Monthly Archives: March 2016

Train2game News ESL Streaming

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The world’s largest esports company, ESL, is happy to announce that it will be bringing its core content to multiple global streaming platforms.

Starting with the Intel® Extreme Masters World Championship in Katowice from March 4-6, the broadcast of ESL’s content will be available on Twitch, Azubu, Hitbox and Yahoo streaming platforms.

ESL’s events have consistently broken viewership records, among them the record for the highest number of concurrent viewers on a single channel, when 1.3 million people tuned in for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competition during ESL One Cologne 2015.

Welcoming three new additions to our streaming channels will enable ESL to open up its world class esports competition content to a larger and broader audience worldwide, maximizing the reach and growing the global audience. The company continues to deliver the most legendary esports moments across multiple games and platforms, further growing its offering by expanding to new regions and adding new games to its Leagues and events.

“The most important aspect to keep in mind when creating an esports broadcast is the audience,” said Nik Adams, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Business Development at ESL. “Expanding our distribution channels was done with this very audience in mind. Now viewers all across the world have greater flexibility in choosing how to consume ESL content – a first step with many more to follow.”

All competition can also be followed through IEM’s central broadcasting hub over at live.intelextrememasters.com, which also features streams in multiple languages.

Train2game News eSports Industry Awards

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MBN Events, industry leaders in the provision of high profile sporting lunches and dinners have teamed up with games industry powerhouse NewBay Media, owner of MCV and Develop, to launch the eSports Industry Awards, a brand new ceremony that recognises all of those who have contributed to the sector’s incredible growth across the globe over the past 12 months.

The event will take place on November 21 at The Brewery, London and will be hosted by BBC Radio 1’s gaming expert, Julia Hardy and Jason Bradbury from Channel 5’s The Gadget Show, in order to acknowledge and reward outstanding achievement from the world of eSports, with awards presented across 18 categories including: Team of the Year; Game of the Year; eSports Journalist of the Year and Best Live Event. All of the individual categories can be found here www.esportsindustryawards.com .

Nominations for the eSports Industry Awards 2016 open today, with the final short-list announced on Friday April 8. An international judging panel consisting of respected professionals from a cross section of the eSports industry including ex-players, media and broadcasters will then determine the overall winners in each of the categories.

“I’m really honoured to be invited to help co-host the first ever UK awards dedicated solely to eSports. It reflects just how huge the eSports world is and how quickly it is growing that we can now have a whole awards ceremony dedicated to the people who have strived tirelessly to get it where it is,” stated Julia Hardy, who added “eSports are well and truly here to stay and I’m looking forward to congratulating the winners and the nominees on the night for all their hard work in such a passionate part of gaming.”

The eSports Industry Awards 2016 has already received the backing of Gfinity, who will bring their expertise in streaming live events, as official broadcast partner. Confirmation of further high profile partnerships are expected in the coming weeks.

CEO of Gfinity, Neville Upton commented: “Gfinity is delighted to be the broadcast partner and helping to raise the profile of esports within the UK while recognising the achievements of people throughout the industry.”

www.esportsindustryawards.com

Train2game News MG Games looking for new team members

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Student Games Developers looking for applications to grow studio
Michael McGurk from Northern Ireland seeks new members to join his team, which has released three titles and has another on the way.

This student team is rapidly releasing titles, which are great for portfolios and they could make the next big hit.

The team is looking for new members to expand MG Games and release more titles. It’s looking for an artist and someone to help them build titles in Construct. It’s a two man team at the moment and Michael’s father is the third voluntary member.

The team has released three games already, working on its next bigger one, which is why they need additional support. MG Games plans to expand to make larger games in the future, the next release is coming in two months’ time, with support from new team members.

Michael is a Train2Game student and enjoying the course. He’s balanced creating games alongside his studies. The team likes working on its own titles as means it can deliver the game it wants to, retaining control of what they produce and their production timeline. The benefits for new joiners will be experience and work for portfolio content, and who knows in the future.

Michael is based in Northern Ireland but happy for team members from anywhere in the world.

