Monthly Archives: August 2014

Train2Game News Epic Studio opening in Guildford

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Epic GamesEpic Games announced today the formation of Epic Games UK, which sets up longtime collaborator and trusted partner Pitbull Studio as a fully integrated team driving Unreal Engine 4 development in the region.

“Pitbull has been essential in helping us develop the best tools and technology for building the next generation of games,” said Tim Sweeney, Epic’s founder and CEO. “They’ve been invested in UE4’s evolution since its early beginnings, and their dedication is unflinching.”

To date Pitbull’s staff have been primarily concentrated in Sunderland, with offices in Guildford and Leamington Spa. James Golding, Epic’s lead programmer who has been with the company for 12 years, recently relocated from Epic’s headquarters in Cary, NC to Guildford to expand that location’s footprint and headcount.

Mike Gamble, European territory manager, has been running Epic’s engine licensing efforts across all of Europe from the UK since 2011. “Setting up a bespoke Epic presence here and fully utilizing the Pitbull team as part of that enables us to support Unreal Engine 4 developers across Europe on an entirely new level,” he said.

“Becoming Epic Games UK was the next logical step in our relationship with Epic,” said Robert Troughton, general manager. “We’re looking forward to expanding our amazing team here in the UK.”

Working alongside Epic Games on Unreal Engine 4, Pitbull’s programmers and artists have helped develop a wide variety of the engine’s features, including rendering, audio, physics, visual scripting, UI, documentation tools, platform support, localization tools and much more. As a contributor to Epic’s games over the years, along with their exhaustive work on Unreal Engine 4, Pitbull has become an indispensable Unreal Engine resource for Europe.

Epic is currently seeking exceptional talent to fill roles such as animation programmer, developer relations engineer, developer relations technical artist, engine community manager, engine programmer, support engineer and tools programmer.

For more information, please visit www.unrealengine.com and www.epicgames.com/careers.

Train2Game News Resident Evil remake again!

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Resident Evil ChrisCapcom today announced Resident Evil for PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

The hugely popular Resident Evil series, having sold over 61 million units to date, returns to its roots with a remastered version of the critically acclaimed masterpiece, Resident Evil. Originally released in 1996, Resident Evil was then “remade” in 2002 from the ground up with new visuals, gameplay elements, environments and story details while retaining the survival horror atmosphere the series had become synonymous for. Both fans of the franchise who want a trip down memory lane and those who have yet to experience the game that coined the term survival horror for the gaming world will appreciate this definitive re-visit of that iconic 2002 Resident Evil title.

Using the latest resolution enhancement and 3D model technology, game resolutions and textures have been significantly upgraded, including 1080p support on next-gen consoles, resulting in characters and backgrounds coming to life in greater detail than ever seen before in Resident Evil. Not only will the graphics impress but the tense sound effects have been fully remastered with 5.1 surround support for a greater gaming atmosphere. Players are now able to choose not only between experiencing the terror at the classic 4:3 ratio or a stunning 16:9 widescreen mode but also the type of control scheme they play with. The classic control scheme remains for fans of the original play style or there’s an alternative scheme where the character moves directly in the direction of the analogue stick, utilizing the standards of the current generation of gaming. Both the control scheme and the display options can be toggled between at any time during gameplay.

The intense horror fans first experienced with the release of the original Resident Evil is back. Taking place in the now notorious Raccoon City, players will choose to take on the role of either S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) team member Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, who have been sent into the city to find the missing Bravo team. When the team is suddenly attacked by a ferocious group of mutated dogs, desperate for an escape they take shelter in the Mansion, but will they ever get out alive again? Players will need to be brave as they adventure through the dark, enclosed spaces searching out the horrors that await them. With limited ammo and survival items available gamers will need to keep their wits about them to survive the various traps and puzzles that greet them at every stage.

Resident Evil will be available to purchase digitally across North America and Europe in Early 2015.

Train2Game News BioShock coming to iOS

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BioShockHavok, a leading provider of 3D interactive game development technology, is providing its industry-leading Havok Physics and Havok Animation Studio technology to 2K Games’ groundbreaking narrative-driven action game, BioShock, which is launching later this summer on the App Store.

