Monthly Archives: July 2021

Train2Game News Jagex Expands With Recruitment Drive

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Jagex, a global leader in the development and publishing of living games has today announced an expansion of its internal production teams with a slew of new hires from across the games industry.

The addition of an executive to oversee Game Operations and several Lead Producers will enable the company to continue the development of its long-standing RuneScape franchise as well as other new projects.
 

Ben Wibberley joins Jagex as Vice President of Games Operations where he will focus on providing industry leading QA to all of our games, the maturation and growth of Jagex’s Localisation efforts, and oversight of Jagex External Services, that manages outsource efforts for the game studio. A 25-year game industry veteran, he has worked with many of the most prominent studios in the business. Ben’s expertise includes operational strategy, business development, strategic account and program management. 
 

Chris Stamp has been appointed Lead Producer for an unannounced Jagex game. With over 18 years of experience in the games industry and in software engineering, Chris has worked across multiple projects from first person shooters at Acony Games to cockpit technology for military aircraft at BAe, previously also having held leading roles at Earthbound Game, Reagent Games and Ubisoft. 
 

Jay (Jaeyoung) Cho has joined Jagex as Lead Producer on Old School RuneScape.  Formerly at EA, Jay worked as a Producer responsible for online F2P and Mobile game development of AAA franchise titles, with a focus on monetisation, data analysis, corporate strategy and regional leadership. Jay has been developing games for more than 18 years, having begun his career at Xenon Games working on MMORPG MooC Online before moving on to Producer and Director roles at Eyasoft and Smilegate in Korea.
 

Nick Beliaeff, SVP Development at Jagex, said: “We’re extremely happy to be in a position where we can bring so many new and talented people into Jagex, especially in such challenging times. Hiring the very best and adding to the depth of experience we already have remains pivotal to our ongoing success, and to maintaining both the RuneScape franchise and other projects in development. 
 

Phil Mansell, Jagex CEO, added: “As we celebrate 20-years of the RuneScape franchise, we continue to evolve RuneScape and Old School RuneScape for our amazing community across PC and new platforms – with both games now available on mobile and Steam. When you factor in publishing our first third-party game Space Punks, developed by Flying Wild Hog and released under our the Jagex Partners banner, it’s clear that we’ll continue to build our teams and expand the reach and appeal of our games to old and new audiences alike.”

To find out more about further career opportunities at Jagex, visit the studios careers portal at www.jagex.com/careers

Train2Game News Trivium Front Man Joins Gaming Charity

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Stack Up, the 501(c)3 military charity dedicated to supporting US and Allied Veterans’ mental health through gaming and working to end the epidemic of veteran suicide, announces that Matthew “Kiichichaos” Heafy, lead singer of GRAMMY-nominated metal band Trivium, is joining the Stack Up board of directors after a unanimous vote.

Across more than two decades in Trivium, Heafy has sold millions of records, toured with Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Korn, and performed on all continents except Antarctica. As a solo performer, Heafy has worked with heavy music luminaries like Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, black metal pioneer Ihsahn, and YouTube music sensation Jared Dines.

The son of a US Marine Corps veteran, Heafy is also known for the top Twitch music channel with more than 225,000 followers, where he performs music from his home studio and plays video games, including raising thousands of dollars for Stack Up.

Heafy also co-founded the Metal and Honey Foundation with his wife Ashley Heafy, which is dedicated to supporting the music therapy program at his local Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

Now a member of the Stack Up board, Heafy will help guide Stack Up as it continues its mission to support veterans and active duty military with the therapeutic benefits of gaming.

These initiatives include Supply Crate video game care packages to recuperating military members and active duty personnel. Additionally, Stack Up provides Air Assault trips to in-demand gaming events for deserving veterans, and operates round-the-clock mental health support initiative Stack Up Overwatch Program (StOP).

“I was born in Iwakuni, Japan, in a Marine Corps military base hospital. My father is a Marine and my mother is from Hiroshima, Japan. My dad’s side of the family has multi-generations long lineages in all services and branches of the military. Thanks to my father’s service in the USMC, I exist,” said Matthew Heafy.

