Train2Game News Metal Hammer Roadkill

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TeamRock, the world’s number one rock and metal games company, today released Metal Hammer: Roadkill, the world’s most metal game.

Featuring a soundtrack of artists from Nuclear Blast, the world’s largest independent metal label, Metal Hammer: Roadkill brings metal to the masses in a brand new rhythm/action game, where the goal is simple – defeat the hordes of hell, save the world, let them eat metal.

The game features tracks from bands including Sabaton, Epica, Suicide Silence, Exodus, Threshold, Vader and more… Metal Hammer: Roadkill gives metal fans a whole new way to play the music they love.

The game is free to download and play – plus thanks to an agreement with Nuclear Blast, will bring players more bands, more levels, more cities and more metal to the world of gaming on a regular basis.

Forged by award-winning UK studio Guerilla Tea and and approved of by the Gods of Metal themselves, Metal Hammer: Roadkill is the first release from TeamRock Games. Offering simple, accessible gameplay, combined with some of the hardest metal acts in the world, Roadkill will hit the mobile charts like a very large metal hammer.

“The goal is simple,” says Billy Anderson, founder and CEO of Team Rock, “We want to be the global home of rock and metal. We already know the crossover between gaming, rock and metal is huge. We want to give every player, every listener, every fan the chance to experience the music they love in new ways. We have major plans for gaming and Roadkill shows exactly what we hope to achieve. We’ll be working with bands, labels and music to bring them into gaming and build something new and credible and innovative.”

Metal Hammer: Roadkill is OUT NOW for iOS and Android. The game is free to download and play.

Train2Game News Star Wars Battlefront Beta

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“Impressive. Most Impressive.” The Star Wars™ Battlefront™ beta surpassed a major milestone: more than nine million players logged in and played.

That makes this the single largest beta in the history of EA and they could not be happier that so many of you wanted to come in to get a small taste of what their passionate team has been working on.

Ever since Star Wars Battlefront was revealed back in April, they knew the beta would be a huge test for the game. The beta has been one of the most talked about topics around the game over the last six months, and EA were excited to see how it would be received.

And like Han Solo at the end of A New Hope, they were glad you showed up. Even more importantly than just showing up, players have been spending a lot of time playing, having a great time and leaving some invaluable feedback, as the game continues to be tuned and balance until launch on November 17, 2015 in North America, and November 19, 2015 in Europe.

A spokes person for EA said “On behalf of the team at DICE, and everyone at EA, thank you for playing. We hope you enjoyed what you played in the beta, which is just a small part of the overall experience. There’s a lot more to the game, including all of our multiplayer modes and mission types.”

Train2Game News Minecraft Story Mode

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Leading and award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, and world-renowned game developer Mojang, today released the world premiere episode for  Minecraft: Story Mode – A Telltale Games Series.

Episode 1: ‘The Order of the Stone,’ the first of five episodes in the season, is available digitally worldwide today on PC and Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, and on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360®. The season premiere will be available for compatible iOS devices via the App Store and for compatible Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore starting this Thursday, October 15th. The series will also be coming to Wii U and PlayStation Vita.

Minecraft: Story Mode – A Telltale Games Series  season pass disc will be available at retail in North America on Tuesday, October 27th, and in Europe onFriday, October 30th. Retail platforms at launch will include Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 in North America; and PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 in Europe. The retail edition of  Minecraft: Story Mode will ship with the premiere episode on the disc, and will grant access to the subsequent four episodes in the season as they become available to download via online updates.

In  Minecraft: Story Mode , playing as either a male or female hero named ‘Jesse,’ you’ll embark on a perilous adventure across the Overworld, through the Nether, to the End, and beyond. You and your friends revere the legendary Order of the Stone: Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect; slayers of the Ender Dragon. While at EnderCon in hopes of meeting Gabriel the Warrior, Jesse’s friends discover that something is wrong… something dreadful. Terror is unleashed, and you must set out on a quest to find The Order of the Stone if you are to save your world from oblivion.

The season will feature  Patton Oswalt as male Jesse,  Catherine Taber as female Jesse,  Brian Posehn, Ashley Johnson, Scott Porter, Martha Plimpton, Dave Fennoy, Corey Feldman, Billy West, John Hodgman, and  Paul Reubens. The launch trailer features behind the scenes interviews with the cast about the all-new series.

Minecraft: Story Mode – A Telltale Games Series – Episode 1: ‘The Order of the Stone’  is rated ‘E10+’ (Everyone 10+) for Fantasy Violence and Mild Language by the ESRB. Future content in the season is yet to be rated by the ESRB.

