Category Archives: games

Train2Game News Unreal 4 Dev Day

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Epic GamesEpic has announced a date for new ground floor developers to attend a dev day for Unreal 4 at Staffordshire University

Following the successful release of Unreal Engine 4 to the world, Epic Games has announced a new free-to-attend hands-on dev day for ground floor developers on Thursday 17th April 2014.

Unreal Developer Day, which will take place at the recently opened Epic Games Centre at Staffordshire University in Stafford, is open to anyone with an active UE4 subscription.

Registration is now open at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/unreal-developer-day-thursday-17th-april-tickets-11168446123 and is available on a first come first served basis. Epic’s engineering, design and support team members will provide insight into the latest tools and technologies, as well as a look into the future of the new UE4 ecosystem.

Announced at GDC on March 19th, the new Unreal Engine 4 subscription service gives members access to the full engine, tools and C++ source code. More details can be found at http://epicgames.com/news/epic-games-releases-unreal-engine-4-for-all/

“This is a great opportunity for those just starting out with UE4 to learn more and get invaluable hands-on advice from the UE4 team. It’s going to be a very productive day, and should be a big boost for those who are able to attend,” commented Mike Gamble, European Territory Manager.

If any Train2Game students are eligible to attend it could be an excellent learning possibility for you.

Train2Game News Bruce Lee Enter the Octagon

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bruce_leeElectronic Arts Inc. and the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced today that Bruce Lee, “The Father of Mixed Martial Arts”, will make his historic first step into the Octagon in EA SPORTS UFC, launching June 20, 2014.

Fans can pre-order today to get instant day-one access to Bruce, or they can complete the game’s career mode at Pro difficulty to unlock him.  Players can fight with the legend across four different weight classes and test his legacy against the best of the best in the UFC.

“I am so excited about this opportunity to bring my father back to videogames!” said Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter, CEO of Bruce Lee, LLC and Chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation. “I’m thrilled that fans can now interact with him in a new way. The EA SPORTS UFC development team has been incredible to work with, and they’ve done a great job capturing the look and feel of my father. I think people will love getting a chance to fulfill a fight fantasy by playing Bruce Lee in the new UFC game.”

“There’s no debate, Bruce Lee is the father of mixed martial arts,” said Dana White, UFC President. “He believed not one style of fighting was the best and that you had to have a little piece of everything to be a complete fighter. He was proven right when the first UFC event took place in 1993.”

“It has always been part of our vision to have Bruce Lee, the most iconic martial artist of all time, in the first ever EA SPORTS UFC,” said Brian Hayes, Creative Director, EA. “The team is very excited and tremendously honored to have the privilege of bringing Bruce Lee to life in our game. We’ve been working closely with the Bruce Lee team to ensure we represent the legend with as much visual and gameplay fidelity as possible.”

Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE technology, EA SPORTS UFC is built from the ground up exclusively for Gen 4 platforms, EA SPORTS UFC captures the human athleticism, physiology and emotion of the athlete like nothing before it. Step into the Octagon and Feel the Fight with every strike, takedown and submission.

To see Bruce Lee realized in game, watch the trailer below. For more information on the Bruce Lee pre-order offer, please visit http://ea.vg/1hSOrEi.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 07.04.14

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FIFA 14Another quiet week in the charts this week with The Elder Scrolls Online unable to reach number one but still beating Titanfall which has dropped down to number three. This weeks new number one is FIFA 14 once again.

All formats
Week ending 5 April 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 4
2 THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE BETHESDA SOFTWORKS –
3 – TITANFALL EA GAMES 3
4 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 8
5 METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES KONAMI 2
6 INFAMOUS: SECOND SON SONY COMPUTER ENT. 1
7 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 5
8 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT 7
9 – MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 9
10 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 13
11 – PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 11
12 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 17
13 THIEF SQUARE ENIX 14
14 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 18
15 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 16
16 DARK SOULS II BANDAI NAMCO GAMES 12
17 RAYMAN LEGENDS UBISOFT 20
18 PROFESSOR LAYTON VS PHOENIX WRIGHT CAPCOM 15
19 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS EA GAMES 20
20 FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD REMASTER SQUARE ENIX 10
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 UKIE LtdThese 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 Video Game Pioneers Advice

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Andrew HewsonAn exclusive talk by UK games industry pioneer Andrew Hewson has been released publically for the first time.

