Category Archives: Games QA Tester

Train2Game news: Team Meat on how to get your game on Steam

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Super Meat Boy developers Team Meat recently featured on the IndieGames.com podcast where they discussed their projects and various aspects of game development.

Perhaps of most interest to Train2Game students is Team Meat’s advice about how to get an indie game onto Steam.

As Train2Game students will know, the Steam digital distribution service can be very beneficial for indie developers, with Frozen Synapse developers Mode 7 Games labelling it as essential.

So how does an indie studio get their game on Steam?

“If you can get a lot of attention, and get people to care about your game, try to do interviews, show what your game’s about”  Edmund McMillen, one half of Team Meat told IndieGames.com

“And if Steam keep saying no, then just release it, and then if it does really well, then show Steam.”

He added that Steam is giving indie games more publicity because it’s been a successful venture for them.

“I think Steam is getting more accepting of indie games because they’re doing really well with indie games. Indie games are doing really fantastic on Steam”

“So yeah, persistence… make the best game you can, and talk about your game.” He added.

McMillen also argued that being prepared to go the extra level to get your game published on Steam, and not giving up at the first hurdle is also very important for indie game developers looking to get their games on the service. Getting there could be tough.

“But don’t give up too — that’s like a big thing. We used to hear of a lot of people saying “I emailed Steam and they didn’t get back to me”, and then they just fucking give up.” he said.

“If we gave up, we wouldn’t be on anything. We had to fucking fight. You have to fight for these things.

“I would say persistence and drive are the two most crucial things about being a successful indie developer.” Added Tommy Refenes, the other half of the two-person Team Meat team.

Last time Team Meat featured on the Train2Game blog, they labelled Kinect ‘garbage.’ The statement was controversial to say the least and drew both support and opposition from Train2Game students.

What are your thoughts on the advice from Team Meat? How important is persistence to game developers? And do you see Steam as an avenue to publish your games through in future?

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

[Source: Gamasutra] 

Train2Game and Epic Games to Host UK’s Biggest Game Jam

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Train2Game, has joined forces with Epic Games, developers of cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology, to host the UK’s biggest game jam from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th November 2011.

The 48-hour video game creation marathon will bring together an estimated 150 games enthusiasts at the University of Bedfordshire, where they will go head-to-head to create innovative video games using Epic Games’ Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of the award-winning Unreal Engine 3.

The Train2Game and Epic Game Jam is open to aspiring games developers, including Train2Game students and hobbyist games developers. On Friday, November 4th, registered competitors will convene at the University of Bedfordshire’s new development lab to form teams and build games around a secret theme, which will be announced on the first evening of the event. The jam concludes on Sunday, November 6th, when three teams will be selected as winners by industry A-listers from some of the UK’s hottest development houses, as well as Epic Games.

Mike Head, marketing director at Train2Game said: “The Train2Game and Epic Game Jam is a great opportunity for students and amateur games developers to create content for their portfolio and rub shoulders with well known developers within the industry. Working with Epic Games also means that we have a unique opportunity to introduce participants to the cutting-edge UDK framework, which will allow them to really bring their games to life and showcase their talents.”

“This game jam offers a valuable creative outlet for anyone looking to make games,” said Mike Gamble, European territory manager of Epic Games. “Participants will have access to excellent tools, members of the Unreal Engine development community and industry veterans, plus there’s potential for the best games to gain additional exposure beyond the event itself.”

As well as creating cutting-edge content for their portfolio, and learning how to use the UDK, Train2Game and Epic Game Jam competitors will be eligible to win prizes for the most innovative new games developed over the weekend. Prizes will be announced closer to the event.

For further information, and to sign-up to the Train2Game and Epic Game Jam please visit http://train2game-jam2.com/, existing students can login intowww.train2game-online.com.

Train2Game students have never had a better chance to compete with big companies

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In what will be music to Train2Game students ears, there’s never been a better time for small developers to be successful.

That’s according to Kristian Segerstrale, the boss of Playfish. As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Playfish social games are played by 55 million people a month.

“Never before has there been a time where as a small company you have such an unbelievable opportunity to challenge the big giants in any sector.” Segerstrale said while speaking at an event in London.

“And nowhere is there such an opportunity as in mobile.”

As Train2Game students will know, the rise of mobile gaming has made it much simpler for aspiring developers to get their work out there. Indeed, Train2Game student Georgij Cernysiov from the North East of England has released his own iPhone game, Euro Destruction.

