Category Archives: Developer

Train2Game News Tester Job Available

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A new job is available for Train2Game students who are interested in games testing.

F2P GAMES QA TESTER – Based in Milton Keynes

Games tester required to join a proven industry leading mobile games
developer. We need a few pragmatic and self-motivated individuals who can
work on their own initiative and function well within a team.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

   – _ Write and run custom and bespoke test routines as required
   – _ Compile games test results and data into concise bug reports
   – _ Complete test report tickets

OUR REQUIREMENTS

   – _ 1+ years experience, preferably in games or related field
   – _ Strong team player, eager to learn and share with others
   – _ Bright, flexible and able to work to deadlines and under pressure
   – _ Tech savvy with an interest in F2P game on mobile and console
   – _ Strong written and oral communication skills
   – _ Excellent attention to detail
   – _ Ability to follow processes and suggest improvements
   – _ A good understanding of the software development and testing
   lifecycle

EXTRA KUDOS FOR

   – _ Professional development experience of mobile and console platforms
   – _ An understanding of the F2P games market
   – _ A passion for playing games, particularly on mobile
   – _ Initiative and drive for problem solving

Please send job applications to jobs@train2game.com

Train2Game News Creative Industries responds to budget

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Creative Media businesses welcomed the Government’s Budget announcement today that it will continue to contribute to Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Fund , (SIF) for another two years.

The Government will provide £4 million to co-invest with industries, matching pound for pound support  for training and development in film, high- end TV, visual effects, video games and animation.

Creative Skillset welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement of children’s television tax relief from April 2015 and look forward to discussing the establishment of appropriate mechanisms for ensuring they also contribute to enjoy co-investment in training and skills and support industry sustainability.

Josh Berger CBE, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. Entertainment UK & Ireland , said:

“As we produce more and more world-class content in the UK, it is crucial that we continue to invest in the next generation of talent. The Skills Investment Fund is a key part of that and we welcome this further Government support.”

Ivan Dunleavy, Chief Executive of Pinewood Group said: “Growth in the creative sectors has been much faster and more impressive than forecast and industry needs to scale up and skill up quickly to meet that need. This support to training and skills is what we need to help to deliver that.”

Ian Livingstone, CBE- Chair of Playdemic, Midoki and Playmob and Creative Industries Champion for the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills said: “Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Fund has been a massive success story for industries that must address talent development to keep pace with global competition and drive growth. Today’s commitment from the Chancellor is both vital and very welcome.”

Dinah Caine CBE, Chief Executive of Creative Skillset said:
“Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Fund has been a game changer for our industries. We have invested directly in companies, over 1,000 new entrant trainees have been placed in the tax break industries, 376 companies have benefitted and over 10,000 training opportunities have been made available. With the additional support announced by the Chancellor today, we can continue to invest in training that will help deliver growth in these sectors and we thank him for that.”

The investment will be available from April 2015.

Train2Game News Gamer Network reviews EGX Rezzed

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Gamer Network, the world’s leading network of independent video games websites and producer of the UK’s premiere video games events, takes a rosy look back at last week’s EGX Rezzed.

Freshly relocated to Tobacco Dock in London’s East End, EGX Rezzed 2015 cemented itself as the premier platform for independent developers to showcase their latest projects, as well as larger publishers to highlight their latest game updates. With the return of established features such as the Developer Sessions, Leftfield Collection and BAFTA Inside Games Arcade, plus the inclusion of new features like the GamesIndustry Fair and Rezzed Sessions, this year’s EGX Rezzed was the best yet for both consumers and exhibitors.

As is tradition, Gamer Network asked visitors to let them know their personal Game of the Show. ArenaNet arrived in force to EGX Rezzed with their newly announced first expansion for Guild Wars 2. With a packed booth for the entire event and a very warm reception from fans, Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns wins the EGX Rezzed 2015 Game of the Show.

