Train2Game Game Designer Darren Price is on a Train2Game work placement at DR Studios. In his latest Train2Game industry experience diary, Darren discusses building the in-game user interface.
Meanwhile, Train2Game industry experience placement student Laurence Gee looks back at what he’s learned during his time in a game development studio.
Read both entries below here on the Train2Game blog.
Here’s a bit of nostalgia with a modern twist for Train2Game students – a Postman Pat game is now available as an app.
The Postman Pat Special Delivery Service App from interactive publisher P2 games is available for iPhone, iPad or iPod touch now and has been designed to coincide with Postman Pat’s 30th Birthday celebrations.
It’s an example of how apps and mobile gaming can bring a new twist to both children’s entertainment and learning, both areas Train2Game students may want to take a look at.
The Postman Pat app delivers there are eight games to choose from plus a special bonus game where players can make pictures and fix puzzles from stamps collected during game-play. Each game has been specially designed so that it is easy to learn and fun to play without young children needing help from an adult.
The Postman Pat Special Delivery Service App is now available for £1.99 from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.
So Train2Game, what’s your take on this twist on an old favourite being brought to the App store? Would you develop an educational game?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog.
Train2Game Game Designer Jonny Robinson is on a Train2Game work placement at DR Studios. In his latest Train2Game industry experience diary, Jonny discusses designing levels for iPhone title Bug Wings.
Read Jonny’s latest industry experience diary here on the Train2Game blog, or on the official Train2Game industry experiences website.
You can also get a taste of Jonny’s experiences at DR Studios by watching his industry experience video diaries.
Train2Game students will be aware that when compared to the traditional retail model, digital distribution provides game developers with a better opportunity to get their titles out there.
Not only does the digital business model knock down the wall of needing a publisher, it also arguably allows developers to take more risks when developing the games. Both of these could potentially be advantageous to Train2Game students.
Indeed, as reported by the Train2Game blog, indie developer Mode 7 Games believes the Steam digital distribution service is ‘essential’ for indie developers.
And in a recent interview, Ninja Theory Creative chief, Tameem Antoniades also praised digital distribution model, stating it’s good for creativity in the games industry.
“There’s always an opportunity between projects to explore things, a lot of team members are hobbyists, they create their own iPhone games and things like that so I can see us kind of taking a punt with that. It can’t come soon enough” Antoniades told GamesIndustry.biz
For more on iPhone development, see the recent Train2Game interview with indie studio Hogrocket. They recently released their first game for the platform, Tiny Wings.
The Ninja Theory Chief Designer suggested that the traditional retail model is on the way out, and that it’s a positive thing for game developers.
“The whole digital revolution is happening now and it can’t come soon enough. The model we’re under, the big retail model, is creaking” he said, before arguing that need for games to be successful at retail in its current is stifling creativity because consumers don’t want to spend large amounts of money on an unknown entity.
“It’s such an opportunity for fun creative games to reach a target audience, there’s this stranglehold that the AAA retail model has which I think is just crushing innovation and access to creative content.”
“If you’re paying that much for a game, you don’t want to take chances. You want everything to be there, all the feature sets. You want it to be a known experience, guaranteed fun. That’s not healthy.”
As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Ninja Theory’s original IP Enslaved: Odyssey to the West failed to be particularly successful at retail, with publisher Namco Bandai suggesting poor release timing was to blame.
Even if Enslaved wasn’t very successful, Train2Game students would do well to read about the Enslaved Developer Session with Ninja Theory’s Tameem Antoniades at last years’ Eurogamer Expo. Expect more insight into how game developers operate as Train2Game will be reporting from the 2011 expo later this month
What are your thoughts on the comments from Antonides? Do you agree that digital distribution encourages creativity? Would an all digital model be good for the industry?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: GI.biz]
A cash-strapped student studying in the North East of England has created and published a humorous mobile app for iPad and iPhone that could prevent the ‘Euro Destruction’. The quirky app is the first of its kind created by a novice games designer. It encourages its users to play their way through current financial and political scenarios that culminate in the end of Europe as we know it.
A cash-strapped student from the North East of England has managed to build and publish his own game for iPad and iPhone. Georgij Cernysiov, a student on the Train2Game blended learning course has achieved what many budding games designers dream of. He has managed to get his iPhone game published without the support of a large development team or deep pockets. The humorous game, aptly titled ‘Euro Destruction’ was designed and built in less than a month using virtually no art or programming skills.
Using the ipad and iphone game development software, Thinking Worlds, which is free to download and use, Georgij was able to add a fun twist to a worrying tale and turn the current plight of the Eurozone into a fun app that is available to download for free from Apple’s App Store.
In the game, users must decide the fate of Europe by deciding who to throw money at; the ‘Bankers’ or the ‘Citizens’ or, if they can’t decide in time get lost in the process.
Despite having very little cash or extensive programming knowledge, Georgij’s creativity and the tools he used to create the game made the process accessible to him and he was able to create a downloadable game that was fun, original and has already started getting downloads from the App Store.
When asked about the idea behind the game, Georgij said he wanted to “try and create a game that touched on some of the current issues within Europe without bogging people down with too much economics or politics.”