Developed by Irrational Games in 2007 with Unreal Engine 3, the original BioShock made extensive use of Havok’s Animation tools, which played an instrumental part in bringing fluidity to the disfigured denizens of Rapture. The game’s liberal use of Havok Physics also brought further immersion into the game world, even becoming a powerful weapon through the use of the in-game Telekinesis Plasmid. After its release, Bioshock quickly became one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time, garnering universal praise from press and proving to be a huge success with the gaming audience.

The 2K China team has brought this iconic gaming experience to iOS using Havok’s cross-platform toolset to achieve amazing parity between console and mobile versions, including the full dynamic gameplay and character interactions of the classic title from 2007. Seven years after its original implementation, the same robust Physics and Animation technologies ingrained in the original BioShock have seamlessly transitioned onto mobile platforms.

“It’s a true testament to the power and breadth of Havok Physics and Havok Animation Studio that these technologies have seamlessly transitioned from a AAA console title to an amazing mobile experience,” said Brian Waddle, Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Havok. “Just as BioShock redefined the scope of what a game could and should be, the 2K Games team has proven that mobile devices can go beyond simple apps and offer a wholly mature and complete gaming experience akin to those seen on high end gaming platforms.”

BioShock will be available soon via the App Store as a premium title for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 04.08.14

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the_last_of_us_remasteredAfter several weeks with no new games we finally have a new number one for the game charts. The Last of Us Remastered has knocked Watch Dogs down to the second spot and sits at number one. At the opposite end of the charts Need For Speed: Rivals has re-entered the charts at number twenty.

All formats

Week ending 2 August 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 THE LAST OF US: REMASTERED SONY COMPUTER ENT. –
2 WATCH DOGS UBISOFT 1
3 FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 2
4 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 5
5 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 3
6 – MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION 3 EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 6
7 SNIPER ELITE 3 505 GAMES 4
8 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 9
9 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 10
10 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 7
11 TITANFALL EA GAMES 8
12 TOMODACHI LIFE NINTENDO 11
13 – ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 13
14 – LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 14
15 – PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 15
16 – MARIO KART 8 NINTENDO 16
17 WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 12
18 – EA SPORTS UFC EA SPORTS 18
19 – TERRARIA XBOX 360 CLASSICS 19
20 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS EA GAMES –
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 UKIE Ltd

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.

Train2Game News Magic 2015 review

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Magic 2015I got the pleasure of reviewing Magic 2015 this week and it has certainly made some improvements on past titles.

The Magic card games on consoles, PC and smart devices have always been a good way to introduce the game to new players and teach them the rules and this one is no different allowing you to play with all the latest cards in premade decks.

As you start the game you are taken through a tutorial which is unfortunately unskippable for seasoned players so you just have to grin and bear it whilst the overly chirpy and sometimes patronising tutorial voice tells you all the things you already know.

Once you are through the tutorial though you are let loose on the game which follows the similar formula as the last game. Heading from Island to Island facing the challenging battles along the way. However there is a difference in these places as there are no longer challenges like there have been in previous games, instead there is now explore nodes which you can play a few times with different battles until you are face to face with a planeswalker such as Chandra or Ajani.

Finally the biggest and best difference to previous games is that once again you get random booster packs from completing each match and with the random cards you get from the booster you can either update your premade deck or after playing for a while you can create a deck entirely from scratch if you so choose. This was a feature introduced in the last game but it wasn’t implemented very well as it wasn’t easy to get booster packs without paying out for them. In this game the booster packs are far easier to come by.

I have yet to complete this version as the final boss is proving incredibly difficult for me but it has been an enjoyable evolution on the last game. If you are a Magic fan or are interested in getting involved in the world of Magic the Gathering, give this game a try.

Train2Game News Premade character animations for UE4

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Mixamo CharacterMixamo has made a number of its character animations available free for Unreal Engine 4 subscribers on the UE4 marketplace.

The firm has released 15 ready-to-use characters and seven animations to the store. Available animations include walk, run, shoot, sword, idle, jump and run jump.

“We’re extremely excited to have our animations included in Epic Games’ growing Marketplace,” said Mixamo CEO Stefano Corazza.

“The Unreal Engine exists to speed the process of game development, and we share a similar philosophy for 3D character creation and animation. Now, with built-in access to ready-made animations, UE4 developers can get their characters moving in minutes, rather than spending hours keyframing animations from scratch.”

Source: Develop