The series is published by Telltale Games in partnership with Mojang.

Train2Game News Battle Islands

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Battle Islands, the popular World War II Free-to-Play strategy game from 505 Games is taking the fight to Xbox One, bringing new and exclusive content to the platform.

Players who go to war on the Xbox One version will have access to the following EXCLUSIVE content:

Ranger Mode – Players can jump into the action and take direct control of their units. This mode offers the chance to take your very own veteran Ranger into battle to fight alongside other troops!

New Units – Attacking enemy bases and seizing resources gets easier with the following new units – Escort Fighter Plane, Motorbike & Sidecar and Heavy Gunboat.

Battle Islands is also rolling out a new feature called Divisions which pits players against similarly ranked opponents to compete for the weekly top spot and the chance to win Supply Bonuses.

The game is also available to download for free on PlayStation 4, app stores on Apple, Android and Amazon, Facebook and Yahoo! Games as well as on STEAM®/PC.

Train2Game News Chance to create next Warhammer

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Train2Game student seeking support to create table top strategy war game

Avid gamer Aaron Newton, 27, lives in The West Midlands, he’s currently embarked on a Train2Game course but also wants to create his own board game. He’s now reaching out to find people to assist with his project and is urgently on the lookout for artists. Aaron has big plans and has already created the game’s gameplay, strategy elements and factions.

The game is currently in the development stages; Aaron is confirming game play with his local war gaming group and deciding which elements to incorporate into the final game. He was working in a team of three but unfortunately his previous team have had to concentrate on other projects, his plan is to now recruit new team members to help make his idea a reality.

The game is inspired by Aaron’s love of military history and his time in the army. Two types of faction have been created, Empire of Gaia and The Maulini Dominion. The plan is to have three types of gameplay in one; Skirmish, Ground and Space, allowing players to approach the game with as complex or simple strategies as they wish.

Aaron now has extensive briefs in place but needs people to come in and make them happen. There’s a planned Kickstarter and the opportunity is open to anyone looking to gain experience and develop their portfolio to join him.

Aaron Newton, Train2Game student; ‘The game is currently in the early development stages, the first draft of the core rules and faction specifics are done and I am getting them looked at and checked by a local war-gaming club to see if they are easy to follow and will add more when I get the ok. I decided to do more of an invasion game so that players have if they desire the option of incorporating the ground and space battle concepts into a game.’

‘The game itself is technically a three in one having; ground, space and skirmish, rule sets. The overall design is that the rules cover everything lightly giving wiggle room so players can make simple or as complex strategies as they wish. The game with also have books and PDF releases to flesh out the lore and give players more of an idea to why certain peoples fight, how battles where won etc.’

‘The game is a table wargame that is will be marketed as an invasion game. The two main factions are the Empire of Gaia who are led by The Empress and the Legartums (Generals), the empire is heavily based on the Roman Empire so there is a regimented military, a religion with the empress as the figure head, slaves, and gladiators. The second faction is The Maulini Dominion who are the tattered remains of various other destroyed races, they are led by Lord Hyperion Maul who was previously the Commandium Milartus (Over all head of the Military Forces) for the Empire until a great betrayal happened.’
 
‘The game is designed to be played on the two fronts at the same time but can be played separately, when certain objectives are met devastating tactics can be used for example. If a player’s fleet can get there flagship into firing range they can launch orbital strikes against enemy ground forces. Orbital strikes are defendable by the opponents orbital defence grid however if the player’s ground forces also take control and destroy the defence grid the opponent can’t the defend orbital strikes.’ ‘For players that just want to have a quick game there will be the ‘strike team’ mode which is the skirmish portion of the game.’

‘As for back story The Empire of Gaia is led by an immortal Empress who have been ruling longer than recorded history, there are no records of anything before she came to power. Her power increases as more people worship her as a goddess and the lusts for more and more power. The Maulini Dominion is led by the former Commandium Milartus (Overall military Commander of the Empire) Hyperion Maul who after he is betrayed by The Empire leads his battleground ‘Taedio Ferciae Rapaces’ (the defiant Wolves) against The Empire and then the last races the live free join him under the banner of the dominion and crown him The Void King.’

‘The inspiration for the factions comes from my love of history and especially military history. The Empire of Gaia is modelled of the Roman Empire following its cultures and military characteristics as well as the doctrine of the worlds are there’s for the taking. The Maulini Dominion is more of a coalition of independent peoples rising up against the tyranny of The Empire.’

