Monthly Archives: June 2012

Train2Game News: BAFTA Games Question Time in Sheffield on Monday 2nd July

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Games Britannia and BAFTA are hosting a special games question time event at Sheffield Hallam University next Monday, giving you the chance to quiz industry experts.

You could ask the panel anything from creating games, the business around games, advice on getting into the industry or what they think the future holds. It’s a great opportunity for any Train2Game students in the Sheffield area.

On the panel are:

Charles Cecil MBE – Creator of the Broken Sword series of adventures, Designer of the BBC Dr Who Adventure Games and founder of Revolution Software

Maria Stukoff – Academic Partnership Manager for SONY Computer Entertainment Europe

Andy Payne OBE – Managing Director of Mastertronic, UKIE Chairman, Just Flight, The Producers, BAFTA, Just Trains, Get Games, GamesAid and AppyNation

Sean Millard – Creative Director at Sheffield’s SUMO Digital – one of the UK’s largest independent videogame development studios

BAFTA Games Question Time takes place on Monday 2nd June at 18:15. Get your free ticket and find out more here.

There’s more BAFA news here on The Train2Game Blog.

Will you attend BAFTA Games Question Time in Sheffield?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

BAFTA’s public events and online resources bring you closer to the creative talent behind your favourite games, films, and TV shows. Find out more at www.bafta.org/newsletter,www.facebook.com/bafta or twitter.com/baftagames

Train2Game News: Train2Game student developed My Sea Park reaches 250,000 downloads

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My Sea Park, a mobile game developed with significant input from Train2Game students has been downloaded over 250,000 times.

The management title, created with help from Train2Game students on work placement at DR Studios, was released worldwide less than two weeks ago.

Seven students worked on the iOS game, with Train2Game game designer Craig Moore serving as design lead.

My Sea Park lets players explore their creativity by building the biggest and best marine-themed amusement park in the world.

Watch the trailer below, here on The Train2Game Blog.

Like it? Then support fellow Train2Game students by downloading My Sea Park from the App Store now!

There’s more on My Sea Park here on The Train2Game Blog, while keep reading for the latest industry experience diaries from Train2Game students on placement at DR Studios.

As usual, leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: Ghost Recon Online and Shootmania developer sessions added to Rezzed line-up

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PC and indie games show Rezzed has revealed more developer sessions for the Brighton event, with Ghost Recon Online and Shootmania developers speaking about their games.

Developers of both of the Ubisoft titles will be talking about their games on the second day of the show, with the Ghost Recon Online developers taking to the stage at .3pm, while the Shootmania team will discuss their title at 5pm.

Peter Molyneux,  Day Z creator Dean “Rocket” Hall, The Indie Stone,  Introversion Software, The Creative Assembly, Splash Damage CEO Paul Wedgwood and Gearbox Software’s Randy Pitchford are among those giving talks during the two day Brighton event, while a variety of games are available to play on the show floor.

Not only that, but everyone who buys a ticket for Rezzed gets a free DOTA 2 beta key. Rezzed takes place in Brighton on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th July, with tickets available here.

We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with the latest news as the show approaches and the final speaker is announced.

Will you be attending these developer sessions?

Leave your comments on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: Watch two Dishonored gameplay videos with developer commentary

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Get an insight into development of Dishonored in not one, but two gameplay demos with commentary from Arkane Studios Co-Creative Directors Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith.

Colantonia spoke to The Train2Game Blog about Dishonored at Gamescom last year.

The two videos show Colantonio and Smith discussing two different playthroughs of ‘The Golden Cat,’ a mission that tasks you with assassinating The Pendleton Brothers, two corrupt aristocrats. The first Dishonored video shows a stealthy approach to the mission, while the second sees the Arkane Studios Co-Creative Directors, commentating on a more action-based style.

Watch both videos, and listen to the commentary on two very different styles of play, below, here on The Train2Game Blog.

Dishonored Golden Cat E3 Gameplay Walkthrough — Part 1

Dishonored Golden Cat E3 Walkthrough — Part 2

Dishonored from Arkane Studios and Bethesda is scheduled for release on 12th October 2012.

There are more developer diaries, giving an insight into development of a wide variety of games, here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are your thoughts on the two different styles shown in the videos? Are you looking forward to Dishonored?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: Guild Wars 2 release date and final beta weekend revealed

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Guild Wars 2 will officially launch on Tuesday 28th August, with a final beta test taking place over the weekend of 20th July.  ArenaNet have made the announcement following a Guild Wars 2 server stress test earlier this week.

“This is an incredibly momentous day for the studio and for me personally.” said ArenaNet co-founder Mike O’Brien.

“ This journey began in 2007 when we first announced that we were beginning work on Guild Wars 2 and that you wouldn’t be hearing from us for a while. Then in 2010 we unveiled our manifesto for Guild Wars 2: a living breathing online world that challenges convention, that’s designed for fun instead of grind, and that brings social interaction to a new level in an online world.

“Through all the long hours and hard decisions, we were bolstered by the knowledge that we were not in this alone. All along you’ve been there for us, cheering us on, supporting us when we needed it, testing early versions of the game, and above all, giving us your honest feedback every step of the way. Guild Wars 2 is a better game for all of the work that our community has put in.” he continued, adding remaining development time will focus on QA Testing.

