Category Archives: Developer

Train2Game News: UK Top 20 Games – 05.08.13

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MinecraftIt’s the start of another week so it is time for the Train2Game Top 20. A quiet week in the charts this week has seen Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition hold on to the number one spot for a second week running with the only other new entrant being The Smurfs 2 game that ties in with the movie. The game entered the charts at number five.

All formats

Week ending 3 August 2013

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 – MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 1
2 THE LAST OF US SONY COMPUTER ENT. 3
3 ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF NINTENDO 4
4 FIFA 13 EA SPORTS 6
5 THE SMURFS 2 UBISOFT –
6 FAR CRY 3 UBISOFT 7
7 LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 10
8 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II ACTIVISION 16
9 – TOMB RAIDER SQUARE ENIX 9
10 ASSASSIN’S CREED III XBOX 360 CLASSICS 11
11 MARIO AND LUIGI: DREAM TEAM BROS. NINTENDO 5
12 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 15
13 MAX PAYNE 3 ROCKSTAR 14
14 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV XBOX 360 CLASSICS 12
15 PIKMIN 3 NINTENDO 2
16 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED EA GAMES 20
17 BATTLEFIELD 3 EA GAMES 19
18 GRAND THEFT AUTO EPISODES – LIBERTY CITY ROCKSTAR 17
19 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 8
20 THE SIMS 3: ISLAND PARADISE EA GAMES –
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2013 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: Games Industry News – 02.08.13

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Batman It’s the end of the week so is is time for the Train2Game news round up.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today confirmed that Batman: Arkham Origins will ship with a mode that allows players to take the franchise’s award-winning gameplay online to play with friends and foes.  The online component blends the traditional Arkham gameplay with third-person shooter mechanics and is in development by Splash Damage. The multiplayer will be available on all platforms except the Wii U. You can enjoy the trailer for it here: http://youtu.be/CFx82wX3NE8

Continuing the hero game theme, Deadpool has had it’s first DLC announced. The “Merc with a map pack” will introduce two new challenge maps; GRT Plaza and Inside the Tower. You will also get two new costumes for Infinite Mode: a D-Pooly and Uncanny X-Force suit. The DLC is available now for 240 Microsoft points. You can also now purchase the game from the On Demand market.

In celebration of the highly anticipated launch of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, the first of three legendary character distribution events begins August 30 at participating Game stores across the UK. Players can get their hands on Shiny versions of the Legendary Pokémon —Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—starting with, Dialga, which was featured on the cover of the Pokémon Diamond video game. What makes this event extraordinary is that each of the distributed Legendary Pokémon, which are already difficult to get during gameplay, will be Shiny, meaning they have unusual colouring that is extremely rare. Each Shiny Pokémon will be available, one at a time, for only two weeks each, so Trainers will need to plan accordingly and head to a participating Game store if they want to add these extremely rare Legendary Pokémon to their Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, or Pokémon White 2 game.

A new character has been announced for the hit mobile game, Temple Run 2. You can now pay for and download Gold medal olympian, Usain Bolt to run from the dangerous in the game. As the first branded character in Temple Run history, Usain Bolt’s worldwide recognition demonstrates the global and cultural reach of the original endless runner game. “I am a big fan of Temple Run. I travel all over the world and travel time gives me lots of opportunity to play Temple Run at airports or on car journeys,” said Usain Bolt. “It’s exciting to see myself represented within a game I already play.”  The Usain Bolt character is available now as an in-app purchase in Temple Run 2 for $0.99, for a limited time only.

Finally in the lead up to the realease of The Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda have announced The Elder Scrolls Anthology for PC.  The game arrives on retail shelves in Europe on September 13, 2013 for £49.99/€59.99, The Elder Scrolls Anthology features all five critically-acclaimed games, plus official add-ons – packaged together in an exclusive premium collector’s set.

 

Train2Game News: Eurogamer Expo 2013

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Eurogamer ExpoThe Gamer Network has announced that the PlayStation 4 will be playable at this year’s Eurogamer Expo.

The Expo takes place at Earl’s Court in London from Thursday, September 26 to Sunday September 29.

Other games that have been announced for the expo this year include;  Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, Batman: Arkham Origins, Dark Souls II and several titles from Nintendo, with many more still to be announced.

Over 70,000 consumers are expected to attend the show, with four-day passes and weekend tickets already sold-out. Tickets for Thursday and Friday are available from the event’s website so act fast!

The show will also see the return of the Indie Arcade, sponsored by SEGA, and a tournament and retro area to fulfil all your nostalgia needs!

The Eurogamer Expo also features the GamesIndustry Fair on September 26th and 27th. Curated by GamesIndustry International staff, the event includes the GameHorizon Investment Summit, the popular Career Sessions panels, the Careers & Education showfloor and BAFTA Career Surgeries.

Eurogamer is a great place to try out the new games and to talk to games developers. You can get an insight into how the industry works and how some of your favorite companies operate.

