Monthly Archives: March 2013

Train2Game News: Train2Game student releasing Boomba!

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Boomba LogoTrain2Game Student, Fee Stewart, has been working with Radiation Burn LTD to create a new exciting game called, Boomba!

In the game you get to play as punks, rockers, emos, soldiers, cops and many more characters in an exciting and enjoyable turn based strategy game that is based described as Angry Birds meets Worms.

This turn based physics shooter is completely unique and plays like no other. There are over 50 different teams to choose from, with more to follow. Aimed at aged 7+ casual to medium game players, this title really is open to everyone. The accuracy of your shooting is combined with a range of exciting weaponry to be victorious; use chainsaw missiles, boxing glove bazookas and metal anvils to defeat your opponents.

Boomba

Boomba will be available on: Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Windows 8 and Windows Phone, Kindle, Blackberry, Andoid, PC and Mac next month.

RadiationBurn Ltd. strives to provide fun and original IP for your enjoyment. The studio, founded in Middlesbrough 2010, creates fun and original titles of all sizes. The company was founded through winning the Microsoft Dream.Build.Play Challenge, Old Spice competition. A worldwide competition in which RadiationBurn Ltd. were voted winners, by a panel of judges and the gaming public.

Fee joined the company in October 2011 after finishing a Train2Game student placement at the company.

When asked her opinion of the game she said “Boomba! is something I thought I would be doing only once. It soon became a daily habit to both create the game and play it!”

You can find out more about the game by going to www.boombagame.com

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 22.03.13

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StarCraft 2 It is the end of the week so it is time for the Train2Game games industry news round up!

Today is the start of the Insomnia48 convention. Gamers are flocking to the gaming festival, for a weekend of gaming highlights including the ESET UK Masters StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm grand finals. With some of the best competitive gamers in the world vying for a share of the £10,000 prize pot, the tournament represents the pinnacle of the UK eSports scene. Jetting in from countries such as South Korea, Romania, Switzerland and Germany, the 12 gamers that have qualified over the last few weeks represent the cream of the international eSports crop and will provide some of the most exciting competitive StarCraft entertainment possible!

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced a Season Pass for the upcoming DC Comics fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us. The Injustice: Gods Among Us Season Pass grants purchasers access to four of the game’s upcoming downloadable characters for the price of three.

In further Injustice: Gods Among Us news, the developers are giving comic book and beat-‘em-up fans the opportunity to settle the age-old-question of “who will win?” in person at special Injustice: Gods Among Us tournaments being held in GAME stores around the UK during the month of April. The Injustice: Gods Among Us Tournament UK Final is in London and the International Final is in Paris.

Kickstarter has now had over $107 million dollars pledged to games with over $22 million of that just this year alone. Kickstarter cites the Double Fine Adventure Kickstarter in February 2012 as the game project that really got everyone’s attention. While there are plenty of success stories on Kickstarter, it glosses over the fact that not all of these games are successfully produced. This proves that everyone can have trouble with developing a game, it is not an easy task and it shouldn’t be taken lightly!

Finally a different way to play some of your favourite PC games has surfaced. Peripheral company Stelulu Technologies have developed a controller that can use with your feet. The interestingly named, Stinky Board, has four buttons underneath that can be pressed when you lean your foot on them. The buttons can be mapped to any key on your keyboard and “in-game modifiers” are supported like Alt, Ctrl and Shift. That means up to 16 actions can performed and the device can automatically detect and load saved profiles. Additionally, the tension of the board can be adjusted and the board itself is made out of steel, aluminium and “heavy duty plastics” to withstand the kind of foot-related abuse you might expect when someone keeps dying over and over again in their favourite FPS.

Train2Game News: Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers announced

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Magic 2014Wizards of the Coast today announced the product lineup for Magic 2014 this summer, which includes the Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers video game.

This is the first game of the Trading Card Game series that will be available on Android devices. It will still be available on iPad, Xbox LIVE Arcade, Steam and PlayStation Network.

