Category Archives: Developer

Train2Game News Text Based RPG LaunchesToday

Posted on by

Knights of San Francisco – a state-of-the-art text-driven RPG in which a young necromancer explores what remains of the ancient city of San Francisco – is launching today on the App Store and Google Play!

Raise the dead, find your way through the ruins, and experience dynamic combat through Natural Language Generation (NLG) in this minimalist, black-and-white RPG with a foreboding setting that takes gamebooks into uncharted territory.

What if goblins, ogres, and dragons weren’t imagined? What if our ancestors were, unwittingly, foretelling the future? Find yourself in that future, centuries from now, among the ruins of what was once the 21st century – where these terrifying creatures roam freely…

A Weird Take on Interactive Literature
Knights of San Francisco is the labor of love of writer-programmer Filip Hracek and illustrator Alec Webb. Although this Egamebook can conceivably be completed in about 90 minutes (an “unapologetically short game,” in the words of Filip), it strives to leave you with more memorable experiences than most longer games. Knights of San Francisco is closer to tabletop role-playing games than traditional computer RPGs – doing away with numbers and graphics in favor of telling the player what’s actually happening the way a Dungeon Master would. Of course, things are still meticulously tracked in the background – but there are no big tables to look at or tactical maps to read.

“In Knights of San Francisco, I follow what I call ‘social change through escapism,’” says Filip Hráček, founder of Raindead. “I see two types of games. One type goes for pure fun (e.g., Doom). The other focuses on surfacing important topics (e.g., Depression Quest). It’s rare to see entertainment that lets the audience have escapist fun and at the same time become aware of a deeper message. It’s okay if that message only reaches about one percent of the audience; what matters is that the message is there – and that it can be decoded if so chosen. The whole game is a modern version of the medieval vanitas, except it’s wrapped in a fantasy romp.”

Key Features:

Dynamic Combat: Simulated to the level of individual body parts. Cleave off someone’s leg, take it, and bash it over their head! An NLG system explains what’s happening to you in plain English.

Make Your Choices with Caution: Every action has consequences! Make a mistake in battle and you could lose recruits in your party.

A Living, Breathing World: Lots of the text isn’t pre-written, but generated. The world continues on without you.
Quick Gameplay: Hop right into the fray! Experience automatic saving and no loading screens.

Premium Experience: Single purchase with no IAPs.

Knights of San Francisco is now available on the App Store and Google Play for $2.99.

App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/knights-of-san-francisco/id1450050976

Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=egamebook.com.flutteregamebook

Train2Game News Cybershoes

Posted on by

Cybershoes, the world’s first accessory for walking and running in VR, today announced that it’s Indiegogo campaign will conclude on May 10.

VR enthusiasts now have one week left to get the best pre-order price for the latest Cybershoes wireless model, compatible with Oculus Quest and Quest 2. Cybershoes for Oculus Quest units will ship to all backers in May.   

This campaign completes two rounds of crowdfunding for the Quest edition, supported by 623 backers raising $138,454, via both Indiegogo and Kickstarter.

“We are very happy to see that 38% of users of Cybershoes for wired headsets have upgraded to the Quest version” said Michael Bieglmayer, CEO of Cybershoes.

“It’s been a long period of preparation and production for us, and we are now ready to bring Cybershoes for Oculus Quest to the world,” Michael continued.

“We’re thankful for the backers who have supported us throughout our crowdfunding campaigns and thrilled that they will soon get to experience walking and running in their wireless Oculus Quest and Quest 2 headsets!” 

After May 10, customers will be able to pre order Cybershoes for Quest directly from Cybershoes.com.

In addition, the VR locomotion accessory will soon launch on Amazon for U.S. customers, along with the integration of several new Oculus Quest games that will work natively with Cybershoes. 

Connecting wirelessly via the CyQuest Bluetooth receiver, Cybershoes for Quest translates native body motion into in-game locomotion. Natural movements help address one of the biggest complaints about VR, motion sickness, while increasing immersion, physical activity, and enjoyment.

