Category Archives: games

Train2Game News Build mobile games faster

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npnf, inc., a company funded by SK Planet, Korea’s leading mobile content and services provider, released a platform to help developers build mobile games faster.

According to the Developer Economics Report for Q3 2014 from Vision Mobile, 57% of games are below the “app poverty level”, generating less than $500 per month. The report concludes: The more games a developer ships, the more likely they are to be financially successful. Yet, 70% of game developers have shipped less than 4 titles in the lifetime of their business.

The npnf platform was built to help developers quickly solve recurring gaming problems so they can focus on what makes their game fun. By integrating the platform, npnf’s internal first party team was able to reduce development time by two full months. The platform separates configuration from implementation, which means configuration changes have no impact on the client code. Even better, it means that developers don’t need to resubmit their app to the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store when they tweak a configuration.

Chris Lee, CSO, explains: “It’s critical for first party studios, like us, to build as many quality games as quickly as possible. To do that, you’ve got to have a better starting point when you set out to build a new title- and that’s where our platform plays such a crucial role. It lays down a foundation so that we don’t have to start from scratch every time.”

The npnf platform supports user management, player inventory, virtual currency, and energy. The latest version, released this month, adds support for loot tables, gacha, fusion, evolution, and crafting. For those building a Games as a Service (GaaS), the platform supports seamless expansion of game content, versioning of your configurations on a per release basis, and (coming soon) a portal for your operations team to support your players.

For more information about the npnf platform, see https://developer.npnf.com.

Train2Game News Biba taking mobile games outside

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Biba, a developer of mobile augmented reality games and apps, and PlayPower, a leading provider of play, sport and recreation equipment, have partnered to bring digital and real world play together.

The companies are inspiring kids to get back outside by fusing digital games with active outdoor play through new Biba mobile apps and Biba-Activated playgrounds from PlayPower.

“Biba’s mobile games designed for outdoor play are just a breath of fresh air,” said Dr. Greg Zeschuk, former Bioware Founder and Biba’s Chairman of the Board. “PlayPower and Biba are creating a new category, an inventive way to blend our new media habits with the health benefits and joy of active outdoor play. I am inspired by the category as a game designer and father.”

Biba games ensure children use the phone not as a vehicle for abstraction, but as an intuitive, single-function interface.  In addition, the games are designed for ‘refereed play,’ keeping the phone predominantly within the parent’s hands, keeping kids safer, devices safer and providing parents an opportunity to have freeform fun with their kids.

“We want to change what screen time means,” said Matt Toner, President of Biba.  “Our games bring kids back outside and turn playgrounds into the ultimate destination for modern families to go for healthy, active fun.  Thanks to our partnership with PlayPower, we think we’ve blended the richest parts of mobile play with the unadulterated fun of jumping, swinging, sliding and playing outdoors.”

The storyline of Biba’s initial mobile games is simple:  Playgrounds are transformed into the wreckage of robot spacecrafts that have crashed on Earth, and players interact with their very own companion robot, which encourages the player to explore the playground through its whimsical eyes.  The games marry a colorful interface intended to foster the imaginations of kids ages 3-9 with a unique ‘embodied play’ game philosophy that encourages kids to actualize their gameplay with their bodies.  Fun and age-appropriate physical challenges are reinforced through points, high scores and badges that can be shared online and with friends.

Biba games will be optimized for use with ‘Biba-Activated’ playgrounds from PlayPower, where augmented reality technology will create deeper gameplay experiences.   Biba apps will provide information about the gameplay experiences available at each playground—enabling families to search and find their favorite playground destinations..  Some of the Biba games will work with playgrounds that aren’t Biba-Activated, since Biba games allow players to tag which types of playground equipment are available to them.

“Active outdoor play is essential to the development of healthy children.  Getting enough active outdoor play for their kids is a problem with which most modern parents are familiar.  The solution PlayPower has developed with Biba blends the technology-driven world that kids expect with the joyful outdoor fun that parents remember from their own childhood,” said Lynne Vandeveer, Chief Marketing Officer at PlayPower. “Parents’ concern for their children is justified by research that shows kids are spending too much time sitting still in front of a screen and not enough time outdoors.  We intend to change that by engaging modern kids on their own terms.”

Biba games will be coming to mobile devices later this year, at the same time that Biba-activated PlayPower playground equipment will be populating city parks across the country.

Train2Game News GameBlastLIVE Stream

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SpecialEffectGameBlastLIVE, a Children in Need style 24 livestream, will be anchoring SpecialEffect’s GameBlast gaming marathon event this weekend.