Michael McGurk, Student Train2Game and head of MG Games, ‘My experience with Train2Game has most definitely been worthwhile and I have enjoyed every minute of it. It has helped me bring my ideas to life and put them into games. Games are my passion and without Train2game I would not have the knowledge I do have in game making. To have created and put my first game out there live, watch the number of plays grow is an indescribable feeling.’

‘I am currently on module D4 lesson 4. The course is slowly coming along, I say slowly because I am taking my time doing the course as I am currently making my fourth game. Its a larger game compared to the other arcade games I have made on the side and is taking a bit of time to do.’

‘I work from home I started MG games so I could build my own gaming company and make my own games I have started MG Games off from scratch. I want to further the company and I would like to give others a chance to use and combine their game ideas and bring them to life.

Currently on the team is myself as the games designer and my dad helps me out with the the art work and the animations. Currently we are making games for browser and mobile devices. Small games such as arcade etc. But in the near future I would like to make bigger games with storylines.’

‘As MG Games expands, I would like to start making bigger and better games with every team member having a say in the games we make. I would like MG games to become a known company, with a large team who is willing to work as a team and express their ideas openly. I would like to have an official studio where all the works will take place as a professional company.’

‘I have worked on four games that are now live on mg-games.itch.io if you would like to take a look and I two more games are in the works. One of which is a larger game and has so far taken me almost seven months to get as far as I have within the game. I’m hoping for this game to go live within the next month or two.’

‘The benefits of working on our own games are that we get to see our games ideas come to life and when the games are done we have the joy of saying we made that. Also we can spend as much time as we want in the making of the games and we are not under any pressure in having the games done for a certain time. No pressure means no mistakes.’

‘I am looking for new members to join MG Games as I said its really only me and more team members will result in better games more games ideas and more fun in making the games and it will help MG Games grow as a company. I would like someone who can do the art work for the games and someone that could work with me building them on construct.’

‘I would like commitment, flexibility and members that are here for the games and the fun of making them and not just for money. The new team members will gain the experience from working in a team, games that they can use on their portfolios and there game ideas being heard and brought to life.’

‘I would like the applicants to show examples of their work, note their strongest and weakest points in game making and what area do they mainly specialise in. I would also like their contact details and to tell me a bit about themselves, why they are applying and what is it that has them interested in this field of work.’

‘If anyone is interested they can email me at mggames0@hotmail.com or messages me over our Facebook page which you can find at this link https://www.facebook.com/MG.Games1/?ref=hl‘

For more information contact mark@train2game.com
Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry

Train2Game is a proud supporter of  www.gamatier.com

Train2Game News March 2016 Nintendo Direct

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In a new Nintendo Direct video, Nintendo revealed new games on the way for its Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems, as well as additional details about previously announced titles. From new games in the Kirby and  Paper Mario franchises to a companion game for Star Fox Zero, this is one video that can’t be missed.

To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct. Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

Wii U
·  Star Fox Zero: Fox McCloud returns in an action-packed new adventure. Multiple paths branch out to give players plenty of places to explore, and each route gives them a completely different experience, with each battle posing its own set of unique challenges. Players will notice their skills get better and better over time, as they become top-notch pilots. In two-player mode, one player can fly the Arwing while the other player aims and shoots. The game launches April 22. The packaged version comes with a  Star Fox Guard game disc at a suggested retail price of $59.99 while the digital version of the game can be purchased by itself from Nintendo eShop for $49.99.

·  Star Fox Guard: Players set up 12 cameras to find and defeat enemies who are attacking the mining site of Slippy Toad’s uncle, Grippy Toad. The game includes about 100 stages, but players can also create their own stages by editing the placement of enemies and uploading their levels online. The only way to get the physical version of  Star Fox Guard is by purchasing the packaged version of  Star Fox Zero. The game can also be purchased by itself from Nintendo eShop for $14.99. Customers that purchase the digital version of either  Star Fox Zero or  Star Fox Guard will receive a $4.99 Nintendo eShop discount toward the other game.