Magic: The Gathering is the first and most widely played trading card game. Players take on the role of Planeswalkers – powerful mages who battle others for glory, knowledge and conquest. Their weapons include spells, creatures, and artifacts gathered from a vast Multiverse of unique fantasy worlds. With more than 12 million players and fans worldwide, Magic is printed in 11 languages and played in more than 70 countries.

Duels of the Planeswalkers will offer players exciting new features as they partner with the fire Planeswalker, Chandra Nalaar to track down a manipulative and dangerous Planeswalker foe. An immersive storyline and strong integration with the Magic 2014 Core Set ties the experience together for players.

Worth Wollpert, Executive Producer of Magic: The Gathering at Wizards of the Coast said “The Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise has been engaging and exciting gamers since we launched in 2009 and continues to be the best way for new players to learn how to play Magic.

“This year, with the addition of a fifth platform – Android – along with new features and a more focused integration between online and offline play, we continue to deliver a best-in-class gaming experience.”

Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers builds on the success of previous games in the franchise and adds all new features including an immersive storyline, 10 brand new decks, 15 new encounters, 10 new puzzle challenges and an all-new unannounced play mode in addition to other exciting features. Magic 2014 players will get the first look at cards from the Magic 2014 Core Set in Duels of the Planeswalkers, creating even more seamless integration between the online and offline games.

For more information about Magic 2014, visit www.magicthegathering.com

Train2Game News: Bastion creators new title

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TransistorThe creators of the indie hit game Bastion, Supergiant Games, have announced their second title.

The new game from the developers is called Transistor and it’s set to be a science-fiction-themed action RPG played from an isometric view.

The game is currently scheduled for release in 2014 but Supergiant games have not yet decided which platform or platforms they want to release the title on.

The eponymous Transistor is apparently the name of a powerful weapon that falls into the hands of a young woman who was about to be killed with it. “Now she must fight from street to street against forces that will stop at nothing to recover the weapon. During the course of the adventure, players will piece together the Transistor’s mysteries as they pursue its former owners,” says the developer’s official site.

Transistor will “seamlessly integrate thoughtful strategic planning into a fast-paced action experience, complete with our studio’s signature melding of responsive gameplay and rich atmospheric storytelling.”

From watching the trailer below the developers seem to have ran with the working formula they had for Bastion, including a beautiful soundtrack.

As far as I am aware, there is no news yet of a narrator. Enjoy the trailer!

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 20.03.13

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It is time again for the Train2Game news to bring you some of the latest early entry level jobs.

 

ART

Job Title UI Artist
Job Category Art / Animation
Skills Required UI Artist
Location Farringdon, London, UK & Europe
Job Description Marmalade Studio are looking to hire a UI Artist to work as part of our award winning games studio. The ideal candidate will be experienced in designing UI for mobile games but those with a professional portfolio of interactive artwork will be considered. You should have a good eye for detail and a good sense for layout, usability, colour and typography. You should be comfortable working to deadlines and producing work of a high standard.

The role will include but not be limited to:

  • Creating concept work for game pitches
  • Creating game assets for use on all mobile platforms on a number of devices
  • Creating wireframes and interactive mock ups of UI designs
  • Creating icons, logos and splash screens for all games
  • Working with the design and engineering team to ensure that the project is delivered on time to a AAA standard

About you

  • Expertise in Illustrator
  • Expertise in Photoshop
  • Experience in Flash
  • Experience of working with game engines
  • Experience in video editing is preferable but not essential
  • Experience in 3D is preferable but not essential
  • A history of traditional art is preferable but not essential
  • Capable of working to a brief without supervision and delivering game assets to release quality
  • Strong graphic design skills
  • Solid experience of UI either for web or mobile
  • Experience with typography and layout
  • An understanding of optimal asset creation for mobile devices across varying resolutions
  • Self-motivated with good judgment and the ability to get things done quickly

Personal Characteristics

  • A passion for games
  • Professionalism and integrity to demonstrate a positive image of the company
  • Goal oriented, solution focused, results driven, reliable and capable
  • A structured and organised approach to work with the ability to manage own workload and meet deadlines
  • Ability and willingness to learn
  • Strength to overcome challenges and ability to solve problems creatively
  • Team player, who encourages collaboration, welcomes challenges to achieve greater results
  • Shares knowledge and learning with team members
  • Flexibility

Next steps
Please send your CV and covering letter stating your reasons for interest and current remuneration. Due to the large response we will only be able to contact short-listed candidates.

