Category Archives: Games Designer

Train2Game News: Darksiders II Creative Manager on getting into the industry

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Train2Game News recently went to a Darksiders II preview event organised by THQ. While there we had a quick chat with Vigil Games Creative Manager Jeremy Greiner, who told us how he broke into the games industry and offered advice to those looking to get in.

“My gateway into the industry was through community.” He told The Train2Game Blog.

“I was very active on the Microsoft forums, in the shooter forums, and ended up on becoming community manager and from there moved forward on the path.”

“Once you get your foot in the door, it’s all about what you do with it, so just get that foot in the door and keep trying hard.” Greiner added.

Getting a foot in the door can be a very important step towards a career in the games industry, and it’s something that Train2Game can provide students with thanks to the work placement scheme.

There’s more advice from industry professionals about getting into the industry here on The Train2Game Blog.

Also, keep reading for the latest Darksiders II news. Vigil’s action adventure game is scheduled for release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in August. A Wii U version will arrive at a later date.

What are your thoughts on Greiner’s path into the industry and his advice?

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

Train2Game News: How The Elder Scrolls Online story is being written by Zenimax

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Train2Game students can find out how the story is being written for The Elder Scrolls Online, the upcoming MMO from Zenimax Studios based on Bethesda’s popular RPG series.

Speaking in an exclusive video interview with Game Informer, lead content designer Rich Lambert and creative director Paul Sage discuss the story for The Elder Scrolls Online and how it fits in with Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, and Tamriel as a whole.

They also reveal some of the techniques used at Zenimax to decide on their story, including research, brainstorming and communication with Bethesda Game Studios.

Watch the video over at Game Informer. You can also watch the Elder Scrolls Online announcement trailer below, right here on The Train2Game Blog.

There’s much more about The Elder Scrolls here on The Train2Game Blog, including this post about nearly 14 million mods being downloaded for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

What are your initial thoughts about The Elder Scrolls Online? Do you think an MMO in an established single player universe will work well?

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

Train2Game News: Call of Duty: Black Ops II will ‘rewrite the rulebook’ say Treyarch

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Train2Game students who play Call of Duty: Black Ops II when it’s released later this year will be playing a game that’s rewritten the rulebook for the popular shooter series.

That’s according to game director David Antony while discussing Call of Duty: Black Ops II and its game design with CVG.

“One of the ways we have been most ambitious is in terms of story. I worked with Hollywood screenwriter David Goyer for about the last three months editing the story on the first Black Ops, and we had a really great time. He genuinely enjoyed it, describing the experience as the most fun he’d had since film school 20 years ago.” he said.

“So we got to the end of the first Black Ops and he’s like ‘Dave, I want to work on the next one from the start. We’ve taken some risks on the first Black Ops; now let’s rewrite the rules about storytelling in games.’ So right from the start it wasn’t a case of thinking how far do we needed to go to satisfy peoples’ expectations… we’re not even thinking about that. We just want to rewrite the rulebook.”

Antony explained how Call of Duty: Black Ops 2’s branching story will work, revealing that there are different outcomes depending on your decisions.”

“So the sandbox levels, these are called Strike Force. Let me explain the overall branching story; you have characters – main characters – in the story who will live or die depending on what you do, and it’s not just what you do – it’s the choices you make and your skill in Strike Force. So depending on how skilful you are on those levels, it’ll actually have an influence on the overall Cold War that’s going on. So that’s one example.” he said.

“You play the game when it comes out in November, and you’re all likely to get different outcomes. So when you get to the end of the game we’re going to make it very clear to you the different things that could have happened.” he added.

Something that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 won’t be getting, as previously reported by The Train2Game Blog, is a new engine. A team of 300 people are working on the game.

Keep reading The Train2Game Blog for all the latest news on Call of Duty: Black Ops II?

What are your thoughts on what Antony says about Call of Duty: Black Ops II?

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

Train2Game News: LittleBigPlanet and Driver: San Francisco writer to talk games writing at GameCityNights

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Train2Game students can get an expert insight into games writing from LittleBigPlanet and Driver: San Francisco writer Dean Wilkinson when he appears at GameCityNights later this month.

GameCityNights are monthly events which take place in Nottingham that explore video games and the culture around them.

Not only does Wilkinson have plenty of experience in video games writing, he’s also written comedy for TV, radio and books.

“This is the first writing-focused gig we’ve staged at GameCityNights, so it’s a privilege and an honour o be welcoming one of the best in the business along” said GameCity Director Iain Simons.

Bennett Foddy, creator of QWOP, GIRP and Pole Riders and Ed Key, creator of Proteus, will also appear at the event sharing their inspirations and aspirations over Skype.

