Recently University student, Daryl Cox, got in touch with me to get a developers opinion on video game writing, I pointed him in the direction of Train2Game student and founder of Road Hog Games, Gareth Brook.
Gareth helped him out and was mentioned along side some of the big names in the industry of today.
You can read the essay Daryl wrote, below:
At the biggest gaming convention in the world, E3, Sony have finally given their first look at the PlayStation 4.
The console was revealed to the world and it reminded me of the hugely popular PlayStation 2. With the same black colouring that all the Sony consoles have had and a parallelogram shape, the machine was more attractive than the Xbox One. This was the first of many “One-Ups” Sony performed over Microsoft.
The second came when it was announced that the PlayStation 4 will not force DRM restriction around used games. The clear message was that there were no changes to the way used games and lending games to your friends will be changed at all.
Sony has confirmed that you’ll need to subscribe to PS Plus in order to play PS4 games online. Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida explained that the PS Plus subscription covers the cost of Sony’s massive server-side investments for PS4. Currently a year’s subscription costs £39.99, though it’s yet to be confirmed how much it’ll cost on PS4. Those who already have a PS Plus subscription will have their subscription carried over and your subscription will cover your PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and your PS Vita.
If you do choose to subscribe to PS Plus not only will you be able to play your games online but Sony are also giving one free PS4 game a month, starting with Evolution Studio’s, Driveclub from launch.
Sony also confirmed that it’s new console will be region-free! So no longer will you have to worry so much about your favourite games, or even the console, being cheaper in America.
Speaking of cheaper I will finish off this round up of the console with the price that was announced.
The Sony PlayStation 4 will cost you £349 in the UK, coming in at £80 cheaper than the Xbox One.
E3 has begun and the first subject I will report on from the event is the Xbox E3 Conference which was on at 5:30pm GMT, yesterday.
The event began with an incredibly stunning trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, featuring the voice of Kiefer Sutherland. The trailer displayed incredibly beautiful graphics using the Xbox One system and they are truly jaw dropping. The game play its self looks big, epic and is open world. This new adventure of snake uses interesting stealth mechanics and action to achieve your goals.
It was a beautiful start to the conference.
The rest of the conference was full of the new stunning games for the Xbox One for all audiences and fans.
There was another old favourite game returning to console market, Killer Instinct, the beat-em-up game published by Rare and Nintendo that was made popular in 1994, released as an Arcade machine, then later ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Killer instinct was displayed on stage by Double Helix Games, the creators of the reboot.
Games for the younger audience were also displayed. Minecraft: Xbox One Edition looked beautiful some how. I have no idea how the Xbox One has made simple blocks beautiful but they managed it!
One of the more interesting looking games and mechanics was that of Project Spark. You create the game world using the Kinect Voice Recognition, saying phrases such as “Woodland” and the land would be covered in Woodland. You can then go through and shape the world in a way you see fit and give inanimate objects intelligence to fill many roles. The possibilities are truly endless for the game.
Forza 5 was shown at the event and this was one of the most intelligent features I have ever seen in a game. With their feature known as “Drivatar” as you play the game, it will learn what you do and how you race, with what it learns, when you are not playing the game, your friends and people around the world can use your Drivatar to race against. In a way, there is no AI to race against, instead you race against people matched to your level so there is always a challenge through out the game. It is an incredible idea.
With it being an Xbox conference there was of course a few first person shooters.
Battlefield 4 was shown and looked absolutely beautiful, with incredible action and an exciting pace. They didn’t display any multiplayer game play however.
There was also a teaser trailer for the next Halo game that completely blew me away. As I sat there watching the trailer, trying to work out what I was seeing I was shocked and excited to see the Master Chief unveiled, that was one of the best moments of it for me.
There was several other games mentioned through the conference.
The Xbox it’s self was announced to be very heavily integrated with the Smartglass app. Using it from keeping an eye on other players stats to displaying the user interface.
The price was the biggest downfall of the console however. In the UK the console will be £429. A price many aren’t sure is worth it.
The UK top 20 charts were released yesterday with only a couple of new additions. People didn’t forget Remember Me coming out and it entered the charts at number three, unable to shift Grid 2 which is number one for a second week. This week also saw the return of a recently lost friend in the charts with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Legendary Edition being released and entering the charts at number four.