“Stack Up’s emphasis on wanting to help people’s mental well-being, while creating a place in which fellow active service and veteran military – US and allied – can come together and celebrate what connects them, is a mission that resounded with me at my core.”

“It is literally a dream come true,” said Stack Up CEO and Founder Stephen Machuga,

“I have had Trivium songs on my workout mix since I was in the Army, and now the lead singer is sending me multiple emails a day before I’m even out of bed asking how he can help us out? It’s bananas; the potential feels endless right now.”

For more information, please visit the official Stack Up website, and follow the organization via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Subscribe to the official YouTube channel, follow Stack Up on Twitch, and join the official Discord server.

For more on Matthew “Kiichichaos” Heafy, please follow him on Twitter, Twitch, and Facebook, and follow Trivium on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Train2Game News Nexomon Coming To Consoles

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PQube and developer Vewo Interactive Inc. are excited to reveal the original ‘Nexomon’ will be coming soon to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Xbox One/Series X for the first time!

  • Rated 9/10 and 4.8/5 by players on Steam and iOS
  • Catch, evolve and collect over 300 unique Nexomon to build your team and complete the Nexopedia
  • Choose your starter: 7 unique creatures to select from
  • Deep & engaging turn-based battle system
  • Explore 10 vibrant regions on the NexoWorld map
  • Coming soon to consoles for the first time

Originally released on mobile with over 1 million downloads to date, ‘Nexomon’ is a return to nostalgic monster catching gameplay and prequel to ‘Nexomon: Extinction’.  

Check out the ‘Nexomon’ Announcement trailer: https://youtu.be/K6ZLuwgtAO4

For more information and the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, Instagram and the official website: http://pqube.co.uk/

Train2Game News New Not For Profit UK eSports Committee Formed

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A new independent not-for-profit committee consisting of leading UK esports teams has formed, supported by the British Esports Association, to help progress and grow the UK esports industry to become more globally recognised.

The UK Esports Team Committee (UKETC) will act as a collective voice of UK teams in wider industry discussions, representing their views and interests to the wider UK esports and video games industries and to Government, and to encourage professionalism within UK esports.

The UKETC will identify ways to enhance the credibility of esports in the UK, acting as a source of advice and educational resource for other UK esports teams.

The aim is to bring teams together to lift UK esports as a whole by improving commercial opportunities for UK esports teams, establishing a set of standards for professional esports teams in the UK and have UKETC as a voice involved in the conversation with other esports bodies such as British Esports and Ukie.

Founding members of the UKETC include Endpoint, EXCEL, Fnatic, MNM Gaming, London Royal Ravens, London Spitfire and Vexed Gaming, with other teams able to apply to join the committee.

The committee will come together to accept new teams wishing to join and have produced a set of criteria that they will use to assess their decision making, such as; being a registered limited company in the United Kingdom, having a brand history spanning three years or more, having a respectable track record of competing in esports competitions, demonstrable contractual commitments to staff and players, and more.

It is also stated that organisations who do not meet all requirements, but excel in a number of the stated requirements, are still encouraged to apply and may still be accepted.

The full list of criteria and more information on the UKETC can be found on the committee’s website.

 The British Esports Association will support the UKETC, however the committee will not be a formal sub-committee under British Esports. This will allow the UKETC to operate independently, whilst still allowing it to work together according to its shared values of credibility, education, inclusivity and sustainability.

Train2Game News Hypercasual Heroes Mobile Game Funding

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Kwalee, a world-leading developer and publisher of hypercasual mobile games, has launched ‘Hypercasual Heroes’ to reward independent game developers making compelling and original mobile titles with up to $100,000 in advances and a publishing deal including substantial uncapped profit share.

There is even a Tesla Model 3 up for grabs for the first dev to pass the challenge!
 

With the limited-time challenge open for submissions until 31st August 2021, Kwalee is particularly looking for mobile games that feature new gameplay mechanics or ingenious twists on existing ones. This is in-keeping with Kwalee’s DNA, with many key figures at the company – including CEO David Darling and COO Jason Falcus – having begun their game development careers independently as teenagers and remaining passionate about the new strides being taken by independent developers worldwide.
 

