Monthly Archives: October 2018

Train2Game News RAWG organises your games

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RAWG (RAWG.io) is a comprehensive database and a video game discovery service that lets players create and manage their multi-platform library in one place.

RAWG reached its first milestone in product development field, by expanding its video game database over 245 000 game titles and becoming the largest multi-platform video game database in the world.

Today, RAWG is rolling out its first set of tools for community members willing to pitch in. The first iteration of UGC tools allows registered users to add new games to RAWG’s database or edit existing game pages.

“RAWG is looking to offer personalized and extremely effective ways to discover new video games. The catalog with every game in it (regardless of their original platform or release date) is our foundation. A quarter million games we’ve got is a lot, yet we are aware that some are still missing and some have incomplete information — says RAWG’s founder Gadji Makhtiev. —

“We‘ve spent almost a year to compile it, and now we‘re ready to focus on the depth and quality of our data. With that said we are opening up our editing tools for public access and now everyone can add or edit information on RAWG.”

According to research, more than 60% of all gamers usually use multiple platforms to play games, yet there is no space where they could see all of their games in one place. RAWG’s own data also prove this — on average, RAWG users have games on 2,8 platforms. RAWG accounts can be automatically synced with Steam, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live, while other games can be added to libraries manually.

Existing game recommendations services, however, are usually limited to a single platform (PSN, XBL, Steam) and operate on limited data. When gamers use a couple of platforms, their experience with various genres, developers or world settings is not taken into account prior to suggesting new titles. Same can be said about their in-game progress or gameplay preferences — essential data points that can be reflected via personal in-game achievements. RAWG is looking to fix existing discovery issues with its „all your games on one shelf“ approach. If you loved a particular game, RAWG would be looking to suggest similar games regardless of platform, as long as its relevant to an individual gamer.

Open editing tools are also relevant to game developers, especially for teams delivering “games as a service” or indie studios focused on niche genres and experiences. The video game discovery, unchained from a single platform and focused on personal experience, will help games to get discovered. RAWG expects that new editing tools will be adopted by developers, publishers and other industry entities and communities.

“We are welcoming RAWG’s decision to create an open and easily editable multi-platform database. Having a large catalog of games, including several free-to-play titles that are frequently updated and expanded, we want this opportunity to quickly edit and update existing information for millions of our fans” — says Head of PR at Gaijin Entertainment Yulia Shveyko.

“Lithuanian Game Developers Association (LTGDA) truly loves the idea to unlock editing and new game submission tools for everyone. Video game discovery problem is twofold. For a gamer its a problem of finding the next favorite game, while for a developer it’s really about finding a player. For developing industries like ours, this problem is even more persistent. Thus we’re thrilled with this opportunity to pitch in and share our projects with the world” — says LTGDA executive director Gediminas Tarasevičius.

Visit RAWG: www.rawg.io

Train2Game News London Games Festival 2019 Return

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The London Games Festival will return in 2019 with an extended run and bigger events from 2 April to 14 April across the city.

London Games Festival, backed by the Mayor of London with funding of £1.2m over three years, seeks to make London the games capital of the world. It is delivered by Games London, an initiative from Film London, the capital’s screen industries agency, and video games trade body Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment).

Over 65,000 people attended 40 different events across 20 different venues during the 2018 festival. LGF has more games on show than any other global games event with nearly 400 games to play across its events. The Festival has also established itself as a platform for global business in games, connecting attendees with investors to secure deals worth nearly £20m in potential business last April.

The 2019 event will see the return of tentpole activities for the public, including the headline-grabbing Games Character Cosplay Parade and an expanded Now Play This at Somerset House, which will reach more attendees than ever. Overall the festival will provide a wider programme of outdoor events and an even bigger offering for the games developer community – while some of its core programming will focus on the impact games are having on culture, health and the wider creative industries.

Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, said: “The creative industries are key to our success as a global city and the games industry is a thriving sector bringing jobs and investment to the capital. With the Mayor’s support, the London Games Festival has established itself as a global showcase for London’s cutting-edge games industry and once again shows that the capital is open to innovation and business. I’m delighted that the festival will return bigger and better than ever in 2019.”

Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission, said: “The rapidly expanding global games industry delivers vital growth into the UK and London economies as a key, cutting edge component of the phenomenally successful creative industries. Through Games London, we are committed to cementing London’s status as a games leader, working to attract over £40m of potential investment into games businesses over the next three years. The London Games Festival is a key moment in celebrating and showcasing this success, bringing together the brightest and best talent and enabling major new business opportunities.”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie and Mayor of London Cultural Board Ambassador, said: “Games and interactive entertainment are an increasingly important part of the creative and cultural offer of London, our capital city. Games London is a hugely valued programme which showcases the talent, innovation and creativity of the sector from across the UK, and demonstrates the impact of what we make on the economy and culture. There is something for everyone at this year’s London Games Festival, which pulls together 12 days of play, with events and hands on fun for families, for fans, all over the city, as well as opening up a critical business focus through the Games Finance Market.”

