Category Archives: game

Train2Game News March 2016 Nintendo Direct

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In a new Nintendo Direct video, Nintendo revealed new games on the way for its Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems, as well as additional details about previously announced titles. From new games in the Kirby and  Paper Mario franchises to a companion game for Star Fox Zero, this is one video that can’t be missed.

To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct. Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

Wii U
·  Star Fox Zero: Fox McCloud returns in an action-packed new adventure. Multiple paths branch out to give players plenty of places to explore, and each route gives them a completely different experience, with each battle posing its own set of unique challenges. Players will notice their skills get better and better over time, as they become top-notch pilots. In two-player mode, one player can fly the Arwing while the other player aims and shoots. The game launches April 22. The packaged version comes with a  Star Fox Guard game disc at a suggested retail price of $59.99 while the digital version of the game can be purchased by itself from Nintendo eShop for $49.99.

·  Star Fox Guard: Players set up 12 cameras to find and defeat enemies who are attacking the mining site of Slippy Toad’s uncle, Grippy Toad. The game includes about 100 stages, but players can also create their own stages by editing the placement of enemies and uploading their levels online. The only way to get the physical version of  Star Fox Guard is by purchasing the packaged version of  Star Fox Zero. The game can also be purchased by itself from Nintendo eShop for $14.99. Customers that purchase the digital version of either  Star Fox Zero or  Star Fox Guard will receive a $4.99 Nintendo eShop discount toward the other game.

·  Paper Mario: Color Splash: Prism Island is being drained of its color and it’s up to Paper Mario to stop it! Use Paper Mario’s paint hammer to splash paint on anything it hits and bring the color back to the island in this new action-adventure game. The game will launch later in 2016.

·  Super Mario Maker: More than 6.2 million courses from players around the world are available for others to play, and now a free March 9 update will add a Super Expert mode to the 100-Mario Challenge. The mode is unlocked after players clear Expert mode. Super Expert Mode dishes out six extremely tough courses. Additionally, 12 new Mystery Mushroom costumes have been added to 100 Mario Challenge. The update also provides level creators with even more tools:
· Shake a P Switch to turn it into a key. Shake a Door to turn it into a Key Door. Creators can make enemies hold keys, meaning players can’t advance without defeating mandatory bosses.
· Shake a Coin to turn it into a Pink Coin. Players must collect them all to make a key appear.
· Shake a Thwomp to turn it into a massive Skewer column from  Super Mario World.
· Additionally, the  Super Mario Maker Bookmark site will see additions such as ranking categories for world records and the number of first clears on courses, inspiring new ways to experience the main game.

·  Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games: The Wii U version of the game launches on June 24 and includes two events new to the series: Rugby Sevens and Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs. Every event in the game takes place in locales modeled after the actual venues in Rio.

·  Splatoon: The hit multiplayer game is getting more updates. An update on March 8 balances some gear abilities to improve some of the lesser-used ones and make them more appealing. Additional tweaks to matchmaking, Ranked Battles and Splatfests aim to improve the overall user experience. Another update arrives in two waves, with the first coming in April. It will adjust some existing weapons and add new weapon set recommendations as “Sheldon’s Picks.”

·Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE: Slay monsters—and slay like a pop star—all at the same time, in this brand-new RPG from acclaimed developer Atlus. A sinister force from another dimension has invaded modern-day Tokyo, resulting in a fantastical barrage of style, fashion, music and, of course, danger. So play to your strengths in high-energy turn-based battles, then fuse items to craft powerful weapons and crush your foes. Around every corner you’ll find fan-service—including  Fire Emblem references—original songs by Japanese entertainment giant Avex, dungeons themed after the entertainment industry and eye-catching music performances. The one-of-a-kind game launches June 24.

·  LOST REAVERS: BANDAI NAMCO’s latest free-to-play online co-op action game asks players to team up with other adventurers online to fight zombies and solve puzzles as they search for valuable treasure. As players complete missions, characters will level up, unlock additional skills and increase their in-game funds to acquire new weapons. An open beta version is launching April 14 with the full version coming to Wii U on April 28.

Nintendo 3DS
·  Kirby: Planet Robobot: Invaders have mechanized Dream Land. To restore his home to its original form, Kirby must use their technology against them with the new Robobot Armor. The Robobot Armor can even destroy a variety of obstacles in his way. The Team Kirby Clash mode lets up to four players join forces to battle against powerful bosses. Players select one of four roles, and participate in a co-op quest to defeat a boss while supporting their team. Completing a quest earns experience points to level-up and grow more powerful. The game is compatible with a large variety of amiibo figures, and some give Kirby character-specific abilities. A new series of Kirby amiibo figures that includes Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight and Waddle Dee gives Kirby attributes specific to each character. Tapping the Kirby figure is the only way to get the UFO ability. The game and new amiibo figures launch June 10.