All formats
Week ending 8 June 2013
| POS. | TITLE | PUBLISHER | LAST WEEK |
|
| 1 | – | GRID 2 | CODEMASTERS | 1 |
| 2 | – | FIFA 13 | EA SPORTS | 2 |
| 3 | REMEMBER ME | CAPCOM | – | |
| 4 | THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY | BETHESDA SOFTWORKS | – | |
| 5 |  |
FAR CRY 3 | UBISOFT | 4 |
| 6 | |
DEAD ISLAND: RIPTIDE | DEEP SILVER | 3 |
| 7 |  |
TOMB RAIDER | SQUARE ENIX | 10 |
| 8 | |
LUIGI’S MANSION 2 | NINTENDO | 12 |
| 9 | |
DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS | NINTENDO | 8 |
| 10 | |
ASSASSIN’S CREED III | XBOX 360 CLASSICS | 6 |
| 11 | |
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 18 |
| 12 | |
SKYLANDERS GIANTS | SKYLANDERS | 16 |
| 13 | |
LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 9 |
| 14 | |
BIOSHOCK INFINITE | 2K GAMES | 11 |
| 15 | CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II | ACTIVISION | – | |
| 16 | |
RESIDENT EVIL: REVELATIONS | CAPCOM | 5 |
| 17 | |
METRO LAST LIGHT | DEEP SILVER | 7 |
| 18 | |
LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 17 |
| 19 | |
LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER: THE CHASE BEGINS | NINTENDO | 15 |
| 20 | |
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV | XBOX 360 CLASSICS | 19 |
| < previous week |
These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.
Snake from Metal Gear Solid has been given an updated face and a new voice. Kiefer Sutherland has taken over the role from series stalwart, David Hayter.
Hayter confirmed his departure from the series in April. Plenty of names have been suggested as potential replacements since then – Hideo Kojima has often stated his admiration of Hugh Jackman, and suggested he could be a candidate for a future Metal Gear Solid movie – it’s Sutherland, though, who’ll pick up the mantel for Phantom Pain.
“We’re taking on some very heavy subjects, such as race and revenge,” said Kojima. “This makes the tone much darker. As a result, I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance, expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words.”
“The game takes place in 1984, when Snake is 49 years old,” Kojima explains. “Therefore, we needed someone who could convey both the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late forties. It’s different from anything we’ve done before, so I asked a producer friend of mine in Hollywood, Avi Arad, for advice. He’s the one who introduced me to Kiefer Sutherland, and I was like, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’”
Sutherland has been busy recording motion capture footage for The Phantom Pain over recent months. In the video (shown below), Kojima explains how the nuances of Sutherland’s delivery are important in conveying the emotion of certain situations – both through vocal cues and facial movements. “I felt that he was the perfect fit in terms of age and performance,” says Kojima.
Apart from Sutherland’s thirty-year-long film career, the actor has made fleeting appearances in the likes of Call of Duty: World at War as well as reprising his role as Bauer in 24: The Videogame. While confessing to not being a gamer, Sutherland recognises the importance of the role. “It’s an honour to be able to play this character,” he says. “This character has an unbelievable legacy but there’s a real personal quality to the character that I’ve connected to.”
If you love David Hayter, you’re probably not going to be happy with anyone else but David Hayter doing the job. Sutherland has some hefty acting chops though – and many of his roles have involved gravelly delivery aplenty. I reckon there’s good chance casual fans might not even notice the difference – although the mo-cap stuff looks about as detailed as we’ve seen and could stand to benefit from the likes of Sutherland filling the capture dots.
Here’s the full pre-E3 Konami show – jump in around 10:30 mark for the Metal Gear Solid content:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRvnyT1R8J8&feature=player_embedded
Microsoft has released a website detailing how the Xbox One will handle its online connection, second-hand games, and the all-new Kinect.
Microsoft calls the Xbox One a “modern, connected device,” and means every word of it: the console needs an online connection every 24 hours.
“With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies,” reads the page explaining the console’s online features.
“While a persistent connection is not required, Xbox One is designed to verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend. Games that are designed to take advantage of the cloud may require a connection.”
Once games are installed from either a retail disc or Xbox Live purchase, that game will be available at any time in the cloud. Microsoft says that “discs will continue to be a great way to install your games quickly,” pointing to the retail disc as merely a delivery system for the game license and code. Xbox One lets up to ten family members log in and play a shared library of games on the console, so specific family members won’t need their own game license. The system will allow trade, trade-in, and resell Xbox One games, but only if game publishers allow it.