And Segerstrale believes the number of smartphone owners could rise from 1.5 billion to 4 billion over the next five years, thanks to the world’s emerging economies.

“There’s an opportunity that big companies can’t do: it’s hard to focus on this platform when you’re big. People are migrating from desktops to mobiles, and big companies won’t do it, you guys will,” said the Playfish boss.

“It is horrible today to be a big company and want to do something new and innovative and different.”

And as reported by the Train2Game blog, UK developer Ninja Theory appear to agree with Segerstrale in that they believe it’s easier to be creative for a mobile or digital device.

Train2Game students can get an insight into life as an indie developer from the Train2Game blog interview with Liverpool based micro studio Hogrocket. The ex-Bizarre team recently released their first iPhone title, Tiny Invaders.

What are your thoughts on Segerstrale’s comments? Does the emergence of mobile really mean that small developers can compete with the established giants? Would you prefer to develop for mobile?

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

[Source: Develop]

Train2Game industry experience diaries from Darren Price & Laurence Gee

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Train2Game Game Designer Darren Price is on a Train2Game work placement at DR Studios. In his latest Train2Game industry experience diary, Darren discusses building the in-game user interface.

Meanwhile, Train2Game industry experience placement student Laurence Gee looks back at what he’s learned during his time in a game development studio.

Read both entries below here on the Train2Game blog.

Train2Game news: Postman Pat delivered to iPhone app store

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Here’s a bit of nostalgia with a modern twist for Train2Game students – a Postman Pat game is now available as an app.

The Postman Pat Special Delivery Service App from interactive publisher P2 games is available for iPhone, iPad or iPod touch now and has been designed to coincide with Postman Pat’s 30th Birthday celebrations.

It’s an example of how apps and mobile gaming can bring a new twist to both children’s entertainment and learning, both areas Train2Game students may want to take a look at.

The Postman Pat app delivers there are eight games to choose from plus a special bonus game where players can make pictures and fix puzzles from stamps collected during game-play.  Each game has been specially designed so that it is easy to learn and fun to play without young children needing help from an adult.

The Postman Pat Special Delivery Service App is now available for £1.99 from the App Store on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

So Train2Game, what’s your take on this twist on an old favourite being brought to the App store? Would you develop an educational game?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog.

 

Train2Game student Jonny Robinson industry experience diary No.8

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Train2Game Game Designer Jonny Robinson is on a Train2Game work placement at DR Studios. In his latest Train2Game industry experience diary, Jonny discusses designing levels for iPhone title Bug Wings.

Read Jonny’s latest industry experience diary here on the Train2Game blog, or on the official Train2Game industry experiences website.

You can also get a taste of Jonny’s experiences at DR Studios by watching his industry experience video diaries.

Train2Game news: ‘Digital revolution’ encourages creativity say Ninja Theory

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Train2Game students will be aware that when compared to the traditional retail model, digital distribution provides game developers with a better opportunity to get their titles out there.

Not only does the digital business model knock down the wall of needing a publisher, it also arguably allows developers to take more risks when developing the games. Both of these could potentially be advantageous to Train2Game students.

Indeed, as reported by the Train2Game blog, indie developer Mode 7 Games believes the Steam digital distribution service is ‘essential’ for indie developers.

And in a recent interview, Ninja Theory  Creative chief, Tameem Antoniades also praised digital distribution model, stating it’s good for creativity in the games industry.

“There’s always an opportunity between projects to explore things, a lot of team members are hobbyists, they create their own iPhone games and things like that so I can see us kind of taking a punt with that. It can’t come soon enough” Antoniades told GamesIndustry.biz

For more on iPhone development, see the recent Train2Game interview with indie studio Hogrocket. They recently released their first game for the platform, Tiny Wings.

The Ninja Theory Chief Designer suggested that the traditional retail model is on the way out, and that it’s a positive thing for game developers.

“The whole digital revolution is happening now and it can’t come soon enough. The model we’re under, the big retail model, is creaking” he said,  before arguing that need for games to be successful at retail in its current is stifling creativity because consumers don’t want to spend large amounts of money on an unknown entity.

“It’s such an opportunity for fun creative games to reach a target audience, there’s this stranglehold that the AAA retail model has which I think is just crushing innovation and access to creative content.”