Hypercasual games are titles which can be played in short bursts and have incredibly broad appeal, not just among traditional ‘gamers’, so hitting upon that combination of gameplay and visuals to entice all kinds of players will be the key for developers to become bonafide Hypercasual Heroes.
 

“One of the most satisfying aspects of hypercasual game development is that such a great variety of themes and gameplay styles can make for global hits with millions of players,” said Kwalee CEO David Darling.

“We’re always looking to develop titles that are completely unlike what’s been seen before and now we’re investing heavily in encouraging other developers to do the same with Hypercasual Heroes. We don’t even need to see a full game – just a video or a few levels can be enough to see a game’s potential!”
 

Kwalee’s Hypercasual Heroes is open until 31st August 2021. Full information on how to submit a game and potentially earn the aforementioned awards can be found on our website: https://kwalee.com/blog/inside-kwalee/introducing-hypercasual-heroes
 

Train2Game News New Nintendo Switch Announced

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The Nintendo Switch family of systems is about to gain a new member.

On Oct. 8, Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will launch at a suggested retail price of $349.99, giving people another option for how they want to play the vast library of games on Nintendo Switch.

Click here to view the video announcing the new system.

Nintendo Switch (OLED model) has a similar overall size to the Nintendo Switch system, but with a larger, vibrant 7-inch OLED screen with vivid colors and crisp contrast.

Nintendo Switch (OLED model) also features a wide adjustable stand for tabletop mode, a new dock with a wired LAN port, 64GB of internal storage, and enhanced audio for handheld and tabletop play.

Just like Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch (OLED model) allows players to play on the TV and share the detachable Joy-Con controllers for right-out-of-the-box multiplayer fun.

And just like both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, with Nintendo Switch (OLED model), the system can be taken on the go to enjoy its play-anywhere versatility.

A carrying case and screen protector set for Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will also be available.

Nintendo Switch (OLED model) launches on Oct. 8, the same day as the Metroid Dread game, the next entry in the 2D Metroid saga that kicked off with the original Metroid on NES.

With the vibrant OLED screen and enhanced audio, embarking on the latest adventure of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran in Metroid Dread while playing in handheld or tabletop mode will feel even more immersive.

“The new Nintendo Switch (OLED model) is a great option for players who want to experience the new vibrant screen when playing in handheld and tabletop mode,” said Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser.

“With the addition of this new model to the Nintendo Switch family of systems, people have an additional choice of a system that best fits the gaming experience they desire – whether it’s Nintendo Switch (OLED model), Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch Lite.”

Nintendo Switch (OLED model) will let players experience enhancements in all three play modes:

TV mode: Set the Nintendo Switch (OLED model) system into the dock to play Nintendo Switch games on the TV. By using the built-in wired LAN port, players can enjoy another way to connect online in TV mode.

Tabletop mode: Flip the stand on the back of the system and use the system’s screen to play multiplayer games using two Joy-Con controllers right out of the box. A wide adjustable stand makes for a solid and sturdy foundation. It allows players to freely tilt the system and adjust the viewing angle, so it makes it easier to see the screen.

Handheld mode: Players can bring the system wherever they go in handheld mode and play local or online multiplayer with friends. The system’s 7-inch OLED screen provides vivid color and crisp contrast.

When the system launches, it will come in two color options:

  • Nintendo Switch (OLED model) white set, which features white Joy-Con controllers, a black main unit and a white dock.
  • Nintendo Switch (OLED model) neon red/neon blue set, which features neon red and neon blue Joy-Con controllers, a black main unit and a black dock.

All previously released Joy-Con for Nintendo Switch are compatible with this new model. Additionally, Nintendo Switch (OLED model) is compatible with the full library of Nintendo Switch games.

For anyone that picks up this new system and wants to transfer their digital games and save data from another Nintendo Switch system, details about the transfer process can be found at https://support.nintendo.com/.

