldwide.”
“Xbox 360 didn’t just outsell other consoles, it also outsold all other TV-connected devices like DVD players, as well as digital media receivers and home theatre systems. And in our seventh year, we sold more consoles than in any other year-defying convention.”
The statement added that titles including Halo 4 point Xbox 360’s game release schedule being the “strongest ever.” You can get a look behind the scenes of Halo 4 in a developer diary, right here on the Train2Game Blog.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Microsoft statement? When do you think we’ll see the next generation of consoles arriving?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students have the opportunity to take part in the Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances open beta.
The free-to-play MMO strategy title from EA sees you gathering resources, forming alliances and fighting battles in this browser based iteration of the Command & Conquer series.
Train2Game students interested in taking part in the open beta can sign up at www.tiberiumalliances.com. You’ll need an EA account to get involved.
Find out more about Command & Conquer: Tiberium Alliances in the trailer below.
Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. In a recent interview with The Train2Game Blog, Brawl Busters developers Rock Hippo told us that beta testing is “crucial” to the game development process.
For more on beta testing, how it’s useful for Train2Game students, and opportunities to get involved with it, keep reading the Train2Game blog.
What are your initial thoughts on Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances? Will you be getting involved?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game News has recently posted a number of interviews with students taking part in Make Something Unreal Live. The event, which takes place at The Gadget Show Live, sees four Train2Game student teams making games based on the prestigious Fighting Fantasy IP in an effort to win a fully licensed Unreal Development Kit for iOS.
In order to make them easier to find, we’ve put links to each Make Something Unreal Live interview below, in which the Train2Game student contestants reveal a bit about their games and tell us how they feel about taking part in the event. You can also listen to each interview here. Enjoy!
Team Digital Mage
Interview with Laurence Kinane.
Team Commando Kiwi
Interview with Jonny Robinson.
Team Derp Studios
Team IndigoJam
Keep up to date with the latest Make Something Unreal Live news, right here on The Train2Game Blog.
As usual, leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students are looking to enter the industry at what’s an especially interesting time. At least that’s the case if you believe Peter Molyneux’s comments in an interview with Game Informer.
“I think it’s a really interesting time. We as game designers now have to really put our thinking caps on, because there’s a lot of stuff that we need to get our teeth into.” said Molyneux, who recently left his positions with Lionhead and Microsoft to concentrate on new projects.
He singled out cloud gaming and free-to-play as some of the most interesting issues for game designers.
“We have to get into all the cloud stuff, we’ve gotta get our teeth into monetizing and the digital relationship with customers.” he said.
“The difference between retail and free-to-play and how that’s gonna evolve, we’ve got multi-device play, we’ve got totally new ways of interacting with the experience.” said the respected game designer, adding that it’ll take some time for game designers to work through all the different developments.
“All of that has to be solved, designed, and delightful experiences have to be made. It’s going to take us quite a long time to get through that lot.” he added.
“On the horizon, I predict that we’ve just started looking at different devices. I’m sure there’s going to be a lot more input devices coming along, and I just think it’s a really interesting, fascinating time in the industry.” Molyneux concluded.
Train2Game students can read the full, fascinating, interview with Peter Molyneux over at Game Informer.
There’s more Peter Molyneux news right here on The Train2Game Blog, including his advice on how to get into the games industry.
Of course, Train2Game offers a course in game design, which you can find out more about here.
What are your thoughts on Molyneux’s views? Do you agree that it’s an especially interesting time to be a game designer?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum
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