In celebration of a successful event, the Gamer Network data kings have been gathering numbers:

●        Over 12,000 attendees arrived to play this year’s best games
●        110 exhibitors, from indie developers to AAA publishers, retailers, universities, trade bodies and beyond
●        Over 150 playable games across PC, console, browser and mobile
●        Over 300 screens of gaming
●        20+ VR games and experiences wowed the crowds
●        Xbox attended with 22 playable games in its ID@Xbox range
●        In addition to Game of the Show second place winner Bloodborne, Sony demoed 8 new indie games including Gang Beasts, which placed third
●        BAFTA’s Inside Games Arcade showcased 16 British-developed games
●        More than 300 games were submitted for the Leftfield Collection, of which 24 winning games were selected
●        15 tabletop games featured in the packed Esdevium Games area
●        10 Developer Sessions including Valve’s Vive VR and ex-Rare devs Playtonic’s new platformer
●        More than 60,000 viewers watched the sessions on the EGX Twitch and YouTube channels
●        Over 800 people attended Valve’s Virtual Reality in 2015 session – the largest in EGX history
●        Rezzed Sessions featured 10 informal dev talks including an Alien: Isolation post-mortem
●        8 games industry execs gave careers insight in the BAFTA & Ukie Careers Bar talks, including 3 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits and 1 British Academy Games Awards winner
●        49 Ukie Video Games Ambassadors and BAFTA Crew Games members advised the next generation of games industry professionals on how to land a career in games
●        6 teams competed in the Creative Assembly Game Jam, each given 8 hours to make a game from scratch based on Guardian news stories. Congratulations to Ultra Testibus!
●        The newly released EGX mobile app featured 17,715 game views and features a Google Play rating of 4.4

“This year’s EGX Rezzed provided the most positive feedback of any show in the EGX family. Consumers enjoyed the discovery of a new and fascinating venue and developers enjoyed the opportunity to either take their own space or throw themselves together”, said David Lilley, Managing Director of Gamer Events. “Last week’s show provides the perfect springboard for this September’s EGX, the largest gaming event in UK history”.

Here’s the full top 10 EGX Rezzed 2015 Games of the Show:

1.       Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns
2.       Bloodborne
3.       Gang Beasts
4.       Titan Souls
5.       Life is Strange
6.       Beyond Eyes
7.       Not a Hero
8.       Ratz Instagib
9.       Broforce
10.   Big Pharma

All eyes are now on EGX 2015, with ticket sales kicking off at 11:00 GMT (12:00 CET) this Friday 20th March. Set to be the largest UK gaming event ever, EGX 2015 runs from 24th-27th September.

Train2Game News PEGI rating comes to mobile

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PEGI announced today the expansion of its rating system to mobile and digital storefronts in Europe, as part of a global initiative with other classification authorities from around the world.

The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) was recently established to streamline the process for assigning age and content ratings to the high volume of digitally delivered games and mobile apps coming into the market today. The IARC.system is currently adopted for use in Google Play and Firefox Marketplace, and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Store, Nintendo eShop and the Sony PlayStation Store are expected to do so at a later date. 

Founded in late 2013, the IARC system represents the first time international ratings organisations have joined forces to agree on a unified process that simultaneously generates ratings for multiple territories while preserving each of their distinct cultural standards. Currently, the IARC process assigns the familiar and trusted content rating icons from PEGI (Europe), ESRB (North America), ClassInd (Brazil), USK (Germany) and the Classification Board in Australia, with more rating authorities expected to join in the future. All publishers on the participating platforms will be required to use the IARC procedure during the on-boarding process. There is no cost to publishers to obtain ratings via IARC and the process is designed to be fast and easy.

“I really applaud this responsible move”, says Robert Madelin, Director General of DG CONNECT, European Commission. “Age-rating apps in a way that is generally applicable, transparent, and consistent and that is familiar and understandable to users is an important step in making the internet a better place for children.”