Streamed from the London headquarters of industry trade body UKIE, the show will feature interviews with top gaming figures, playthroughs of new game content, gaming merchandise giveaways and regular updates from the hundreds of teams across the world taking part in the charity fundraiser.

The livestream starts at 10am on Saturday and can be seen at http://www.twitch.tv/gameblastlive

Highlights of the stream include:

  • The Oliver brothers from SkySaga, who will be reflecting on 20 years in the industry before a gameplay session.
  • Kate Russell will be battling through hyperspace with some top Elite antics.
  • PocketGamer will be on the sofa talking and showing the best of mobile entertainment.
  • Team17 will be live from their headquarters, scrambling their way out of The Escapists.
  • The team from Bossa will be slicing through I Am Bread, before things get messy with Surgeon Simulator.
  • Go8Bit will be creating mayhem in the studio with gameshow and forfeit challenges.

GameBlast, the UK’s largest charity gaming marathon, swings into action on Friday with the aim of raising over £100,000 for gamer’s charity SpecialEffect.

The challenge event, which will run from 20-22 February, has attracted over 250 individuals and gaming teams from across the world. They’ll be running their own gaming marathons at times over the weekend – some up to 24 hours in length – and asking for online sponsorship to hit their fundraising targets.

Big names in the gaming industry are involved, including retail giant GAME, online games developer Jagex and global video streamers Twitch. In total over 50 companies from the industry are involved in various ways, from hosting their own 24 hour staff marathons to contributing to the prize giveaways.

The aim is to raise money for the work of SpecialEffect, who help people with physical disabilities to benefit from the fun, friendship and inclusion of video games.

For more details about GameBlast, see http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/gameblast

Train2Game News Gfinity UK eSports Venue

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UK eSports company Gfinity has revealed the country’s first competitive gaming arena in West London.

A partnership with cinema chain Vue will turn the Fulham Broadway chain into the home of UK eSport competitions, with “three custom-built stages” that will house an audience of “over 600 gaming fanatics”.

The Vue deal also opens up the ability to host events around the country, making regional competitions a possibility in the future. Gfinity also says it will be able to host events in “cities across the world.”

On top of that the cinemas will be able to screen competitions from around the world. “We’ll also be bringing you the opportunity to watch major events from Activision, Blizzard, Valve, Riot, and others throughout the year,” they say in a statement.

The Gfinity Arena will open in March for the start of the 2015 Gfinity Championships, which comprises of 25 events running through until September. Events will take place each weekend and on some week days, and will also be streamed online.

Gfinity co-founder and CEO Neville Upton said: “This is a pivotal moment for Gfinity and an exciting time for everyone involved in eSports in the UK. We are delighted to have signed this exclusive agreement with Vue, a well established international brand, to develop and launch the UK’s first and only dedicated eSports arena.

“Gfinity has proven it can organise and deliver world class events and this agreement allows us to satisfy the booming popularity in eSports as a spectator sport. Furthermore, the deal highlights the growing interest from leading brands here in the UK in the eSports market.”

In recent years eSports have continued to grow as a global phenomenon, with millions of pounds now riding on competitions involving games such as League of Legends, Dota 2 and Counter Strike.

For a sign of how far things have come look no further than the European Call of Duty championships being held later this month at London’s Royal Opera House – which recently hosted the Bafta film awards.

Gfinity – founded five years ago – plan on being at the centre of eSports growth in the UK, and this deal is a big sign that they’re doing exactly that.

Kevin Styles, managing director for Vue in the UK and Ireland said: “Vue prides itself on being at the forefront of cinema ensuring that we are an exciting and dynamic entertainment destination. This collaboration with Gfinity underlines this and heralds a new era for eSports in the UK.”

Train2Game News Insight into working at Universally Speaking

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Insight into working for Universally Speaking for Train2Game students applying for professional QA positions

As a follow up to our post last week calling for Train2Game students to apply to Universally Speaking , we’ve spoken to students currently working at Universally Speaking to gain their insight into working at the company. We’ve also spoken to Vendor Manager Paul Lambert gives some guidance on what the company are looking for from applicants

Train2Game student Kieron Baker, 24, from Cambridge
 
It feels fantastic to be working professionally in games! I love coming to work and no day is even remotely the same. When I look at the industry as a whole and realise how big it is and how much is going on, it makes me feel proud of my profession, my position within it and the work that I do while here at Universally Speaking.
 
The variances in projects and the working environment are what allow me to enjoy working at Universally Speaking so much. The team we have are really close knit and yet so welcoming and open minded, and the clients that we work with are so varied. One day we could be testing functionality and compatibility on a new mobile game, to then moving on to consoles, and even eLearning the day after. That’s the most fulfilling thing about Universally Speaking, the variety of projects and experience gained that comes with working with many different Developers from all over the world.
 