I advise every potential games industry person to attend this annual event!

Train2Game News: Microsoft explains their new player reputation system

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Xbox OneMicrosoft have announced plans for their overhaul of the reputation system on the Xbox One, in the hopes you play with like minded people.

The past systems Microsoft have used to let players known other peoples reputations have never walked all that well and have mostly been ignored but senior program manager of Microsoft’s new initiative, SmartMatch, Michael Dunn is working to change this.

SmartMatch will have three categories you will come into; Good Player, Needs Work and Avoid Me. They are going to be using a percentile system to place players into these categories and Michael Dunn said that: “You can imagine it like the ‘good players’ are like the 80 percent, the ‘needs work’ and the ‘avoid me’ are kind of the thin tail out from the rest of them.” The idea is to separate the Avoid Me group from the rest of the players.

Most people will automatically, “start with a score that’s in the 75 range, which is definitely a good player,” Dunn explained, and it will take quite a bit of work to get into the avoid me category. They also have a lot in place to help people who are getting grief complaints or complaints only from the same person, so it isn’t really possible to have a group of players or just one player give someone a low reputation.

However, people won’t just end up in avoid me or needs work without knowing. Unlike the Xbox 360 reputation system, with Xbox One Microsoft will be sending people warnings so that they may fix their problems before ending up in the deep end.

Dunn explains “The goal of the overhauled reputation system isn’t just to create some sort of stratified social hierarchy inside Xbox Live, but to improve the quality of matchmaking.”

Train2Game News: SpecialEffect Football tournament

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SpecialEffect SpecialEffect the games charity who helps the disabled to play games again is holding a charity Football tournament.

At the Wembley Stadium Powerleague venue on 5 September, you can battle for the SpecialEffect Trophy in a Football Tournament.

You’ll only need to raise a squad of seven for this Champions League format competition, which has full event management from Powerleague, including referees! The entry fee is £250 per team, which includes a donation to the work that we’re doing to level the playing field for gamers with disabilities.

Kick-off is at 1pm, and there’s a licensed bar for essential rehydration afterwards.

SpecialEffect do amazing work to get people with life changing disablities to play video games again. Allowing them to enjoy themselves much the way we do when playing our beloved games.

Register either by submitting your match fee at www.justgiving.com/SpecialEffectWembley or paying by cheque/ bank transfer to SpecialEffect. Any questions, contact Nick Streeter (nick@specialeffect.org.uk) or call 01608 810055.

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 25.07.13

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FEAR OnlineIt’s the end of the week so it is time for the industry news round up!

Face your fear together with friends in F.E.A.R. Online! Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today the upcoming brand-new installment in the popular horror FPS series. Developed by Korean company Inplay Interactive and being brought to the United States by Aeria Games, the new chapter in the F.E.A.R. saga will deliver hardcore multiplayer shooting action while furthering the dark and ominous story surrounding Alma Wade.

Electronic Arts Inc. announced that EA SPORTs FIFA 14 is allowing fans to bring their FIFA 14 Ultimate Team experiences with them to the new generation of consoles this year. Fans will be able to access their FIFA 14 Ultimate Team full roster, in-game items and in-game currency (coins) from either console: between Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and between PlayStation3 and PlayStation4. All changes made in FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be reflected in both consoles so fans will be able to compete with their squads on either console throughout the season.

Fully revealed is The Sims 3 Into the Future Expansion Pack, the latest title from The Sims Studio shipping this Fall. It’s a brave new world for the Sims as they go where they have never gone before – into the future and back. In The Sims 3 Into the Future, Sims can transport themselves hundreds of years forward where they can explore the world of tomorrow, meet their descendants, master the technology of the future, like hoverboards, jetpacks and food synthesizers and more. Have your fun, but be prepared for the consequences. Your Sims actions in the present will have surprising effects on the future.

Get behind the wheel of the most powerful stock cars in the world as leading independent racing game developer Eutechnyx today announced that NASCAR The Game: 2013 has fully launched on Windows PC. NASCAR The Game: 2013 allows players and diehard NASCAR fans everywhere, to take to the track and race against the world’s most elite competition.The game features the top drivers, teams, and Gen 6 cars from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Finally, Ubisoft announced that the legendary saga Prince of Persia continues with the new mobile episode Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame, available now on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch as well as on Android devices, through Google Play and Amazon, at a price of £1.99. Developed by Ubisoft Pune, Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame follows the storyline of the original game, released 20 years ago. It is set after the events of Prince of Persia Classic, successful mobile title also developed by Ubisoft Pune. The game’s experience can still be extended through social connectivity, allowing to unlock achievements and ascend the leaderboards or to share scores with Facebook integration.

Train2Game News: Microsoft allowing self publishing on Xbox One

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Xbox OneMicrosoft have announced they will allow self publishing for indie titles on the Xbox One. This is excellent news for Train2Game students.