“The market for digital games and mobile apps is exploding across the globe.  With a single click, developers can publish their games and apps on digital storefronts reaching a worldwide audience. These realities have created regulatory and cultural challenges that call for an innovative solution like IARC to help developers and storefronts provide consumers with culturally relevant, legally compliant and reliable guidance about the age appropriateness of the content in games and apps they may be considering for download,” said Dirk Bosmans, Communication Manager of PEGI S.A.. “It is encouraging that digital storefronts recognise the benefits of this groundbreaking initiative.”

The IARC system assigns age ratings, content descriptors and interactive elements for digitally delivered games and apps.  Developers can only access the system and use IARC ratings on digital storefronts that have licensed and integrated the system into their on-boarding process.  There is no cost for developers to use the system, which features a single questionnaire that once completed immediately assigns different ratings for various territories around the world.  Those IARC-certified ratings are then ingested by the storefront and mapped to their respective regions.  IARC and its participating rating authorities are responsible for monitoring and ensuring the accuracy of ratings assigned by the system. The fundamental goal is to enable digital consumers, especially parents, to have broad access to established, credible and locally relevant ratings for interactive entertainment products, regardless of the device on which they consume them. 

The initial five IARC rating authority participants, which collectively represent regions serving approximately 1.5 billion people, include:

    Pan European Game Information (PEGI) – Europe
    Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) – Germany
    Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) – North America
    Classificação Indicativa (ClassInd) – Brazil
    Classification Board – Australia

For more information about IARC, please visit www.globalratings.com

Train2Game News Student artwork gallery

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Dan CableDan Cable is coming to the end of his course with Train2Game and we have every confidence he’ll go on to do some incredible things in the gaming world.

We’ve highlighted some of our favourite pieces of his work, but if you’d like to see more art and 3D Gifs then visit his work thread on the forum.
http://forum.train2game.com/showthread.php/14286-Wyldeone1978-s-Work-Thread/page6

In a post Dan wrote on the Train2Game forum and said of the course: “I gotta say, I’m partly sad it’s over (or nearly) but it’s been a long road to get here. I’m a little disappointed I took so long (3 Years) as I think I committed too much time to things like BF3/4 and iRacing rather than get my head down with this. For the money spent I think I’ve got a great value education and a great understanding of the core principles involved in game art.”

We’ve approached Dan for an interview and he’ll be getting back to us as soon as he finishes his course work!

You can view some of Dans artwork in the gallery below

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Train2Game News Nintendo partner with DeNa

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Nintendo Co., Ltd. and DeNA Co., Ltd. today entered into a business and capital alliance to develop and operate new game apps for smart devices and build a new multi-device membership service for consumers worldwide.

Leveraging the strength of Nintendo’s intellectual property (IP) and game development skills in combination with DeNA’s world-class expertise in mobile games, both companies will develop and operate new game apps based on Nintendo’s IP, including its iconic game characters, for smart devices. The alliance is intended to complement Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the vast market of smart device users worldwide. Under the alliance, DeNA will also be able to strengthen its gaming business at a global scale by leveraging Nintendo’s IP. To ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from this alliance of Nintendo and DeNA, only new original games optimised for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system.

In order to create completely new game experiences for smart devices, all Nintendo IP will be eligible for development and exploration by the alliance. As these consumers enjoy the unique kind of gameplay found only with Nintendo, they will have the opportunity to explore even more premium experiences on Nintendo’s dedicated video game platforms. Information on upcoming games and availability will be forthcoming.

Nintendo and DeNA also plan to develop an online membership service that is accessible from smart devices, PC and Nintendo systems, such as the Nintendo 3DS portable system and the Wii U home console. The membership service, which is targeted to launch in the fall of 2015, will be built on DeNA’s extensive experience and capabilities in online membership services.

