Category Archives: Developer

Train2Game news: Counter-Strike creator’s new FPS going into closed beta

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Train2Game students have the opportunity to register for the closed beta for Tactical Intervention, the new free-to-play FPS from Counter-Strike creator Minh “Gooseman” Le.

The Tactical Intervention closed beta begins in March, and if you want to apply to be involved, head to the website and follow the instructions. While the beta is currently restricted to North America, it’s likely that other regions will follow, so it can’t hurt to register your interest.

Train2Game students can watch the trailer for Tactical Intervention below.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is currently in closed beta, and speaking to The Train2Game Blog at last year’s EuroGamer expo, Valve’s Chet Faliszek said that beta testing is important to game development.

“It’s really important to us because we’re going to let that drive the release date, because we’re really looking to get the feedback from the community over the changes we’ve made.” he said.

“We’ve brought over some stuff that was good from Counter-Strike: Source and we’ve brought over some stuff that was good from 1.6, so it’s going to be interesting to see how the communities react.” the Valve game designer continued.

“Already we’ve got some positive feedback from some of the pros, but we’re telling the communities it’s not going to be either, it’s going to be something new so let’s play it, let’s give feedback and let’s go from there.” Faliszek added.

Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. Not only that, but in an interview with the Train2Game blog, Trion Worlds Senior QA Tester Karl Tars said that beta testing is potentially a way to get into the industry.

For the latest news on beta testing opportunities, keep reading The Train2Game Blog.

What are your initial thoughts on Tactical Intervention?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: PlayStation 4 not coming “anytime soon” say Sony

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Train2Game students waiting for next-gen consoles might be disappointed by this, as Sony say they won’t be launching a PlayStation 4 “anytime soon.”

“In terms of when you talk about [the next generation] and when you announce it, it really depends on the health of the existing platform and the other things you have going on,” Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO Jack Tretton told IGN

“And right now, we’re focused on PlayStation 3, and I’ve got another platform (PlayStation Vita) to get out the door in seven days, so I don’t want to be thinking about trying to launch new technology anytime soon. I want to focus all our energy on our console business, which is really just hitting its stride, and Vita, which really deserves a dedicated push from us.” he said.

And Tretton added that talking about a PlayStation 4 this year would be distracting.

“I, quite frankly, would be very distracted if I had to be talking about next generation hardware this year.” he concluded.

The Train2Game Blog has previously reported that rumours suggest a next-generation Xbox console will be released in 2013.

Keep reading The Train2Game Blog for the latest reports on next-gen consoles.

What do you make of Tretton’s comments? Do you believe the PlayStation 3 still has many years of life left in it?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game: Minecraft developer Mojang streaming 60 hour Game Jam this weekend

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Train2Game students can get an insight into how Mojang develop games this weekend, when the Minecraft developer live streams their 60 hour “Mojam”

Starting this Friday, Mojang will be making a brand new game, with the theme and genre being decided through a public vote which you can take part in at www.mojang.com

And not only are Mojang making a brand new game, they’ve also teamed up with Humble Bundle to raise money for charity. The team will be offering incentives for you to donate to the 60 hour project, while there will also be opportunities to get involved in Q&A sessions with Mojang developers, something that would sure to be useful to Train2Game students.

For more information, check out the Humble Bundle Mojam video below.

We’ve previously shown you Bethesda’s Skyrim Game Jam, which saw Bethesda developers given a week to be creative.

Train2Game students know all about Game Jams, as Train2Game has held two 48 hour long Game Jams, with the four winning teams at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, moving onto a Make Something Unreal Live at The Gadget Show Live, where they have the opportunity to win a fully licensed UDK Ios development kit.

For previous news from Mojang, see The Train2Game Blog.

What are your thoughts on Mojam? Will you be tuning into the live streams? What would you ask the team?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Dear Esther recoups Indie Fund investment in under 6 hours

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Train2Game students may be interested to hear that experimental indie title Dear Esther has recouped its Indie Fund investment just hours after being released.

The project which started life as a Half-Life mod sold 16,000 copies in its first 24 hours on Steam, making back its Indie Fund investment in just five and a half hours, meaning Dear Esther is now profitable.

Indie Fund was founded in 2010, with the aim of supporting the next generation of game developers.