‘The gameplay and strategies I came up with quite easily it was finding a way that they would work together that was the issue but being an experienced wargamer I have found something I think works well, being ex-army and a lover of military history I used my knowledge of battles to work out different tactics and also being a fan of sci-fi means I found quite easy to incorporate the two together.’

‘Naturally I am a big fan of Warhammer and I suppose there are some similarities to the Horus heresy era game but in my opinion I take it into more detail regarding the reasoning what each faction wants, the units within the game aren’t super human space marines they are men and women who fight for what they believe in whether that be The Goddess Empress or The King of the Void Hyperion Maul.’

‘Initially I had a couple of guys helping me but they due to other commitments have had to leave the project so it is just me at present and I am doing my best to keep going with. In terms of artwork there isn’t any at present but I have the designs briefs of all the units and characters.’

‘The plan for the game is that it will be seen as a genuine alternative to Warhammer 40k with the design and release of more units, character, battlegroups and maybe factions. Mainly the hope is that in 25/30 years’ time the game is still be around as has made a dedicated fan base of its own.’

‘In the short term my opinion of success I hope that if I can get some people who are willing to be involved in effect donating their time to initially to beef up their portfolio as I am working while doing the planning myself there is no money to pay for outside help, so I am hoping members of the student body would like to get involved naturally when the website and games Kickstarter go live and concept and 3d model used the person involved will be credited for its design.

For more information contact the Train2Game blog or email Aaron directly on amnewton66@gmail.com

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Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.plasisgamesportal.com and www.gamatier.com

Train2Game News Age of Algorithms

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The first of a portfolio of free online courses commissioned by Creative Skillset is now open for business.

Age of Algorithms, developed by London Geometry (LG), aims to equip professionals working in the Creative Industries with the necessary maths skills to enhance and advance their careers by working more effectively in technical environments. In addition, the game is attractive to anyone wishing to brush up and refresh their existing maths training and also has a wide appeal.

Set in a medieval environment, this 2D physics-based game sees the player firing cannonballs to hit balanced and stacked targets aided by the maths they learn in the game. Hints and tips allow players to progress quickly into the game with the levels getting gradually harder as the puzzle-like equations become more complex. Topics covered within the game include: triangle geometry, angles, trigonometry, radians, vectors, velocity displacement and projectile trajectories.

Developed in Unity, Age of Algorithms is a browser-based casual maths game for Internet Explorer (PC), Firefox (PC/Mac) and Safari (Mac).

Sue Harrison, e-Learning Project Manager at Creative Skillset says, “Our learning resources have to be engaging, interactive, fun and above all relevant in the spaces that we know professionals from the Creative Industries inhabit as well as producing a product for a wider audience. Age of Algorithms serves that core audience”.

Professor William Latham, Founding Director at London  Geometry says, “In Age of Algorithms we are pushing the boundaries of education by integrating maths learning into the domain of a physics-based casual game. We are combining fun and learning”.
Creative Skillset will roll out further free online courses in the coming weeks and months with content on film making for the web, brand storytelling, fashion, animation, creative collaboration, commercial photography, film production, and visual effects.

To start the free online course, register now on the Age of Algorithms website www.ageofalgo.com

Train2Game News Video Games Prototype Fund

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The new Prototype Fund announced in the July Budget, following concerted lobbying by Ukie, has been launched today.

The Fund will have £4 million over the next four years with which to aid access to finance for both present and future games talent.

The Video Games Prototype Fund, run by the UK Games Talent and Finance CIC, will provide grants of up to £25k to help businesses turn ideas into working prototypes, used to attract private investment. Young and start-up companies will benefit from the scheme,  which is aimed at small and micro-businesses in the UK games industry. An emphasis will also be on nurturing new talent in the sector, with mentoring opportunities and skills support being provided along with the financial backing to successful applicants to the fund.

The project takes over from the Abertay Fund, which supported many earlier businesses to access finance when it ran from 2010 to 2014.

Access to finance is an ongoing problem for fledgling games development businesses attempting to create and retain new Intellectual Property. This financial and business support in the early stages of a studio’s opening will bridge the gap until private investment can be procured. Support for smaller, regional companies will indirectly help larger companies by developing the talent pipeline and stimulating the creation of more IP in the UK.

Successful grant applications will be decided upon published criteria, including potential for commercial success, viability and scalability.

CEO of Ukie, Dr Jo Twist, responded to the announcement, saying:

    We lobbied for this kind of support and we are pleased to see the Fund launch. It has enormous potential for the future of the UK games industry. Access to finance has been an on-going challenge for small and micro games businesses, and the financial support of the fund, as well as the mentoring opportunities that are provided, will open doors to a huge amount of unearthed games talent in the UK. Ukie is really proud to continue to support this project. It is one more step towards the UK becoming a world leader in games development.

