Category Archives: games

Train2Game News: UK Top 20 Games – 05.08.13

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MinecraftIt’s the start of another week so it is time for the Train2Game Top 20. A quiet week in the charts this week has seen Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition hold on to the number one spot for a second week running with the only other new entrant being The Smurfs 2 game that ties in with the movie. The game entered the charts at number five.

All formats

Week ending 3 August 2013

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 – MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 1
2 THE LAST OF US SONY COMPUTER ENT. 3
3 ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF NINTENDO 4
4 FIFA 13 EA SPORTS 6
5 THE SMURFS 2 UBISOFT –
6 FAR CRY 3 UBISOFT 7
7 LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 10
8 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II ACTIVISION 16
9 – TOMB RAIDER SQUARE ENIX 9
10 ASSASSIN’S CREED III XBOX 360 CLASSICS 11
11 MARIO AND LUIGI: DREAM TEAM BROS. NINTENDO 5
12 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 15
13 MAX PAYNE 3 ROCKSTAR 14
14 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV XBOX 360 CLASSICS 12
15 PIKMIN 3 NINTENDO 2
16 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED EA GAMES 20
17 BATTLEFIELD 3 EA GAMES 19
18 GRAND THEFT AUTO EPISODES – LIBERTY CITY ROCKSTAR 17
19 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 8
20 THE SIMS 3: ISLAND PARADISE EA GAMES –
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2013 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: SpecialEffect helps Mitch

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SpecialEffect Thanks to all the work that gaming charity, SpecialEffect, have done they have been able to help a young man named Mitch.

Mitch has cerebral palsy which makes it difficult for him to use the triggers on the back of his controller which would have a huge impact on what games you are able to play.

SpecialEffect have remapped the triggers to two small switches under the controller, and attached it to a heavy duty clinical mounting to reduce the effect of the tremor in his arms. This has allowed Mitch to be back on a level playing field with his friends and he is able to now give as good as he gets!

Mitch was ecstatic with the results saying “It puts the fun back if you can be just as good as someone else.”

You can see how happy Mitch is in the video below

We at Train2Game are very happy to support SpecialEffect as much as we can and will continue to do so to keep helping people like Mitch.

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 02.08.13

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Batman It’s the end of the week so is is time for the Train2Game news round up.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today confirmed that Batman: Arkham Origins will ship with a mode that allows players to take the franchise’s award-winning gameplay online to play with friends and foes.  The online component blends the traditional Arkham gameplay with third-person shooter mechanics and is in development by Splash Damage. The multiplayer will be available on all platforms except the Wii U. You can enjoy the trailer for it here: http://youtu.be/CFx82wX3NE8

Continuing the hero game theme, Deadpool has had it’s first DLC announced. The “Merc with a map pack” will introduce two new challenge maps; GRT Plaza and Inside the Tower. You will also get two new costumes for Infinite Mode: a D-Pooly and Uncanny X-Force suit. The DLC is available now for 240 Microsoft points. You can also now purchase the game from the On Demand market.

In celebration of the highly anticipated launch of Pokémon X and Pokémon Y for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, the first of three legendary character distribution events begins August 30 at participating Game stores across the UK. Players can get their hands on Shiny versions of the Legendary Pokémon —Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—starting with, Dialga, which was featured on the cover of the Pokémon Diamond video game. What makes this event extraordinary is that each of the distributed Legendary Pokémon, which are already difficult to get during gameplay, will be Shiny, meaning they have unusual colouring that is extremely rare. Each Shiny Pokémon will be available, one at a time, for only two weeks each, so Trainers will need to plan accordingly and head to a participating Game store if they want to add these extremely rare Legendary Pokémon to their Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, or Pokémon White 2 game.

A new character has been announced for the hit mobile game, Temple Run 2. You can now pay for and download Gold medal olympian, Usain Bolt to run from the dangerous in the game. As the first branded character in Temple Run history, Usain Bolt’s worldwide recognition demonstrates the global and cultural reach of the original endless runner game. “I am a big fan of Temple Run. I travel all over the world and travel time gives me lots of opportunity to play Temple Run at airports or on car journeys,” said Usain Bolt. “It’s exciting to see myself represented within a game I already play.”  The Usain Bolt character is available now as an in-app purchase in Temple Run 2 for $0.99, for a limited time only.

Finally in the lead up to the realease of The Elder Scrolls Online, Bethesda have announced The Elder Scrolls Anthology for PC.  The game arrives on retail shelves in Europe on September 13, 2013 for £49.99/€59.99, The Elder Scrolls Anthology features all five critically-acclaimed games, plus official add-ons – packaged together in an exclusive premium collector’s set.

 

Train2Game News: Eurogamer Expo 2013

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Eurogamer ExpoThe Gamer Network has announced that the PlayStation 4 will be playable at this year’s Eurogamer Expo.

The Expo takes place at Earl’s Court in London from Thursday, September 26 to Sunday September 29.

Other games that have been announced for the expo this year include;  Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, FIFA 14, Batman: Arkham Origins, Dark Souls II and several titles from Nintendo, with many more still to be announced.