With natively integrated games, like Arizona Sunshine in partnership with Vertigo Games, setup is as simple as putting on Cybershoes, starting up the headset, and selecting the in-game Cybershoes locomotion option. 

Stay up to date on all things Cybershoes by following @CybershoesVR on Twitter.

Developers interested in integrating Cybershoes into their Oculus Quest games are encouraged to get in touch with the Cybershoes team at dev@cybershoes.com. 

Train2Game News Pokémon GO Fest 2021

Posted on by

Trainers, Mark your calendars—Pokémon GO Fest will return this year as a two-day global event from July 17 to July 18, 2021!

Last year’s event featured the debut of a brand-new worldwide format that saw Trainers from around the globe working together to complete challenges, unlock rewards, and defeat Team GO Rocket.

From the launch of the Global Challenge Arena to the thrilling research that led us to Victini, Pokémon GO Fest 2020 was truly an event to remember!

What does this year’s event have in store?

Well, you’ll just have to wait and see!

2021 marks both the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pokémon and the fifth anniversary of Pokémon GO, so trust us when we say you won’t want to miss Pokémon GO Fest 2021! We can’t wait to celebrate another summer together.

Stay tuned for more details!

Please be aware of your surroundings and follow guidelines from local health authorities when playing Pokémon GO. Upcoming events are subject to change.

For the latest on in-game events and feature updates, be sure to check this help center article.

Train2Game News GameChanger Day

Posted on by

GameChanger Day is coming to Rooster Teeth on April 28 starting at 1 p.m. CDT to help change lives and make the world a better place through the power of games and technology.

This fun-filled day of streaming, donating and live entertainment will support the efforts of GameChanger Charity, a not-for-profit technology organization who improves the lives of hospitalized children. 

  • Jack Pattillo and the Achievement Hunter crew will stream games throughout the event
  • A new episode of Rooster Teeth’s game show, Chump, will air
  • The Funhaus crew will dissect all the reasons gamers are passionate about helping change the world 

Fans can tune in to Rooster Teeth at 1 p.m. CDT on April 28 to join in on the fun and head to http://bit.ly/rtgamechanger to donate and support changing the game for hospitalized kids. 

Pattillo will lead GameChanger Day as Rooster Teeth raises money to support the organization and its innovative platform, Playwell, which brings premium games, ad free live streams, first-run movies and educational content at no cost to hospitals and their patients.

“Rooster Teeth is using their superpower as an amazing content creator to help families give their children memorable, fun experiences during trying, isolating times,” GameChanger Charity CEO and founder Jim Carol said. “We see this event as an opportunity for the broader player community to support fellow gamers who are fighting for their lives.” 

Founded in 2007, donations to GameChanger help the organization spread hope and laughter to children through games and technology that make these kids feel more connected and confident during their illness. 

Rooster Teeth is also teaming up with Omaze to offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have your “Best Day Ever with Rooster Teeth at HQ in ATX” . One winner and their guest will enjoy breakfast with members of the Rooster Teeth team at HQ before receiving a personal tour of the campus. The winner will see their likeness drawn into an “Achievement Hunter” animated episode with a personal unveiling while on campus and the winner will make a cameo appearance on Off Topic, the Achievement Hunter podcast. Every donation on Omaze.com/RoosterTeeth supports GameChanger Charity. 

“I like video games and what I like even better is when video games can help those in need,” Pattillo said. “We’re excited to play some games, have some fun and raise some money for GameChanger Charity.” 

Go to http://bit.ly/rtgamechanger to make a donation. 

Train2Game News Top Rage Inducing Games

Posted on by

A new report from Ebuyer reveals which of our favourite games creates the most ‘gaming rage’ – the blind anger gamers experience whilst playing a game.

Gaming became an escape for plenty of gamers during the last – but despite offering a diversion from the daily dreariness of lockdown, it hasn’t stopped people online voicing their frustration and angers about certain games on social media.

From severs being down, to gameplay being slow or generally feeling hard done by, a new report from Ebuyer reveals the top 15 games that have received the most negative energy online over the last year.

To calculate the index, Ebuyer used the social listening platform Linkfluence.