Further information about how to apply for the Video Games Prototype Fund and the criteria can be found on their website.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 12.10.15

FIFA-16Another chart with Fifa 16 at number one. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is the first new game this week at number two with Rock Band 4 making its début at number ten.

All formats
Week ending 10 October 2015

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 FIFA 16 EA SPORTS 1
2 UNCHARTED: THE NATHAN DRAKE COLLECTION SONY COMPUTER ENT.
3 DESTINY: THE TAKEN KING ACTIVISION 4
4 LEGO DIMENSIONS LEGO DIMENSIONS 2
5 FORZA MOTORSPORT 6 MICROSOFT 5
6 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 9
7 ANIMAL CROSSING: HAPPY HOME DESIGNER NINTENDO 6
8 METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN KONAMI 7
9 NBA 2K16 2K SPORTS 3
10 ROCK BAND 4 MAD CATZ
11 MAD MAX WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 10
12 LEGO JURASSIC WORLD WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 13
13 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 17
14 SKYLANDERS SUPERCHARGERS SKYLANDERS 8
15 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 19
16 RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 BIG BEN 16
17 DISNEY INFINITY 3.0 DISNEY INFINITY 14
18 SUPER MARIO MAKER NINTENDO 15
19 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 18
20 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2016 KONAMI 11
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2015 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 BBC Three showing eSports in Wembley

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For the first time, BBC Three will be offering live coverage of the League of Legends World Championships live from Wembley. Beginning on Thursday 15 October, action from all four days of the quarter finals will be available online.

Coverage will be hosted by Radio 1 DJ and avid gamer Dev Griffin. Julia Hardy will be interviewing players and fans in the arena with gaming casters Leigh ‘Deman’ Smith and James ‘Stress’ O’Leary offering their expert commentary.

BBC Three and BBC Sport are teaming up to deliver all the action using the platform previously used for live sporting events and Glastonbury coverage, where live video, pre-recorded video, text, audio and social commentary can sit side by side.

Damian Kavanagh, Controller of BBC Three, says: “We jumped at the chance to collaborate with BBC Sport and bring this massive UK event to a wider audience. BBC Three will always experiment with new ways to deliver content that young people want, in ways they want. I think this is an exciting way to cover something millions of young Brits love, in a BBC Three way.”

Leigh ‘Deman’ Smith, commentator, says: “I’m delighted to be part of the BBC’s coverage at Wembley Arena. Worlds has been amazing so far and it’s great to see the BBC getting involved and raising awareness of esports in the UK.”

League Of Legends has over 27 million gamers playing the game every day, with over 70 million hours of last year’s championships watched by fans across the globe.

Train2Game News First look at vTime

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Starship, the UK-based innovation studio, today unveil a first glimpse of mobile social VR network, vTime, with the release of a new video and screenshots. Set for launch in November, vTime offers friends and family a compelling new way to spend quality time together in virtual reality.

Using just a smartphone and a VR headset, cross-platform network vTime allows users to meet-up and interact with people around the globe. Combining breath-taking virtual locations with intuitive and hands-free controls, vTime users can chat, enjoy music, and share images, videos, and spherical media in rich virtual environments. Running on 3G and 4G cellular networks as well as Wi-Fi, vTime transforms the smartphone into a passport to the metaverse.

vTime users are able to personalise their experience by customising the appearance of their avatar, hosting virtual meet-ups and creating friends lists. Newcomers can quickly expand their social circle and immerse themselves in engaging conversations through vTime Search, which focuses on matching users based on interests and trending topics.

Friends without a headset can still be a part of the conversation by using vTime Mono – a 2D window into the vTime metaverse through which they can interact and chat with other participants using a tablet. Users are also able to view live public exchanges happening within vTime through Spectate Mode, accessible through tablet, phone and PC.

“vTime brings social VR to virtually everyone, from virtually anywhere on virtually any device,” explains Starship CEO Martin Kenwright. “We’ve taken complex technology and made it simple, beautiful and accessible. Just download the vTime app, put on your headset, and you’re vTiming.”

The free and platform agnostic network will launch its open alpha to Android users in November. Compatible with multiple mobile headsets including Gear VR and Google Cardboard, Starship has opened a mailing list for those interested in being the first to experience the network.

View the trailer for vTime at http://www.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=k8BSftnVMRA