Highlights of London Games Festival 2019 include:

  • The return of the LGF HUB (Tuesday 2 April and Wednesday 3 April) featuring showcases of start-ups and prototypes, workshops and summits on Games Impact, Games Culture, Convergence and Online Live Games
  • The return of Now Play This at Somerset House, a festival of playful work and experimental game design which is set to be expanded for 2019 after a popular event in 2018
  • The fourth Games Finance Market (Wednesday, 3 April and Thursday 4 April) the only event of its kind in the UK, connecting 60 games studios with 60 global games investors
  • A second phase of Ensemble, Games London’s exhibition profiling key UK-based BAME games talent
  • Games Character Parade (Saturday, 6 April) featuring a parade of cosplayers at key London locations alongside a day of family-oriented activities

Games London is also proud to have internationaly renowned global partners delivering further events during the festival including:

  • London’s largest games event EGX Rezzed (Thursday, 4 April to Saturday, 6 April), a showcase of PC and indie games at Tobacco Dock
  • The BAFTA Games Awards on the evening of Thursday, 4 April

Applications are now open for developers and industry professionals looking to take part in London Games Festival and the wider Games London programme – including the Games Finance Market and Pitch Bootcamp, the second phase of BAME exhibition Ensemble and an upcoming outbound mission to Slush in Helsinki, Finland in December.

Find out more at www.games.london and follow @londongamesfest for more updates over the coming weeks and months.

Train2Game News Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us

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This November, CinEvents, Fathom Events and The Pokémon Company International invite Pokémon fans to experience the highly anticipated “Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us” on the big screen, with UK screenings on November 24th, December 1st plus additional screenings in select cinemas till December 3rd.

Based on the globally popular Pokémon brand, “Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us” tells a new story of Ash and Pikachu as they team up with diverse characters to face unique challenges and thrilling Pokémon battles in this heartwarming film that illustrates the value of teamwork.

The feature-length anime film has a unique art style, new characters, and some exciting and fun surprises for fans both new and old to the extremely popular franchise.

Continuing from last year’s “Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You,” it follows young trainer Ash as he voyages with the adorable and fan favourite Pikachu as they continue with their Pokémon-capturing adventures. The new installment takes place in the seaside town of Frau City, where an annual festival celebrating the legendary Pokémon Lugia is held each year, as it saved the town from danger in the years prior.

When the festival’s livelihood is put at risk, Ash must team up with others in Frau City as well as some extremely familiar faces to face off a procession of Pokémon imposing threat to Frau City. This is an unmissable and thrilling installment and a complete treat for the whole family.

“Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us” will be shown in more than 300 cinemas across the UK & Ireland.
Attendees at selected screenings of “Pokémon the Movie: The Power of US” across the UK & Ireland will be able to pick up a free sample pack of The Pokémon Trading Card Game, featuring three random trading cards.

To find your closest participating cinema showing “Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us” and to book your tickets please go to www.fathomanimation.com.

“Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You was a huge success last year and we are delighted to be bringing the next installment to fans across the UK & Ireland from November.” Joe Evea, MD CinEvents.

“We are thrilled to work with The Pokémon Company International to bring another exciting and new Pokémon adventure to cinemas nationwide this fall,” said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “These cinematic events provide an opportunity for fans to catch up with their favorite characters, and for a whole new audience of moviegoers to discover Pokémon.”

“We’re excited that fans will be able to immerse themselves in Ash and Pikachu’s latest animated adventure from their neighborhood movie theaters,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of consumer marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “Our continued partnership with Fathom Events allows us to deliver more quality entertainment experiences that delight the Pokémon community.”

Train2Game News International Mobile Gaming Awards submissions open

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The International Mobile Gaming Awards (IMGA) has now opened the call for submissions for their 15th annual Global edition.

What started in 2004 in Monte Carlo has now grown to be the largest competition for mobile games in the world, with additional region-specific events and competitions in China, Southeast Asia, and Middle East North Africa.

All mobile game makers, from indie developers to established studios, publishers, students and researchers from all countries are invited to enter their games into this year’s competition. Participants have until December 31, 2018, to submit their entries. The competition is free, and entrants may submit multiple games for consideration.

Following the deadline for submissions, an online judging panel will determine the shortlisted nominees who will then be revealed as the 15th IMGA Global finalists in February. This year’s winners will be determined by a panel of industry experts and revealed during the annual International Mobile Gaming Awards ceremony in San Francisco, at Minna Gallery on March 19, 2019.

Last year’s awarded games include Hidden Folks (Adriaan de Jongh), Life is Strange (Dontnod), Tokaido (Funforge Digital), Old Man’s Journey (Broken Rules) and many others.

“Mobile Gaming represents more than 50% of the games industry today,” says Maarten Noyons, IMGA’s CEO and founder. “More people play mobile games than PC and console games combined. At IMGA, we’re proud to be part of this industry. For almost 15 years, we have been celebrating the ever-increasing quality and stunning innovation of mobile games, and have witnessed huge advances over the years, from augmented reality to AAA-quality mobile productions. I’m already looking forward to what lays ahead for 2019, and which games we will be playing in our online and on-site judging sessions to come.”

The IMGA Global competition is also open to AR and VR games. Eligible games must be published in 2018 or have yet-to-be published and must be downloadable in a playable version.

Entrants from across the globe can submit their games for consideration on the official IMGA website.