Check with local retailers for pre-order information soon.

For more information about the system, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/oled-model/.

Train2Game News Human Fall Flat Level Design Competition

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No Brakes Games and Curve Digitalare delighted to announce that Human: Fall Flat is running an exciting 5th Anniversary Level Design Competition to celebrate five years of wobbly physics platformer fun, which opens for entries today!

Ahead of the award-winning game’s fifth birthday on 22nd July, the competition invites fans to dream big and submit their most imaginative level design ideas on social media in any creative medium they choose.

Participants can draw, paint, model from plasticine or building bricks, write a short description or even bake a level shaped cake – then share a high resolution picture of their creation for the chance to win.

Judges will consider entries based on the amount of imagination that went into each entry – so get creative!

The lucky winner will have their dreamscape brought to life as a real in-game level across PC and console platforms and also receive an Arctis 7 SteelSeries headset and a SteelSeries Qck+ mousepad.

Two runners up will also receive their very own SteelSeries Qck+ mousepad.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Qx4MdvJBAk?wmode=transparent 

How to enter

To enter, all of the following actions must be completed on Gleam via the following URL: https://gleam.io/P67iO/hff-<wbr />level-comp

  1. Follow Human: Fall Flat on Twitter – https://twitter.com/<wbr />HumanFallFlat 
  2. Visit https://www.facebook.com/<wbr />humanfallflat 
  3. Upload an image of the level design

The competition is now open, and will run until 11pm BST on 12th August 2021. We can’t wait to see your designs! Good luck!

For more information about Human: Fall Flat and to made aware of future updates check out the official Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/477160/Human_Fall_Flat/

Train2Game News War Hospital Supporting Imperial War Museums

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Brave Lamb Studio, a member of the Movie Games family, has partnered with the UK’s Imperial War Museums on War Hospital, a game set in the realities of World War I.

War Hospital is a society survival game set in 1917, where the player takes on the role of Major Henry Wells, a British field medic who becomes the commander of a field hospital located in France, near the front lines.

His job is to manage a medical team, care for the wounded and develop medical technology in the face of limited resources and a deepening conflict. A unique aspect of the game is the triage – the segregation of the wounded based on the patient’s prognosis and personal history, highlighting the difficult choices frontline medics had to make. 

Imperial War Museums is a British organization that includes five branches dedicated to uncovering the causes, course and consequences of war, from the First World War through to present-day. Its experts will consult on the historical aspect of the game and act as advisors for the game developers. War Hospital is the first ever game to be Brand Licensed by Imperial War Museums.

“As a leading authority on 20th and 21st century conflicts, we will be working closely with the Brave Lamb Studio creative team to enhance the world depicted in the game. We are excited to help add realism to a game that depicts the realities of World War I in a way never seen before,”

David Fenton, Head of Retail & Admissions,
Imperial War Museums

“Imperial War Museums is a partner that delivers value in two dimensions. The first is historical accuracy – we are working with the best source of data on World War I, which we will certainly use. The second aspect is reaching out to all members of the history enthusiast community who recognize the Imperial War Museums brand in Europe. In doing so, it should be noted that we are the first game to be Brand Licensed by the IMW. I think this is a special honor for us,” 

Michał Dziwniel, producer and board member,
Brave Lamb Studio

War Hospital is heading to PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X platforms.

For more details click here.

Train2Game News Buzz Capital Game Funding

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Buzz Capital is delighted to announce the successful completion of a second-round £500k equity raise for video games studio Dream Harvest and video games publisher Fundamentally Games.

Premiere Capital led the investment round, with support from the team at Buzz Capital.

The raise comes after trade body UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), in it’s annual UK Consumer Games Market Valuation, announced that the UK market for video games reached a record £7bn in 2020, an increase of +29.9% from 2019, beating 2018’s previous record by more than a billion pounds.