·  Paper Mario: Color Splash: Prism Island is being drained of its color and it’s up to Paper Mario to stop it! Use Paper Mario’s paint hammer to splash paint on anything it hits and bring the color back to the island in this new action-adventure game. The game will launch later in 2016.

·  Super Mario Maker: More than 6.2 million courses from players around the world are available for others to play, and now a free March 9 update will add a Super Expert mode to the 100-Mario Challenge. The mode is unlocked after players clear Expert mode. Super Expert Mode dishes out six extremely tough courses. Additionally, 12 new Mystery Mushroom costumes have been added to 100 Mario Challenge. The update also provides level creators with even more tools:
· Shake a P Switch to turn it into a key. Shake a Door to turn it into a Key Door. Creators can make enemies hold keys, meaning players can’t advance without defeating mandatory bosses.
· Shake a Coin to turn it into a Pink Coin. Players must collect them all to make a key appear.
· Shake a Thwomp to turn it into a massive Skewer column from  Super Mario World.
· Additionally, the  Super Mario Maker Bookmark site will see additions such as ranking categories for world records and the number of first clears on courses, inspiring new ways to experience the main game.

·  Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games: The Wii U version of the game launches on June 24 and includes two events new to the series: Rugby Sevens and Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs. Every event in the game takes place in locales modeled after the actual venues in Rio.

·  Splatoon: The hit multiplayer game is getting more updates. An update on March 8 balances some gear abilities to improve some of the lesser-used ones and make them more appealing. Additional tweaks to matchmaking, Ranked Battles and Splatfests aim to improve the overall user experience. Another update arrives in two waves, with the first coming in April. It will adjust some existing weapons and add new weapon set recommendations as “Sheldon’s Picks.”

·Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE: Slay monsters—and slay like a pop star—all at the same time, in this brand-new RPG from acclaimed developer Atlus. A sinister force from another dimension has invaded modern-day Tokyo, resulting in a fantastical barrage of style, fashion, music and, of course, danger. So play to your strengths in high-energy turn-based battles, then fuse items to craft powerful weapons and crush your foes. Around every corner you’ll find fan-service—including  Fire Emblem references—original songs by Japanese entertainment giant Avex, dungeons themed after the entertainment industry and eye-catching music performances. The one-of-a-kind game launches June 24.

·  LOST REAVERS: BANDAI NAMCO’s latest free-to-play online co-op action game asks players to team up with other adventurers online to fight zombies and solve puzzles as they search for valuable treasure. As players complete missions, characters will level up, unlock additional skills and increase their in-game funds to acquire new weapons. An open beta version is launching April 14 with the full version coming to Wii U on April 28.

Nintendo 3DS
·  Kirby: Planet Robobot: Invaders have mechanized Dream Land. To restore his home to its original form, Kirby must use their technology against them with the new Robobot Armor. The Robobot Armor can even destroy a variety of obstacles in his way. The Team Kirby Clash mode lets up to four players join forces to battle against powerful bosses. Players select one of four roles, and participate in a co-op quest to defeat a boss while supporting their team. Completing a quest earns experience points to level-up and grow more powerful. The game is compatible with a large variety of amiibo figures, and some give Kirby character-specific abilities. A new series of Kirby amiibo figures that includes Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee gives Kirby attributes specific to each character. Tapping the Kirby figure is the only way to get the UFO ability. The game and new amiibo figures launch June 10.

·  Metroid Prime: Federation Force: This next chapter in the  Metroid Prime series is a first-person adventure fused with puzzle solving, focused on shooting and co-op gameplay. Players take on missions that tell the story of the battle between the Galactic Federation’s elite Federation Force unit and the Space Pirates. Each player must select and carry specific sub-weapons based on their preferred roles, then proceed to complete each mission. The game will launch in late spring.

·  Rhythm Heaven Megamix: The game offers more than 100 rhythm games, 30 of which are new to the series. An additional 70 have been selected from previous games in the series, including the original Game Boy Advance title, which was never released in North America. The game launches later this year.

