Category Archives: Games QA Tester

Train2Game news: Zumba Fitness is yet again No.1

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Following another quiet week for new releases, it probably won’t surprise Train2Game students to see Zumba Fitness top of the UK charts once again.

It’s the dance games’ ninth consecutive week at No.1 and 12th overall in the top spot. The 505 Game is now the7th biggest selling third-party Wii title ever in the UK

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean is the biggest mover, up three to No.2 while another game from Disney, Cars 2, is a non-mover at No.3. Dirt 3 drops to No.4, with FIFA 11 moving up one place to No.5.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 rises two places to No.6, moving ahead of Just Dance 2 extra songs which drops to No.7. Call of Juarez: The Cartel moves up two places to No.8 while The Sims 3 re-enters the top ten at No.9.

Former No.1 – as reported by the Train2Game blog – L.A. Noire just about remains in the top ten after dropping one place to No.10.

The biggest mover outside the top ten is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS which jumps from No.39 to No.13.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 13th August 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
2. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)
3. Cars 2 (Disney)
4. Dirt 3 (Codemasters)
6. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Warner)
7. Just Dance 2: Extra Songs (Ubisoft)
8. Call of Juarez: The Cartel (Ubisoft)
9. The Sims 3 (EA)
10. LA Noire (Rockstar)

The week ahead is set to be another quiet one for new releases, but big titles including Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Rugby World Cup 2011 arrive in time for the end of the month.

So Train2Game, what are thoughts on the continued success of Zumba Fitness? Or indeed the top ten as a whole?

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

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

Train2Game developed student game Postal Panic proceeds go to The Prince’s Trust

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 Train2ame students have created a touch screen puzzle game called Postal Panic which is being sold on iTunes, with 50% of the profits going to The Prince’s Trust.

Train2Game Game Artist & Animator William Alexander – Industry Experience Diary No.6

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Train2Game Artist & Animator William Alexander is on a Train2Game work placement at DR Studios. In his latest Train2Game industry experience diary, William writes about his time with Train2Game at the Develop Confernce, which includinf talking to some high profile industry figures. a

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

 

William also features in the Train2Game industry experience diaries produced by Game Design student Jonny Robinson, which you can see here on the Train2Game blog.

Train2Game Art & Animation student Robert Ramsay speaks to Train2Game Radio (Part 1)

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Robert Ramsay is studying to become a Game Artist & Animator with Train2Game.

In first part of a special in depth interview, Train2Game Radio caught up with Robert to find out he chose to study with Train2Game, what he thinks about the future of the industry and a little bit about his personal side project, Mage Listen at www.audioboo.fm/train2game

Read his story below then leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

 

Train2Game news: id Software support Blizzard’s controversial ‘always on’ DRM

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Train2Game students, as game developers of the future, may already be thinking about how they can prevent their games from being pirated.

There are various different forms of DRM in PC gaming, with Steam perhaps being used the most by PC Gamers. Blizzard have their own DRM, which has proved controversial in that in order to play their upcoming Diablo III, the player will have to be connected to the internet the whole time.

The idea has caused controversy, because it means if your internet connection flickers for just a second, you’re dropped from the game. Any progress made since the last time a game save is made will be lost.

The DRM also means playing PC games on the move using a laptop goes somewhat out the window. It’s therefore something that may annoy Train2Game students as gamers.

However, while gamers may find the ‘always on’ DRM controversial, it seems to have won over game developers.  Indeed, id Software Creative Director Tim Willits believes it’s the best way forward.

“Diablo III will make everyone else accept the fact you have to be connected” Willits told Eurogamer at QuakeCon.

“If you have a juggernaut, you can make change. I’m all for that. If we could force people to always be connected when you play the game, and then have that be acceptable, awesome,”

It isn’t the only comment the id Software Creative Director made at QuakeCon that could be seen as controversial. Indeed, the Train2Game blog reported that he said the FPS is the ‘best genre’

“In the end, it’s better for everybody,” Willets continued on the subject of the DRM, suggesting it has benefits.

“Imagine picking up a game and it’s automatically updated. Or there’s something new you didn’t know about, and you didn’t have to click away. It’s all automatically there.  I’m a big proponent of always connected. I’m always connected. Our fans are always connected.”

“There will be a few people who will resent the fact you have to be online to play a single-player game. But it’ll change.” he concluded.

So Train2Game, do you think ‘always on’ DRM is the way forward? Or does it come across as too restricting to regular gamers? Are internet connections reliable enough for it to work?

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

[Source: Eurogamer via Industry Gamers]

Train2Game student Georgij Cernysiov industry experience diary No.6

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Train2Game student  Georgij Cernysiov is on a Train2Game work placement at Caspian Learning. In his latest Train2Game industry experience diary, Georgij writes about his work at the studio, and considers the future.  He also teases a game project that’ll soon be launched on the Train2Game forum.

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

Catch up with previous diaries here on the Train2Game blog.

 

 

Train2Game students can try OnLive when it launches at the Eurogamer Expo

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It’s a date that Train2Game students should mark in their diaries as one that could potentially change the future of the industry.

Cloud gaming service OnLive will arrive in the UK On 22nd September, with a launch at the Eurogamer Expo.

As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, cloud gaming could potentially bring Triple-A gaming to anyone, including smartphone and tablet computer users.

The launch coincidences with the Eurogamer Expo – which Train2Game will once again be attending – and OnLive will be giving out thousands of free game systems that’ll work on any TV.

OnLive will utterly transform gaming in the UK,” said OnLive founder and CEO Steve Perlman.