·  Metroid Prime: Federation Force: This next chapter in the  Metroid Prime series is a first-person adventure fused with puzzle solving, focused on shooting and co-op gameplay. Players take on missions that tell the story of the battle between the Galactic Federation’s elite Federation Force unit and the Space Pirates. Each player must select and carry specific sub-weapons based on their preferred roles, then proceed to complete each mission. The game will launch in late spring.

·  Rhythm Heaven Megamix: The game offers more than 100 rhythm games, 30 of which are new to the series. An additional 70 have been selected from previous games in the series, including the original Game Boy Advance title, which was never released in North America. The game launches later this year.

·  Monster Hunter Generations: The newest installment in the popular  Monster Hunter action RPG series from Capcom is making its way to the West. The game will feature a special collaboration armor set based on Marth from the  Fire Emblem series. Anyone who plays  Monster Hunter Generations on Nintendo 3DS with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate save data present on it will receive bonus content in the new game. As a special promotion,  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is being offered at a special price of $19.99 in Nintendo eShop for 48 hours, starting today at 3 p.m. PT. The game will launch this summer.

·  Disney Art Academy: Discover your inner artist to capture the stunning visuals of over 80 Disney and Pixar characters. With advice and lessons inspired by Disney art and Pixar animations, learn to use a bundle of different drawing tools to create Elsa and Olaf from Disney  Frozen, characters from Disney  Inside Out, Mickey Mouse and more! Even share your creations with your friends!  Disney Art Academy launches May 13.

·  Hyrule Warriors Legends: The game launches March 25, at which point players can buy a season pass to get access to four DLC packs and a bonus costume for Ganondorf. These packs will also be available for purchase individually in Nintendo eShop during the next few months. A transfer code will allow purchasers who also own  Hyrule Warriors for Wii U to use Ganondorf’s Trident weapon and play as the five new characters from  Hyrule Warriors Legends in the Wii U game. Medli from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker  will be available as a free download when the first DLC pack is released.

·  Bravely Second: End Layer: A free demo of the game hits Nintendo eShop on March 10. Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked members will receive a unique 16-digit code to access the demo early on March 7. Playing the demo will earn play bonuses that players can transfer into the full version of the game when it launches on April 15.

·  Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past: Travel to the past to save the present in this classic  Dragon Quest adventure that has been completely remade from the ground up for Nintendo 3DS. The world has been rebuilt, the characters have new 3D models and the story has been completely re-localized. Even customize your party with over 30 classes and rank up in turn-based battles to learn new spells and abilities. The game launches later in 2016.

·  Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation: This third path in the story reveals many secrets not available in the  Birthright or  Conquest versions. On March 10, players can purchase  Revelation for $19.99. Once purchased, a third option will appear at the Branch of Fate moment of the game: “Refuse to Choose a Side.” Today two new maps (Museum Melee and Ghostly Gold) are being released for purchase in the Dragon’s Gate in-game DLC shop, with Royal Royale launching on March 17. After March 17, additional maps will be released on a weekly basis through April 21.

Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
·  Virtual Console Update: Super NES games are coming to New Nintendo 3DS and New Nintendo 3DS XL systems. At the conclusion of today’s Nintendo Direct, Super Mario World,  F-Zero and  Pilotwings will be available, mirroring the original Super NES launch lineup. On March 24,  Donkey Kong Country,  Super Mario Kart and  EarthBound will join the lineup. And on April 14, watch for  The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,  Super Metroid and  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Quest. The New Nintendo 3DS hardware enables Perfect Pixel Mode in these versions, which gives players the option to display the games in their original resolution. Find a full listing of Virtual Console titles at  Nintendo.com.

·  Azure Striker Gunvolt 2: Gunvolt’s rival Copen joins the fray as a playable character. Players can dash into enemies to lock on to them, then unleash a devastating homing shot. Copen can also copy the abilities of all seven new boss characters and use them as his own. The game launches this summer. In the meantime, the original  Azure Striker Gunvolt game is available for $9.99, now through June 1.