The platform scanned social media for negative mentions of the games over the course of a year.

Ebuyer have managed to uncover the biggest culprits behind controllers flying across the room and people screaming out ‘HOW’ and ‘WHY’ at the screen.

Which games receive the most negative energy?

It’s no surprise to see some of the usual suspects, with FIFA and Super Mario making the list – but taking the top spot, and wearing the crown, is Grand Theft Auto V. Despite having the freedom to rush around the map and literally do anything you fancy, the game has received over 26,000 negative posts over the last year… probably due to those unbearable loading times.

Predictably, also sitting high up on the list is Fortnite. Over the last few years this game has started to feel impossible, thanks to people building 90s faster than you can blink and it always feeling like your shots aren’t hitting.

The top 15 games from first to last can be seen below:

Grand Theft Auto V

Fortnite

Minecraft

Super Mario

Animal Crossings: New Horizons

The Last of Us

Spiderman

FIFA

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Assassins Creed Valhalla

Pokémon GO

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

NBA 2K20

The Sims

Which game makes you RAGE?

Train2Game News Just Die Already Launches Next Month

Posted on by

Having spent the last 12 months couped up in our houses, it’ll soon be time to collectively step out and breathe in the fresh air.

Of course, that’s all before we strap two live fireworks to our tender bodies, propelling us up into the sky before we come crashing back down to the ground, landing in the open jaws of a handy shark who has taken refuge in a nearby river.

Oh wait. No. That’s Just Die Already – the old aged pensioner playground that Curve Digital and DoubleMoose can today announce will be launching on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch as well as PC on Steam and Epic Games Store on Thursday May 20th, 2021.

If this is the first time you’ve heard about Just Die Already – and, given we’ve all had so little to do during the last year that even thankless tasks such as “reading a book” or “making conversation with a loved one” have almost seemed legitimate, we frankly find that hard to believe – then hold onto your dentures: Just Die Already tells the tale of old folk who have just been kicked out of their retirement homes, competing with each other to secure a sweet spot some place new by performing dangerous challenges to qualify for free care. 

Players can either take on Just Die Already alone or compete in four-player online multiplayer (fully cross-platform too, thanks to Epic Online Services), ticking off dangerous challenges that put your life – and, indeed, every atom of your being – in danger. You’ll lose limbs getting eaten by sharks, you’ll break every single one of your bones, you’ll get squished and squashed and shot to pieces and, if you’re lucky, you’ll stay alive long enough to earn your place at a prized retirement home.

“Just Die Already might be a fictional tale of OAPs competing for spots in retirement homes, but given the folks in those homes have food & drink, company, and – most importantly – haircuts on tap, I’m starting to think I should join then,” offers DoubleMoose co-founder Armin Ibrisagic. “Seriously, after a year of COVID-dodging, there’s not a single person in a retirement home who doesn’t look younger and fresher than anyone at DoubleMoose. At least we can now take on the comparatively sprightly forms of Just Die Already’s cast of characters when the game launches on May 20th.”

For more insights into Frank’s mind, the protagonist of Just Die Already, follow the Twitter account here: @JustDieGame. Be warned: Frank does not hold back…or even know what Twitter is, really.

Just Die Already will launch on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch as well as PC on Steam and Epic Games Store on Thursday May 20th, 2021 for £11.99/$14.99/€13.99. 

Until then, you can pre-order the game on Steam here or on the Epic Game Store here.

Check out the latest Just Die Already trailer here: https://youtu.be/KDpSi56Tv5c

Train2Game News RuneScape Coming To Mobile

Posted on by

Iconic PC MMORPG RuneScape is coming to mobile in full this summer and players can pre-order it on mobile stores today – and gain exclusive rewards by doing so.

Delivering full cross-platform gameplay and progression between the mobile and desktop editions at launch, RuneScape on mobile will also come complete with all the quests, characters, lore and locations from the living game’s 20-year history.

With pre-orders now live on the App Store and pre-registration available on the Google Play Store, players who sign up to either will contribute to unlocking a series of exclusive in-game rewards for the player community as the number of pre-orders grow.