More information about Dear Esther’s Indie Fund deal is available on the official website, while you can find out more about the experimental game right here on The Train2Game Blog. It’s available to download for £6.99 via Steam.

Dear Esther isn’t the first Indie Fund game to turn a profit, with puzzler Q.U.B.E returning its investment in four days.

Both titles show that creating an indie game could potentially provide Train2Game students with success.

So, what are your thoughts on Dear Esther becoming profitable so quickly?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Auto Club Revolution beta keys up for grabs

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Train2Game students have the opportunity to beta test Auto Club Revolution, the online racing game from Gateshead based studio Eutechnyx.

The Train2Game Blog published a video interview with Eutechnyx Lead Programmer Dave Hawes in November last year.

Auto Club Revolution will let players race online, complete single player challenges and own, customise and upgrade their own officially licensed cars.

Those interesting in receiving an Auto Club Revolution beta key should visit autoclubrevolution.com and follow the instructions. Eutechnyx will be sending out a batch of beta keys in the near future.

Earlier this month, The Train2Game Blog reported that Eutechnyx are teaming up with fellow racing studio Brain in a Jar to work on an as of yet unannounced project.

Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. Not only that, but in an interview with the Train2Game blog, Trion Worlds Senior QA Tester Karl Tars said that beta testing is potentially a way to get into the industry.

And in a recent interview with The Train2Game Blog, Brawl Busters developers Rock Hippo told us that beta testing is “crucial” to the game development process.

What are your initial thoughts on Auto Club Revolution? Will you be registering for an Auto Club Revolution beta key?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: The Witcher 2 dev diary on writing “The most complex and non-linear story ever told on Xbox 360”

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Train2Game students interested in story writing in games, RPGs in particular are likely to find this The Witcher 2 Xbox 360 developer diary rather fascinating.

CD Projekt diary provide some great insights into how The Witcher 2 was written, and they make the bold claim that it’ll offer “The most complex and non-linear story ever told on Xbox 360,” a statement backed up by four possible game openings and sixteen endings.

The Witcher 2 Xbox 360 developer diary also explains how the CD Projekt  game designers plan and write such an open narrative.

“We had to produce complicated flowcharts illustrating all the possible connections between different events and different characters, as well as the links between different questions in various circumstances.” said game designer Arkadiusz Borowik.

“Because before sitting down to work on the game itself, we had to know just how complex its structure would be and how much effort it would take.”  he added

Watch The Witcher 2 Xbox 360 developer diary below, right here on The Train2Game Blog.

For more about the development of The Witcher 2, read The Train2Game Blog interview with CD Projekt Environment Artist Marek Ziemak, in which he also reveals he started his career in the games industry as a QA Tester.

The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition is released April 17th for Xbox 360. The PC version is available now.

What are your thoughts on the claim that The Witcher 2 being the most complex story ever told for Xbox 360? And what insights did you get from the developer diary?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Epic’s Samaritan tech demo needs power of ten Xbox 360s

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The Samaritan Train2Game blog imageTrain2Game students might be familiar with Epic Games Samaritan tech demo which showcases what it could be possible for games to look like in future.

If you need reminding about the impressive the Unreal Engine powered demo, watch it here on The Train2Game Blog.

The power needed to run the Samaritan? 2.5 teraFLOPS is what Develop Online reports Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney told a D.I.C.E. Summit audience. That’s ten times the power of the current Xbox 360 console, which operates at a maximum of 0.25 terraFLOPS.

The next generation of consoles is therefore going to have to provide a massive leap forward if they want to be able to run anything like Epic’s Samaritan tech demo in future.

We’ve no idea what specifications would be required for Unreal Engine 4 to run the demo, but at least we’ll get a hint as to what it’s capable of later this year.

“People are going to be shocked later this year when they see Unreal Engine 4 and how much more profound an effect it will have,” Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein said last week.

It’s reported that Unreal Engine 4 will arrive in 2014.

For more about Epic Games, the Unreal Development Kit and the Samaritan tech demo,see The Train2Game Blog interview with Epic European Territory Manager Mike Gamble, who was speaking to us at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam.

