Category Archives: Games Developer

Train2Game News Magic 2015 review

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Magic 2015I got the pleasure of reviewing Magic 2015 this week and it has certainly made some improvements on past titles.

The Magic card games on consoles, PC and smart devices have always been a good way to introduce the game to new players and teach them the rules and this one is no different allowing you to play with all the latest cards in premade decks.

As you start the game you are taken through a tutorial which is unfortunately unskippable for seasoned players so you just have to grin and bear it whilst the overly chirpy and sometimes patronising tutorial voice tells you all the things you already know.

Once you are through the tutorial though you are let loose on the game which follows the similar formula as the last game. Heading from Island to Island facing the challenging battles along the way. However there is a difference in these places as there are no longer challenges like there have been in previous games, instead there is now explore nodes which you can play a few times with different battles until you are face to face with a planeswalker such as Chandra or Ajani.

Finally the biggest and best difference to previous games is that once again you get random booster packs from completing each match and with the random cards you get from the booster you can either update your premade deck or after playing for a while you can create a deck entirely from scratch if you so choose. This was a feature introduced in the last game but it wasn’t implemented very well as it wasn’t easy to get booster packs without paying out for them. In this game the booster packs are far easier to come by.

I have yet to complete this version as the final boss is proving incredibly difficult for me but it has been an enjoyable evolution on the last game. If you are a Magic fan or are interested in getting involved in the world of Magic the Gathering, give this game a try.

Train2Game News Premade character animations for UE4

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Mixamo CharacterMixamo has made a number of its character animations available free for Unreal Engine 4 subscribers on the UE4 marketplace.

The firm has released 15 ready-to-use characters and seven animations to the store. Available animations include walk, run, shoot, sword, idle, jump and run jump.

“We’re extremely excited to have our animations included in Epic Games’ growing Marketplace,” said Mixamo CEO Stefano Corazza.

“The Unreal Engine exists to speed the process of game development, and we share a similar philosophy for 3D character creation and animation. Now, with built-in access to ready-made animations, UE4 developers can get their characters moving in minutes, rather than spending hours keyframing animations from scratch.”

Source: Develop

Train2Game News Neverwinter coming to Xbox One

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NeverwinterPerfect World Entertainment Inc., a leader and publisher of widely-acclaimed free-to-play MMORPGs, announced today that Cryptic Studios is bringing popular free-to-play MMORPG Neverwinter to consoles.

Available first, free-to-play with Gold on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Neverwinter – set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe from Wizards of the Coast – is the first free-to-play title from Perfect World Entertainment and Cryptic Studios that will be launched on both PC and console platforms.

Players in North America and Europe can expect Neverwinter for consoles in the first half of 2015.

“Neverwinter is our premier title to bring to console players,” said Perfect World Entertainment CEO, Alan Chen. “Consoles are a perfect fit for action-oriented MMORPGs like Neverwinter, and we are thrilled to be one of the first publishers to bring premium free-to-play titles to leading next-gen platforms. Being able to bring Neverwinter to the Xbox One is a critical achievement for Perfect World. It is our first step taking our games beyond the PC market.”

Entering its fourth module on August 14, 2014 with Tyranny of Dragons, Neverwinter continues to provide authentic Dungeons & Dragons narratives and gameplay opportunities since launching in Summer 2013, and continues to grow with the D&D fan base.

“The addition of the new platforms is another piece of exciting news for Dungeons & Dragons fans in this pivotal year,” said Nathan Stewart, Dungeons & Dragons Brand Director. “We continue to work closely with Perfect World and Cryptic Studios to bring exciting new stories to players around the world.”

Neverwinter is an action MMORPG, set in the Forgotten Realms that features fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding countryside, learning the vivid history of the iconic city and battling its many enemies. In Neverwinter, players can create their own quests and campaigns with the Foundry, a powerful content creation tool that allows players to seamlessly integrate their adventures in to the live game world.

Train2Game News Destiny Beta now open to all

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DestinyAfter initially requiring a beta code for access, Bungie is opening up the Destiny beta to all gamers on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 3.

Starting today at 4 PM PDT, everyone will be free to play the ongoing beta. The only requirement will be an Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus subscription, depending upon your console of choice. To start playing, check out the dashboard or store on your system for a link to download the beta.