I really enjoy the working environment and being surrounded by like-minded people, also the abundance of experience that can be gained from working in such a diverse company with some amazing people.
 
Long term goals. If you had asked me a year ago I may have given you a different answer, but I have always wanted to move into design with a view to perhaps becoming a Producer. But for now, I am enjoying my time here at Universally Speaking that I can see myself here for quite a while yet.

Train2Game student, Evaldas Oleinikas, 25, from Lithuania. Currently residing in Bedford UK.
  
It is great to be working in an area that you are still studying. Gaining experience before qualification, in my opinion is very vital part of the good career, although not everyone can do so.
 
Universally Speaking is a superb company to work for, there is always plenty of work to do and one of the main positives is the great work experience gained.

It’s an excellent opportunity to test products before they reach the customers. Ensuring it meets the desired design quality. I enjoy working on projects, seeing how the development becomes the final product.
 
My long term goals are to get qualified at testing and become Senior/Lead tester. Also after my testing course I plan to take developer course and eventually get my own apps developed.

Patrick Lambert, Vendor Manager, Universally Speaking

The current Train2Game students at Universally Speaking brought along very good skills and enthusiasm for testing. Although they originally were only in for a single shorter project they have been with us now for half a year and 18 months, respectively.

At Universally Speaking clients and projects vary a lot, schedules have to be juggled, positions filled at short notice … it is not your standard 9-to-5 job and never gets boring or becomes routine. And that is something I enjoy.

Successful applicants can look forward to being in the company of fellow video game nerds (feel free to ask me about strategy games or RPGs) and free doughnuts every now and then. Jokes aside, it is a good start into work life. You will gain valuable skills like time management and communication skills. The work environment is friendly yet professional and we are always open to suggestions on how to improve ourselves.

Long term, we believe in filling positions from within; our QA manager started as a tester, as did one of our Directors. So I’d say the career prospects are very decent indeed. A sense of humour is needed indeed. While we take our jobs seriously, we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

To receive more details and apply for a position at Universally Speaking contact: mark@train2game.com

Train2Game News Play Sage Gateshead

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Renowned concert venue Sage Gateshead and digital arts commissioner and website The Space are this week launching a new app developed by creative technology studio Mbryonic and Atomhawk Design, which transforms Sage Gateshead into a virtual music instrument. 

Play Sage Gateshead, a 3D model of the iconic music venue, invites players to enter a virtual reality where they can beat floors, bang balustrades and bash walls to create their own percussive music tracks.

The Play Sage Gateshead app is available to download onto tablet, smart phone and from Friday 13 February, in its latest iteration, on virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. The digital experience uses extracts and samples from ‘Ten Pulse’; a performance which took place during Sage Gateshead’s 10th birthday celebrations in December 2014, where musicians struck and drummed the iconic Tyneside venue as part of an immersive percussive performance.

Tom Szirtes, Director of Mbryonic says, “We are delighted to have been commissioned by Sage Gateshead and The Space to develop Play Sage Gateshead. It is a fully immersive experience, which explores how digital technologies can be used to link the physical and virtual world. At Mbryonic we enjoy working with devices like the Oculus Rift headset to uncover new ways to create immersive experiences to make deeper connections between audiences, artists and brands.”

The virtual space was created from floor prints and location photos and brought to life using games development platform Unity. The Oculus Rift version provides total immersion into this alternative reality. Installations in Sage Gateshead have delighted visitors allowing them to experience the building in a totally new light.

Adam Kent, Innovations Manager, Sage Gateshead, says, “Working on Play Sage Gateshead with Mbryonic has been a real joy for us here at Sage Gateshead. It is a very new form of commission for us and Mrbyonic’s expertise and creative flair has played a central role in bringing it to life.”

Ruth Mackenzie, launch CEO, The Space, says, ‘I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the Sage Gateshead’s 10th birthday than to transform the building into a virtual musical instrument that audiences can play from anywhere in the world.’ 

Play Sage Gateshead is a collaboration between Mbryonic, a creative technology studio in Hackney Wick London, and Atomhawk Design, an award winning art design studio in Gateshead.

www.playsagegateshead.com

Train2Game News Custom Controllers

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ZavviCustom Controllers UK is proud to announce Zavvi, the online entertainment retailer as their first official stockist.

Zavvi, ‘The home of entertainment’ sell anything from the latest tech to T-Shirts and their brand new ‘ZBOX’ monthly entertainment crate. In addition to this, Zavvi will now stock over 35 Custom Xbox One and PS4 controller designs, manufactured by Custom Controllers UK.

