Another batch of Train2Game industry experience diaries. This time we find out what Train2Game Game Developer Darren Price and Train2Game Artist & Animator William Alexander have been up to at DR Studios.
Read them below here on the Train2Game blog, or on the official Train2Game industry experience website.
The latest Train2Game industry experience diary from Georgij Cernysiov who is on placement Caspian Learning.
Read the entry here on the Train2Game blog, or the official Train2Game industry experience website.
Train2Game students will definitely be tired of hearing it, but Zumba Fitness is once again top of the UK Charts. It’s the dance games 7th consecutive week at No.1 and tenth overall. The majority of sales continue to be for the Nintendo Wii.
Cars 2 jumps from No.8 to No.2 after the release of the film, while Call of Juarez: The Cartel drops one to No.3. Just Dance 2: Extra Songs is a big winner, moving from No.18 to No.4 in its second week on sale, while Lego Pirates of the Caribbean drops one to No.5
Dirt 3 moves up one to No.6, Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 2 drops to No.7, while 44 weeks after its release FIFA 11 rises one place to No.8. Former No.1 – as reported by the Train2Game blog – L.A. Noire re-enters the top ten at No.9. Call of Duty: Black Ops completes the top ten.
The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 30th July 2011 is therefore as follows:
1. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
2. Cars 2 (Disney)
3. Call of Juarez: The Cartel (Ubisoft)
4. Just Dance 2: Extra Songs (Ubisoft)
5. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)
6. Dirt 3 (Codemasters)
7. Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (EA)
8. FIFA 11 (EA)
9. L.A. Noire (Rockstar)
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
Once again, there are no major releases in the coming week. Will it yet another No.1 for Zumba Fitness? Do you think it should even count as a video game?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]
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.
Train2Game featured prominently at this year’s Develop Conference, with a stand promoting students on the courses. Pardeep Saran is on the Train2Game Game Developer course, and he attended the conference, receiving help at the Train2Game Guru Bar.
The Train2Game blog caught up with Pardeep find out why he chose to study with Train2Game and what he wants to achieve. Listen to the interview at www.audioboo.fm/train2game
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.
Many Train2Game students enjoy First Person Shooters such as Call of Duty or Halo, and may have desires to develop them in future.
With the FPS being arguably the most popular genre, it’s no surprise that Train2Game students may consider developing them. But be warned, by doing so you’ll be making Pokémon Black and Pokémon White director Junichi Masuda sad
Writing about E3 on his blog – in partially broken English – Masuda said:
“This year, FPS war games were trend!! A lot of splatter scenes!! Blood spread everywhere. Shooting a lot, killing a lot,”
“The game developer seems get used to ‘kill’ the target. Therefore, I felt ‘how to kill’ became a focus of developing game. For that reason, target become zombie and alien…” he continued.
“These targets’ savage attack and human counterattacks… It became savage contents and you never know. Mmm… It is the player who choose the game to play. As a game creator, it is little sad!”
Masuda concluded by lamenting the lack of originality in the games being shown at E3.
“Majority of the games look like a same game. There were little of original games. I felt a sense of crisis with above part.”
Train2Game Game Designers in particular will know that it’s quite important for games to be innovative and distinctive, and while the games on show at E3 were impressive to look at, some might agree with Masuda in them being a bit too similar to each other.
The Train2Game blog has previously reported that the team behind Pokémon are confident in their ability to design and create new, distinctive creatures for future games in the series.
The success of Pokémon, which as Train2Game students may remember, topped the UK Charts in March, demonstrates that there’s a base for various types of games out there!
So Train2Game, do you agree with Masuda? Are too many games are about killing? Is it a ‘crisis’ for game developers?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Many Train2Game students are waiting in anticipating to hear news of the next generation of games consoles, but EA’s John Riccitiello believes the traditional console cycle is over.
While speaking to investors, the EA CEO argued that the games industry has “fundamentally changed” in recent years.
“Most of us recognize that the industry has radically changed and the pace of change has accelerated dramatically,” he said “Gone forever is the four-to-five year console cadence that gave developers ample time to invest and retool for the next big wave.
“Consider that just 18 months ago, there was no iPad, Google was just experimenting with Android and most big games were limited to a single revenue opportunity at launch. Consider that each of the major consoles now has a controller that encourages users to get off the couch and get into the action.
“On smartphones and tablets like the iPhone and iPad, the top paid apps are all games. Recognize that the fastest-growing revenue streams for console, PC, smartphones and tablets are all digital, and that EA is partnering with its retail and platform partners to help jointly grow these digital revenue streams.
“While the game industry has fundamentally changed, games are reaching a far larger audience base than ever before.
The Train2Game blog has previously reported that EA are committed to digital games, with John Riccitiello stating at the start of the year that digital distribution is set to overtake traditional retail this year.
Last month, the Train2Game blog also reported that Riccitiello believes the future of the games industry is already here
Train2Game students will surely agree with the EA CEO in that the games industry has fundamentally changed in the last couple of years, but has the traditional console development cycle come to an end?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game featured prominently at this year’s Develop Conference, with a stand promoting students on the courses. Jonathon Robinson is on the Train2Game Game Design course, and helped promote Train2Game and also got an insight into the games industry.
The Train2Game blog caught up with Jonathon at the event to find out what he gained from the experience. Listen to the interview at www.audioboo.fm/train2game Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students have the opportunity to check out five great indie games and donate to charity at the same time with Humble Indie Bundle 3.
The scheme runs in exactly the same way as Humble Indie Bundle 2, as reported by the Train2Game blog in December last year.
The indie games available – which could all potentially provide inspiration for Train2Game students – are Crayon Physics Deluxe, Cogs, VVVVVV, Hammerfight and And Yet It Moves. They’re available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
If the games were bought separately, it’d cost around $50 (or around £30) but you have the opportunity to get them for much less as you pay what you like. You can also choose how your payment is divided between the game developers and the two charities; Child’s Play and EFF.
At the time of writing Humble Indie Bundle 3 has raised over $400,000 after 90,000 purchases. The biggest contributor appears to be Notch, developer of Train2Game student favourite Minecraft who donated over $4000.
Train2Game students can check out Humble Indie Bundle 3 on its official website. The trailer is also available to watch below, here on the Train2Game blog.
So Train2Game, is this good cause a good way for indie developers to gain publicity? Would you use the ‘pay what you want’ model for your games?
As usual, leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Thanks to Vampire Duck on the Train2Game forum for the tip off]
William Alexander is studying to become a Game Artist & Animator with Train2Game. Train2Game Radio caught up with him to find out why he chose to study with Train2Game, how he’s finding the course and how he balances it around the rest of his life.
Listen to the interview at http://audioboo.fm/train2game
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
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