What are your thoughts on the power needed to run the Unreal Engine demo? How long do you think it’ll be before consoles are capable of that amount of power?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Develop]

Train2Game news: Mass Effect 3 writer offers advice on getting into the industry

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Train2Game students who want the best chance of finding a job in the games industry should create their own games. That’s the advice from BioWare writer Sylvia Feketekuty, who is responsible for dialogue in Mass Effect 3.

“Try creating a game of your own. There’s a lot of community-supported game-making software out there.” she told the BioWare Blog in an interview about her role as writer for Mass Effect 3.

“Even if what you put together ends up small and basic, you’ll learn a lot about working in an interactive medium. It’ll really help you figure out where your strengths and interests lie. You’ll also have a lot of fun, too, between the bouts of frustration. Adjust what you have to, and don’t give up!”

Feketekuty also believes that game designers should read as much as possible, as it helps with creativity.

“I’d also encourage people to read as much as possible. Research topics you find interesting. Pick up a classic. Open up a play, or a movie script, or a travelogue if you’ve never checked one out before.” she said.

“Reading widely helps you become more creatively well-rounded, and that’s a trait developers always love to see.” the Mass Effect 3 writer added.

Train2Game students might find the BioWare Blog interview with Sylvia Feketekuty rather interesting, as she gives an insight into what it’s like working for the Mass Effect 3 studio.

Train2Game spoke to BioWare co-founders Dr. Ray Muzyka & Dr. Greg Zeschuk in November last year. You can see their advice, and find out how they got into game development, here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are your thoughts on the advice from the Mass Effect 3 writer? Are you making your own games? And if you’re a game designer, do you read a lot?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on The Train2Game Forum.

[Source: BioWare Blog]

Train2Game news: What should we ask Hironobu Sakaguchi at The Last Story Q&A on Thursday?

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Train2Game students may have seen this post at the start of the month about the upcoming BAFTA Q&A session with Final Fantasy developer Hironobu Sakaguchi.

In addition to hearing the games industry veteran discuss The Last Story, the audience will be able to ask Sakaguchi almost anything and he could therefore potentially provide advice to Train2Game students about getting that first job in the industry.

Unfortunately, this unique opportunity to question Sakaguchi is now sold out.  However, The Train2Game Blog will be attending the BAFTA Q&A on Thursday.

So if you’ve got anything you’d like to ask about Final Fantasy, The Last Story, game development or the industry in general, leave your questions here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Also, let us know if you’re actually going to be attending the event!

You can still purchase tickets to next Monday’s BAFTA Games Question Time, which gives the audience the opportunity to ask a panel of experts questions about the industry.

BAFTA’s public events and online resources bring you closer to the creative talent behind your favourite games, films, and TV shows. Find out more at www.bafta.org/newsletter,www.facebook.com/bafta or twitter.com/baftagames

Train2Game news: UK Charts – Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is No.1

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Train2Game students see a brand new IP in the form of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning take No.1 in the UK Charts in its first week on sale.

The fantasy title published by EA is the first new IP to take top spot since Dead Island in September last year, and the first original RPG to take the coveted No.1 since Pokémon, twelve years ago in 2000.

Last week’s No.1, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII-2 therefore has to settle for No.2 in its second week in the charts, while The Darkness II from Take 2 is another new entry at No.3 Metal Gear Solid HD Collection drops two spots to No.4, while chart mainstay FIFA 12 slips to No.5.

The new entries to the charts pushes Battlefield 3 down three to No.6, while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a non-mover at No.7. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations slips to No.8, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim drops one to No.9, with Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games reaching the top ten following the release of a Nintendo 3DS version.

Soulcalibur V, Saints Row The Third and Just Dance 3 all drop out of the top ten, while new releases Catherine and Grand Slam Tennis 2 debut at No. 20 and No.26 respectively.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 11th February 2012 is therefore as follows:

1. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
2. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Square Enix)
3. The Darkness II (Take 2)
4. Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (Konami)
5. FIFA 12 (EA)
6. Battlefield 3 (EA)
7. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)
8. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft)
9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)
10. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (SEGA)

New releases this week include UFC Undisputed 3. Read The Train2Game Blog interview with UFC  Undisputed 3 Senior Designer Wes Bunn here.

What are your thoughts on this week’s charts? Is it positive that a new IP has reached No.1?  Have you purchased any of the new releases?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]