Category Archives: Games Designer

Train2Game students take note – one third of UK population using smartphones

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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 – transcript

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Train2Game student Fabiano’s first video blog is now available on the Official Train2Game YouTube channel

His first video blog is also available in text form! Read it below here on the Train2Game blog.

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

Train2Game student Fabiano video blog No.1

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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 Art & Animation student Amanda Blatch from Portsmouth to Train2Game Radio

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Amanda Blatch is studying to become a Game Artist & Animator with Train2Game. Train2Game Radio caught up with her to find out why she chose to study with Train2Game, how she’s finding the course and how it differs to her time at uni. Listen at www.audioboo.fm/train2game

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

Train2Game student developed iOS game Bug Wings gets free Lite version and update

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Train2Game students on industry experience placements at DR Studios have helped produce Bug Wings throughout its game development and update cycle.

The game for iPhone,iPad  and iPad touch has received some positive reviews with the Train2Game blog previously reporting on a score of 4/5 from 148apps. Bug Wings also received 4/5 from high profile American website GamePro.

DR Studios has released a free Lite version of their tilt-controlled arcade adventure Bug Wings.  Featuring six levels set across a unique pond in a single player Solo Mode, Bug Wings Lite gives players a tantalizing free taste of the complete game.

Bug Wings Lite is available to download for free from the iTunes App store.

Also released today is version 1.2 of the full version of Bug Wings that introduces a number of game play improvements. These include:

  • New and improved virtual joypad controls
  • Improved tutorials for new players
  • Increased number of bug sound effects

For more information about Bug Wings, visit the official Bug Wings website or the official Bug Wings iTunes app store page.

Support fellow Train2Game students and give it a go!

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

[Source: Train2Game]

Train2Game Animators get excited: Assassin’s Creed: Revelations tech could surpass that of L.A. Noire

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Train2Game students will be familiar with the impressive facial Art & Animation of L.A. Noire, with many wondering if it could be beaten in future.

Well, the facial animation of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations could surpass that later this year, thanks to the Mocam technique used to capture footage.

“One of the elements that’s really interesting about Mocam is that, while  it creates a lot of high-fidelity character expression and movement, the actor doesn’t need to look like the character he’s playing.” Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Lead Game Designer Alexandre Breault told Now Gamer.

“It’s a system that’s able to interpolate the facial movements of one person and apply them to any model. That gives us a lot of flexibility with our actors.” He added.

That means the in-game character doesn’t have to look like the actor who plays them, useful for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations which features a number of historical characters.

Another way the motion capture used for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations could beat that of L.A. Noire is that it incorporates the entire body. Team Bondi’s method, while very impressive, only captured the face of the actor or actress.

“They’re also able to act with their whole body, as the system isn’t just limited to the head” explained Breault.

“ Mocam doesn’t create a clash between facial expression and body movement – it’s all integrated. It allows realistic facial expression, but not at the cost of actor expression as normal mo-cap does.”

It certainly sounds impressive, much like the fact the Train2Game blog reported earlier this year that the Ubisoft team behind Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is over 200 people strong.

And while it isn’t being used to capture facial animation, Uncharted 3 is also using advanced motion capture techniques.

So Train2Game, could Revelations surpass the tech of L.A. Noire? Would it improve the game? Is motion capture the way forward?

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

[Source: Now Gamer]

Train2Game student lesson for the future? id Software’s fans ‘sometimes drive them nuts’

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All Train2Game students are gamers, and they’ll all have different ideas about various games with some even voicing opinions on the Train2Game forum.

Of course, not all comments about games are positive with gamers demanding various things that for one reason or another won’t be in a particular game.

The upcoming RAGE from ID Software contains shooting, driving and RPG elements, but creative director Tim Willits believes that fans of the game will still find problems with it, things that they believe should be added.

“The worst thing is that everyone wants the kitchen sink and everything else too,” he told Xbox World 360 Magazine.

“For Rage, we’re doing all these things and yet people are like ‘Well I can’t blow up these boxes’, and I’m like ‘Are you serious? We have driving, racing and all these cool characters!’ ‘But in this other game I can blow up boxes’, and I’m like, ‘This other game doesn’t have any racing in it!’