Microsoft have also announced that each console can be used as a development kit, much like the way that Apple devices can be used as such.

Here’s the official statement from Xbox corporate VP, Marc Whitten:

“Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We’ll have more details on the program and the timeline at Gamescom in August.”

Whitten also told Kotaku that dev kit functionality will not be available at launch, but will be added ‘at a later date’.

This dispells all concerns of the accessibility and exposure of indie game on Xbox One, Whitten promises they will live on the Xbox Live Marketplace with the major titles.

Whitten explains “Of course there will be different pivots inside of that. There will be everything from what are we curating, kind of like spotlight content, to the normal discoverability stuff like recommendations, what’s trending, what’s got a lot of engagement on the platform. But you shouldn’t think of it as there’s an indie area and a non-indie area.”

With this announcement it opens up an entirely new indie market for Train2Game students and Student Studios with all the features of the Xbox One, allowing you to get creative with features such as Kinect and the Cloud.

Train2Game News: Mad Catz releasing Android MicroConsole

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MoJoConsole peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz is creating an Android MicroConsole to be released by the end of this year.

The system, currently called Mojo, comes bundled with Mad Catz’ own game controller as well as a miniature console with USB and HDMI connections.

Rival Android microconsole Ouya primarily sells games through a bespoke on-console marketplace, Mojo runs stock Android and gives players access to the Google Play, Amazon and Nvidia TegraZone stores.

How well those Google Play games are optimised for televisions and game controllers could be crucial in how well the system is received. Most Android games are not mapped to controllers and are built for smartphone touch-screens.

The official name for the Mojo handset is the ‘CTRL R’, and it’s another gamepad that uses a layout similar to the Xbox 360. Featuring both Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Smart 4.0 technologies, the controller is also compatible with Android phones. The latter Smart mode improves latency considerably, Verrey claimed.

Alex Verrey, the global PR director for Mad Catz, said that “not all touchscreen games will work”, though assured the company was working on a solution.

Mojo is registered as a standard Android device, meaning that gamers who have already purchased numerous apps on these stores can simply log on with their existing details and re-download those apps without the need for a second purchase.

“Because Mojo runs stock Android, you have day-one access to literally hundreds of thousands of games and applications,” Verrey added.

“We’re going down a very different road to the competition and believe in being open, honest and fair with the consumer. We’re not offering a walled garden with a small selection of a hundred or so games. We’re not forcing gamers to use our controllers if they don’t wish to, we’re not trying to sell services or software, nor are we forcing the gamers into a walled garden. Our commitment to the gamer is simple: We’re going to deliver the most powerful Android based Micro Console on the market when we launch later this year.

“We are totally open. No walled garden, no small selection of games, no subscription fees. We bring the hardware, gamers bring the games. Buy games from where you want, when you want and how you want”.

Mojo will launch “this holiday” but a price hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Train2Game News: MechWarrior Online pays tribute to young fan

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Jenner MechMechWarrior Online developer Piranha Games has created a custom mech in tribute to a young fan, 5-year-old Sarah Parries of Vancouver, Canada, who sadly passed away from brain cancer in May.

The memorial project originated as a petition from within the MWO community after members learned about Parries’s death and her interest in BattleTech and MechWarrior Online, which she played with her father.

The Jenner—with night vision, medium lasers, and short range missiles—was her favorite, according to MWO community manager Niko Snow. A special tribute version, which can be seen above, can be purchased from the game for $10 which will go directly to the Canadian Cancer Society.

As of 12 p.m. PST on July 23, the charitable Jenner had already raised more than $12,000 and it is still rising.

You can view a video demonstrating the mech in game below

 

Train2Game News: Xbox One’s Kinect Privacy

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Xbox OneMicrosoft have stated that they will take an aggressive stance to any one who tries to use the Kinect to collect data.

With the new Xbox One being bundled with Kinect, many people voiced their objections for fear of it breaking their privacy but Microsoft has said this definitely won’t happen. The company is currently trying to release information on the data requests it has received from intelligence services in the past, but is being blocked from doing so by the US government.

It’s not the first time that Microsoft has sought to calm fears over Xbox One privacy. The company previously promised that Kinect would not record ambient conversation data, and only listened for the “Xbox On” voice command when switched off. In addition the Kinect sensor will have an activity light so you will be able to tell when the device is in use.

A Microsoft spokesperson said, when asked about Kinect privacy, “Absent a new law, we don’t believe the government has the legal authority to compel us or any other company that makes products with cameras and microphones to start collecting voice and video data. “We’d aggressively challenge in court any attempts to try and force us to do so.”

They went on to say “When Xbox One is on and you’re simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded”

Microsoft has asked the US Attorney General to permit itself and other companies to share more information on what data it gives to government security agencies, such as the number of security requests it has received. At the moment it is blocked from releasing this information by the US government.

This is a very clear message from Microsoft that they will respect your personal privacy and fight for it if need be.