·  Monster Hunter Generations: The newest installment in the popular  Monster Hunter action RPG series from Capcom is making its way to the West. The game will feature a special collaboration armor set based on Marth from the  Fire Emblem series. Anyone who plays  Monster Hunter Generations on Nintendo 3DS with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate save data present on it will receive bonus content in the new game. As a special promotion,  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is being offered at a special price of $19.99 in Nintendo eShop for 48 hours, starting today at 3 p.m. PT. The game will launch this summer.

·  Disney Art Academy: Discover your inner artist to capture the stunning visuals of over 80 Disney and Pixar characters. With advice and lessons inspired by Disney art and Pixar animations, learn to use a bundle of different drawing tools to create Elsa and Olaf from Disney  Frozen, characters from Disney  Inside Out, Mickey Mouse and more! Even share your creations with your friends!  Disney Art Academy launches May 13.

·  Hyrule Warriors Legends: The game launches March 25, at which point players can buy a season pass to get access to four DLC packs and a bonus costume for Ganondorf. These packs will also be available for purchase individually in Nintendo eShop during the next few months. A transfer code will allow purchasers who also own  Hyrule Warriors for Wii U to use Ganondorf’s Trident weapon and play as the five new characters from  Hyrule Warriors Legends in the Wii U game. Medli from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker  will be available as a free download when the first DLC pack is released.

·  Bravely Second: End Layer: A free demo of the game hits Nintendo eShop on March 10. Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked members will receive a unique 16-digit code to access the demo early on March 7. Playing the demo will earn play bonuses that players can transfer into the full version of the game when it launches on April 15.

·  Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past: Travel to the past to save the present in this classic  Dragon Quest adventure that has been completely remade from the ground up for Nintendo 3DS. The world has been rebuilt, the characters have new 3D models and the story has been completely re-localized. Even customize your party with over 30 classes and rank up in turn-based battles to learn new spells and abilities. The game launches later in 2016.

·  Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation: This third path in the story reveals many secrets not available in the  Birthright or  Conquest versions. On March 10, players can purchase  Revelation for $19.99. Once purchased, a third option will appear at the Branch of Fate moment of the game: “Refuse to Choose a Side.” Today two new maps (Museum Melee and Ghostly Gold) are being released for purchase in the Dragon’s Gate in-game DLC shop, with Royal Royale launching on March 17. After March 17, additional maps will be released on a weekly basis through April 21.

Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
·  Virtual Console Update: Super NES games are coming to New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL systems. At the conclusion of today’s Nintendo Direct, Super Mario World,  F-Zero and  Pilotwings will be available, mirroring the original Super NES launch lineup. On March 24,  Donkey Kong Country,  Super Mario Kart and  EarthBound will join the lineup. And on April 14, watch for  The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,  Super Metroid and  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Quest. The New Nintendo 3DS hardware enables Perfect Pixel Mode in these versions, which gives players the option to display the games in their original resolution. Find a full listing of Virtual Console titles at  Nintendo.com.

·  Azure Striker Gunvolt 2: Gunvolt’s rival Copen joins the fray as a playable character. Players can dash into enemies to lock on to them, then unleash a devastating homing shot. Copen can also copy the abilities of all seven new boss characters and use them as his own. The game launches this summer. In the meantime, the original  Azure Striker Gunvolt game is available for $9.99, now through June 1.

·  Pocket Card Jockey: Solitaire meets horse racing – really! Game Freak’s new mashup puts players in the saddle as a jockey who must complete a fast-paced, simplified version of solitaire to propel the horse through intense races. It’s all about leveling up the horse through strategic positioning and placement on the track. Over time, players can win trophies for high-ranking races to secure sponsors. The game launches in May.

amiibo
·  Mini Mario and Friends amiibo Challenge: This free game can be found in Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Tap an amiibo figure on the Wii U GamePad controller or New Nintendo 3DS system (or to a Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL or Nintendo 2DS system using the Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer accessory) to guide one of 11 minis across more than 60 levels. Players can tap any compatible amiibo figure. Or, by tapping specific amiibo figures, players can guide minis that have exclusive level sets or their own unique abilities, like mini Mario’s wall jump or mini Yoshi, who can eat enemies. Starting March 25, the game will be available at select retailers as a bonus download code with the purchase of any Nintendo amiibo figure. It will also be available to download for free from Nintendo eShop on April 28.

