Category Archives: Games Designer

Train2Game news: Consoles will continue to be the ‘gold standard’

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Train2Game students will be aware about the huge increase in digital gaming over the last few years, with smartphones, Steam and as seen at the Eurogamer Expo, OnLive, all giving consumers ways of downloading or streaming games.

And as reported by the Train2Game blog, some have even speculated that there will eventually be no place for traditional consoles.

However, retailer GameStop believes that consoles are very much here to stay and for a long while yet.

“We continue to believe that the console is a strong platform and will continue to be the gold standard” GameStop President Tony Bartel told Industry Gamers

And he believes that digital content will become an increasingly important area for consoles.

“People will begin to digitally download first a lot more downloadable content. Eventually, full games will become more relevant to some consumers who want to do that”

“Then we think that streaming will continue to grow. As you get additional bandwidth, we think that it’s going to become more prevalent over time, which is why we’ve invested in it.” Bartel concluded.

The increasing importance of digital to consoles echoes comments made by THQ CEO Brian Farrell. As reported by the Train2Game blog, he believes future consoles won’t use discs and this will only be a good thing for game developers.

Meanwhile, Crytek believe that the games industry isn’t quite ready for an all digital cloud gaming way of working.

So Train2Game, do you believe consoles will always be a part of gaming? Or does the rise of digital mean that they have limited time left in the spotlight?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Industry Gamers]

Train2Game news: Games will match film visuals within a decade say Epic

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Train2Game students could end up working on games with Hollywood quality graphics in the next ten years. That’s at least if predictions made by Epic Games founder Tim Sweeny come true.

Epic Games are of course on board for the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam in November.

I really see two major milestones coming up for games in the very long-term future.” Sweeny told IGN UK.

“Number one is achieving movie quality graphics and movie quality pixels on the screen, which mean no flicker in the visuals, no popping artefacts, no bulky character outlines on the screen at all.”

“I see that actually occurring over the next ten years” he said.

And the Epic Games founder believes that computers just need the extra power that will come over the next few years in order to achieve this.

“We just haven’t been able to do it because we don’t have enough terra flops or petta flops of computer power to make it so.”

“I expect over the next ten years we’ll a real revolution in that area as we make up this missing gap between where we are today and everything movies are doing” said Sweeny.

“I expect I’ll be actively programming at the time we’ve achieved full movie-quality graphics because that’s really just a matter of brute force computing power and clever algorithm. We know exactly how to do that” he added.

Train2Game students can get a taste of what games could look like in Epic’s impressive Samaritan tech demo produced using Unreal Engine 3, as seen here on the Train2Game blog.

The Epic games founder suggested that Unreal Engine 4 for next-gen consoles will “probably launch around 2014”

The other major milestone according to Sweeny is creating proper human characters with emotions in games, and this could be improved over the next ten years, although not to the same extent as graphics.

“Simulation of gameplay characters, artificial intelligence, character dialogue and all of these other things aren’t really problems of brute force computing,” said the Epic co-founder.

“They require increasingly sophisticated algorithms and simulation of human intelligence. I have no idea when those problems will be solved. I’m quite sure they won’t be solved in the next ten years.

“They may not even be solved in my lifetime, but those are all problems that require understanding how the human brain works and trying to simulate that with varying degrees of accuracy”

“We’ve seen very, very little progress in these areas over the past few decades so it leaves me very sceptical about our prospects for breakthroughs in the immediate future.” Sweeny concluded.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Sweeny’s comments? Will we see film quality visuals in the next ten years? And do you think games will ever properly crack artificial intelligence?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: IGN UK via Develop]

Train2Game interview: Valve’s Chet Faliszek on CS:GO

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Train2Game attended the Eurogamer Expo, and during our time there we had a chat with Valve Software writer Chet Faliszek about Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. In an in depth interview, Faliszek discusses the reasons for making CS: GO, bringing the PC title to consoles,  the importance of beta testing and much more.

The Valve Software writer also tells the Train2Game blog how important modding can be as part of finding work in the games industry.

Read the interview below, on Train2Game’s Scribd page, or listen to it via Train2Game Radio.

We’re over ten years on from the original Counter-Strike, why is the time right for CS: GO now?