This will ensure everyone who wants to try Destiny has the opportunity to do so before the beta comes to an end on Sunday night. It should also make it easier for those with more than one console to decide which system they want to play the game on when it launches on September 9. But remember, the Xbox One beta doesn’t run at 1080p, but the final game is expected to.

Bungie has had a number of surprises for beta testers since the beta began last week. Before today’s announcement, it offered a limited time Iron Banner event over the weekend and then brought the beta back online early after scheduled maintenance. And, as previously announced, players who sign into the game anytime between 2 PM PDT on Saturday and the end of the beta will receive an exclusive emblem for use in the full game.

After being a pre-order bonus, some of those who have already purchased the game are feeling betrayed by Bungie for allowing the bonus to be used by everyone.

Remember the Beta ends this Sunday for those who want to take part.

Train2Game News Women In Games Conference

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Women in GamesThe fourth annual European Women in Games Conference is to take place on Wednesday September 10 at London South Bank University.

The programme will feature a range of current topics including setting up your own games company, games industry career advice to how to encourage more school children to consider a career in the games industry.

As in previous years the day’s conference will comprise a mix of keynote speeches, panel discussions and the European Women in Games Hall of Fame Awards. The line-up of speakers and panellists will reflect the diverse talent that exists in the games industry. Key note speakers will include Emma Mulqueeny, the founder of Rewired State and Young Rewired State and a Commissioner for the Speaker’s Commission on Digital Democracy and Andrew Webber, Marketing Director – Audience Acquisition at Microsoft. More speakers and panellists will be announced over the coming weeks.

The conference has steadily grown in popularity since its inaugural event in 2011. This year’s event is expected to have the greatest attendance yet helped by the early bird ticket price of £20 per person.

This makes the conference much more accessible to students and entry level games industry professionals. In addition the organisers are keen to stress that this is an inclusive event and male delegates are equally very welcome.

Announcing the details of the conference organiser David Smith said, “The European Women in Games Conference has steadily grown over the past four years. The 2014 event will help all industry professionals’ progress their careers and we are making it accessible to everyone. I’d like to thank London South Bank University for hosting the conference and making it possible for us to offer attractive ticket prices for a first rate and pertinent programme both for existing industry professionals as well as those hoping to join our industry.”

For further details about the conference and to buy tickets please visit http://ewigconference2014.eventbrite.co.uk

Train2Game News Roundish Squarish looking for staff

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Rounded SquarishA Train2Game student studio is looking for a Developer to join their team to take the studio to a new level.

Rounded Squarish have been together for 3 years and have taken the plunge and decided to make a go of turning the student studio into a professional one. The company are now fully registered through companies house and are now currently looking for a talented and enthusiastic programmer to join the team.

The studio are currently working digitally and this, for now at least, is going to be where all of the work is done. They do intend on meeting in person and after a few Skype meetings intend on organising this.

The first project that would be worked on with the new team member would be a small title called ‘Slinger: Monsters of the West’. This is an RTS Turret Defence type game with a splash of Rounded Squarish thrown in!

The player is placed into a world where the mythical land of monsters and the legendary era of the spaghetti western collide, fighting to defend their town and take back the west.

Development of the game is already under-way and several screenshots can be shown to give the potential staff an idea of what the studio is aiming to create.

They are initially looking to take it through to an early alpha stage within a short period of time and, following feedback, will look to persue it further, or continue onto other projects in the pipeline.

Ben Cooper of Roundish Sqaurish said “We are looking to this game as a way of getting to know the coder and see if they like working with us, and vice versa, and to find out if they share the same passion and enthusiasm as we do. That’s definitely the most important thing for us. We need to get on well with them and also to be able to rely on them. We also need to assess their abilities to ensure that they are at the right stage for where we want to take the games. We don’t want them feeling over (or under) whelmed by what we are trying to do.

We very much appreciate the early stage that we are at right now and that we may not get everything right and would love for any prospective team mates to appreciate this also. Unfortunately it does mean that, for now, the position is unpaid but we are really pushing to change this in the months to come!”

If anyone does want to get in touch, they can email Ben at:

ben@roundedsquarish.co.uk

You can follow the studio on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/RoundedSquarish

Train2Game News Boss Key Productions

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Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski has opened a new studio named Boss Key Productions.

Bleszinski recently teased he was coming out of retirement, with the official announcement of the new company and its debut project due to be announced shortly.