·  Pocket Card Jockey: Solitaire meets horse racing – really! Game Freak’s new mashup puts players in the saddle as a jockey who must complete a fast-paced, simplified version of solitaire to propel the horse through intense races. It’s all about leveling up the horse through strategic positioning and placement on the track. Over time, players can win trophies for high-ranking races to secure sponsors. The game launches in May.

amiibo
·  Mini Mario and Friends amiibo Challenge: This free game can be found in Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Tap an amiibo figure on the Wii U GamePad controller or New Nintendo 3DS system (or to a Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL or Nintendo 2DS system using the Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer accessory) to guide one of 11 minis across more than 60 levels. Players can tap any compatible amiibo figure. Or, by tapping specific amiibo figures, players can guide minis that have exclusive level sets or their own unique abilities, like mini Mario’s wall jump or mini Yoshi, who can eat enemies. Starting March 25, the game will be available at select retailers as a bonus download code with the purchase of any Nintendo amiibo figure. It will also be available to download for free from Nintendo eShop on April 28.

·  Isabelle amiibo Figure: In June, Isabelle will be available separate from the  Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival bundle, in her winter outfit. A new Isabelle figure featuring her summer outfit is also coming. Both figures launch on June 10.

·  amiibo Cards: Series 4 of the  Animal Crossing amiibo cards launch on June 10.

Remember that Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

Train2game News Insomnia 57 eSports

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Multiplay, organiser of the UK’s largest gaming festival, Insomnia, and a subsidiary of GAME Digital plc (“GAME Digital”), the UK’s leading video gaming specialist, will be hosting a number of popular eSports tournaments at Insomnia57 from 25-27 March.

Returning to Insomnia, the Halo 5 tournament sponsored by Plantronics, will sport a £3,000 prize pool. Teams of four will be able to compete for a share of the prize on both the Saturday and Sunday of Insomnia57, in which day visitors gain access to the Tournament Zone area for the very first time to watch live matches. For more information and to enter please visit the official site.

There will also be plenty of other tournaments for BYOC Ticket holders to try their luck in, such as Football Manager, SMITE, Heroes of the Storm, and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, as well as many more. For a full list of tournaments taking place, please visit the Insomnia57 Tournament page.

The Hearthstone Insomnia Truesilver Championship sponsored by GAME and Ballistix returns to the NEC with a completely revamped format as 200 players battle it out for a share of a $30,000 prize pool. For further details please visit the official Insomnia Gaming Festival website.

“After the success of our first major Hearthstone tournament at Insomnia56, we are delighted to once again be hosting the Hearthstone Insomnia Truesilver Championship. With up to 200 players competing for the $30,000 prize pool, we expect to see some competitive and compelling games.” said Craig Fletcher, Founder and CEO of Multiplay. “We’ve also added to the eSports experience at Insomnia57 by providing day visitors access to the area surrounding the Tournament Zone in the Exhibition Hall. We wanted to add more to the atmosphere, as onlookers get a closer look to watch players battle it out to be crowned champion.”

To ensure that you don’t miss out on the Insomnia experience, make sure you purchase your tickets to Insomnia57, which will give you access to the action packed Exhibition Hall, as well as Live interactive stage shows, Cosplay, Tabletop games, Retro zones and much more. Tickets are available to purchase from your local GAME store or online: https://insomniagamingfestival.com/tickets/.

Train2game News WG Labs Dev Contest

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WG Labs has put the call out for development teams to show off their awesome projects and enter the WG Labs Dev Contest.

If you and your friends are aspiring designers then this contest could be just what you need to take your game or service to the next level. The WG Labs Teams is looking for unreleased multiplayer games on PC or mobile platforms, in alpha or higher, that have what it takes to stand out from the crowd, with the chance to win $10,000 in prize money.

The WG Labs Dev Contest is a fantastic opportunity to discover just how strong your team and project are, as well as hear feedback from game industry veterans who have worked on a range of hugely successful titles.

“One of the goals of WG Labs is to help nurture passionate teams with great ideas,” said Maxim Matveyko, Publishing Product Director at WG Labs. “The WG Labs Dev Contest is our way of reaching out to teams across the world and letting them showcase their talent, with the potential to win a cash prize.”

So what are you waiting for? The contest starts today and is open to all those in Europe, the Americas, the CIS, and Asia. It will run until May 30, with the submissions period closing a month before, on April 30. The winners will be announced at the end of May. To discover more about the contest criteria and WG Labs, visit the official portal: WG Labs Dev Contest

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 02.03.16

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2996287-fcp_announce_screen_001_embargo_oct_6_9am_pst_1444078333_1444148126.jpgA new game has taken the number one spot this week and it is Ubisoft’s Far Cry Primal and in second is Plants vs Zombies:Garden Warfare 2 by EA Games. In the lower half of the top twenty the only new game is Bravely Second: End Layer in number twelve.