As part of the long-term relationship and commitment by each company, Nintendo and DeNA have also agreed to form a capital alliance. Under the capital alliance, Nintendo will acquire 15,081,000 of DeNA’s treasury shares, which corresponds to 10.00 percent of its total outstanding stock, for a total of approximately 22 billion yen. DeNA will simultaneously acquire 1,759,400 of Nintendo’s treasury shares, which corresponds to 1.24 percent of its outstanding stock, for a total of approximately 22 billion yen. The payment is due April 2, 2015.

Train2Game News Android PlaytestCloud

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Games usability testing startup PlaytestCloud will start offering playtests and usability studies for Android games today.

For just $49 per player game designers can quickly learn how real players behave in their games and fix problems even before the game is launched.

PlaytestCloud offers game designers the ability to easily perform user studies on Android devices within 48 hours. By looking at how actual players engage with games and making changes based on their feedback, designers can easily improve the playability of their in-development titles. PlaytestCloud’s quick turnaround time and relatively low price point allow companies like TinyCo, Wooga and ZeptoLab to quickly iterate on game designs and gauge players’ enthusiasm for their prototypes.

Until now, PlaytestCloud offered testing exclusively for iOS devices. Starting today they also added Android game testing to their platform. Game designers do not need to make code changes to their game. They can upload any recent game build to the PlaytestCloud web site to get player recordings within 24-48 hours. Designers can pick their target audience by age, gender and casual/midcore/hardcore gaming preference. They can also select players of competitors’ titles. Each game test costs US$49 per player. Testers play the games on their own Android device, while their screen is being unobstrusively captured by an SDK that is automatically added to the game.

“Android players are accustomed to different user interface conventions than users of iOS devices. You can really profit from testing an cross-platform game with Android users as well as iOS users.” says Christian Ress, who co-founded PlaytestCloud in 2012. With their Android support, PlaytestCloud also bets on the growing importance of Android titles for game studios’ bottom lines. In 2015 Google’s Play Store has surpassed the App Store’s monthly revenue in Germany for the first time.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 games – 16.03.15

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GTA VAnother week another quiet charts. GTA V has re taken the number one spot and the only new games to enter the charts are special editions of previous games. The DMC: Definitive Edition has entered the chart at number five and Sniper Elite 3: Ultimate Edition has entered the chart at number ten.

All formats

Week ending 14 March 2015

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 2
2 DYING LIGHT WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 1
3 – FIFA 15 EA SPORTS 3
4 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 6
5 DMC: DEFINITIVE EDITION CAPCOM –
6 CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE ACTIVISION 4
7 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 10
8 EVOLVE 2K GAMES 9
9 ZOMBIE ARMY TRILOGY SOLD OUT SALES & MARKETING 8
10 SNIPER ELITE 3: ULTIMATE EDITION 505 GAMES –
11 DRAGON BALL XENOVERSE BANDAI NAMCO GAMES 5
12 WWE 2K15 2K SPORTS 13
13 TERRARIA XBOX 360 CLASSICS 14
14 FORZA HORIZON 2 MICROSOFT 15
15 FAR CRY 4 UBISOFT 11
16 THE CREW UBISOFT 19
17 – DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 DISNEY INFINITY 17
18 DESTINY ACTIVISION 12
19 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA’S MASK 3D NINTENDO 16
20 LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 14
< 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 Project BlueStreak using UE4

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During a panel at PAX East, Boss Key Productions, a new game development studio founded by industry veterans Cliff Bleszinski and Arjan Brussee, revealed to fans that Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4 will power the indie developer’s upcoming free-to-play, first-person shooter, currently known as “Project BlueStreak.”

“We considered several options regarding what technology we’d use to build ‘Project BlueStreak’. Ultimately, we found ourselves coming full circle to my friends at Epic Games and the elegant solution for rapid and quality game development that is Unreal Engine 4,” said Cliff Bleszinski, founder and CEO of Boss Key Productions. “We look forward to making a top-tier product through this partnership.”