In the three-part video of his seminar, entitled “Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers” (in keeping with his upcoming book of the same name), Andrew describes the fascinating story behind the formation of Hewson Consultants, the production of some of their hit games and his key lessons from the formative decades of videogames.

Part 1: The Birth of Hewson Consultants
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xHP4BqtChw

Part 2: The Games
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZCK0WS39ys

Part 3: Key Lessons
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_y7ziK524o

Andrew Hewson was the founder of Hewson Consultants, 21st Century Entertainment and the founding Chairman of United Kingdom trade body ELSPA (now known as UKIE). His companies were known for producing original smash hits like Paradroid, Uridium, Nebulus, Cybernoid, Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies as well as promoting famous developers like Andrew Braybrook, Raffaele Cecco, Stewart Gilray and the original founders of DICE.

In 2013 Andrew Hewson reformed Hewson Consultants Ltd, the celebrated retro-games outfit he originally founded in 1980, in order to write & publish his new book “Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers” which was successfully funded on Kickstarter in November 2013. The book is scheduled for release later this year.

Train2Game News Another great success for SpecialEffect

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MaxA few days ago games charity, SpecialEffect, had the real privilege of helping five year-old Max to master his games.

“Max has cerebral palsy and loves playing Xbox,” said Theresa, his mother. “He can use his left hand but doesn’t have any fine motor skills in his left side. Up until he started school this hasn’t been a problem, but now he plays with his friends he’s more aware that his limited function affects his ability to play the games his friends play.”

The charity visited Max to see if they could help. His Dad Alan explained that Max loves racing games, but because of his limited function, he’d often have to just steer while his Dad pressed the buttons or vice versa. He also likes Toy Story, but couldn’t make his character move and jump at the same time.

There was various challenges to overcome, but the switch-based setup SpecialEffect have ended up with gives the flexibility to position the switches wherever they need to be. They can also be mapped to any controller button. It was agreed the best thing would be for Max to use different switch arrangements for different games.

Max has a great relationship with his dad and will still enjoy playing games with him, but Max can now play independently if he wants to. At one point he even shouted, “Look Daddy, I’m playing by myself!”

Now he can play the games his friends play, ensuring he’s included. And if you’re a five year-old, THAT’S what matters!

Train2Game News Video Games Live

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Video Game LiveVideo Games Live (VGL) is set for a highly anticipated return to London in 2014, having last wowed audiences at the Royal Festival Hall in 2008.

Six years on, VGL’s arrival back in the capital marks a brand new Bonus Round show, featuring a whole new arrangement of visuals and music. The Bonus Round show includes music from games series such as Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Mega Man, Street Fighter, Warcraft, Kingdom Hearts, Sonic the Hedgehog and many more, propelling the gaming experience beyond anything else before it with unprecedented variety and surprises.

“We’re thrilled and honoured to be bringing VGL back to the UK,” said Tommy Tallarico, creator and host of VGL. “VGL is a one of a kind entertainment experience so we’ve always strived to let as many people across the globe experience it. Not only do we get to come back to London but we’re very excited to be performing in Manchester for the very first time. We’ve always wanted VGL to perform more in the UK so this is definitely something we’re hoping we can expand and do more of in the future.”

VGL is an experience that combines video game music masterfully performed by a live orchestra and choir with the explosive energy of a rock concert, featuring exclusive synchronised video game footage, lighting and live action and unique interactive segments. Noted in the Guinness Book of Records as the Longest Running Video Game Series in the World, VGL is taking its audio-visual extravaganza to Manchester for the first time in its performing history on November 1st and in London on November 2nd.