Over 70,000 consumers are expected to attend the show, with four-day passes and weekend tickets already sold-out. Tickets for Thursday and Friday are available from the event’s website so act fast!

The show will also see the return of the Indie Arcade, sponsored by SEGA, and a tournament and retro area to fulfil all your nostalgia needs!

The Eurogamer Expo also features the GamesIndustry Fair on September 26th and 27th. Curated by GamesIndustry International staff, the event includes the GameHorizon Investment Summit, the popular Career Sessions panels, the Careers & Education showfloor and BAFTA Career Surgeries.

Eurogamer is a great place to try out the new games and to talk to games developers. You can get an insight into how the industry works and how some of your favorite companies operate.

I advise every potential games industry person to attend this annual event!

Train2Game News: Microsoft explains their new player reputation system

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Xbox OneMicrosoft have announced plans for their overhaul of the reputation system on the Xbox One, in the hopes you play with like minded people.

The past systems Microsoft have used to let players known other peoples reputations have never walked all that well and have mostly been ignored but senior program manager of Microsoft’s new initiative, SmartMatch, Michael Dunn is working to change this.

SmartMatch will have three categories you will come into; Good Player, Needs Work and Avoid Me. They are going to be using a percentile system to place players into these categories and Michael Dunn said that: “You can imagine it like the ‘good players’ are like the 80 percent, the ‘needs work’ and the ‘avoid me’ are kind of the thin tail out from the rest of them.” The idea is to separate the Avoid Me group from the rest of the players.

Most people will automatically, “start with a score that’s in the 75 range, which is definitely a good player,” Dunn explained, and it will take quite a bit of work to get into the avoid me category. They also have a lot in place to help people who are getting grief complaints or complaints only from the same person, so it isn’t really possible to have a group of players or just one player give someone a low reputation.

However, people won’t just end up in avoid me or needs work without knowing. Unlike the Xbox 360 reputation system, with Xbox One Microsoft will be sending people warnings so that they may fix their problems before ending up in the deep end.

Dunn explains “The goal of the overhauled reputation system isn’t just to create some sort of stratified social hierarchy inside Xbox Live, but to improve the quality of matchmaking.”

Train2Game News: BioShock Infinite DLC announced

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Bioshock Infinite2K and Irrational Games announced yesterday that BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds, the first downloadable content pack for BioShock Infinite, is now available for download.

BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds, developed by Irrational Games, is an action-focused downloadable content pack that presents players with a series of unique, intense challenges and a whole new gambit of combat opportunities. Players will combine a diverse toolset of weapons, Vigors, gear, Tears and Sky-Lines in four new areas inspired by the classic BioShock Infinite environments. In addition, by completing all 60 Blue Ribbon challenges, players will unlock exclusives in the Columbian Archeological Society, gaining access to new Voxophones, Kinetoscopes, concept art and more.

BioShock Infinite: Clash in the Clouds is available for £3.69 (400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live for Xbox 360) via online marketplaces on all available platforms, and is included in the BioShock Infinite Season Pass.

Also in development at Irrational Games, BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea is a two-part add-on campaign featuring an all-new story for Booker and Elizabeth, set in the underwater city of Rapture before its fall. These two campaigns will be available individually for £9.99 (1200 Microsoft Points), and are also included as part of the BioShock Infinite Season Pass.

“We are really excited to offer our fans the content that they have been asking for,” said Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games. “With Clash in the Clouds, people get a pure action experience that takes BioShock Infinite combat to its highest challenge and intensity level. With the Burial at Sea episodes, we are building a Rapture-based narrative experience that is almost entirely built from scratch.”

The BioShock Infinite Season Pass is available now for £15.99 (1600 Microsoft Points) and includes all three pieces of add-on content, as well as the Early Bird Special Pack, which includes powerful weapon upgrades, exclusive gold weapon skins and infusion bottles to upgrade abilities.

You can enjoy the Trailers for the DLC below:

Clash in the clouds DLC

Burial at sea DLC

Train2Game News: Last chance to enter DFS home gaming competition

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DFSToday is the last day for Train2Game students to enter the Home Gaming set up competition from DFS.

The competition is very simple. All you have to do is take a picture of your gaming set up and email it to the address at the bottom of this story.

If your gaming set up is the one that impresses us the most you can win a £50 game voucher from Amazon, enough to let you buy that brand new game you have been wanting!

Whether you are a fan of Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo or PC, it doesn’t matter. All entrants are welcome and encouraged.

A reminder of the Terms and Conditions:

  • This competition is open to all www.Train2Game.com readers in the UK
  • Prizes cannot be swapped for a cash alternative
  • Multiple entries will be disqualified – please include your contact details (shipping address, contact telephone number and full names) in the email
  • Emails must be received by 30 July to qualify
  • By entering this competition, competitors will be deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by the rules, and all entry instructions given are deemed to form part of the rules of the competition
  • Train2Game’s decision over the winning entry is final
  • Your email address will only be stored for the purpose of this competition and will not be passed on to any third parties
  • The winner will be informed by email

You can view a few of the entrants we have already had in the gallery below:

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Remember this is the final day you can enter this competition so don’t miss out, email a picture of your gaming set up to maria@train2game.com for your chance to win.