“We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers. Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games,” says the game license page.
“Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends. There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once.”
Finally, Microsoft tackles the updated Kinect, which has led to privacy concerns in some consumers. Though some games may require Kinect functionality, the peripheral can be turned off, even in the Xbox One’s standby mode.
“If you don’t want the Kinect sensor on while playing games or enjoying your entertainment, you can pause Kinect. To turn off your Xbox One, just say ‘Xbox Off.’ When the system is off, it’s only listening for the single voice command — ‘Xbox On,’ and you can even turn that feature off too,” says the Kinect portion of the site.
“You will determine how responsive and personalized your Xbox One is to you and your family during setup. The system will navigate you through key privacy options, like automatic or manual sign in, privacy settings, and clear notifications about how data is used. When Xbox One is on and you’re simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded.”
Microsoft has answered a ton of questions for consumers and the media, but those answers may not be the ones we were hoping to hear.
It’s Friday so it is time for a Train2Game industry news round up!
stillalive studios celebrated after its Kickstarter campaign, to raise $150k to fund the completion of its debut 3rd person action adventure PC/Mac/Linux title; Son of Nor, was a success, making $151,175 at its close. The team are now putting all efforts into the completion of the highly anticipated game and have announced its launch onto Steam Greenlight and call for support and people’s votes on the platform. The link to this can be found here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=143053545. During the month long crowd-funding project the studio announced a number of exciting partnerships that will allow players to use integrated hardware such as the Emotiv EPOC; a revolutionary personal interface for human computer interaction, a so called Brain Computer Interface (BCI); the partnership will allow players to control character actions, such as telekinesis, terraforming and magic with the power of their minds and Oculus Rift; that will allow players to immerse themselves in the lore and adventure of Son of Nor deeper than ever before by using this hugely exciting virtual reality device in game.
SpongeBob SquarePants fans can build their very own Bikini Bottom with Nickelodeon’s brand-new city building app, SpongeBob Moves In. Released and available worldwide, SpongeBob Moves In features a stylized 2D design and gives fans a whole new way to interact with the hit animated series. The game is available on iOS and costs £1.49. In the game, players build Bikini Bottom to their own tastes and are tasked with keeping the city’s residents happy by making all their wishes come true. As players advance in the game, they can unlock exclusive-to-the-app, untold stories about how their characters, including SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Plankton, Squidward and Sandy, first arrived in the town. Written by the SpongeBob SquarePants series writing staff, these stories are told through brand-new animated short videos unlocked throughout the game.
Diablo 3 is coming to the Xbox 360 as well as PlayStation, Blizzard has announced. The action role-playing game launches on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 3rd September 2013. The game is already announced for PlayStation 4, although that version is without a release date. There is currently new word of an Xbox One edition. If you pre-order the PS3 or Xbox 360 version and you’ll get the Infernal Helm in-game item. You can wear this at level one and gain an experience bonus to boot.
Telltale games have been using their twitter account to tease and excite fans. They have been using the Vine app to show little six second clips showing characters that are drawn in the same art style as The Walking Dead game. It started with the Day 2 trailer, which is interesting as the first episode of Season 1 was Day 1. It shows a missing persons board and someone hanging up a picture of a character called Vince. Vine 2 is titled Day 220, and it’s the same missing persons board with Bonnie being added to it. Bonnie apparently stood outside the White House once. Vine 3 shows a man named Russell, who, by the looks of it, seems to be a recent graduate.
Finally, Masahiro Sakurai took to Twitter to confirm the news today of the brand new Smash Bros. He said (via Google translation): “In Nintendo Direct delivery of 23:00, June 11, New video of “Smash Bros.” will be unveiled for the first time. Simultaneous world, here for the first time! Do not miss.” You can watch it from 3pm UK time. Sakurai is serving as producer on the new Smash Bros. game, which is a Wii U/3DS crossover in development at Namco Bandai.
Following the news of a Halo mobile game that Train2Game announced yesterday, comes the news that a Deus Ex game is hitting the mobile market.
The internet was teased with a Deus Ex announcement yesterday and when it was announced as Deus Ex: The Fall, a mobile title, fans were not pleased, referring to the game as Deus Ex: The Fail.
Fans were anticipating a ‘normal’ sequel for consoles/pc, and this can certainly be read as trying to appeal to a different market altogether than the ‘hardcore’ Deus Ex fans.