Since its first performance in 2002, VGL is the first and most successful video game touring concert in the world having performed over 300 shows in 30 countries on five continents to an audience of over 1 million people. VGL has also been inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest game concert in the world for the performance in China which was attended by 100,000 fans.

The VGL concert includes a Pre-Show Festival and a Meet-n-Greet for all ticketholders. The Pre-Concert Events at 7pm includes a Guitar Hero competition, VGL costume contest and prize give-a-ways. In addition, there is the opportunity for prospective ultimate gamers to purchase a very special VIP experience, in which they will receive a very special tour detailing what goes on behind the scenes by VGL creator Tommy Tallarico.

For details on the show and to purchase tickets go to www.videogameslive.com

Train2Game News Develop looking for Indies

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DevelopDevelop in Brighton’s annual search for the next big thing in independent games development is underway again as submissions open for its fourth Indie Showcase at www.developconference.com.

The conference’s Indie Showcase celebrates the very best of indie game development with an exhibition featuring the ten best entries as chosen by a panel of experts led by Assyria Games’ Adam Green. One of these 10 games will be judged overall Indie Showcase Winner by the judging panel, one will be selected by journalists in the Editors Choice Award and there will also be the chance for all delegates to vote for their favourite game during the event in the People’s Choice Award.

All 10 finalists receive two free Indie Dev Day conference passes, up to five Expo passes, pre-event publicity and a profile on the event website, plus the opportunity to show off their games to around 1,600 developers and publishers at the event.

Last year, a record number of indie developers submitted their games to the judging panel. Winners included People’s Choice award That Dragon, Cancer, a game created to help developer Ryan’s four year old son in his battle against cancer and financed by OUYA to launch this year; Editors’ Choice award Gunpoint, out on Steam which received an 83 metacritic score on launch and Indie Showcase overall winner Ibb and Obb which launched in Europe and America on the PlayStation Store a month after winning the award.

“It is fantastic that The Indie Showcase is back for a fourth year. Last year produced a record number of submissions and I think it is safe to say we are in a golden age for indie developers. I have high hopes there will be even more amazing games submitted this year and I can’t wait to check them all out,” said Adam Green, managing director Assyria Games.

“The showcase remains an excellent opportunity for indies to put their game in the spotlight at the Develop in Brighton Conference and get in front of publishers, the press and over 1600 delegates.”

Andy Lane, managing director of conference organiser Tandem Events, added: “For the last four years, we’ve been fully committed to giving a platform to the very best indie talent that’s out there. It’s completely free for indies to enter and the top ten games not only get the great opportunity to be showcased to the wider development community who come to be part of Develop in Brighton each year, but the shortlisted Indies will get direct feedback on their games from other developers playing them.”

Entry to the Indie Showcase is open to the following at www.developconference.com:
– Studios with no more than 15 people
– Studios – and games – that are non-publisher funded
– Games which are not published by a third party at the time of submission
– Games that have a development budget of less than £1million
– Games that are created in the “indie spirit”

The deadline to enter is 12 May 2014 and the Indie Showcase, Editors’ Choice and People’s Choice winners will be announced to press and delegates at the Develop in Brighton Conference on Thursday 10 July 2014.

Train2Game News Gamonaut hits big numbers

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GamonautOnline gaming website Gamonaut is flying high just a month after the site went live, reaching over half a MILLION plays in March 2014.

The team behind this winning formula are Train2Game student studio Icey Monty. They release at least an exclusive title per week. Popular titles on the site include the park it 3D series: Drunk Parking and Ambulance.

The Gamonaut team is made up of three Directors with Development support. John Esslemont (24) and Nick Walker (20) are based in the UK and Romano Zagoršćak (30) is based in Croatia. The international team have an average age of around just 25. Nick and John are actually still studying with distance learning provider Train2Game which is how they met.

John Esslemont, Director, said: “I thought about creating Gamonaut after working on a client’s game, I was wondering how they’re able to support themselves and started talking with the client. It was Romano who came forward with the idea of a joint venture, Game development + Web portal just made sense.”