·  Isabelle amiibo Figure: In June, Isabelle will be available separate from the  Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival bundle, in her winter outfit. A new Isabelle figure featuring her summer outfit is also coming. Both figures launch on June 10.

·  amiibo Cards: Series 4 of the  Animal Crossing amiibo cards launch on June 10.

Remember that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

Train2game News Insomnia 57 eSports

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Multiplay, organiser of the UK’s largest gaming festival, Insomnia, and a subsidiary of GAME Digital plc (“GAME Digital”), the UK’s leading video gaming specialist, will be hosting a number of popular eSports tournaments at Insomnia57 from 25-27 March.

Returning to Insomnia, the Halo 5 tournament sponsored by Plantronics, will sport a £3,000 prize pool. Teams of four will be able to compete for a share of the prize on both the Saturday and Sunday of Insomnia57, in which day visitors gain access to the Tournament Zone area for the very first time to watch live matches. For more information and to enter please visit the official site.

There will also be plenty of other tournaments for BYOC Ticket holders to try their luck in, such as Football Manager, SMITE, Heroes of the Storm, and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, as well as many more. For a full list of tournaments taking place, please visit the Insomnia57 Tournament page.

The Hearthstone Insomnia Truesilver Championship sponsored by GAME and Ballistix returns to the NEC with a completely revamped format as 200 players battle it out for a share of a $30,000 prize pool. For further details please visit the official Insomnia Gaming Festival website.

“After the success of our first major Hearthstone tournament at Insomnia56, we are delighted to once again be hosting the Hearthstone Insomnia Truesilver Championship. With up to 200 players competing for the $30,000 prize pool, we expect to see some competitive and compelling games.” said Craig Fletcher, Founder and CEO of Multiplay. “We’ve also added to the eSports experience at Insomnia57 by providing day visitors access to the area surrounding the Tournament Zone in the Exhibition Hall. We wanted to add more to the atmosphere, as onlookers get a closer look to watch players battle it out to be crowned champion.”

To ensure that you don’t miss out on the Insomnia experience, make sure you purchase your tickets to Insomnia57, which will give you access to the action packed Exhibition Hall, as well as Live interactive stage shows, Cosplay, Tabletop games, Retro zones and much more. Tickets are available to purchase from your local GAME store or online: https://insomniagamingfestival.com/tickets/.

Train2game News WG Labs Dev Contest

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WG Labs has put the call out for development teams to show off their awesome projects and enter the WG Labs Dev Contest.

If you and your friends are aspiring designers then this contest could be just what you need to take your game or service to the next level. The WG Labs Teams is looking for unreleased multiplayer games on PC or mobile platforms, in alpha or higher, that have what it takes to stand out from the crowd, with the chance to win $10,000 in prize money.

The WG Labs Dev Contest is a fantastic opportunity to discover just how strong your team and project are, as well as hear feedback from game industry veterans who have worked on a range of hugely successful titles.

“One of the goals of WG Labs is to help nurture passionate teams with great ideas,” said Maxim Matveyko, Publishing Product Director at WG Labs. “The WG Labs Dev Contest is our way of reaching out to teams across the world and letting them showcase their talent, with the potential to win a cash prize.”

So what are you waiting for? The contest starts today and is open to all those in Europe, the Americas, the CIS, and Asia. It will run until May 30, with the submissions period closing a month before, on April 30. The winners will be announced at the end of May. To discover more about the contest criteria and WG Labs, visit the official portal: WG Labs Dev Contest

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 02.03.16

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2996287-fcp_announce_screen_001_embargo_oct_6_9am_pst_1444078333_1444148126.jpgA new game has taken the number one spot this week and it is Ubisoft’s Far Cry Primal and in second is Plants vs Zombies:Garden Warfare 2 by EA Games. In the lower half of the top twenty the only new game is Bravely Second: End Layer in number twelve.