“If you’re paying that much for a game, you don’t want to take chances. You want everything to be there, all the feature sets. You want it to be a known experience, guaranteed fun. That’s not healthy.”

As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Ninja Theory’s original IP Enslaved: Odyssey to the West failed to be particularly successful at retail, with publisher Namco Bandai suggesting poor release timing was to blame.

Even if Enslaved wasn’t very successful, Train2Game students would do well to read about the Enslaved Developer Session with Ninja Theory’s Tameem Antoniades at last years’ Eurogamer Expo. Expect more insight into how game developers operate as Train2Game will be reporting from the 2011 expo later this month

What are your thoughts on the comments from Antonides? Do you agree that digital distribution encourages creativity? Would an all digital model be good for the industry?

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

[Source: GI.biz]

Train2Game QA Tester Daniel Parkes to blog on course progress

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Train2Game student Daniel Parkes has set up his own blog to share his story about being on the Train2Game QA Tester course. See the blog for yourself at http://train2gamestudentdaniel.wordpress.com.

In post number one, Daniel talks about himself, the reasons he chose to become a part of the Train2Game QA Tester course and how he’s settling into the rhythm of studying. Subscribe to Daniel’s blog for further updates, or look out for more posts to them here on the Train2Game blog.

Train2Game Student Georgij Cernysiov releases Euro Destruction

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A cash-strapped student studying in the North East of England has created and published a humorous mobile app for iPad and iPhone that could prevent the ‘Euro Destruction’. The quirky app is the first of its kind created by a novice games designer. It encourages its users to play their way through current financial and political scenarios that culminate in the end of Europe as we know it.

A cash-strapped student from the North East of England has managed to build and publish his own game for iPad and iPhone. Georgij Cernysiov, a student on the Train2Game blended learning course has achieved what many budding games designers dream of. He has managed to get his iPhone game published without the support of a large development team or deep pockets. The humorous game, aptly titled ‘Euro Destruction’ was designed and built in less than a month using virtually no art or programming skills.

Using the ipad and iphone game development software, Thinking Worlds, which is free to download and use, Georgij was able to add a fun twist to a worrying tale and turn the current plight of the Eurozone into a fun app that is available to download for free from Apple’s App Store.

In the game, users must decide the fate of Europe by deciding who to throw money at; the ‘Bankers’ or the ‘Citizens’ or, if they can’t decide in time get lost in the process.

Despite having very little cash or extensive programming knowledge, Georgij’s creativity and the tools he used to create the game made the process accessible to him and he was able to create a downloadable game that was fun, original and has already started getting downloads from the App Store.

When asked about the idea behind the game, Georgij said he wanted to “try and create a game that touched on some of the current issues within Europe without bogging people down with too much economics or politics.”

Georgij’s achievement marks another positive outcome facilitated by the Train2Game course and free to use game development software, Thinking Worlds.

Play the Game for Free:

Train2Game news: Driver can’t overtake Deus Ex: Human Revolution for No.1

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Deus Ex: Human Revolution stays top of the UK charts despite sales almost halving those of its impressive debut week. As reported by the Train2Game blog, the Square Enix title took No.1 last week, knocking off long time chart topper Zumba Fitness in the process.

As a result Driver: San Francisco, which like Deus Ex is the return of a popular franchise has to settle for No.2 in its first week. As reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this year, Reflections promised a ‘more accessible’ Driver title.  The success of Deus Ex and Driver sees Zumba Fitness drop to No.3

Rugby World Cup drops one to No.4 in its second week on sale, while LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean also drops one to No.5.

Madden NFL 12, the American football title from EA Sports enters the chart at No.6, one place ahead of Call of Duty: Black Ops which drops to No.7 in its 43rd week on sale. Cars 2 and FIFA 11 drop two spots each to No.8 and No.9 respectively while The Sims 3 moves up from No.12 to complete the top ten.

Bodycount, the new shooter from Codemasters barely makes the top 40 and debuts at a lowly No. 36.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 3rd September 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)
2. Driver: San Francisco (Ubisoft)
3. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
4. Rugby World Cup 2011 (505 Games)
5. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)
6. Madden NFL 12 (EA)
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
8. Cars 2 (Disney)
9. FIFA 11 (EA)
10. The Sims 3 (EA)

Releases this week include Resistance 3 and the much hyped Dead Island.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the charts? Is it a well deserved No.2 for Driver? Why has Bodycount failed to make an impact in its first week?

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

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