You can apply for the job, here.

 

DEVELOPER

Job Title Physics Programmer
Job Category Programming
Skills Required Physics
Location North
Job Description Summary

  • You will be working with a highly collaborative, international team of developers, working on a variety of projects and technologies.

Job function:

  • Develop, improve and maintain physics features.
  • Read and analyse unfamiliar code to understand and extend functionality.
  • Debug and fix defects of a reasonable complexity.
  • Develop solutions that address actual needs and to actively verify those solutions.
  • Offer advice and suggestions for improving the development process.
  • Be proactive and help with problem solving.

Skills Required:

  • Advanced understanding of C/C++ and Object Oriented Programming.
  • Excellent 3D math skills.
  • Demonstrable physics programming background.
  • Good understanding of game technology principles.
  • Experience of designing, implementing and supporting code for use by others.
  • Team player who knows the importance of listening to others.
  • Self motivated with an ability to complete work to a high standard.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Desirable Skills:

  • Extensive knowledge of the main gaming platforms and the requirements needed to develop for them.
  • Shader and GPU experience.
  • Unreal Engine experience.

You can apply, here.

 

DESIGN

Job Title MMO Game Designer – Celtic Heroes – Groundbreaking MMORPG !
Job Category Game Design
Skills Required Games Designer, Level Designer, Graduate Game Designer
Location Glasgow
Job Description The team behind ‘Celtic Heroes’ are looking for a creative MMO Game Designer to join their team.

As MMO Game Designer you will have the responsibility of designing and evolving the very experiences our players engage in. You must have massive passion in the MMORPG genre and fully understand the successful game mechanics and quest design that equally challenges and rewards the player.

You must be a creative thinker with the ability to rationalise your ideas into practical game play experiences. You must be a strong communicator at ease working within a development team. A strong portfolio of game design examples in the same genre of ‘Celtic Heroes’ is a MUST!

If you have the skills, qualifications, experience and a passion for playing our kind of games, we would love to hear from you. To APPLY direct online simply follow this link http://bit.ly/joinourclan

Set in an exciting medieval Celtic world of combat, magic and mythology, ‘Celtic Heroes’ is a fully 3D MMORPG available for iPhone, iPod and iPad. Play as a customisable warrior, mage, rogue, ranger or druid. Gain powerful new weapons, armour and items as you explore the vast world of castles, dungeons and outdoor environments. Battle fearsome enemies and complete heroic quests!

NOTE: Must be able to demonstrate eligibility and VALID WORKING VISA to work in the United Kingdom and be willing to relocate / commute to the Glasgow area

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY if you do not currently hold a UK work Visa or are not eligible to gain one.

 

QA

Job Title QA Functional Tester
Job Category QA / Localisation
Skills Required QA Tester
Location London
Job Description Pole To Win Europe Ltd. – Functional QA Testers wanted for video game testing!

Pole To Win Europe Ltd. is looking for motivated and responsible people to join us as Functional QA Testers.

Ideal candidates will have a very strong knowledge of video games, ranging from consoles, handheld consoles and mobile devices. The video games industry is a fast paced industry; the candidate should have knowledge of video games history, having experience on previous generation of hardware as well as understanding the current status of the industry and its future development.

As a Functional QA Tester you will be responsible for finding bugs in the video game that you are testing. You will be making sure that all bugs that you find are written and tracked in a bug database, which the development team will receive and then fix the issues that are present. You will then have to verify that the fix has been successful in a new build, or sent the issue back to the developers in order to ensure the correct fix has been made.

The Pole To Win group is a leading company in providing quality services to the games industry with over 18 years of experience. Our West London Studio opened in April 2012 and has been expanding ever since! This is an excellent opportunity to join our passionate team and pursue a career in the videogames industry with opportunities to move up within the company.

The position is open to any person based in or around London. Contract will be based on the length of the projects.