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive started because we were actually originally just going to do a port of Counter-Strike: Source for XBLA. Internally we started playing it a lot and released that ‘Oh, this is a lot of fun’ We forgot how much fun this translates over to the 360 now we’ve got really good at this, so we should make a bigger investment, a full game and expand out what it is.

What are the main Game Design changes that have been made to CS: GO?

One of the cool things with Counter-Strike is it’s been around for so long, that there’s a lot of feedback we can get about what works and what doesn’t work. So we’ve taken a look at 1.6, we’ve taken a look at Counter-Strike: Source, we’ve kind of taken the best of both worlds and we think we’ve created the best version of Counter-Strike.

Which modes will be available in the upcoming game?

We’re going to have the classic bomb planting and hostage and rescue, and were also going to have – again looking back to the community, they had worked on gun game – and so we’re incorporating gun game directly into what we call ‘Arsenal modes.’  We have two of those modes; one is Demolition and that’s about bomb planting and team based Gun Game. And then we also have Arms Race which is the classic Gun Game where every kill you get, you get a new gun and then eventually you get to the knife round.

How difficult has  it been to bring what’s fundamentally a PC game onto consoles?

We don’t really ever look at games that way. As a company, as gamers ourselves, we play on too many different platforms just to think of a game being that anymore. I mean, I play Left4Dead on console as much as I play it on PC, so you know, I think we’ve become accustomed to that.

It’s been fun watching people jump down here and say ‘Oh man, I can’t believe you don’t have keyboard and mouse here,’ and then they play on the PS3 and go ‘Oh yeah, that works pretty well.’

It’s had a good reaction from the hardcore Counter-Strike fans then?

Yeah, actually what’s really funny is at PAX back in Seattle, we were showing it on the 360 and we had a pro-gaming website come in really dissing that we had it on the 360. And they sat down and ran over everybody and they loved it.

Is there a mode for players who might be new to Counter-Strike, but don’t want to get run over by veteran players?

Well actually in all of our modes we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we have the Social Mode which you’re seeing here. You get all the weapons, there’s no friendly fire, all talk is on and it’s a place to have fun with your friends and you’re talking about your girlfriend’s or what you’re talking about on TV while you’re playing the game.

But also there’s also a skill based mode which is all about the skill based matchmaking, so that’ll always make sure you’re having a competitive game without getting owned by someone who’s been playing for  ten years and is tonnes better than you – they’re going to be playing against different people than you will.

You’re giving out beta keys here, how important is that phase in the development of a game?

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. 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.

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.

Valve Software has a reputation for hiring modders, is modding therefore a good way for a budding game developer to get noticed?

It’s a really good way for someone to get noticed because it shows that you’re able. Normally modders have to work as a team and that’s important, and they also have to be able to finish something and that’s really important. So those two things together are a really good way to demonstrate that you’re ready to work in the industry.

What other advice would you give to someone looking to work in the games industry?

Make sure you’re doing something.  Do whatever you’re doing, like we (at Valve) weren’t necessarily writing for games when Gabe (Newell) tapped us, but do whatever you do as well as you can and with a view as to what your eventual goal will be.

Anything else you’d like to add about CS: GO?

We’re going to have the beta starting in October, check it out. We think it’s the best version of Counter-Strike there is, and you can help us make it the best version.

Thanks for your time.

The CS:GO beta begins in October, with a Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC released scheduled for early 2012.

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

For more information about Train2Game, go to www.train2game.com

Train2Game news – Valve: modding ‘a really good way’ to get noticed in the games industry

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Train2Game students should take up modding in order to help demonstrate that they’re ready to work in the games industry. That’s according to Valve Software’s Chet Faliszek who spoke to the Train2Game blog at The Eurogamer Expo.

“It’s a really good way for someone to get noticed because it shows that you’re able” he responded when asked about modding.

“Normally modders have to work as a team and that’s important, and they also have to be able to finish something and that’s really important. So those two things together are a really good way to demonstrate that you’re ready to work in the industry.”

Valve have a reputation of hiring modders, and as previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Team Fortress 2 regularly sees community created items added to the game.

As part of an interview that’ll shortly be published  on the Train2Game blog in full, the Valve writer added  that it’s important to just “make sure you’re doing something.”

“Do whatever you’re doing,” he said.  “Like we (at Valve) weren’t necessarily writing for games when Gabe (Newell) tapped us, but do whatever you do as well as you can and with a view as to what your eventual goal will be”

Faliszek’s comments echo those of id Software’s Tim Willits, who last month also told the Train2Game blog that modding is a great way to get into the industry. Willits himself started his career as a modder.