Executive producer David Anfossi and Jean-Francois Dugan go in to more detail on the game in the video below, describing and demonstrating the game.
In my own opinion the game looks interesting with some good ideas and nice graphics. It is a shame it is only on iOS devices but I am getting used to games heading straight their instead of Android as well.
With this and the new Halo game on mobile, it may start a new trend of developing big AAA spin off’s as mobile titles.
A new Halo game is being added to the franchise, this time for the mobile market. The game will be released in July.
Halo: Spartan Assault is a top-down shooter built for mobiles and tablets, with the iconic sights and sounds you would expect from a Halo title.
Spartan Assault however is only available for Windows Phone 8 and tablets such as the Surface. Dan Ayoub, the executive producer for publishing at 343, explains that the purpose here is to drive interest in these Microsoft platforms, which is pretty honest and straightforward of him.
Whether or not it’ll make you buy one of those cool Nokia phones, Spartan Assault is nevertheless a high quality experience when it rolls under your thumbs. Though it plays like it was born in the 16-bit era of top-down shooters, the presentation is excellent.
Ayoub said that his team’s main goal was to, as he puts it, “un-tether Halo”.
“We had to let it be something that you can take with you wherever you go. But we also had to make the right Halo game, we couldn’t just copy and paste the experience onto mobiles and tablets.
“We also wanted to change the dialogue about what’s possible on mobiles. A lot of people have preconceptions about what a mobile game is. They think it’s not going to look great and it’s not going to sound great. We wanted to crush those perceptions.”
The biggest achievement is the controls. Those familiar with using virtual analogues on touch-screens will notice how, due to the lack of resistance, thumbs will naturally glide away from the analogues. Spartan Assault, however, features virtual sticks that follow your thumbs, meaning that control remains on the tip of your fingers.
It’s not perfect but it’s as close as any mobile developer has come.
Other elements are more traditional. Set within a narrative that bridges the gap between Halo 3 and 4, in Spartan Assault players will command an UNSC Infinity Spartan who is limited to two weapons, an assortment of grenades and a trusty melee attack. Enemies come in waves and shields need to be recharged before the next burst of action.
Other parts are entirely new. There will be microtransactions for certain upgrades and new weapons. The game saves to the cloud, meaning you can start on mobile and continue on tablet or desktop.
The game’s 25 levels will take about several hours to get though, and certain milestones will unlock Achievements on Halo 4. This being a mobile game, post-release content is already planned, with weekly challenges in place and content add-ons penciled in.
Series custodian 343 Industries has partnered with Netherlands studio Vanguard Games to build this, which in itself is interesting as that studio was co-founded by Martin de Ronde – the man who helped establish Killzone outfit Guerrilla.
“We are a team of console developers learning a new space, so we had to unlearn things really quickly,” says Ayoub.
While it’s been a challenge for those console developers to un-think their approach to a project, what they have brought to the mobile games space is encouraging. This is an attractive, light-weight version of Halo for both commuters and hardcore fans of the series.
You can enjoy the trailer for the game below
The Minecraft Expo is heading to the UK this August and as many of the Train2Game students are Minecraft fans, it may be a good place to get together.
Taking place at the Insomnia 49 event between August 23 and 26, the event offers free to enter Minecraft game tournaments, Minecraft talks and presentations and an exhibition showcasing creations from the community.
There will also be costume competitions, creative build challenges for schools and a Minecraft Lounge.
Special guests currently include Youtube players – Yogscast and Mindcrack, Film makers – Hat Films and Minecraft builders – The NoxCrew.
“Each time we host an Insomnia event, the community amazes us with its passion, making each event bigger and better than the last,” said event organiser Multiplay CEO Craig Fletcher.
“With the runaway success of Minecraft, we’ve answered the call from devoted fans by creating the UK’s first Minecraft Expo, and we can think of no better place to host it, than the UK’s biggest gaming festival.”
The Insomnia event hosts a number of eSports tournaments, and to date organisers say more than 3,000 spaces have been reserved for ‘bring your own PC and Console’ tickets.
There will also be various development talks taking place at the event.
Up to 15,000 visitors are expected to attend, with over two million watching video streaming of the eSports events online.
Insomnia 49 and the Minecraft Expo will take place in Telford and the Telford International Centre, between August 23rd and 26th.
Visit the official website for more information.
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