All formats
Week ending 27 February 2016

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 FAR CRY PRIMAL UBISOFT –
2 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE 2 EA GAMES –
3 – FIFA 16 EA SPORTS 3
4 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS III ACTIVISION 1
5 – GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 5
6 LEGO MARVEL AVENGERS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 4
7 STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT EA GAMES 6
8 FALLOUT 4 BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 7
9 TOM CLANCY’S RAINBOW 6: SIEGE UBISOFT 8
10 STREET FIGHTER V CAPCOM 2
11 MINECRAFT: STORY MODE TELLTALE GAMES 10
12 BRAVELY SECOND: END LAYER SQUARE ENIX –
13 ASSASSIN’S CREED: SYNDICATE UBISOFT 11
14 FORZA MOTORSPORT 6 MICROSOFT 19
15 POKEMON SUPER MYSTERY DUNGEON NINTENDO 9
16 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 14
17 LEGO JURASSIC WORLD WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 16
18 JUST CAUSE 3 SQUARE ENIX 12
19 WWE 2K16 2K 13
20 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 17
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2016 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 GameBlast16

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Donations to GameBlast, the UK’s biggest charity gaming marathon weekend, have smashed the £120,000 raised during last year’s event.

More than £170,000 has so far been pledged in online and offline donations, with more still to come. The final total will be announced next week.

Last weekend saw over 400 individuals and teams from across the world undertake hundreds of events and gaming marathons to raise money for Oxfordshire-based charity SpecialEffect, who help people with physical disabilities to be included in the gaming community by creating personalised technological solutions.

Headline streaming events were hosted by GameBlast partners Jagex and GAME, attracting thousands of viewers and raising over £120,000 between them. A further £50,000 was raised by individual streamers and teams, comprised of friends and colleagues.

The madness began at 12.00 on Friday 26th February, with Jagex staff undertaking a series of extreme challenges during a 24 hour livestream at their Cambridge HQ, including plenty of gunge action from ‘Get Your Own Back’ presenter Dave Benson Philips! Real-world auction items, such as signed merchandise and a tour of the Jagex offices, combined with contributions of in-game wealth via the RuneScape Well of Goodwill mechanic, encouraged their generous community to pledge over £100,000 in donations, more than triple what they raised in 2015.

The baton was then passed to GAME, who hosted their own 24 hour livestream at their Basingstoke offices from 10.00 Saturday 27th February. Guests included Wheelchair Basketball European gold-medalist Mark Fosbrook, Microsoft’s Graeme Boyd (aka. Acey Bongos) and comedian John Robertson. GAME stores across the country also joined in with their own events and collections, including auctioning off fifty ‘life size’ Vault Boys for bids upwards of £250 each (the highest price paid being £1,500)! In total, GAME have so far raised over £20,000 and counting, more than double what they achieved last year.

In one of the most heart-warming stories to come out of the event, the William Merritt Disability Living Centre in Leeds staged their own 24 hour GameBlast event, with many of the young people who took part using accessible controllers created by SpecialEffect. Other partners who contributed to the unprecedented success of GameBlast16 include ukie, Multiplay, Insert Coin, Face-It and Twitch, alongside many more companies and industry figures from as far afield as India, Norway and LA.

Summing up their experience of Game Blast, one team commented: “This is the first time we’ve ever been involved in the event. It was fun for all of our community and the staff were brought closer together by taking part too!”

Mick Donegan, CEO of SpecialEffect, said: “Once more, I’ve been completely amazed by the awe-inspiring generosity of the gaming community and the games industry. The money raised will enable us to make an immense and immediate impact on the lives of many more disabled people by enabling them to play mainstream video games. A huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone involved – I can’t help feeling both proud and humbled at the same time.”

The dates for GameBlast17 have just been announced as 24-26 February 2017.

Train2game News Asobo Studios announce Holo games

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Independent game developer Asobo Studio is proud to announce today the release of two games for the Microsoft HoloLens  Development Edition.

Asobo Studio and Microsoft have a rich history, and we were thrilled to partner with Microsoft to bring these holographic experiences to life in a way that uniquely showcases the capabilities of HoloLens and inspires developers to think about their own creations in new ways.