There are five exclusive cosmetic rewards to unlock, including hairstyle, teleport device, sword, pet, and armour. The top tier prize includes the Crux Eqal armour and delivers a 50% XP boost across a seven-day period.

Today’s pre-order announcement comes as RuneScape on mobile became one of the most successful Early Access mobile games of all-time with more than 2.1 million installs across Android and iOS in the past 18 months.

Ryan Ward, RuneScape Executive Producer, said:

“Today’s invitation to pre-order and pre-register is a massive and exciting moment. It has been no small feat to bring one of the world’s largest MMORPGs to the world’s largest and most widespread gaming platform.

This Summer, we will be ready to welcome players on mobile to a fantastical, living world and through endless discovery connect them to a RuneScape community of millions. Our community means everything to us, and we have taken the time in Early Access to listen to player feedback and create an experience that was as awesome on mobile as it is on desktop. Given RuneScape’s 20-year heritage, to have the whole of RuneScape running on mobile is a monumental achievement and we couldn’t be more excited for launch.”

At launch, RuneScape’s expansion onto mobile will deliver the living game in its entirety as a free download and offer cross-platform play, enabling players to jump from desktop to mobile platforms and back again.

It has also been optimised with a mobile-friendly user interface and given a visual and operational overhaul. The display and controls have been modified and the tutorial has been reworked to welcome new players to RuneScape and set them up for future adventures. Menus, icons, text and textures have all been redesigned and combat mechanics have been tailored for mobile players.

After 20 years of adventure, RuneScape will be joining its sister title, Old School RuneScape, on the small screen.

Today, the iOS and Android editions of Old School RuneScape are a major success, with more than 8 million installs and a 4.8 out of 5 rating on mobile stores. It was also the winner of the BAFTA Audience Award for EE Mobile Game of the Year at the BAFTA Games Awards 2019.

You can pre-order RuneScape now for iOS from the App Store and pre-registration for Android from the Google Play Store, in English, French, German and Brazilian Portuguese. The RuneScape on mobile trailer is now playing at https://youtu.be/XxMbphzc0UM.

Train2Game News Online Festival Of Games Writing

Posted on by

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) is delighted to announce its second, week-long mini-festival on the craft of videogames writing, this time sponsored by Articy.

It follows the inaugural festival in June last year and kicks off next Monday 26 April 2021.

All the events are free and participants just need to register ahead.

The calendar of events follows (click on the Eventbrite links below for more detail, including panellists).
Closed captions are available for all the events.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Monday 26 April, 6pm-7.30pm
Writing for indie games – creating narrative for independent studios
Find out more and book via Eventbrite

Tuesday 27 April, 6pm-7.30pm
Interactive writing portfolios – creating interactive portfolios
Find out more and book via Eventbrite

Wednesday 28 April, 6pm-7.30pm
Dialogue as text – the unspoken secrets of writing interactive dialogue
Find out more and book via Eventbrite

Thursday 29 April, 6pm-7.30pm
Creating narrative in procedural worlds – writing narrative with and for procedural generation
Find out more and book via Eventbrite

Friday 30 April, 6pm-7.30pm
Implementing game narrative – taking the words and making the magic
Find out more and book via Eventbrite

Train2Game News Jay And Silent Bob Mall Brawl

Posted on by

Interabang Entertainment, in collaboration with Spoony Bard Productions, is stoked to announce that Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl, a side-scrolling 8-bit-inspired beat-em-up previously released on Nintendo Switch and Steam, is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One/X|S on May 20.

The new versions of Mall Brawl will be available digitally and as a special physical release in collaboration with Limited Run Games.

Mall Brawl has been upgraded with higher-quality visuals and a remixed soundtrack for PlayStation and Xbox, and those enhancements will also make their way to Nintendo Switch and Steam via a free update. 

Mall Brawl will be available digitally for $14.99 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles. To mark its latest release, the game is being discounted 10 percent at launch week on all platforms, including Nintendo Switch and Steam.