“It’s crazy. Fans: I love them but sometimes they drive us nuts!” he concluded.

Train2Game students probably have criticised certain games, and they may even find fans demanding things from their own games in future!

As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, RAGE will be released with mod tools potentially allowing the community to add the things they believe should be in the game.

As Train2Game students will know, modding is also a great potential path to a full-time role in the games industry.

Rage is scheduled for release on October 7th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC

So Train2Game, how important is fan input into game development? Would you accept it for your games?

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

[Source: CVG]

Train2Game news: Games ‘will take over the world’ says Civilization creator

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 Students are taking Train2Game courses because they have aspirations of working in the games industry.

They’ll therefore be buoyed by comments from Civilization creator Sid Meier in which he states that games will ‘someday take over the world’

“I’ve always claimed that games will someday take over the world and from where things sit today, that seems to be happening” Meier told Industry Gamers.

There are so many different gaming platforms and a constant stream of new games for players to enjoy in any way they choose, which is great for gamers.”

The Civilization creator believes the growing popularity of Facebook games means there are more opportunities out there than ever before.

“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.”

Indeed, as previously reported by the Train2Game blog, a version of Civilization – Civ World – is one of the many Facebook games available to play. Meanwhile, Zynga’s Allies & Empires gained over 33 million users just three weeks after its launch.

It’s also entirely possible that if a Train2Game student ended up developing social media games in their first role in the industry, it’s entirely possible they’d get more hands on experience with that than they could with games for another platform.

“A Game Designer is actually more important on a social game than on a triple-A game because on a triple-A game you spend a lot of time making technology and tools and gigabytes worth of animations and things like that.” said Zynga’s Game Designer Brian Reynolds earlier this year. Reynolds previously worked on Civilization II.

“I can remember whole months going by where they didn’t need me to do any game design whereas on social games it’s a game designer’s paradise.”

Games are going to take over the world and social media will provide an even bigger opportunity for that to happen! Sounds good, right?

So Train2Game, is Sid Meier right? Will games ‘take over the world’? Is the growth of social media gaming good for the industry as a whole?

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

[Source: Industry Gamers]

Train2Game Game Designers already know it… ‘iconic’ games need good story says Gears of War 3 writer

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Gears of War 3 Train2Game blog image

Train2Game students, Train2Game Game Designers in particular, know that a good story can make or break a game.

While some may not believe story is a significant factor in a shooter, Gears of War 3 writer Karen Traviss believes that it’s hugely important whatever the game type.

“Gears is a thriller, it’s a horror whodunnit set in a war. You have to keep the tension going right up to the final frame of the final cinematic and even after the credits.” Traviss told GameSmack

She explained that story telling – and therefore Game Design – is something that’s needed for a game to become iconic.

“Okay, a lot of players think they don’t care about story, but they’d notice (and gripe) if it wasn’t there, a game has to be more than good gameplay to become iconic.” said Traviss.

“That’s how I wrote it, and as far as I know, because I haven’t seen anything of the game since they started on the technical polish more than a year ago, that’s the way it still is.

“A lot of post-recording changes get made in games for technical reasons, and stuff has to be chopped or changed sometimes, but the emotional stakes are so much part of the fabric that the impact will still survive.”

Game Design and storytelling are becoming an ever more significant factor in developing top games. Indeed, back in June the Train2Game blog reported that The Darkness 2 Game Director  Sheldon Carter believed that Game Design is the ‘final frontier’ game development.

“I think story is the final frontier for games” he said. “We’re kind of getting there tech-wise. Mechanics-wise it’s cool that we’re innovating but it’s still in the basic same themes. I think story is eventually where we’ll all end up going.”

Upcoming games that also focus on the Game Design Narrative include Uncharted 3 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. For more on the writing and Game Design behind Uncharted 3, see the Train2Game blog.

Interested Train2Game students can also see a post that goes into great depth about the Game Design process behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

So Train2Game, how important do you believe story telling is in games? Do you care about the story of Gears of War 3?

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

[Source: Gamesmack via Beefjack]

Train2Game industry experience diaries from Jonny Robinson & Laurence Gee

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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.