Nick Walker, Director, said: “I think the combination of our skillsets has allowed us to drive the site forward. Romano’s expertise in everything related to games portals and publishing, combined with the skills we’ve learned doing client work over the past couple of years allows us to make quality games that brand a genuinely good site. There is fierce competition, but we work extremely hard to get our standard of quality up to the high levels.”

Director Romano Zagoršćak, said:  “We definitely have a bunch of plans for the future. First of all we’ll continue making even better games. We plan to expand to mobile markets and further build up website audience. There’s always room for improvement and we strive towards that in our work – site, strategy, game ideas, development practices and basically everything.”

Play the latest and best free 3D games available at http://www.gamonaut.com/

Train2Game News Port iOS Games to Android

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MarmaladeCross-platform game development SDK  Marmalade Technologies Ltd announced today that all iOS game developers can now use the Marmalade SDK to bring their games to a market of over 1 billion additional devices worldwide.

Marmalade Juice, the new iOS to Android porting tool, will be included in all Marmalade licenses and from today, for a limited time, the annual Community license is free.

The full release of Marmalade Juice will be welcome news to millions of game developers who, until now, have taken a single platform approach, finding themselves locked into the iOS ecosystem and unable to maximize the wider market opportunity for their app. Now, using Marmalade Juice, developers have the ability to recompile their Objective-C code for Android, providing a clear and cost-effective route to stores including Google Play and the Amazon App Store. Once their games are compiled into Marmalade, developers have many of the benefits of working within the cross-platform SDK such as maintaining a single codebase and the option to target further platforms in the future.

Justin Ng, Engineering Manager, Storm8: “Working with Marmalade Juice has made the process of bringing games to Android almost invisible. The Marmalade toolset integrates well into our process and because everything is still developed in Xcode, there was a minimal learning curve. Using Marmalade Juice was incredibly easy and allowed us to focus on what we love – building hit games for our more than 50 million monthly active users”.

Harvey Elliott, CEO, Marmalade Technologies Ltd: “Adding Marmalade Juice to our powerful SDK means that at last developers have an easy way to extend from iOS to the now dominant Android market, using technology from a company that has grown up with mobile gaming. The release of Marmalade Juice underlines the long established aims of Marmalade in ensuring that operating across platforms can be a sustainable strategy for the developer and the industry as a whole.”

Marmalade Juice now comes included with all Marmalade SDK seats at no additional cost. To celebrate GDC 2014, Marmalade Community licenses will be free for a limited time, so all qualifying iOS developers can unlock their games to Android for free. Developers should use code: GDCFREE here: www.madewithmarmalade.com/free.

Train2Game News Survey on Freemium

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EA logoAn EA-backed survey brings in a whole lot of new math to support the “freemium” business model and integrating advertising in games.

New data offers some pretty shocking predictions on the purchasing trends of the gamer population over the next few years. A study conducted among 500 gamers by IHS Technology found that 86 percent of players would rather have a free game, supported by ads and in-game transaction, than pay full price for the game itself.

IHS also predicted that micotransactions spent on “freemium” games will account for 39 percent of the total money spent on video games in North America by 2017. Likewise, mobile, tablet and PC gaming, where the majority of games using freemium business model are found, will account for 54 percent of the spending on games content by 2017.

IHS also forecasted that by 2017 only 10 percent of mobile and tablet games will earn their revenue through a paid download, reflecting how prevalent the freemium model will become at that time.

The study was conducted on behalf of Electronic Arts and WildTangent, a company that powers game services for different companies, including PC gaming sites used by EA. The games tracked in the study were EA freemium titles using “EA2/BrandBoost” technology, which featured in-game ads such as long form video, custom mini-games, and branded in-game content.

If a player chooses to interact with an in-game ad, they will usually be rewarded with a game item or, for games that only let you play for so long each day, additional playtime. The survey also found that gamers were more likely to play longer after experiencing an ad that gave them an in-game item.

The study also notes that gamer’s are more positively disposed towards an ad if it happens at the beginning of a game or during a natural pause in the action.