Category Archives: Developer

Train2Game News Unreal Engine 4 available

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Unreal Engine 4At the 2014 Game Developers Conference, Epic Games opened Unreal Engine 4 to the world, releasing all of its leading-edge tools, features and complete C++ source code to the development community through a new subscription model. Developers can sign up for UE4 for PC, Mac, iOS and Android by paying $19 per month, plus 5% of gross revenue resulting from any commercial products built using UE4.

“This is our complete engine, with everything Epic provides to leading game developers, priced accessibly for teams of all sizes, budgets and aspirations,” said Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games.

With the release of UE4, Epic is moving to a community-centric model built around forums, a Wiki and AnswerHub Q&A, with GitHub hosting the complete C++ source so developers can utilize its robust collaboration functionality for experimentation and sharing.

“This is smart. It’s an enlightened way for developers to create great games and easily bring them to Steam,” said Gabe Newell of Valve.

“Now is a great time to be an independent developer,” said Sweeney. “There are amazing platforms and distribution opportunities available, and with this release we hope the Unreal Engine can help developers build cool new things.”

– Unreal Engine 4 engine and game code are developed in C++, using Microsoft Visual Studio (a free version is available), and Apple’s Xcode.

– Unreal Engine 4 provides a rich suite of tools for content developers including the Blueprint visual scripting system, giving designers and artists unprecedented power to construct gameplay logic without programming; a visual material editor; the Persona animation system; and Matinee timeline-based machinima and cinematics system.

– In addition to the new subscription model, Unreal Engine 4 can be licensed via custom-negotiated terms, for companies that wish to form a closer support relationship with Epic, or to reduce or eliminate the 5% royalty in exchange for up-front payment.

Visit www.unrealengine.com for access to Unreal Engine 4.

You can check out the power of Unreal Engine 4 in the video below

Train2Game News Sony VR Headset announced

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project_morpheusSony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida revealed the PS4 virtual reality headset, codenamed ‘Project Morpheus’, during an industry presentation late on Tuesday at GDC.

Sony aired short video clips of a prototype version of the headset – which appeared to consist of Sony’s current HMZ head mounted display with a Move controller attached to the side – being used to play a first-person version of God of War 3. The corporation also showed a video of downloadable title Datura being tested with the device. Sony has been working on the VR headset for three years

“Virtual reality is the next innovation from from PlayStation that may well shape the future of games.” Yoshida announced.

Morpheus will seamlessly integrate with the PS4 Move controllers and the unit also can mirror its display on a TV, allowing others to spectacle gameplay. The headset also adopts 3D audio technology uniquely developed by SCE. In addition to sounds coming from front, behind, left and right, Morpheus recreates stereoscopic sounds heard from below and above the players, such as footsteps climbing up stairs below them, or engine noises of helicopters flying overhead.

Only a single VR headset will be connectible to a PS4 console at a time.

Release date and pricing were left undisclosed, with Sony only willing to say that it would be released “as soon as possible and for as low as possible”.

The tech specs released for Project Morpheus are below:

  • LCD panel size: 5 inches
  • Panel Resolution: 1920×RGB×1080 (960×RGB×1080 per eye)
  • 1000Hz head tracking
  • Field of View: 90 degrees
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope
  • Connection interface: HDMI + USB
  • 3D audio support
  • ‘Social Screen feature’ mirrors experience onto TV (Allows for unique asymmetric gameplay)
  • 3 meter working volume
  • Supports ‘forward prediction’
  • DualShock 4 and PS Move compatible
  • Highly adjustable unit
  • Direct on-board audio jack for headphones
  • No weight placed on nose or cheeks

 

Train2Game News Stand Up For Games Aid 2014

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Imran YusufStand Up For Games Aid, the live comedy night attended by games industry professionals and fans, will return to London this April following a successful launch last year.

The show, hosted by comedian and former Eidos man Imran Yusuf, features a string of established acts and rising talent including Eurogamer journalist Ellie Gibson. The debut event last year mixed games humour with routine acts in front of a packed crowd of about 400 people.

Tickets cost £12.50 and proceeds go to GamesAid – a charity that helps disadvantaged and disabled children in numerous ways, often by creating more accessible game technologies for those who cannot use conventional control inputs.

Stand Up For Games Aid takes place on Monday, April 14. Additional acts include Paul Tonkinson, Jarred Christmas, Holly Walsh, Paul Thorne, Ola, Susan Calman and Kev Orkian.

Tickets can be bought on The Comedy Story Store website.

Train2Game News Free App Game Kit available this week only

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App Game KitCross-platform development tool App Game Kit has been made free for all developers throughout GDC this week.

AGK enables developers to code in AGK or C++ and then compile their game to their target platform of Android, iOS, Mac or PC.

The game engine has been used in titles such as Cannon Ball, Hide It Find It and Jumping Jack.