“No discs, big downloads or specialised hardware needed. OnLive gives you the latest games instantly, anytime, anywhere on HDTV, PC, Mac, as well as iPad, Android tablets.

High-performance gaming as accessible as streaming video, with unique social features such as massive spectating with voice chat and Facebook integration.”

And speaking earlier this year, Perlman, as you’d expect, believes cloud gaming is the future for the industry.

“The power of the cloud is definitely the theme this week, displacing what had been assumed to be platforms that could never be displaced,” he said at the E3 app launch..

“The OnLive Player App for iPad and Android shows how with the power of the cloud, the question is not whether cloud gaming will be able to catch up to consoles, it will be whether consoles will be able to catch up to cloud gaming.”

There are however, as the Train2Game blog has previously reported, concerns about latency when it comes to cloud based gaming. A reliable internet connection will of course be needed to connect to servers, which could be very far away.

But is cloud gaming a threat to traditional consoles? As reported by the Train2Game blog, yesterday, Gaikai’s Dave Perry doesn’t believe so.

“We don’t think we’re a threat to console. I think the threat to consoles is actually Apple” Perry told GamesIndustry.biz.

Train2Game students will have the opportunity to check out OnLive and cloud gaming at the Eurogamer Expo which starts on September 22nd.

So Train2Game, are you tempted to try out OnLive? Do you believe it could change how the industry works?

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

[Source: Eurogamer]

Train2Game student diary: Craig Moore week 0

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Train2Game Game Designer Craig Moore starts a Train2Game industry experience placement at DR Studios next week. In his first industry experience diary, Craig writes about what he expects to gain from the work placement at DR Studios.

Read it below here on the on the Train2Game blog, or on the official Train2Game industry experiences website.

Find out a bit more about Craig by reading his interview with the Train2Game blog earlier this year.

Craig also took part in an extensive interview on BBC Radio Oxford in the run up to the Train2Game Game Jam.

Train2Game news: FPS is the ‘best’ genre say id Software

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Many Train2Game students will be very familiar with Id Software; the game developer is arguably the father of the first person shooter with the likes of Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake and soon, RAGE, coming from the studio.

However, despite the amount of competition in an FPS market – with Call of Duty currently the most successful – Id Software still believe the genre still has a massive future.

“The FPS I feel is the very best genre because it places you, the game player into the experience like no other type of genre does.” creative director Tim Willits told Quakecon.

The comments from Id software echo those made by Irrational Games Ken Levine earlier this, as previously reported by the Train2Game blog.

“It’s one less barrier to the experience,” The Bioshock  creatorsaid on the subject of making games immersive through a first person view.

“It’s a strange thing to be in someone else’s shoes. It’s something we do very naturally as children, but it’s something that is much more difficult for adults. I think that games give us enough of a nudge in the right direction to have that childhood experience of play.”

While RAGE will be played from a first person perspective, Id Software’s title will feature driving and RPG elements, and Willits believes this is a positive step for the games industry.

“Even the word genre is a bit too constricting and I think that people should remove labels from games and let games just be games.” He said.

“I’ve always felt that the future is very bright for first person shooters. We have so many fans and there are so many different directions it could take that I believe that in itself, it’ll be around for years and that id software will be around for years too.” Willets added.

RAGE will be helped along by the fact that graphically, the games Art & Animation looks very good indeed, and as reported by the Train2Game blog this week, id Software believe that “graphics will always matter.”

RAGE could provide a great opportunity for Train2Game students, given that modding tools will be available for the PC version.

So Train2Game, do you think the FPS is the ‘best’ genre? Or is genre becoming an obsolete word?

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

[Source: CVG]

Train2Game news: Activision say Call of Duty players “more engaged” than Facebook gamers

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Train2Game students will be highly aware that social media gaming is one of the fastest growing areas of the games industry. Indeed, it’s an area that could provide Train2Game students with jobs in future.

Activision however, despite being one of the biggest game publishers on the planet, have so far steered clear of the social media gaming race. The reason? They believe people are spending more time playing triple-A titles, such as their Call of Duty games, rather moving towards Facebook.

“Call of Duty has more players who pay-to-play online than any Facebook game and our players pay more per player on average than any Facebook game,” said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshber, speaking t the 13th Annual Pacific Crest Global Technology Leadership Forum

“They’re also more engaged – the percentage of Call of Duty’s monthly unique players that play the game every day is higher than that of the top three Facebook games.”

Activision are very happy to remain a console specific games publisher, and who can blame them with the biggest gaming franchise in the world under their belt. As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Call of Duty: Black Ops was the top selling video game of 2010.

“We feel [Activision’s] strategy continues to be very well aligned with the market opportunity,” Hirshberg said.

“Despite all the hand-wringing in our industry right now, people aren’t gaming less. In fact, they’re gaming more than ever. They’re just doing it with fewer games, and they’re spending more time playing those games than ever before.”

“Last year, of the top 10 best-selling games, all 10 of them were based on strong existing franchises, and nine of those 10 were online enabled” he concluded.

The trend of successful Call of Duty titles looks set to continue with Modern Warfare 3, which as previously reported by the Train2Game blog, “will bring the most advanced multiplayer ever”

“The passion and energy of our developers is reflected in everything about the title.  From the innovative gameplay, to the cinematic intensity, to the most advanced multiplayer ever, Modern Warfare 3 will raise the bar for this already incredible franchise.” Hirshberg said following the reveal trailer.

See the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 trailer here on the Train2Game blog.

So Train2Game, is Activision taking a risk by not investing in social media gaming? Or are they right to keep all of their eggs in the console basket?

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

[Source: Gamasutra]