GameCityNights Episode 5 takes place in Nottingham on Thursday 31st May from 6pm. Tickets cost £5 in advance, and can be booked at http://nights.gamecity.org

Previous speakers at GameCityNights include Dear Esther creator Dan Pinchbeck. There’s more information here on The Train2Game Blog.

Will you be going to GameCityNights later this month? What would you be most interested in finding out?

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

Train2Game News: Dragon Age Level Designer on getting into the industry

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Dragon Age 2 Train2Game blog image

Train2Game students looking to make that first step into working full-time in the industry should need to practice making their own games. That’s according to BioWare level designer Kaelin Lavallee, who has worked on both Dragon Age games.

“Make your own games! With all the free tools out there these days (XNA, Unreal, Unity) it’s easy to get started creating them.” he told BioWare Blog.

“Hone your skills (I can’t believe I just said that). Just don’t be lazy! You can’t have an awesome job and be lazy.”

The interview also sees Lavallee discuss is role as a level designer, and how there’s no such thing as an “average day” in the office at BioWare.

The full BioWare interview with level designer Kaelin Lavalee is here.

There’s more advice from professional game developers on how to get into the industry, right here on the Train2Game Blog. Keep reading for the latest news from BioWare.

What are your thoughts on Lavellee’s advice?

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

Train2Game news: Darksiders II developer diary focuses on game design

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Train2Game students can get behind the scenes of Darksiders II’s story in a new developer diary from THQ.

Titled ‘Behind the Mask: Death’s story’ the video sees the Darksiders II development team discussing the story of protagonist Death, and how the narrative runs parallel to that of  fellow member of the four horseman, War in the original Darksiders.

And in what will be especially interesting to Train2Game game designers, the developer diary details how THQ and Vigil Games ensure that their “deep story” has rules, which ensure everything makes sense and comes together.

Watch the Darksiders II developer diary curtsey of GameSpot, below here on The Train2Game Blog.

The video features, among others, Lead Designer Haydn Dalton. You can find out what a day in his life working on Darksiders II involves right here on The Train2Game Blog.

Darksiders II is scheduled for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on Tuesday 14th August 2012.

There’s more Darksiders II news here.  

What are your impressions of the game design and story behind Darksiders II? Are you looking forward to this one?

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

Train2Game student industry experience diaries: Jonny Robinson at DR Studios weeks 39-41

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Train2Game game designer Jonny Robinson is on a Train2Game work placement at DR Studios. In his latest industry experience diaries, Jonny describes the experience of winning Make Something Unreal Live with Commando Kiwi, visiting SCEE, his excitement for DR Studios upcoming game and more.

Read what Jonny has to say about his Train2Game work placement  here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game Scribd page. There’s more from Jonny here. 

Train2Game news: Portal 2 Perpetual Testing Initiative released

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Train2Game students can now build and share their own Portal 2 levels thanks to the release of the brand new and free Perpetual Testing Initiative update.

The puzzle maker for PC and Mac allows players to create new Portal 2 test chambers without the need to leave the game, with maps published directly onto Steam Workshop. Players can vote on and automatically download any user-created puzzles using the Workshop.

There’s more on the Perpetual Testing Initiative in the trailer from Valve and Aperture Science’s Cave Johnson below.

In an interview with The Train2Game Blog, Valve’s Chet Faliszek told us modding or using community creation tools is a great way for aspiring game developers to show off their skills.

There’s more Valve news right here on The Train2Game Blog.

Are you building Portal 2 puzzles yet? What do you think about the tools?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Gmae Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game student industry experience diaries: Chris Robinson at AppCrowd – weeks 7 & 8

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Train2Game Game Designer Chris Robinson returns with the latest news about his  Train2Game work placement at AppCrowd.

Appcrowd CEO Rick Alexander  is one of the industry professionals that appears in our mentors panel discussion video from Gadget Show Live. 

In his latest industry experience diaries, Chris discusses ‘crunch’ time, how he believes the Train2Game work placements will help him find permanent work, and working on designing levels.

Read what he has to say about his Train2Game work placement  here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game Scribd page.

There are more diaries from Chris here.  As usual, leave your comments here on this post, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Grasshopper on Lollipop Chainsaw’s game design

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Train2Game students can get behind the scenes of upcoming cheerleader fronted action title Lollipop Chainsaw in a development diary from Grasshopper Manufacture.

Lollipop Chainsaw features a high school cheerleader who fights zombies with, among other things, a chainsaw. She’s accompanied by the living, fully conscious decapitated head of her boyfriend.

Lollipop Chainsaw – Behind the Apocalypse features Grasshopper Creative Director Suda 51 and film writer James Gunn – whose credits include Dawn of the Dead – discussing the thought process behind the game design of what looks to be a very over the top title.  Watch it below here on The Train2Game Blog.

Lollipop Chainsaw is scheduled release for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Friday 15th June.

What are your thoughts on Lollipop Chainsaw and the game design ideas behind it?

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