Custom Controllers UK are enthusiastic about giving gamers the opportunity to customise their controllers and continuously release new designs to cater for all styles. Since 2007 ‘CCUK’ have been striving to meet the needs of gamers and are very proud of what they have managed to deliver.

As well as the range offered on Zavvi, Custom Controllers UK offer a vast range of options on other platforms including over 250 designs across Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

To find out what Custom Controllers UK and Zavvi have to offer click here: http://www.zavvi.com/brand/Custom+Controllers+UK.content

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 16.02.15

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EvolveAfter a few quiet weeks the top of the charts have received new blood! Evolve is the new number one with the re-release of Majora’s Mask on the 3DS is at number two. A couple down from that at number four is Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. The rest of the charts have stayed mostly the same.

All formats
Week ending 14 February 2015

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 EVOLVE 2K GAMES –
2 THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA’S MASK 3D NINTENDO –
3 CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE ACTIVISION 1
4 MONSTER HUNTER 4 ULTIMATE CAPCOM –
5 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 2
6 FIFA 15 EA SPORTS 3
7 FAR CRY 4 UBISOFT 9
8 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 5
9 ASSASSIN’S CREED: UNITY UBISOFT 4
10 DESTINY ACTIVISION 7
11 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 6
12 THE CREW UBISOFT 10
13 WWE 2K15 2K SPORTS 11
14 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 8
15 LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 14
16 DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 DISNEY INFINITY 17
17 MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 15
18 TERRARIA XBOX 360 CLASSICS 13
19 WATCH DOGS UBISOFT 16
20 FORZA HORIZON 2 MICROSOFT 19
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2015 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.

Train2Game News Crytek showing VR at GDC

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With GDC 2015 just around the corner, independent game developer and publisher Crytek has announced details of its plans for the annual conference and expo in San Francisco, which runs from March 4th – 6th this year.

Crytek will set up base at booth #1424 in the South Hall of the Moscone Center, where attendees will be able to take a closer look at a brand new VR demo powered by CRYENGINE and witness Crytek’s technology at work on Android-based systems.

On top of seeing CRYENGINE unleashed for VR and Android, visitors can discover how the engine is equipping developers on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Linux, and learn more about CRYENGINE Sandbox – the ultimate multiplatform toolset.

Throughout the expo, Crytek’s booth will also play host to a regular program of live theatre demos hosted by CRYENGINE licensees and Crytek staff. These demos will offer audiences a detailed look at how both major studios and indie developers are using the engine to create stunning new projects irrespective of size or budget.

For more information, visit www.cryengine.com.

Train2Game News Free Developer Workshops

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Creative England announces FREE marketing workshops for South West and West Midlands SME games businesses, run in partnership with Ukie.

Creative England has joined forces with Ukie, the trade body that aims to support, grow and promote the UK’s games and interactive entertainment industry, to deliver a series of free marketing training workshops.

The workshops are open to SME games businesses based in the South West and the West Midlands and are fully subsidised by the Creative England GamesLab programme.

The courses, running in Bristol and Leamington Spa, will cover:

·         Marketing for games: What it does and how to use it to improve profits

·         Strategic marketing planning: A decision-making process for generating a strategic change perspective. What it is and how it relates to business planning

·         Marketing auditing: Macro, micro and internal analysis, key issue analysis and market segmentation

·         Marketing Communications: A solid grounding in the tools, techniques and approaches used in professional marcomms

·         Metrics: How to measure marketing and business performance including return on investment measurement.

Jaspal Sohal, Head of Games and Digital at Creative England said: “Creative England’s GamesLab programme seeks to discover and nurture our flourishing regional games industry. Through this partnership with Ukie we are able to provide these innovative developers with the necessary tools they need to get their games noticed in a competitive industry.”

CEO of Ukie, Dr Jo Twist said: “In our sector making a game is only half the battle. The other half is marketing and getting noticed in crowded marketplaces. It’s fantastic that these courses can be offered for free thanks to Creative England’s support. They will help give SMEs a better understanding of the kind of strategies they need. As we know, compared to other creative industries, we have strong clusters of games businesses right across the UK. The more courses and help that the GamesLab programme can offer outside London, the better.”

The courses will run on 24th March in Leamington Spa and 10th April in Bristol. If you are interested in attending, please check qualifying criteria and registration information on our website here:
http://ukie.org.uk/event/2015/03/24/marketing-workshop
http://ukie.org.uk/event/2015/04/10/marketing-workshop
The courses are funded by the European Regional Development Fund, supported by the Regional Growth Fund and led by Creative England.