Train2Game News: UK Top 20 Games – 30.07.13

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MinecraftThe games industry charts are a bit later this week as I was away yesterday. The Last Of Us has now been knocked off of the top of the charts and falls to number three. It was knocked off by Minecraft: Xbox360 Edition thanks to a surge in sales for the game. This week Nintendo add two more first party titles, the first being Pikmin 3, which debuts at number two beating it’s predecessor, Pikmin 2, which debuted way back in week 41, 2004 on Gamecube at number thirty two. The other Nintendo release this week is also for Wii U, New Super Luigi U at number thirteen.

All formats

Week ending 27 July 2013

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 2
2 PIKMIN 3 NINTENDO –
3 THE LAST OF US SONY COMPUTER ENT. 1
4 – ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW LEAF NINTENDO 4
5 MARIO AND LUIGI: DREAM TEAM BROS. NINTENDO 3
6 FIFA 13 EA SPORTS 9
7 FAR CRY 3 UBISOFT 6
8 – THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM – LEGENDARY BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 8
9 TOMB RAIDER SQUARE ENIX 10
10 LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 12
11 ASSASSIN’S CREED III XBOX 360 CLASSICS 13
12 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV XBOX 360 CLASSICS 14
13 NEW SUPER LUIGI U NINTENDO –
14 MAX PAYNE 3 ROCKSTAR 7
15 LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 19
16 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II ACTIVISION 11
17 – GRAND THEFT AUTO EPISODES – LIBERTY CITY ROCKSTAR 17
18 DYNASTY WARRIORS 8 KOEI 5
19 BATTLEFIELD 3 EA GAMES –
20 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED EA GAMES 15
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2013 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: SpecialEffect Football tournament

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SpecialEffect SpecialEffect the games charity who helps the disabled to play games again is holding a charity Football tournament.

At the Wembley Stadium Powerleague venue on 5 September, you can battle for the SpecialEffect Trophy in a Football Tournament.

You’ll only need to raise a squad of seven for this Champions League format competition, which has full event management from Powerleague, including referees! The entry fee is £250 per team, which includes a donation to the work that we’re doing to level the playing field for gamers with disabilities.

Kick-off is at 1pm, and there’s a licensed bar for essential rehydration afterwards.

SpecialEffect do amazing work to get people with life changing disablities to play video games again. Allowing them to enjoy themselves much the way we do when playing our beloved games.

Register either by submitting your match fee at www.justgiving.com/SpecialEffectWembley or paying by cheque/ bank transfer to SpecialEffect. Any questions, contact Nick Streeter (nick@specialeffect.org.uk) or call 01608 810055.

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 25.07.13

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FEAR OnlineIt’s the end of the week so it is time for the industry news round up!

Face your fear together with friends in F.E.A.R. Online! Aeria Games, a leading global publisher of free-to-play online games, announced today the upcoming brand-new installment in the popular horror FPS series. Developed by Korean company Inplay Interactive and being brought to the United States by Aeria Games, the new chapter in the F.E.A.R. saga will deliver hardcore multiplayer shooting action while furthering the dark and ominous story surrounding Alma Wade.

Electronic Arts Inc. announced that EA SPORTs FIFA 14 is allowing fans to bring their FIFA 14 Ultimate Team experiences with them to the new generation of consoles this year. Fans will be able to access their FIFA 14 Ultimate Team full roster, in-game items and in-game currency (coins) from either console: between Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and between PlayStation3 and PlayStation4. All changes made in FIFA 14 Ultimate Team will be reflected in both consoles so fans will be able to compete with their squads on either console throughout the season.

Fully revealed is The Sims 3 Into the Future Expansion Pack, the latest title from The Sims Studio shipping this Fall. It’s a brave new world for the Sims as they go where they have never gone before – into the future and back. In The Sims 3 Into the Future, Sims can transport themselves hundreds of years forward where they can explore the world of tomorrow, meet their descendants, master the technology of the future, like hoverboards, jetpacks and food synthesizers and more. Have your fun, but be prepared for the consequences. Your Sims actions in the present will have surprising effects on the future.

Get behind the wheel of the most powerful stock cars in the world as leading independent racing game developer Eutechnyx today announced that NASCAR The Game: 2013 has fully launched on Windows PC. NASCAR The Game: 2013 allows players and diehard NASCAR fans everywhere, to take to the track and race against the world’s most elite competition.The game features the top drivers, teams, and Gen 6 cars from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Finally, Ubisoft announced that the legendary saga Prince of Persia continues with the new mobile episode Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame, available now on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch as well as on Android devices, through Google Play and Amazon, at a price of £1.99. Developed by Ubisoft Pune, Prince of Persia The Shadow and the Flame follows the storyline of the original game, released 20 years ago. It is set after the events of Prince of Persia Classic, successful mobile title also developed by Ubisoft Pune. The game’s experience can still be extended through social connectivity, allowing to unlock achievements and ascend the leaderboards or to share scores with Facebook integration.