“Now that we’re just two months away from launch, we’ll spend our remaining time optimizing, polishing, and balancing the game, to ensure that we provide you with the best launch-day experience we possibly can.” O’Brien concluded.

ArenaNet recently posted an in-depth blog about the importance of testing in ensuring Guild Wars 2 is fun.

There’s more Guild Wars 2 news here on The Train2Game Blog.

Have you been taking part in the beta weekends? How important do you feel they are to development?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: Shootmania closed beta begins soon

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FPS Shootmania from Ubisoft and Nadeo is entering closed beta in the near fure, and you can sign-up to be a part of it.

The free-to-play shooter comes from the makers of Trackmania, and will allow players to create and share their own levels.

Those interested in taking part in the Shootmania closed beta can register their interest on the official website up until Monday 2nd July.  The level creation tools could be of particular interest to those on Train2Game courses.

Get a taste of Shootmania in the trailer below, right here on The Train2Game Blog.

There’s more beta testing news, and information on how it’s useful for developers and Train2Game students, here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are your initial thoughts on Shootmania and its level creation tools? Will you be applying for a place in the beta?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: MechWarrior Online developer diary talks four pillars of game design

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Learn about development of MechWarrior Online, the first title in the series for over a decade, in a brand new developer diary from Piranha Games.

The video sees Piranha Games President Russ Bullock discussing the four key game design pillars of the upcoming free-to-play mech combat MMO. They are mech warfare, information warfare, role warfare and community warfare.

Bullock also talks about Bringing MechWarrior up to date and introducing an online element to a series which originally appeared in 1989. MechWarrior Online is scheduled for release on PC later this year.

Watch the developer diary below, right here on The Train2Game Blog.

There are more developer diaries, giving an insight into development of a wide variety of games, here on The Train2Game Blog.

Were you a fan of the original MechWarrior series? What are your thoughts on MechWarrior Online?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: Valve releases Source Filmmaker

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Valve has introduced Source Filmmaker, the video creation tool they’ve used to make over 50 animated shorts including the nine Team Fortress 2 ‘Meet the’ class films.

It could be a fun way for those on the Train2Game Art & Animation or QA Tester course to practice their animation or editing skills. Those interested in a free beta invite can sign up via the Source Filmmaker website.

“The Source Filmmaker is the movie-making tool built and used by Valve to make movies inside the Source game engine.” reads the Source Filmmaker FAQ.

“It is how we have been making all of our animated short movies. Because the Source Filmmaker uses the same assets as a Source-engine game, what goes into the game can be used in the movie, and vice versa.”

“By using the hardware rendering of a modern PC gaming machine, the SFM allows storytellers to work in a “what you see is what you get” environment so that they can iterate in the context of what it will feel like for the final audience.”

Valve has released a series of tutorial videos for the Source Filmmaker, the first of which you can see below, right here on The Train2Game Blog.

Source filmmaker arrives on the third day of Team Fortress 2’s Pyromania event, which has also seen six community created weapons added to the popular free-to-play shooter.

Be sure to keep reading The Train2Game Blog for the latest news from Valve and Team Fortress 2.

Will you be trying out Source Filmmaker?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: “There’s a potential for mobile gaming to kill console gaming”

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Mobile could kill console gaming by taking the largest percentage of the market. That’s the view of Ngmoco general manager Ben Cousins, formerly of DICE, Sony, and Lionhead.

Ngmoco just happen to develop mobile games.

“There’s a potential for mobile gaming to kill console gaming. I’m talking about a significant reduction of market share with no chance of return.” he said during a keynote at GDC Taipei, report Gamasutra.

“I believe that sometime during the next console generation, globally, both the revenue and the market share for games will be larger in mobile than it is for console.”

“I believe Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo won’t produce dedicated hardware past the next generation. Further, I believe traditional game companies like EA will be purchased by existing digital companies, or close entirely.” Cousins added.

There’s much more about the increasing rise of mobile gaming here, but will it ever eradicate console gaming? Or do you think it’s impossible that’ll you’ll throw your consoles away for mobile instead?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News: Ron Gilbert on game design “For me, it almost always starts with the world”

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Game design begins with building a world before adding characters and then a story. At least that’s the case for Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island co-creator Ron Gilbert.

“For me, it almost always starts with the world.” he told The Guardian in an interview about The Cave, the adventure game he’s developing with Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions.

“Maniac Mansion is really all about that mansion, that was the genesis of it. The Secret of Monkey Island all started for me because I loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney – I wanted to live in that world.”

“It’s the same thing with The Cave; it started with the setting and the characters kind of get built up from that – I think, okay, now I have the world, who would live there? Who would want to adventure in that place?” Gilbert continued, before going into a little bit about game design in adventure games.

“So the characters come about, then the story starts to form, and very quickly after that I start to figure out the major puzzle beats – because in an adventure game it’s the puzzles that drive the narrative forward.”

“ I start with that over-arching narrative then, I go, ‘okay, I need a big puzzle here, another one here, and one there’, and I start building backwards from all those big puzzles to all the little ones that lead up to them.” he added.

Ron Gilbert’s The Cave involves taking three of seven adventures into a cave, battling monsters, solving puzzles and stealing loot. It’s scheduled for release by SEGA on PC, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network early next year.

There’s more from Ron Gilbert here on The Train2Game Blog in this video where he discusses game design with Tim Schafer

What are your thoughts on game design? Does the world form the base of the games you’re building?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog or on The Train2Game forum.