Fragments & Young Conker will be available with the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition, and can be downloaded from the Windows Store on the device:

In Fragments, you become the detective in a high-tech crime thriller. Experience compelling new possibilities for storytelling and gameplay when life-sized characters are aware of your presence, share your real space, and interact with you in mixed reality. Spatial mapping allows holographic clues to be dynamically placed in whichever room you play.

Fragments – https://youtu.be/m6Wndguve8U

In Young Conker, you guide a playful, pint-sized hero through your world in an ever-changing adventure game that highlights the fun of playing in mixed reality. Levels change and adapt to your environment, so you can play the same level in different rooms for a unique experience every time.

Young Conker – https://youtu.be/uQeOYi3Be5Y

Sebastian Wloch, Asobo Studio’s C.E.O: “Our partnership with Microsoft gave us the opportunity to develop an unparalleled expertise towards holographic entertainment. With the development of our two first games for the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition, we are breaking through a new era in video gaming. From now on, the players’ world will be at the center of the action and interactions. It’s been an awesome adventure to work hand-in-hand with Microsoft teams, and to take on the challenge of developing new creative processes for a never before seen device.”

Kudo Tsunoda, Corporate Vice President, Windows Experiences, Microsoft Corp.: “Asobo Studio is a creative company, and a world-class game developer. We were thrilled to leverage the company’s expertise across a number of areas, particularly in building games for new platforms. We’re excited to see how Asobo’s work will inspire other developers as they create their own mixed reality experiences for Microsoft HoloLens.”

Train2game News VRDB

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2016 is the year that VR becomes available to the masses, and VRDB will be there from the moment the first headsets arrive.

This new medium is a complex beast; its pioneers exploring uncharted territory. VRDB will serve as a guide: what hardware to buy; what games to play; what’s in store for the future of VR.

Not only will this be accomplished with dedicated editorial comprising news, reviews, interviews, and features, but by allowing developers to directly contribute their own content. VRDB isn’t just a site to be read; it is an open platform, a database of knowledge that tracks and highlights the most important developments in virtual reality. It’s a place for both VR enthusiasts and VR creators alike.

Australian-made but with a global reach, VRDB.com is the newest addition to the DBolical Network, which already sees over 6 million monthly visitors across existing sites IndieDB.com and ModDB.com.

Train2Game News New Pokémon Games Announced

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Pokémon Sun and Moon announced during today’s Nintendo direct for Nintendo 3DS.

For 20 years, Pokémon has delighted millions of fans of all ages and has become one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world. During today’s Pokémon Direct presentation, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company, announced Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, the newest additions to a legendary series that has sold more than 275 million video games since the debut of Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in 1996 for the Game Boy system in Japan. Developed by GAME FREAK inc., Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will be launching late 2016 exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems and, for the first time, will offer Traditional and Simplified Chinese as language options.

“The Pokémon core series games are the centre of the Pokémon universe and provide some of the most memorable Pokémon moments for our fans,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of Consumer Marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “I can’t wait to see what fans think of the new adventures they’ll find in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.” 

Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon will also have Pokémon Bank functionality. This online storage application will make it possible for fans to move Pokémon wirelessly from Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow, which come to the Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS on February 27, to Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. Pokémon from Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon X, and Pokémon Y can also be transferred to Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon through Pokémon Bank. More details about this exciting feature can be found here: Pokemon.co.uk/bank

For more information, please visit : Pokemon.co.uk/SunMoon

To view the trailer, follow this link: http://bit.ly/1R72eFb

To view the Pokémon Direct in its entirety, visit: http://nintendo.co.uk/nintendodirect

Train2Game News Far Cry Primal Language Session

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Cha Winja warhamas!

Translation: “We speak Wenja here!”

Wenja?

It isn’t surprising that only a very few people — so far, at least — recognize “Wenja” as a language. Even fewer can speak Wenja. But after a teaching session next week, the University of Kentucky campus could harbor the single largest concentration of Wenja speakers in the world.

Two UK assistant professors of linguistics — Andrew and Brenna Byrd — are intimately familiar with Wenja. They imagined and brought to life Wenja and other prehistoric-sounding languages for the new video game “everybody” is talking about, “Far Cry Primal©” by Ubisoft, released earlier this week. People are talking because “Far Cry Primal” is a rarity in the gaming world. The 10,000-year-old world focuses on survival violence, without guns, without cars.