Required Skills

  • Excellent knowledge of the video games industry
  • Experience in playing video games on a variety of consoles
  • High level of written and spoken English
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
  • Good communication skills and able to work as part of a team

Preferred Skills

  • Excellent MS Office Skills
  • Previous experience with using Bug Databases
  • Understanding of games and game terminology
  • Understanding the roles of other areas of the industry
  • Previous experience of Functional Testing, although training will be given on site

Due to the number of applications we are only able to contact candidates who have successfully passed on to the interview stage, thank you for your understanding

You can apply, here.

Train2Game News: SpecialEffect Charity Football Match

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SE Football gameOn the 14th of April SpecialEffect has organised a celebrity charity football game in Oxford to raise funds for SpecialEffect and specifically for one of their amazing members, Charlotte.

A supporter of the activity has said he will donate £100 if we can get a 1000 views of the video at the bottom of this page, so please do spare one minute to watch.

Oxford United club legends, along with a few surprise guests, will be donning their boots to take on an all-star SpecialEffect team, to raise vital funds for SpecialEffect and the Charlotte Nott Trust Fund.

But that’s not all, both the captains places are up for grabs in an Ebay auction!

  • Bid for the Oxford United Legends captaincy or
  • Bid for the glory of leading the SpecialEffect Allstars

Bidding ends at around 3pm on 22 March.

Please bid generously as all funds raised will help Charlotte and SpecialEffect.

Tickets are available on the gate, but you can order them at the link below. Only £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions, U5’s are free. If you can’t make the game but you’d still like to donate to this fantastic cause, to Special Effect’s Just Giving page or you can download the A4 poster and display it to swell the crowds!

You can see how SpecialEffect have helped young Charlotte in the video below, make sure to watch and help them get to that £100!

Train2Game News: Online PC Gamers be aware!

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Many gamers are putting themselves at risk of viruses and identity theft when playing online, a new study has revealed.

Despite just under half of the gamers polled claiming to be internet security-savvy, over 40 per cent claim that they wouldn’t be able to identify any of the viruses typically created to target them and a quarter never make the effort to find out.

The survey of 1,000 PC Gamers in the UK was commissioned by ESET and conducted by 72Point, for the Grand Finals of the ESET UK Masters StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm tournament.

With more and more PC Gamers connected to the online gaming world out of sheer necessity, protection against viruses and malware is more vital than ever. Yet the irritation from lag and mid-game pop-ups caused by most antivirus suites is so prolific that 31 per cent of gamers admit they disable security on their PC before playing games online.

This comes at a cost however; the average gamer loses two days of gaming time fixing a computer that has been inflicted with a virus caught while unprotected online, with one in twenty losing a week or more.

“It’s evident that gamers are not protecting themselves sufficiently and are unaware of the risk of playing online without protection – and as more and more titles require a constant Internet connection, that’s a real worry,” said Quinton Watts, VP of Marketing and Sales, ESET. “We’re in an age where cyber attacks can be detrimental to a person’s identity security and gamers, savvy as they may be, put themselves at risk far more than they need to.”

The research clearly points to a positive solution that will benefit all gamers; an antivirus package that will take care of problems quietly and efficiently, without pop-ups and the use of so much processing power that gaming is impeded by lag. Consequently, ESET will be installing all PCs that are taking part in the ESET UK Masters grand finals at Insomnia48 this weekend with the newly released NOD32 Antivirus 6 – the latest update of the critically acclaimed security software designed to operate at maximum capacity without causing any interruptions to gaming sessions and general usability.

The StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm tournament has attracted some of the most talented competitive gamers from around the world, who will be taking part in the £10,000 grand finals at the Telford International Centre from 22nd – 24th March.

Train2Game News: Dungeon Defenders 2 announced

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Dungeon DefendersDungeon Defenders 2 has been announced by Trendy Entertainment. The game will be free-to-play and features a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena.

The free-to-play tower defence role-playing game features a cooperative and competitive mode. The co-op mode is described as the true sequel to Dungeon Defenders, and features an expanded story and a 24-player overworld.