All formats
Week ending 27 February 2016

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 FAR CRY PRIMAL UBISOFT –
2 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE 2 EA GAMES –
3 – FIFA 16 EA SPORTS 3
4 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III ACTIVISION 1
5 – GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 5
6 LEGO MARVEL AVENGERS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 4
7 STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT EA GAMES 6
8 FALLOUT 4 BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 7
9 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW 6: SIEGE UBISOFT 8
10 STREET FIGHTER V CAPCOM 2
11 MINECRAFT: STORY MODE TELLTALE GAMES 10
12 BRAVELY SECOND: END LAYER SQUARE ENIX –
13 ASSASSIN’S CREED: SYNDICATE UBISOFT 11
14 FORZA MOTORSPORT 6 MICROSOFT 19
15 POKEMON SUPER MYSTERY DUNGEON NINTENDO 9
16 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 14
17 LEGO JURASSIC WORLD WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 16
18 JUST CAUSE 3 SQUARE ENIX 12
19 WWE 2K16 2K 13
20 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 17
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2016 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 Dream Harvest developing Failure

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Dream Harvest is a small distributed team currently developing Failure for PC/Mac/Linux.

Dream Harvest have launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal to raise £30000 to go towards the development of Failure. The studio will be using the funds to pay for contract work by artists and a writer.

“Being a small, part-time, distributed team there is only so much we can do with the funds we have already put into the past 15 months of development. There are gaps in our skillset that require us to make use of other talented people, people who we need to pay for their services.” says Justin French, Dream Harvest’s Creative Director. “Our aim with this Kickstarter is to fund these additional people so that they can create the content required to make the game as polished as possible and bring Failure to the players faster and at a higher quality than if we were to continue just working on it part-time.”

The outsourced freelance talent signed up to work on Failure includes Dead Space’s Antony Johnston and Bungie’s Ryan Klaverveide.

There are a wide range of tiers to choose from on the Kickstarter campaign, starting at £2 which includes a Kickstarter exclusive EP digital soundtrack and wallpapers.

Failure brings a truly fresh experience to strategy gaming, combining elements of RTS, God, CCG, and Tower Defense games, all packaged together into a narrative driven epic cyberpunk strategy game. It is currently in development for PC, Mac and Linux/SteamOS.

Failure places you into the shoes of a hacker skilled in penetrating VR Networks. You choose a Faction, each with it’s own motivation to control the MetaNet and the data within, then begin unlocking and discovering the vast sectors of the network.

You’ll battle against Slicers, hackers from other Factions and the MetaNet’s AI in a struggle for domination. To do this you’ll use your customised Library of Scripts to manipulate the MetaNet and gain victory.

You do not have direct control of your Units, they behave in response to your manipulations of the MetaNet.

Failure is aiming to release for Early Access in Q2/Q3 of 2017 with Kickstarter backers with the right tiers getting closed Alpha access as early as Q2/Q3 2016.

Dream Harvest are an open development team and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Contact them via social media on Twitter, Facebook or Reddit or via the below email.

Contact Information
Justin French – justinfrench@dreamharvest.co.uk
www.dreamharvest.co.uk
www.failuregame.co.uk
@Dream_Harvest on Twitter
Dream Harvest on Facebook

Train2game News GameBlast16

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Donations to GameBlast, the UK’s biggest charity gaming marathon weekend, have smashed the £120,000 raised during last year’s event.

More than £170,000 has so far been pledged in online and offline donations, with more still to come. The final total will be announced next week.

Last weekend saw over 400 individuals and teams from across the world undertake hundreds of events and gaming marathons to raise money for Oxfordshire-based charity SpecialEffect, who help people with physical disabilities to be included in the gaming community by creating personalised technological solutions.

Headline streaming events were hosted by GameBlast partners Jagex and GAME, attracting thousands of viewers and raising over £120,000 between them. A further £50,000 was raised by individual streamers and teams, comprised of friends and colleagues.