“Project BlueStreak” is a free-to-play FPS grounded in a recovered apocalyptic sci-fi setting, to be published by Nexon America for future release on the PC. Fans can sign up for ‘first to know’ insider updates at bosskey.com. With a team comprised of experienced developers from across the videogame industry, Boss Key Productions aims to innovate the first-person-shooter genre. Pairing Unreal’s unique set of tools with Boss Key’s industry-leading talent, the studio is poised to create a new IP that redefines the DNA of the arena shooter.

“Cliff is intimately familiar with the Unreal Engine and he and Arjan have put together a highly talented team,” said Joe Kreiner, head of Unreal Engine licensing for the Americas, Epic Games. “With that level of experience and creativity, we’re expecting great things from ‘Project BlueStreak’ and we’re looking forward to playing it.”

“Project BlueStreak” joins an impressive lineup of games powered by Unreal Engine 4, including Street Fighter V, EVE: Valkyrie, Fable Legends and many others. Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its cutting-edge graphics technology, world-class toolset and scalability across PC, console and mobile platforms.  Unreal Engine 4 has been evolving at a rapid pace, driven by feedback from the community and numerous updates from Epic’s team of world-class engineers. Best of all, Unreal Engine 4 is now free for anyone to download and begin working with today.

Train2Game News BAFTA Award Winners 2015

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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the winners of yesterdays British Academy Games Awards, which celebrated the very best in games of the past year. The ceremony was hosted by Rufus Hound at Tobacco Dock, London E1, where presenters included Rob Beckett, Alex Brooker, Linford Christie OBE, Dynamo, Ian Livingstone CBE, Tim Schafer, Chet Faliszek.

Destiny – the online first-person shooter in which players work together to protect the last safe city on Earth from aliens – won Best Game. This is the fourth win for US games studio Bungie, whose previous wins have all been for games in the popular Halo series.

Monument Valley, the puzzle adventure game, took home two BAFTAs: British Game and Mobile &; Handheld. Daniel Gray, a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, collected his first BAFTA for his work on the game.

The Last of Us: Left Behind, an additional chapter to the BAFTA-winning The Last of Us, won for Story and Performer, making it the second consecutive year in which Ashley Johnson has won a BAFTA for her role as Ellie.

Lumino City, a puzzle adventure game handmade in card and paper, won in the Artistic Achievement category, while Alien: Isolation, the first-person survival horror game, collected the BAFTA for Audio Achievement. Far Cry 4 collected the award for Music, the second win for the series after Far Cry 3 won for Action in 2013.

Skateboarding game OlliOlli fought off strong competition to win the BAFTA for Sport, while League of Legends, a leading title in the burgeoning field of eSports, picked up the award for Persistent Game.

Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna), an atmospheric platformer that explores the vibrant world of Alaska Native cultures, won Debut Game. Minecraft: Console Editions collected the award for Family.

Game Design was awarded to Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, a dynamic action game set within Tolkien’s universe. The BAFTA for Game Innovation was presented to The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, the story-driven detective mystery.

Valiant Hearts, an animated story inspired by letters sent during the first world war, won the BAFTA for Original Property. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, an intricately designed card-battling game, collected the award for Multiplayer.

Showcasing the best in young games development and design talent, Chambara, a game created by a team of student developers from the US, won the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award in association with Dare to be Digital.

The Fellowship was presented to David Braben OBE for his outstanding and exceptional creative contribution to the games industry.

The ceremony was streamed live online at Twitch.tv. BAFTA’s website, http://www.bafta.org , features red carpet highlights, photography and winners’ interviews, as well as dedicated coverage on its social networks including Facebook (/BAFTA), Twitter (@BAFTAGames / #BAFTAGames), and  Tumblr.

BAFTA has a year-round programme of events and initiatives that support the games industry. It includes developer talks, games showcases, debates, scholarships and networking, as well as the flagship Games Lecture by an inspirational practitioner. BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD) gives young people and educators unique insights into the games industry and access to the creative minds behind some of their favourite games.

Registration for the British Academy Games Awards in 2016 is now open: http://awards.bafta.org/entry#games