The competitive mode is a League of Legends-style Multiplayer Online Battle Arena experience set in the Dungeon Defenders universe. In this mode, five players defend their towers against the opposing team in classic MOBA style, potentially adding hours to the replayability.

The original Dungeon Defenders sold millions of copies with its popularity due to the combination of Tower Defense and RPG style game play.

Developer, Trendy Entertainment, said “Dungeon Defenders 2 is more fast-paced and the MOBA aims for a shorter learning curve and a more rpg-esque take on the genre.

“During the development of Dungeon Defenders we constantly tried different multiplayer modes. Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, you name it. None of them really fit. When planning the sequel, we couldn’t drop the idea that a MOBA in the Dungeon Defenders universe would rock. Maybe it was all the after hour games of League we played in the office. We don’t know. But it fit well into the storyline and achieved a core goal of helping Dungeon Defenders players meet new players, so we went all in.

“Our take on the MOBA genre is more rpg-esque, with more hero customization, persistent hero leveling, loot and a town square where players can socialize, manage their heroes, shop, trade, and queue for matches. We’ve drastically simplified the item system, to reduce the learning curve for new players and are aiming for shorter total match times. We’re also experimenting with some other unique twists that you might find out about later (if they work!).”

Dungeon Defenders 2 is in development for the PC, Mac, iOS, Android and the web. It’s releasing in two parts. Trendy said its focus is to release Dungeon Defenders 2 on platforms that allow consistent updates and cross-platform play and so won’t consider current generation consoles.

The co-op mode goes into beta late 2013 or early 2014. The competitive mode is in closed beta now. You can put your name down for an invite on the official website.

You can enjoy the trailer for the upcoming game below:

Train2Game News: SimCity apology games announced

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SimCityLast week on the Train2Game blog I announced that due to the problems that SimCity have had since launch, EA will be giving away a free game. The company have now announced those games in the following press release:

Our SimCity Mayors are incredibly important to the team at Maxis. We sincerely apologize for the difficulties at launch and hope to make it up to you with a free PC game download from Origin.

Starting today, every player that has activated their copy of SimCity will receive an email that will give directions on how to redeem this offer, and you can also find more information on our FAQ. We’ll be opening up the redemption portal country-by-country so some of you may see it a little sooner than others. The portal will be live worldwide for everyone to select their game by March 22. We don’t want any of you to miss out on your free game, so please note that you must register your copy of SimCity before March 26, 2013 at 06:59 AM GMT and you must claim your free game by March 31, 2013 at 06.59 GMT.

At Maxis, our studio values dictate that we innovate and create something that is quirky, complex and challenging. Sometimes this bites us in the butt, but our servers are green and we’re seeing record numbers of players all online and having a great time.
Here is the list of games that you will be able to choose from once you are able to redeem. It’s a great list of games across the whole EA portfolio, so pick one and add it to your Origin library on us!

Battlefield 3 (Standard Edition)
Bejeweled 3
Dead Space 3 (Standard Edition)
Mass Effect 3 (Standard Edition)
Medal of Honor Warfighter (Standard Edition)
Need For Speed Most Wanted (Standard Edition)
Plants vs. Zombies
SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition

We’re getting great feedback from our fans and know that many of you are having fun and exploring this whole new expression of SimCity. We’re humbled by your patience and passion for the game. Thanks for building something very special with us, together.
And now please enjoy a disclaimer from our head legal Llama…

*THIS OFFER DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A CREDIT, CHARGE, DEBIT OR GIFT CARD. OFFER EXPIRES MARCH 25, 2013 AT 11:59PM PST. VALID FOR NEW PURCHASES OF SIMCITY (“PRODUCT”) THAT ARE REGISTERED TO YOUR ORIGIN ACCOUNT BY MARCH 25, 2013 AT 11:59PM PST.  FREE PC DIGITAL DOWNLOAD GAMES NOT DOWNLOADED FROM ORIGIN.COM BY MARCH 30, 2013 AT 11:59PM PST ARE FORFEIT.  ELIGIBLE GAMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE.  VALID WHEREVER PRODUCT IS SOLD. LIMIT ONE OFFER PER PERSON. CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER, GIFT CARD, REBATE OR OTHER DISCOUNT COUPONS. OFFER MAY NOT BE SUBSTITUTED, EXCHANGED, SOLD OR REDEEMED FOR CASH OR OTHER GOODS OR SERVICES. RETAILERS, DISTRIBUTORS AND EMPLOYEES OF ELECTRONIC ARTS INC. AND THEIR AGENCIES/AFFILIATES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED, TAXED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.  SEE APPLICABLE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND DISCLOSURES ON WWW.EA.COM.