Georgij’s achievement marks another positive outcome facilitated by the Train2Game course and free to use game development software, Thinking Worlds.
Play the Game for Free:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution stays top of the UK charts despite sales almost halving those of its impressive debut week. As reported by the Train2Game blog, the Square Enix title took No.1 last week, knocking off long time chart topper Zumba Fitness in the process.
As a result Driver: San Francisco, which like Deus Ex is the return of a popular franchise has to settle for No.2 in its first week. As reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this year, Reflections promised a ‘more accessible’ Driver title. The success of Deus Ex and Driver sees Zumba Fitness drop to No.3
Rugby World Cup drops one to No.4 in its second week on sale, while LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean also drops one to No.5.
Madden NFL 12, the American football title from EA Sports enters the chart at No.6, one place ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops which drops to No.7 in its 43rd week on sale. Cars 2 and FIFA 11 drop two spots each to No.8 and No.9 respectively while The Sims 3 moves up from No.12 to complete the top ten.
Bodycount, the new shooter from Codemasters barely makes the top 40 and debuts at a lowly No. 36.
The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 3rd September 2011 is therefore as follows:
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)
2. Driver: San Francisco (Ubisoft)
3. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
4. Rugby World Cup 2011 (505 Games)
5. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)
6. Madden NFL 12 (EA)
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
8. Cars 2 (Disney)
9. FIFA 11 (EA)
10. The Sims 3 (EA)
Releases this week include Resistance 3 and the much hyped Dead Island.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the charts? Is it a well deserved No.2 for Driver? Why has Bodycount failed to make an impact in its first week?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]
The use of actors and performance capture is the future of game design. That’s according to Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Jason Vandenberghe, who argues that it improves games making characters more believable, something he believes the industry needs to do more of.
It could be a technology that Train2Game students could use in their future careers.
“I think we’ve been putting up with poor performances and poor writing for too long in the industry” Vandenberghe told Train2Game in a soon to be published interview.
“There’s a lot of people who’ve kind of accepted that it’s just a game so you don’t need to have a good story or don’t need to have good believable characters. Why not? We should have good, believable, strong characters every time.”
The Far Cry 3 Narrative Director believes that as the performance capture technology becomes more readily available, more game developers should take advantage of it.
“We have examples of that, there have been great characters in gaming and we should continue with that, we should expect that” said Vandenberghe.
“I believe that now that the technology for performance capture is becoming more and more available, and we’re learning more about it, I expect the quality bar to rise and I hope you guys (gamers) should be demanding better characters out of your games.”
“What I’m trying to do with this game is raise the audiences’ expectations” he added.
Stay tuned to the Train2Game blog for the full interview with Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Jason Vandenberghe. The title from Ubisoft is set for release next year.
Other games that use motion capture include L.A. Noire and its impressive facial animations, and the Uncharted series which takes input of actors very seriously.
And last month the Train2Game blog reported that Assassin’s Creed: Revelations will also use motion technology.
So Train2Game, is Vandenberg right? Is performance capture and the user of actors the future of the industry? Will it help game designers produce better games?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Hogrocket is a micro-studio founded by three former employees of Bizarre Creations and they’ve just released their first game for iPhone, Tiny Invaders.
Train2Game recently caught up with Hogrocket co-founder Ben Ward to discuss switching from Triple-A to indie, indie development, and releasing games for the iPhone.
Ben also revealed how he got into the games industry and gave advice on how Train2Game students can attempt to follow in his footsteps. Read the interview below, or listen to it via Train2Game Radio.
Train2Game will be taking Eurogamer Expo 2011 by storm with its biggest presence yet inviting anyone interested in joining the games industry to meet course advisors, current students and the brains behind the syllabus at the Train2Game stand.
Furthermore, keep your eyes peeled for Train2Game students across the show floor in bright orange T-shirts and grab the opportunity to hear more about the course, its future and how you can join the industry.
As part of Train2Game’s commitment to face-to-face time as a key part of students’ education, the show also provides another opportunity for those currently enrolled to touch base with their tutors and meet fellow course mates in the flesh. Building on the strong community established on the Train2Game forums, when the students come together, it’s often a key catalyst for spin-off projects and experiments.
Train2Game will also be running a competition for students to share photos of themselves wearing their T-shirts and win an iPad 2 with accompanying iOS Developer account, kick-starting their ability to develop for the platform. In addition, every photo uploaded to the Train2Game Facebook page will result in a donation to the charity, Child’s Play; a charity which donates consoles, games, books and toys to sick children in hospital.
“Our students are the best out there – they love the industry, they know their stuff and one day they’ll be exhibiting at events like Eurogamer for themselves” said Train2Game Course Director Tony Bickley
“In the meantime, we’re delighted to have hundreds of independent ambassadors representing us at the show, alongside our own stand for anyone who wants to learn more.”
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game was at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from 17th August to 21st August. While there, we spoke with UFC Undisputed 3 Producer Neven Dravinski.
In an in-depth interview, he discussed what his role as producer involves, the game design process, the art & animation techniques used to model fighters, and much more.
Dravinski also reveals how he got into the games industry and gives advice on what Train2Game students should do to follow in his footsteps. Read the full interview below, or listen to it via Train2Game Radio.
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
The Train2Game Blog 