Category Archives: game
Train2Game News: World’s Leading Football Franchise Optimized for Xperia(TM) PLAY
Sony Ericsson has announced a limited time exclusive agreement with EA Mobile(TM) to deliver the much anticipated EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA 12 on Android. Optimized for the world’s first PlayStation certified smartphone Xperia(TM) PLAY, the No. 1 sports franchise on the planet^ will be available for the device worldwide in the holiday season.
With improved gameplay depth, authentic commentaries, updated teams from the world’s top leagues and all new replay systems, FIFA 12 on Xperia(TM) PLAY is the ultimate football experience for Android, claims Sony Ericsson. The dedicated graphical processing unit, optimized memory bandwidth and 60fps rendering of Xperia(TM) PLAY enhance the football gameplay experience. Audio is also improved with enhanced commentary and crowd chants.
” FIFA 12 will undoubtedly be one of this year’s most popular games and Xperia(TM) PLAY consumers will be able to master it before any other Android users,” said, Dominic Neil-Dwyer, Head of Market Development for Sony Ericsson. “Adding to a portfolio of quality games for Xperia(TM) PLAY, FIFA 12 adapts perfectly to the device and delivers the best football experience on Android.”
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*Limited exclusivity expires February 21, 2012.
^ /Based on units sold world-wide as of July 25, 2011 (via NPD, Chart-track, GFK & Famitsu Marketing Data Service) /
Train2Game students can try OnLive when it launches at the Eurogamer Expo
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It’s a date that Train2Game students should mark in their diaries as one that could potentially change the future of the industry.
Cloud gaming service OnLive will arrive in the UK On 22nd September, with a launch at the Eurogamer Expo.
As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, cloud gaming could potentially bring Triple-A gaming to anyone, including smartphone and tablet computer users.
The launch coincidences with the Eurogamer Expo – which Train2Game will once again be attending – and OnLive will be giving out thousands of free game systems that’ll work on any TV.
OnLive will utterly transform gaming in the UK,” said OnLive founder and CEO Steve Perlman.
“No discs, big downloads or specialised hardware needed. OnLive gives you the latest games instantly, anytime, anywhere on HDTV, PC, Mac, as well as iPad, Android tablets.
High-performance gaming as accessible as streaming video, with unique social features such as massive spectating with voice chat and Facebook integration.”
And speaking earlier this year, Perlman, as you’d expect, believes cloud gaming is the future for the industry.
“The power of the cloud is definitely the theme this week, displacing what had been assumed to be platforms that could never be displaced,” he said at the E3 app launch..
“The OnLive Player App for iPad and Android shows how with the power of the cloud, the question is not whether cloud gaming will be able to catch up to consoles, it will be whether consoles will be able to catch up to cloud gaming.”
There are however, as the Train2Game blog has previously reported, concerns about latency when it comes to cloud based gaming. A reliable internet connection will of course be needed to connect to servers, which could be very far away.
But is cloud gaming a threat to traditional consoles? As reported by the Train2Game blog, yesterday, Gaikai’s Dave Perry doesn’t believe so.
“We don’t think we’re a threat to console. I think the threat to consoles is actually Apple” Perry told GamesIndustry.biz.
Train2Game students will have the opportunity to check out OnLive and cloud gaming at the Eurogamer Expo which starts on September 22nd.
So Train2Game, are you tempted to try out OnLive? Do you believe it could change how the industry works?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: Eurogamer]
Train2Game student diary: Craig Moore week 0
Train2Game Game Designer Craig Moore starts a Train2Game industry experience placement at DR Studios next week. In his first industry experience diary, Craig writes about what he expects to gain from the work placement at DR Studios.
Read it below here on the on the Train2Game blog, or on the official Train2Game industry experiences website.
Find out a bit more about Craig by reading his interview with the Train2Game blog earlier this year.
Craig also took part in an extensive interview on BBC Radio Oxford in the run up to the Train2Game Game Jam.
Train2Game news: “Graphics will always matter” say Id Software
Train2Game students will have seen some huge improvements in video game Art & Animation over the last decade, with the majority of Triple A games released now featuring excellent graphics.
Id software, developers of the upcoming RAGE – which as reported by the Train2Game blog will come with modding tools – believe that despite the improvements in graphics, games with better graphics than their rivals will always have an edge.
“Coming from id – and this is Carmack’s quote – graphics will always matter. And I agree with that 100 percent.” Id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead told VG247.
“I think that there’s a point where you get diminishing returns, obviously. You approach reality until the point that you get there. And then, once you get there – which, we never will – but the curve gets so close that the differences are imperceptible to most consumers.”
And Hollenshead believes the graphics and Art & Animation war is far from over, with more improvements to come in future.
“I don’t think we’re anywhere near there yet. We’re still making graphical trade-offs and working within system constraints. If you gave us twice the horsepower, I guarantee we’d soak up every single bit of it.
“So I don’t think we’re actually getting close to that yet. If every game you could buy was running with every single feature you could have turned on at 120 hertz, then I might say, “It’s pretty much all the same.” But it’s not. I mean, in RAGE, we decided to run it at 60 hertz and put all our elbow grease behind that when most of our competition is running at 30 hertz. And I think it’s a difference-maker.”
As reported by the Train2Game blog, ID Software said their fans ‘sometimes drive them nuts’ with their demands. With their ideas about graphics and Art & Animation in future, how the game looks shouldn’t be a complaint
So Train2Game, will graphics always give games an edge? Or can Game Design and gameplay triumph over Art & Animation?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: VG247]
Train2Game students on ‘garbage’ Kinect comments of Super Meat Boy dev
As reported by the Train2Game blog on Friday, Super Meat Boy developer Edmund McMillen labelled Kinect for the Xbox 360 as ‘garbage’ and that it’s ruining game design.