The madness began at 12.00 on Friday 26th February, with Jagex staff undertaking a series of extreme challenges during a 24 hour livestream at their Cambridge HQ, including plenty of gunge action from ‘Get Your Own Back’ presenter Dave Benson Philips! Real-world auction items, such as signed merchandise and a tour of the Jagex offices, combined with contributions of in-game wealth via the RuneScape Well of Goodwill mechanic, encouraged their generous community to pledge over £100,000 in donations, more than triple what they raised in 2015.

The baton was then passed to GAME, who hosted their own 24 hour livestream at their Basingstoke offices from 10.00 Saturday 27th February. Guests included Wheelchair Basketball European gold-medalist Mark Fosbrook, Microsoft’s Graeme Boyd (aka. Acey Bongos) and comedian John Robertson. GAME stores across the country also joined in with their own events and collections, including auctioning off fifty ‘life size’ Vault Boys for bids upwards of £250 each (the highest price paid being £1,500)! In total, GAME have so far raised over £20,000 and counting, more than double what they achieved last year.

In one of the most heart-warming stories to come out of the event, the William Merritt Disability Living Centre in Leeds staged their own 24 hour GameBlast event, with many of the young people who took part using accessible controllers created by SpecialEffect. Other partners who contributed to the unprecedented success of GameBlast16 include ukie, Multiplay, Insert Coin, Face-It and Twitch, alongside many more companies and industry figures from as far afield as India, Norway and LA.

Summing up their experience of Game Blast, one team commented: “This is the first time we’ve ever been involved in the event. It was fun for all of our community and the staff were brought closer together by taking part too!”

Mick Donegan, CEO of SpecialEffect, said: “Once more, I’ve been completely amazed by the awe-inspiring generosity of the gaming community and the games industry. The money raised will enable us to make an immense and immediate impact on the lives of many more disabled people by enabling them to play mainstream video games. A huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone involved – I can’t help feeling both proud and humbled at the same time.”

The dates for GameBlast17 have just been announced as 24-26 February 2017.

Train2game News Asobo Studios announce Holo games

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Independent game developer Asobo Studio is proud to announce today the release of two games for the Microsoft HoloLens  Development Edition.

Asobo Studio and Microsoft have a rich history, and we were thrilled to partner with Microsoft to bring these holographic experiences to life in a way that uniquely showcases the capabilities of HoloLens and inspires developers to think about their own creations in new ways.

Fragments & Young Conker will be available with the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition, and can be downloaded from the Windows Store on the device:

In Fragments, you become the detective in a high-tech crime thriller. Experience compelling new possibilities for storytelling and gameplay when life-sized characters are aware of your presence, share your real space, and interact with you in mixed reality. Spatial mapping allows holographic clues to be dynamically placed in whichever room you play.

Fragments – https://youtu.be/m6Wndguve8U

In Young Conker, you guide a playful, pint-sized hero through your world in an ever-changing adventure game that highlights the fun of playing in mixed reality. Levels change and adapt to your environment, so you can play the same level in different rooms for a unique experience every time.

Young Conker – https://youtu.be/uQeOYi3Be5Y

Sebastian Wloch, Asobo Studio’s C.E.O: “Our partnership with Microsoft gave us the opportunity to develop an unparalleled expertise towards holographic entertainment. With the development of our two first games for the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition, we are breaking through a new era in video gaming. From now on, the players’ world will be at the center of the action and interactions. It’s been an awesome adventure to work hand-in-hand with Microsoft teams, and to take on the challenge of developing new creative processes for a never before seen device.”

Kudo Tsunoda, Corporate Vice President, Windows Experiences, Microsoft Corp.: “Asobo Studio is a creative company, and a world-class game developer. We were thrilled to leverage the company’s expertise across a number of areas, particularly in building games for new platforms. We’re excited to see how Asobo’s work will inspire other developers as they create their own mixed reality experiences for Microsoft HoloLens.”