Trailer:

https://youtu.be/tfbhQlouk5E  

Limited Run Games is also releasing Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl as a physical edition for PlayStation 4. Pre-orders start today and will run for four weeks, ending on May 23. Fans can pick up the Standard version on PlayStation 4 for $29.99. Ultimate Jay and Silent Bob fans can opt to get the Collector’s Edition for $54.99 which includes: 

  • A physical version of Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl on PlayStation 4. 
  • Retro cartridge sleeve that fits the standard game case
  • 12 Song 8-Bit Mall Brawl Soundtrack 
  • 18’ x 24’ Reversible Poster 

After sabotaging a public-access TV “Truth or Date” broadcast that was being filmed at the mall, Jay and Silent Bob are pursued by the chief of security LaFours and his low-level goons. The duo will have to battle a path back home to their familiar post outside the Quick Stop. They’ll face countless security guards, aggressive mall rats, bouncing barrels, and a host of other threats that are bound to be familiar to players who grew up in the NES era of 8-bit brawlers.

Mall Brawl stars Kevin Smith’s iconic duo in a game that draws from the entire View Askeweniverse. Players can take on the challenge solo, swapping between characters at will, or bring along a bud for some two-player couch co-op. The pixel art may give you flashbacks to simpler times, but combos, weapons, and other touches provide depth for those who seek it.

In addition to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Mall Brawl will be available on Xbox Series X|S via backward compatibility. Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch, Interabang’s follow-up to Mall Brawl, is coming to PC later this year.

For more information, please visit mallbrawlgame.com.

Train2Game News Narita Boy Techno Edition

Posted on by

Team17 and Studio Koba are today announcing the availability of the one-off Narita Boy: Techno Edition, a premium and exclusive edition of the critically acclaimed action-adventure game that launched on PC and consoles in March.

Partnering with augmented reality pin specialists, Pinfinity, the Narita Boy: Techno Edition features a bespoke full-size Narita Boy arcade cabinet adorned with custom graphics – the only one available for private ownership in the world – a custom game controller, Narita Boy on all available platforms, a gift box of exclusive Narita Boy merchandise, the Narita Boy original game soundtrack, and a set of Narita Boy augmented reality pins by Pinfinity.

The Narita Boy: Techno Edition is available for £7,999/$11,000/€9,185.

Only three other Narita Boy arcade cabinets will exist in the world, housed in games museums as part of the Saving The Arcade World campaign, a partnership between Team17, Studio Koba, The Strong: The National Museum of Play in New York, The National Videogames Museum in Sheffield, UK, and Arcade Vintage: Museo del VideoJuego in Alicante, Spain. All profits from the sale of the Narita Boy: Techno Edition will go to the campaign, which is raising funds for the institiutions’ games preservation projects.

For gamers who want to wield the power of the Trichroma and the Techno-Sword in the augumented reality world, Team17 has partnered with Pinfinity to craft an exclusive series of Narita Boy pin badges. By downloading the Pinfinity app on their iPhone or Android smartphones, they’ll be able see key animated sequences from the game, as well as hear some of the soundtrack.

Mich Davis, Head of Marketing Team17, said:

“After collaborating with Pinfinity on the Worms collection earlier this year, we were very pleased to have the opportunity to work with them again, not only on the Narita Boy augmented reality pins, but the Narita Boy: Techno Edition as well. The edition is a unique opportunity for a retro games fan to enjoy Narita Boy, as well as support the incredible work of our Saving The Arcade World partners, and we couldn’t be happier to host the sale via Pinfinity.”

Caleb Paullus, Co-Founder and CCO, Pinfinity, said:

“We are excited to be working with Team17 and Studio Koba to bring Narita Boy and the Digital Kingdom to life through our augmented reality pins. We love the game and its retro arcade vibes and hope the fans will be excited at what surprises they find when they receive and scan their limited edition pin set.”

The Narita Boy: Techno Edition is available to buy directly from the Pinfinity website.

Further information on the Saving The Arcade World is available from Team17’s site; share your arcade memories on social media with #SavingTheArcadeWorld.

To keep up to date with all the information on Narita Boy please like Studio Koba on Facebook, follow the studio on Twitter and Instagram, and join them on Discord.