As you might expect from such a controversial comment – and the manner in with was said – it’s split opinion amongst Train2Game students
A number of Train2Game students made their voices heard on the Kinect issue on both the Train2Game Facebook page and the Train2Game forum; here’s a selection of some of their comments.
“He is right though they are bringing out all this stuff when there is no need” said Ian Casper Dale on the Train2Game Facebook page. “For the Kinect you have no controllers and the only games for it is things I can do in real life like running, fighting etc it’s a load of BS if you ask me and I agree with Super Meat Boy”
“I have to agree people are worrying too much about Kinect and losing the TRUE meaning and game play of what thay started out as” Darren Williams agreed on Facebook.
“I couldn’t agree more with Edmund McMillen” added Steven Brashaw “Motion control is unnecessary, why do you think games like Mario Kart Wii & Smash Bros Brawl have Gamecube controller compatibility? I’ll stick to pads thank you & have a nice day”
However, not all Train2Game students see Kinect as a novelty, and some have very positive to say about the Xbox 360 motion controller.
“I suppose aiming for the casual gaming Market ( as they seem to be ) is always a safe bet. After all they are biggest spenders. Give it time am sure something good/better will rear its head and if not it’s at least a good direction for gaming in the future.” Brian Malm replied on the Train2Game Facebook page.
Catriona Smith also praised Kinect on the Train2Game Facebook page, adding that it’s great for her child.
“I have the Kinect and I love it and my 3 year old loves it as well the games that you can get for the Kinect all good and fund to play plus you have the star wars game for it as well and it is a good way to get fit if you don’t have time to go to the gym” she said.
Meanwhile, on the Train2Game forum, Vampire Duck agreed that Kinect is great for fitness, and no one is forcing the Super Meat Boy developers to use Kinect.
“Well I’ve lost half a stone or more playing Kinect Adventures, so I don’t think I could agree. I like losing half a stone or more.
“As for the rest, it is an option, no one is forcing him to use it, it’s not even as if all or the majority of Xbox games use it, and nothing can get sold without it. I think he may still be a little pissed with Microsoft’s broken promises on Super Meat Boy promotion, which is fair enough.”
So there you have it, a little insight into what you, the Train2Game students think about Kinect. But what are your thoughts on the matter?
You can get involved in the discussion on here on the Train2Game blog, on the Train2Game Facebook page, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students take note – one third of UK population using smartphones
One third of people in Great Britain own a smartphones, while gaming is the fastest growing online pastime.
That’s according to a report from Ofcom, which argue confirms something the Train2Game blog has reported on a number of times – that mobile gaming is becoming a huge phenomenon. It’s therefore an area that Train2Game students would be wise to think about pursuing a career in.
And while the Ofcom report states the iPhone, with its easy to use App store, is still the preferred choice of smartphone for many, the Train2Game blog previously reported that Android devices are increasing their share in the market. Indeed, many Train2Game forum users own Android smartphones themselves.
Interesting, the Blackberry is the most popular smartphone among teenagers.
Meanwhile, the Ofcom report reveals that there’s been a 23% increase in online gaming over the last year, with smartphones likely to have contributed to this too. Online social media games are also becoming more and more popular, with the Train2Game blog reporting that more and more developers are using it as a platform to release games.
Indeed as reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this week, Civilization developer Sid Meier said games ‘will take over the world’ and social media gaming will play a part in this.
“I think now is one of the most exciting times to be a Game Designer” said Meier.
“With the rapid growth of social network games there are new opportunities for smaller indie developers to make and distribute games, so we’re seeing a wider variety of games on all kinds of cool devices than ever before. That’s great for the whole industry.”
And as previously reported by the Train2Game blog, both smartphone and social media gaming, free-to-play could provide a viable model for making revenue from games.
“The guys who are making more money are allowing people – if they like the game – to keep upgrading. And instead of the maximum amount of that money you can make from customer being 99c you can make $5, in some cases $30.” Industry analyst Nicholas Lovell previously told the Train2Game blog.
So with one third of Brits using a smartphone, that’s a huge potential audience for any iPhone games produced by Train2Game students; it could very much be your future.
So Train2Game, do you see developing games for smartphones as a good career path? Is the potential audience just going to keep growing?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: Develop]
Train2Game student Fabiano video blog No.1
Train2Game student Fabiano Dias brings you his first video blog in which he talks about why he chose to study with Train2Game.
Watch it here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2GameUK YouTube channel.
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Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game industry experience diaries from Jonny Robinson & Laurence Gee
In the latest batch of Train2Game industry experience diaries, Laurence Gee writes about working to a tight deadline, while Jonny Robinson writes about getting involved with marketing for the Develop Conference. (Train2Game Radio spoke to Jonny while at the conference, listen to it here)
Both Laurence’s and Jonny’s diaries are available to read below here on the Train2Game blog, on the Train2Game Scribd page, or alternatively on the official Train2Game industry experience diaries website.
Train2Game gives students opportunity to design game for UK Film Council feature film
Train2Game has launched its latest competition for students in association with BAFTA-nominated writer and director, Trix Worrell to accompany upcoming feature film ‘Avenging Angel’ with games concepts.
Entrants will be required to design one of two games referenced in the fiction of the story – either a full web game created by one of the characters and featuring online avatar creation and UGC or a smaller smartphone game based on Hangman, which also turns out to be the source of a dark force in the community.
Full details are below!
Details on how to enter will shortly be available on Train2Game Student World and the Train2Game forum.