“Modding is a great way to get into the industry. Most of the key guys at ID come from the mod community – myself, Matt Hooper, Robert Duffy, Jan Paul Van Waveren – and we have numbers of other guys” said the RAGE Creative Director.

“What I suggest to people who want to get in the industry is find their favourite engine – Unreal, Source, it doesn’t matter, id tech – find whatever engine they like, what games they like to play, get the mod tools and make a mod. And make sure they complete it!

“Lots of times we have people who send resumes’ in with 20 half completed mods; we don’t want that, we want a handful of one’s that are actually done, and that’s really important” he added.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Faliszek’s advice? Do you mod? Would you like to take it up?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game students can quiz Batman Arkham City developers Rocksteady at BAFTA this Friday

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Train2Game students in London have the chance to attend a very special BAFTA Q&A event about Batman: Arkham City this Friday.

As stated on the BAFTA website, London-based Rocksteady Studios will discuss the making of the hotly anticipated follow-up to Batman: Arkham Asylum, winner of two BAFTAs for Gameplay and Best Game of 2009.

Doors open at 19:30 on Friday 30th September, while the Q&A event itself begins at 20:45.

Full event details are available on the official BAFTA website, while Train2Game students who register in advance can go to what will be a very insightful event for free. Full details on that are here.

The Train2Game blog attended a BAFTA Q&A session   about Duke Nukem Forever with Randy Pitchford of Gearbox Software earlier this year. You can read all about it here on the Train2Game blog.

Train2Game students can also get a peek behind the scenes at Rocksteady in this previous article about Game Design in Batman: Arkham City.

So Train2Game, will you attend the BAFTA Batman: Arkham City event? What questions would you ask about the game?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: BAFTA]

Train2Game news: Bioware on the importance of playtesting during game development

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Train2Game students will be aware testing a game is an extremely important part of game development. But according to Bioware, it isn’t something that should be left to the QA Testers or Beta testers alone, rather the game developers should be constantly involved in the process too.

That’s according to Star Wars: The Old Republic project lead James Ohlen who was speaking to Gamasutra.

“The thing about it is, it’s important to get people to test your game, but the beta tests are more for finding out if your technology’s going to stand up, and finding some small tweaks and changes.” he said when asked about playtesting.

“But all the big changes that we’ve been making were planned from way before, because we’ve been playing the game ourselves. If we didn’t figure this stuff out, we’d be terrible game designers. So, internally we figured out a lot of the problems early on.

However, Ohlen pointed out that Beta testers still have a role to play in game development.

“But at the same time, it’s good for fans to feel like they’re having an impact, and sometimes they do”

“Sometimes they do point out information that is a little bit surprising, but nothing hugely surprising. There’s been surprises on the project, but mostly they’ve come from us playtesting this stuff.” the Star Wars: The Old Republic project lead concluded.

For a more in depth look behind the scenes of Star Wars: The Old Republic, check out the Train2Game interview with Associate Lead Designer Emmanuel Lusinchi.

Star Wars: The Old Republic will be released in Europe on 22nd December 2011.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on testing games? Do you agree that it’s an important part of a game developers job, no matter what role they have in the industry?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Gamasutra]

Train2Game news: Gears of War 3 is No.1

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Train2Game forum users, at least a significant proportion of them, were very excited about the release of Gears of War 3 and it seems that excitement was replicated throughout the country.

Gears of War 3 is the new UK No.1, becoming the fastest selling new game of the year in the process and Britain’s 12th biggest game launch of all time.

F1 2011 from Codemasters is another new entry at No.2, and Train2Game students can get an insight behind the scenes of its development in our in depth interview with Chief Game Designer Steve Hood.

The new entries push previous chart topper Dead Island down to No.3, while Zumba Fitness jumps up two places to No.4. Deus Ex: Human Revolution remains at No.5 for the third consecutive week.