As spotted by Polygon, documents filed to the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State also list Guerrilla Games co-founder Arjan Brussee as the studio’s chief operating officer.

Another document filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office also suggests the developer will focus on online titles, referencing “downloadable multiplayer interactive computer game programs”.

Bleszinski left his former studio Epic Games in October 2012 after 20 years at the company.

Train2Game News Develop 100 Tech List

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Develop 100Develop have recently put together a list of the top one hundred bits of tech in the games industry today.

It is full of everything from Game Engines to Consoles to peripherals.

This list is definitely a required read for anyone even remotely interested in the games industry to know what is used to make all the games you adore and enjoy.

You can view the full magazine of the Top 100 Tech from develop below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/232466314/Develop-100-Tech-List

 

Train2Game News Zero Hour Contracts

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Vince CableEmployees on zero hours contracts will have the freedom to find work with more than one employer after Business Secretary Vince Cable announced plans to ban exclusivity clauses.

Exclusivity clauses prevent an individual from working for another employer, even when no work is guaranteed. The use of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts undermines choice and flexibility for the individuals concerned.

The ban, set to benefit the 125,000 zero hours contract workers estimated to be tied to an exclusivity clause, is part of a bid to clamp down on abuses in the workplace by less scrupulous employers. It will allow workers to look for additional work to boost their income.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

“ Zero hours contracts have a place in today’s labour market. They offer valuable flexible working opportunities for students, older people and other people looking to top up their income and find work that suits their personal circumstances.

But it has become clear that some unscrupulous employers abuse the flexibility that these contracts offer to the detriment of their workers. Today (25 June 2014), we are legislating to clamp down on abuses to ensure people get a fair deal.

Last December (2013), I launched a consultation into this issue. Following overwhelming evidence we are now banning the use of exclusivity in zero hours contracts and committing to increase the availability of information for employees on these contracts. We will also work with unions and business to develop a best practice code of conduct aimed at employers who wish to use zero hours contracts as part of their workforce.”

This action follows a government consultation into zero hours contracts which received over 36,000 responses. 83% were in favour of banning exclusivity clauses in zero hours contacts.

The Business Secretary also announced that the government will:

  • consult further on how to prevent rogue employers evading the exclusivity ban, for example through offering 1 hour fixed contracts
  • work with business representatives and unions to develop a code of practice on the fair use of zero hours contracts by the end of the year (2014)
  • work with stakeholders to review existing guidance and improve information available to employees and employers on using these contracts

The ban will be part of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, which is being introduced to Parliament today (25 June 2014).

Train2Game News Psychology in Games at Develop

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DevelopTandem Events – organisers of Develop in Brighton – today announced the inclusion of three psychology sessions as part of the Evolve day.

Taking place on the first of the three days of Develop in Brighton, Evolve is dedicated to sharing new ideas about the latest and hottest trends in video games development.

One of those trends, using psychology within video games development, has become of increasing importance to the flow and style of modern day gaming. Evolve will have three sessions dedicated to the latest research curated by Berni Good, founder of Cyberpsychologist Limited.

Dr Linda Kaye from Edge Hill University will begin proceedings with her session entitled Social Psychology and Digital Gaming Experiences – What Can Developers Learn From This Discipline? Dr Kaye will outline some key insights from her research on concepts such as group flow and social identity theory. Linda will help delegates understand how gaming with others provides largely positive psychological experiences and outcomes for players, as well as outlining the implications for game development.

Following on from Dr Kaye is Alex Meredith from Nottingham Trent University with his session Psychological Research in Video Gaming 101 which will delve into the methods available to developers to doing psychological research in video games. He’ll explain under which circumstances certain research methods and types of analysis should be used.

Finally, Berni Good of Cyberpsychologist Limited will discuss the future of gaming psychology in her session Using Psychology in an Applied Way in Game Development – and a Glimpse into the Future of Psychology in Gaming. Berni will talk about how psychology is used and applied in video game development and research, with examples of real life success stories.

At the end of the sessions, there will be a Q&A with all three speakers, chaired by Berni Good.

Evolve takes place on Tuesday 8 July, with the Develop in Brighton Conference continuing on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 July at Brighton’s Hilton Metropole.

To find out more about these sessions and to register visit www.developconference.com