Designing a realistic world, not just a game, was the goal of “Far Cry Primal” engineers. They wanted to create a world that could have conceivably existed in our dim past, 10,000 years ago to be exact. They consulted paleontologists, who helped the designers and artists fill their imaginary world with the plants and animals that actually existed in 10,000 BCE. They populated their world with mammoths and saber toothed tigers — and three tribes of interacting prehistoric homo sapiens. To interact, the humans had to communicate.

Unless they wanted to be restricted to grunts, communication obviously required some sort of language, but everything the designers tried sounded trite or just plain wrong, either too much like modern man or too much like science fiction. That’s when they discovered UK linguist  Andrew Byrd and his research into ancient languages, including his online reading of fables in Proto-Indo-European, a language that hasn’t been heard in 5,000 years or more. Then, they discovered Byrd’s wife Brenna was also a linguist, but one who focused more on teaching foreign languages. Ubisoft designers rejoiced. They had found what they needed, an expert to create an ancient-sounding language and a second expert to teach the Stone Age languages to the actors who would bring their Primal world to life.  

Andrew and  Brenna Byrd did not create Wenja as an imaginary alien language of grunts and snarls, as heard in countless television shows and movies. They created Wenja based on two lifetimes of researching ancient languages, including Proto-Indo-European (PIE).

“Scholars have known for some time that a number of languages spoken in Europe and Asia derive from a common source, which was likely spoken in the Russian Steppes 6 to 8,000 years ago,” said Andrew Byrd, an assistant professor in English and linguistics.

But Andrew and Brenna Byrd needed something even older, a language spoken with a mammoth trumpeting in the background.

“We had to ‘translate’ backwards in time. We needed to create a proto-PIE language, a language that may have been spoken about 7,000 years before PIE existed. Brenna and I used what we knew about PIE to imagine what an earlier version of that word may have been,” Andrew Byrd said.

“The hardest, but probably most fun, part,” he said, “was coming up with appropriate war cries, celebratory chants, curse words. More often than not, it was the actors who created these phrases (‘Nuha!) or PIE itself (‘Hasa!’).”

The couple created a true — though imagined — language of more than 40,000 words with established grammar, syntax and structure. Then, it was Brenna’s job to teach that language to a group of actors. She submerged them in the language immediately, encouraging them to live the language to breathe life into it again. And suddenly, it just was.

“They began speaking to each other in Wenja off the set, in their spare time. Or bringing me the script and asking if that was what the character would really say. They weren’t just memorizing the lines. They were speaking the language,” Brenna Byrd said. “That’s when this hypothetical ancient language — just a jumble of sounds, really — began to feel tangible, natural, a living language.”

Andrew pointed out the three things that made this”Far Cry Primal” so important to even the academic world: first time PIE has been used since it was spoken thousands of year ago and the first time a video game has been created in a constructed, prehistoric language.

“Besides,” he said, “it’s just plain fun, more primal to scream as you attack an enemy ‘u mi-gwaru hada’ instead of ‘eat my spear.’” 

UK students can enjoy a taste of that same experience. From 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, in White Hall Classroom Building, room 114, Andrew and Brenna Byrd will explain in more detail their incredible journey back in time with “Far Cry Primal.” Along with a few surprises here and there, there will be an abbreviated lesson in Wenja.

http://uknow.uky.edu/content/uk-professors-go-primal-far-cry-

Train2game Multiplay Job Opportunity

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Multiplay, organiser of the UK’s largest gaming festival, Insomnia, and a subsidiary of GAME Digital plc (“GAME Digital”), the UK’s leading video gaming specialist retailer, is challenging job applicants to prove their online gaming knowledge and abilities against Craig Fletcher, Founder and CEO of Multiplay, in return for potential employment at the high-tech company based in Blackfield.

Craig Fletcher, a former medical student, abandoned his studies for his hobby, online gaming, and developed it into a highly successful business that he is passionate about, located in New Forest, Hampshire, UK. Insomnia Gaming Festival, which started out as a LAN party between friends and family, has rapidly grown and now attracts crowds of over 37,000 gamers at one time. Multiplay are recruiting new staff as the company continually develops, and in a form of unique interviewing, the CEO is personally challenging applicants at online gaming which integrates with one of Insomnia’s key pillars, LAN gaming.

Craig Fletcher, also known as Wizzo in the gaming world said; “a head-to-head game is a great way to get to know if new recruits are passionate about online gaming and the games they will be working with. At Multiplay we like to work hard, but play hard too, and we are always looking for the most talented individuals to join our family of ardent online gamers.”

For more information on career opportunities, please visit https://multiplay.com/about/careers/  or https://jobs.game.co.uk/.