*Users who are beneath the minimum age required to access interactive online services will automatically be granted a copy of SimCity 4: Deluxe Edition and Bejeweled 3 instead. These games will be added directly to your My Games library over the coming days.

Train2Game News: Train2Game Radio talks to Shaun Steer

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me n zakI spoke to Train2Game student Shaun Steer last week. Shaun discussed with me how his career has progressed from being a Chef to the games industry and how he finds time to study whilst looking after five children.

You can listen to the interview here: http://audioboo.fm/boos/1274977-train2game-student-shaun-steer-talks-to-t2g-radio

Or read the transcript below:

My name is Shaun Steer, I’m doing the Game Designer course and the nearest town to me Ashford

Hi Shaun, how you doing mate?

Yeah not to bad, you?

I’m very well cheers mate. So what’s your story? What are the past experiences that have shaped your life?

Work wise, I’ve always been a chef. So it’s a bit of a drastic change to what I am doing now. I’ve been doing that since I was about 15 years old.

So why did you decide to change from being a chef?

Well a few years ago I had a few health issues which made me go out of main stream cooking and just take little jobs, in smaller kitchens. That was my chosen career path, pretty much, finished there. Last year I was getting fed up with where I was working and I just happened to come across a Train2Game advert. So I clicked on it, forgot about it, requested more information, a few more months down the line they contacted me and the rest is history. It’s all going really well at the moment, it’s all going very well.

Excellent, I understand that you’ve got quite a hectic family life as well?

Yeah, that’s one way to put it! Yeah I’ve got a house with five children to look after as well so that can take up a lot of your time.

Yeah it sounds like it! So how do you find the time to study with your five kids?

It’s a mystery to me as well! Sometimes I’ve actually got the little one you see there in my picture, little Zak, sometimes he’s just sitting on my lap while I’m studying away through the books and making the games. He was a tester for me actually on the Game Maker games I made.

That’s got to be quite good! Your own in house testers?

Oh yeah! He loved it, he loved the shooter and he is obsessed with Mario so when I did the platformer he was in his element.

I have seen you on the Train2Game forum and you get quite passionate about the course. Where did that passion come from?

I think it’s about gaming in general really. Well the first console I had was a SEGA Master System, way back when, what was it ’91 or something?

Yeah it was about that

I’ve had every console under the sun since then. So gaming has always been quite a passion. Well being able to learn how to put my input in on it, well it’s something I feel quite strongly about!

So it’s 2013 now Shaun so what objectives have you got in your course?

Well it’s funny you should mention that really. I’ve obviously been talking to quite a lot of people with in the course and we’ve just recently set up a student studio.

Oh really?

Yeah, we’ve started doing some concept work on a couple of game ideas already.

What’s the studio called?

The studio? We’ve named it Devils Ink Studios.

Very nice!

We’ve got a Facebook page up if anyone wants to click on it and like it for us! It will help get the word out.

What’s the address?

I think if you just search Devils Ink Studios and it will take you straight to the page.

Very nice so have you got a game in development at the minute or is it just ideas throwing around at the minute?

We are in concept stages at the minute. So we are just drawing up the concept documents and we’ve got some environments being drawn up and characters. We are just going to be writing the back story and everything like that well, today. We have been for the past few hours actually. There’s five of us at the moment but we will probably need more people to join the team so if anyone’s interested, just drop me a line! Just get in touch via our Facebook page, that’s Devils Ink Studios, thank you!

Well that’s perfect Shaun! I think that’s probably all we’ve got time for today so thank you very much for your time!

Excellent, thank you!