“Buzz Capital has again demonstrated its commitment to start-ups and the business sector through helping these exciting companies find the investment they need to scale. The games sector is one of the few industries to have made huge gains during Covid as more and more people embraced video games during the various lockdowns to pass the time and remain connected to friends and family. It’s an ambition we will continue building on over the coming months.” – Adam Betteridge, COO at Buzz Capital

Buzz Capital seeks to support businesses across a range of sectors by providing, simple and straightforward finance solutions. The team has many years of experience structuring bespoke financing arrangements, such as cash flowing facilities secured against tax credits and other receivables across all the creative industries, including film, video games, animation, theatre, as well as for research & development and property development.

  The first of the two investee companies, Dream Harvest, is an award-winning game studio building games that combine rich, deep narrative experiences and expansive, diverse worlds for players to get lost in with mechanics that drive genres in new directions.

“We’re thankful for the continued support from the team at Premiere and Buzz Capital who have been long term partners of Dream Harvest and who believe in the long-term vision we have for the studio; Building worlds filled with amazing characters and stories, told through games that push genres in new, bold directions and doing this with a community centric approach” – Justin French, CEO at Dream Harvest

The second investee, Fundamentally Games, is a video games publisher focused on living games. They offer LiveOps + Publishing + UA. Fundamentally Games started trading in 2019 and is run by Ella Romanos & Oscar Clark, who have industry experience spanning over 33 years.

“We’re thrilled that Buzz and Premiere have doubled down on its support of Fundamentally Games at these early stages of our journey, not only through our recent UA funding partnership for games we publish, but also now a second equity raise. We’ve made good progress over the last year and having a partner who believes in us and who is on that journey with us is something that any company would be lucky to have and demonstrates their commitment not just to us, but to the UK games industry too.” – Ella Romanos from Fundamentally Games

Train2Game News Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster

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SQUARE ENIX Ltd. today announced FINAL FANTASY I, II and III are coming to Steam® and mobile platforms on July 28.

The pixel remaster series brings all the magic of the originals combined with quality-of-life upgrades while staying faithful to the retro design of these masterpieces. Fans can look forward to enjoying a host of updates including:
 

  • Redrawn 2D pixel character and background graphics, featuring iconic FINAL FANTASY character pixel designs created by Kazuko Shibuya, the original artist and current collaborator.
  • Beautifully rearranged soundtracks, overseen by original composer Nobuo Uematsu.
  • Improved gameplay, including controller and touch controls, modernized UI, auto-battle options, and more.
  • Dive into the world of the game with supplemental extras like the bestiary, illustration gallery, music player, and the ability to save at any time

Looking back at the long history of the beloved series, the “Father of FINAL FANTASY” Hironobu Sakaguchi states,

“When working on the originals, I didn’t think that the FINAL FANTASY series would be remastered almost 35 years later. The video game industry had only just been established. So, with nobody else leading the way, we had to keep moving forward at the front line. I remember how we went through a lot of trial and error at that time. I’m very happy and grateful that Final Fantasy has continued for such a long period of time.”

FINAL FANTASY Brand Manager and FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Producer Yoshinori Kitase adds,

“Every time a new Final Fantasy title is released, I think there are those who want to return to the origin of the series. This project began because we wanted to create a convenient way for fans and new players to enjoy these original classics, with consistent graphics and a unified user interface.”

Further, in regard to the renowned soundtrack of the FINAL FANTASY series, series composer Nobuo Uematsu also confirmed,

“We are rearranging all the music tracks this time. One of the first ideas I had was to make sure to stay faithful to the originals, but of course I couldn’t just leave it in the original 3-tone sound, so they have been built up into full-scale tracks. I have made sure that the original atmosphere has been retained and each can be listened to as separate music pieces, so that fans can enjoy.”

  Those who pre-purchase the titles on Steam® will receive two exclusive wallpapers, three music tracks, and 20% discount per each respective title. All six titles are also available for pre-purchase as the FINAL FANTASY I-VI Bundle for a further discount. More information on the bundle is available on Steam at: https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/21478.

  *Games in bundle to be available upon respected release timings

View the FINAL FANTASY PIXEL REMASTER | Promotional Trailer at: https://youtu.be/XdLsIQEGj-E