“AGK is a tool we needed at TGC, it’s already saving us time and money developing new apps. This is our gift to the development community; grab a copy while you can,” said The Game Creators CEO Lee Bamber.

The offer for AGK will end on March 21st. To take advantage of the offer, developers must use the voucher code AGK4FREE.

The Game Creators is currently at GDC to showcase its tools.

Visit the official website for more information.

Source: Develop

Train2Game News Unreal Engine 4 helping dementia

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Unreal Engine 4The Forest Project is an upcoming serious game that provides therapeutic benefits to people living with dementia through the use of virtual environments. Created with Unreal Engine 4, The Forest Project is an initiative of Alzheimer’s Australia Vic and developer, Opaque Multimedia.

“The objective of The Forest Project is to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia by escaping from the monotony of their living spaces,” said Opaque Multimedia Co-Founder Norman Wang. “Future expansions will include more locations, interactions and preferences. Our eventual goal is to put The Forest Project in every aged care facility in Australia, and similar facilities all over the world.”

The Forest Project, which is currently seeking crowdfunding support, uses virtual reality as a form of sensory therapy for people living with dementia by allowing them to enter a more visually stimulating and interactive environment. Research has shown that a person’s sensory abilities remain intact even in the late stages of dementia.

Opaque Multimedia’s previous work, the Virtual Dementia Experience (VDE), utilizes motion-sensing to immerse participants in the role of a person living with dementia. By helping to raise empathy among elder-care workers and families, the VDE showcases the real-life impacts possible by serious games.

Epic Games VP Jay Wilbur said, “The work that Opaque Multimedia is doing is very exciting, and we are proud that Unreal Engine 4 has been able to help the team see its vision realized. We have worked hard to give Unreal Engine 4 the unparalleled versatility needed to bring any concept to life, and projects like the VDE and The Forest Project make those efforts worthwhile.”

Serious games face unique demands and challenges in an industry dominated by traditional concepts of gameplay mechanics. Citing Blueprint visual scripting and the Material Editor as two standout features, Wang said that using Unreal Engine 4 provided Opaque Multimedia with the flexibility of tools needed to break the boundaries of expectation.

“Game engines that specialize too specifically towards a certain type of game limit the developer’s options, and can doom a serious game project before it even starts. In our experience with Unreal Engine 4, we have found that it has versatility and flexibility, and is clearly designed with the end user in mind.”

Learn more about Opaque Multimedia’s efforts to improve the lives of people living with dementia, visit http://opaquemultimedia.com.

Train2Game News SpecialEffect nominated for awards

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SpecialEffectThe games charity, SpecialEffect, are up for a couple of awards at the GamesIndustry International Innovation Awards.

The awards are being held by GamesIndustry.biz and there are numerous categories to vote in. SpecialEffect are up for the award in Innovation in Technology for their work constantly breaking new technological ground with one-off machines to bring the joy of gaming back into their lives.

They are also up for the award of Innovation in Social Responsibility. This prize celebrates those companies who choose to give something back to their communities and society at large. SpecialEffect is a prime example of giving back to the gaming community as they are always working on new ways of helping those in need.

Those who win will be presented with a trophy at an award ceremony at GameHorizon in Newcastle, England on May 7, 2014.

To see a full list of the nominations and to cast your vote visit http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-03-10-gamesindustry-innovation-awards-vote-now

Train2Game News UK Top 20 games – 17.03.14

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TitanfallThis weeks charts have a few new entries including a new number one, Respawn Entertainment’s highly anticipated big mech shooter Titanfall. Bandai Namco’s Dark Souls 2 in its debut week has reached number two just above last weeks number one South Park: Stick Of Truth. Further down the charts Nintendo’s Yoshi’s New Island comes in at number twelve and Pac-man and the ghostly adventures enters at number nineteen.

All formats
Week ending 15 March 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 TITANFALL EA GAMES –
2 DARK SOULS II BANDAI NAMCO GAMES –
3 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT 1
4 – THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 4
5 THIEF SQUARE ENIX 2
6 FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 5
7 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 3
8 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 6
9 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 7
10 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 8
11 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 10
12 YOSHI’S NEW ISLAND NINTENDO –
13 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 9
14 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 12
15 ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES SEGA 14
16 RAYMAN LEGENDS UBISOFT 11
17 FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 MICROSOFT 16
18 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS EA GAMES 13
19 PAC-MAN AND THE GHOSTLY ADVENTURES BANDAI NAMCO GAMES –
20 – KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL SONY COMPUTER ENT. 20
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 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 AppEngage Network

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To prove the value of an engaged user, Midverse Studios is offering developers who implement the AppEngage Network up to 100,000 installs for free.

The offer is available to all Android developers (Google Play and Amazon) who implement the AppEngage SDK within the next 30 days.