Driver: San Francisco slips to No.6, with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and Resistence 3 dropping five spots each to No.7 and No.8 respectively.  LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean and Rugby World Cup 2011 complete the top ten.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 24th September 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Gears of War 3 (Microsoft)
2. F1 2011 (Codemasters)
3. Dead Island (Deep Silver)
4. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
5. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)
6. Driver: San Francisco (Ubisoft)
7. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (THQ)
8. Resistance 3 (Sony)
9. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)
10. Rugby World Cup 2011 (505 Games)

New titles for release this week include FIFA 12.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Gears of War 3 topping the charts? Will it be the same again next week, or will FIFA 12 take the top of the table?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

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

Train2Game student thoughts on Homefront 2 being developed by Crytek

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Train2Game students have reacted to the news that Crytek are working on a Homefront sequel scheduled for release in 2014, and there are some interesting comments among them.

“Not bad, I liked the story of Homefront and to be honest I never played the multiplayer” said Alex Norton on the Train2Game Facebook page “But it was enjoyable, plus it’s always a good thing to hear that games are being delayed generally they get better (e.g. Mass Effect 3)”

Train2Game student Shaun also believes the lengthy development time will ultimately be a positive thing for Homefront 2.

“GOOD! I think games are rushed to much to cope with demand! 3 to 4 years, I reckon.”

However, Train2Game student Michael Caine thinks a 2014 release could be risky, given that the next generation of consoles is predicted to hit the market around then.

“Isn’t 2014 pushing it for the new instalment if predictions are right for a 2014 next gen?” he said on the Train2Game Facebook page “Kinect should be used along with control if the predictions fail but last gen can still survive years through a new gen so it could be a 50/50 gamble. I guess we’ll have to see.”

There are also those who are less enthusiastic about the news that Crytek will be taking control of the Homefront brand.

“I’d stay away if I were Crytek…..Homefront isnt worth the effort as it hardly set the world on fire. Make a new IP.” said Train2Game student Kev Curtis.

Meanwhile, on the Train2Game forum, Train2Game student Craig Moore doesn’t sound keen on more Homefront.

“I thought Homefront was a gigantic flop ?! Why the hell are they keeping this IP alive?” he asked.

These are just a few of Train2Game students thoughts on the prospect of a new Homefront title by Crytek, but what is your opinion?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: More to come from current gen consoles says Gears of War 3 designer

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Train2Game students may be eagerly any announcements on the next generation of consoles, but there’s plenty of life in what we already have yet.

That’s according to Epic Games Design Director and the man behind Gears of War 3, Cliff Bleszinski.

“I think if we bring out any more products on the 360 depending on life cycle, we’ll be able to squeeze more water from that stone,” he told The Telegraph.

“That said, I still think there is a huge amount of room for improvement in graphics. We want to get to Avatar-quality and real time and beyond. I think we can absolutely get there, hopefully in the next generation if everybody ponies up and does good hardware.”

And Bleszinski hinted that there are already new consoles in the works, but refused to be drawn on anything. “I could tell you, but I’d violate an NDA.” he said.

Nothing is official, but as the Train2Game blog reported earlier this year, Microsoft were looking for designers to work on the next Xbox console.  Meanwhile, Sony claim they’re in no rush to develop the successor to the PlayStation 3.

There’s no indication of any release dates for the next generation of consoles, but some Train2Game students have speculated that the 2014 release scheduled of the newly announced Homefront 2 sequel could point to it being one of the first next-gen titles.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Cliff Blesinski’s remarks?  How much room for improvement do you think the current generation of consoles has? And when do you think we’ll see new systems released?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: The Telegraph]

Train2Game news: Battlefield 3 open beta begins this month

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Train2Game students will no doubt find Beta testing certain games fun, but they’ll also be aware that it’s an important stage of game development.

It’s therefore possible that many Train2Game students are excited that the Battlefield 3 beta will be available later this month on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Those in the PC beta will need to use EA’s Origin digital distribution system.

Those who’ve pre-ordered Battlefield 3 on Origin or bought the Medal of Honor limited edition will gain access to the beta from September 27th. The Battlefield 3 beta will open up to everyone else from 29th September  through to 10th October

The official Battlefield 3 website prominently states that the beta is “Your chance to give feedback.” Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course, will know that feedback is an integral part of game development.

Train2Game students who get involved in the Battlefield 3 beta will be set on the Parised ‘Operation Metro’ map while the game mode available is rush.

EA believe that Battlefield is ‘superior’ to Call of Duty, as reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this year.

So Train2Game, will you get involved with the Battlefield 3 Beta? Do you believe it could even help your ability to be an eagle eyed game developer?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.