With the AppEngage Network, Midverse is pioneering a Cost Per Quality Engagement (CPE+) model, leaving behind the increasingly expensive and decreasingly effective Cost Per Install (CPI) model. The mobile platform provides incremental in-game rewards to users based on players successfully completing tasks across a number of in-network games. Through these cross-game incentives, the AppEngage Network keeps players involved across multiple apps, creating a reason to try new titles and to continue playing them well after the first play session.

“CPI is broken, with developers paying a premium for users who are encouraged to install their apps by other ad networks, but then immediately delete or never even play their games,” said Rizwan Virk, co-founder and CEO of Midverse Studios.  “With the AppEngage Network, we’re delivering users who stick around long enough to get hooked and actually want to play your game.”

Developers currently using AppEngage have increased monetization by at least $.01 in average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU).  That means an app with 100,000 daily active users (DAU) will have a revenue increase of at least $1,000 per day.

Midverse’s 100,000 Free Users promotion will run for a limited time.  The number of free installs is based on the developer’s DAU and how many users their application shares with the Network. Complete terms and conditions for the offer are available at http://www.midversestudios.com/100kpromo_terms.

Train2Game News Unity acquires Applifier

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unity-logoUnity Technologies, creators of the Unity multiplatform engine and development tools, announced that it will acquire Applifier, one of the world’s largest and most successful mobile game service providers.

The acquisition will see Everyplay, the pioneering game replay sharing and community service, integrated into the Unity development platform. The GameAds video advertising network will complement the free cross-promotion network currently in development for Unity Cloud.

Everyplay, created to let players express themselves with game replay sharing, provides developers with a unique way to acquire new players and increase retention for free. The service gives players the power to easily record, share and discuss extraordinary moments from their gameplay sessions leading to authentic virality with the players’ friends and the broader audience of involved gamers. Everyplay boasts a global community of over 6 million registered mobile players and is now growing by over 1 million new users each month with millions of shared replays from hundreds of integrated games on iOS and Android. The social game replay service, already easy for developers to adopt, will get integrated into Unity for effortless activation of features. Everyplay will continue to offer its SDKs outside of Unity products and enthusiastically welcomes any developer interested in using Everyplay with their games.

“Unity was founded to democratize game development, and we are incessantly searching for tools that can make our community more successful,” said David Helgason, CEO, Unity Technologies. “By welcoming Everyplay to the Unity platform, we’re arming our developers with an incredibly powerful and authentic way to connect with a rapidly growing community of passionate gamers.”

“The challenge for today’s developers doesn’t end with releasing awesome games – they also need to attract and retain legions of true fans,” said Jussi Laakkonen, CEO, Applifier. “We are thrilled to join forces with Unity and, with the help of the incredible Unity community, overcome these important challenges together.”

The acquisition also brings GameAds, a broadly adopted video ad network, to Unity. The service is used by leading game publishers to find engaged new users and to monetize non-paying users with video ads. The GameAds video ad network and Everyplay gaming community will work side by side Unity Cloud and its upcoming cross-promotion network. Together the three services will provide mobile game developers with multiple methods to grow their customer base.

Train2Game News Game Music Connect 2014

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Following the resounding success of the inaugural Game Music Connect conference in 2013, Game Music Connect 2014 proudly returns to The Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre, London on September 24, 2014.

Game Music Connect is for aspiring and professional composers of all backgrounds and those interested in learning about the art and craft of creating today’s cutting edge video game soundtracks. Featuring interviews, practical demonstrations and roundtable discussions with some of the world’s leading composers and audio directors, the first announced speakers for Game Music Connect 2014 include music industry luminary Steve Schnur (Worldwide Executive of Music, Electronic Arts), composers Garry Schyman (BioShock Infinite), Jessica Curry (Dear Esther) and Olivier Derivière (Remember Me). Early-bird tickets are available now at http://www.gamemusicconnect.com.

Game Music Connect is founded by BAFTA and IFMCA award winner and five-time BAFTA Original Music nominated composer James Hannigan (Transformers Universe, RuneScape, Dead Space 3, Command and Conquer series, Harry Potter series) and noted game audio director, composer (Forza Motorsport 5, X-COM, Transport Tycoon), writer (develop, Audio Media), jury chair for BAFTA’s game music and audio awards, and industry commentator John Broomhall, to celebrate and explore the music of video games.

James Hannigan: “It’s a huge thrill to be back for 2014 and a great honour to have such wonderfully talented, diverse and influential guests join us for the day. As promised last year, we will be covering the innovative indie game music scene this time around, as well as continuing our focus on blockbusters and the challenges of interactive music.”

Game Music Connect 2014 will open with a keynote from Steve Schnur, EA’s Worldwide Executive of Music. Schnur’s hands-on approach with composer selection and score production has earned EA more than 50 soundtrack nominations over the last 10 years during which he has produced in excess of 100 EA soundtrack albums. With the formation of Artwerk Music Group, EA also directly signs, develops and launches artists for publishing, master recordings, sync deals and distribution.

For more information and to purchase tickets for Game Music Connect 2014, visit www.gamemusicconnect.com.