Category Archives: games

Train2Game Let’s help SpecialEffect

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If you are not aware SpecialEffect create the most amazing devices enabling disabled kids to play games like you or I would, probably even better.

SpecialEffect have entered a competition to win £2000 from a company with a very short video about our work helping people with disabilities to play games, and need as many votes as possible to win to stand a chance of winning!

Would you mind voting for it and passing it on to friends and family? You don’t have to provide any personal details, you just click on

http://www.opusenergygift.com/video?id=DOEkOOgCGMM

and then click on “Vote or this Video” and that’s it !

It takes just 5 seconds! If you can help it would be much appreciated (and if you can forward the note to family & friends that would be even better , vote ends in a week).

Train2Game News Calling all Budding Film Stars

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May we introduce an extra special lady who will be filming at the Gameathon, WELCOME Juliette.

Juliette’s credits include the Spirit of London Awards, YES Program (kids education) and even RARE, yes that RARE of Xbox fame. Her credits also span: Saatchi & Saatchi, San Miguel, Vivienne Westwood, Bloodhound (the car that goes 1000mph), Rimmel and Sky TV.

So if you would like to be considered so that Juliette can film your good side get in touch with Harry via BaseCamp.

For more about the Gameathon click here

Train2Game Gaming record attempt

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Gaming record attempt

The University of Bedfordshire will host a world record attempt next month when a computing giant and an online college try to hold the largest game jam held in a single location.

Experts from Microsoft will team up with students from Train2Game which runs from September 14-16 at the university’s three computer labs at the Park Street campus.

They will form development teams and create Metro style videogames in 48 hours for Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system, which is scheduled for release on October 26.

The world record will be set with a target of 301 or more participants and representatives from The Guinness Book of World Records will be present to adjudicate the event.

Games completed during the record attempt deemed suitable for release will be available through the Windows Store. A judging process will then take place with gaming industry representatives choosing the best game of the show.

Carsten Maple, the university’s Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, said: “The university works closely with the games industry and is delighted to host this exciting, record breaking event.”

For more details GAMEATHON on FACEBOOK

Train2Game Student Diaries Ben Collings 16 – 27 July

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Monday 16th July 2012 – So turns out what I was trying to do with the extra detail just wasn’t needed in the end so I was able to quickly add it into all the levels done up till now.  Just need the lead designer to implement all the changes and make sure there’s nothing wrong.  There shouldn’t be but you never know when exporting to FBX, miss one little tick box and it can all go to hell!

Unfortunately the lead designer was busy with other tasks today so to avoid me twiddling my thumbs I was moved onto the same project Rod had been moved onto the other week.

Tuesday 17th July 2012 – Spent the day drawing up concepts for scenery items, that and trying to get to grips with the visual style of the game.

Wednesday 18th July 2012  – More concepting done today, working hard towards getting a game pitch document done.  Exciting times.

Thursday 19th July 2012 – I’ve got a four day weekend starting tomorrow so had to work extra hard to get all my components drawn up today, got it done and the pitch document went down well.

Friday 20th July & Monday 23rd July – Day off.

Tuesday 24th July – More concepting work, drawing scenery items till the cows come home it seems.

Wednesday 25th July – More concepting but not any scenery items this time, today was accessories!  Don’t think I’ve ever spent so long just doodling random items!

Thursday 26th July – Had to make some final little tweaks to the levels I’d been working on for the previous game.  Ended up taking up most of the day fixing them just lots of little tweaks, making sure things weren’t too close to each other and other similar tasks.

Friday 27th July – My final day of work experience.  It’s been a blast I’ve learnt a lot and I’ve even got my name into a couple of games!

www.train2game.com

Train2Game Gameathon Resources

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Train2Game Web Site FaceBook Train2Game Page

twitter.com/train2game  FaceBook Gameathon Page

More soon as we add them

Train2Game teams with Microsoft to set game jam world record

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The Guinness Book of World Records (for largest game jam in a single location) to be set at event organised by Microsoft and Train2Game

Luton, 01 August 2012: Microsoft Corp. will collaborate with online blended learning service Train2Game to set the world record for the largest game jam held in a single location, at the Microsoft and Train2Game Gameathon 2012.

Students on Train2Game courses will gather at the University of Bedfordshire from 14th September to 16th September 2012, forming development teams and creating Metro style videogames for Windows 8 in 48 hours. The world record will be set with a target of 301 or more participants. Representatives from The Guinness Book of World Records will adjudicate the event.

Microsoft experts will be on hand and the contestants will use Windows 8 software. Games completed during the record attempt deemed suitable for release will be available through the Windows Store. A judging process will take place with gaming industry representatives choosing a best game of the show.

“We’re teaming with Train2Game not only to set a world record, but also to support gaming development in the UK,” said John Richards, senior director, Windows Partners and Developers at Microsoft Corp.  “We’re working with the students developing for Windows 8, as they are the future of the industry.”

Myra Smallman, Course Director, Train2Game: “This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to work with one of the most respected technology companies in the world. Microsoft is a major player in the video games industry globally and being part of this relationship will be incredibly positive for Train2Game students when they look for employment in the future. The students taking part will also be world record holders, a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Train2Game Student Diaries James Bouckley EMPLOYED BY UNITY!

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Train2game student James Bouckley has been on the T2G Work Placement scheme and has now found FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT – Well Done James!!!

James picks up the story:

Week 20 w/e 20/7/12

Why leave the good news until the end, I got a full time job at Unity!

This means my diary entries will be coming to a close soon but I’ll keep anyone who reads them updated until the end.  So apart from the amazing news had a fairly good week in terms of work done too.

In the game there was a bug where if all the spawn points for the enemies were on the camera at once then it threw and exception.  I fixed this by, if all of them were on the screen at once, the enemies spawn from the one furthest from the player.

Previously we had a system where power packs needed to be put on a dispensing machine whilst you fought off enemies.  When the energy of the machine was full it would dispense items.  I’ve changed it now so that instead there are waves of enemies and the last one you kill dispenses items.  There was also a fairly major memory leak in the script that made items between you and the camera invisible which I have now fixed and also made it so that multiple things at once can become invisible.

Aside from the game Graham has asked me to write a beginners guide to asset bundles.  I finished the first draft on Friday but I am yet to hear people’s opinions on it.

To sum up: new job! YES!

www.train2game.com

Train2Game Student Diaries Jonny Robinson Diary 27 July

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This is my last diary; on average I think I must have written about 10,400 words which is stupidly crazy. With DR Studios playing such a vital role in my career path, what can I really say to my colleagues, mentors and even friends besides the stereotypical crap of thank you…To me a thank you isn’t enough, it needs to have more worth than that. As selfish as this sounds my only true way to repay their wisdom is to teach people what I know, and make successful games along the way.

But I’m going to say it anyway thank you, thank you and thank you for helping me gain respect in being happy at work. I used to hate all of my previous jobs with a passion as I always felt like an outcast in the group, the dreamer, the lad who lived in his head and a guy who ranted on Youtube. If it wasn’t for any of those things, I wouldn’t be here today. I left school with terrible grades but this didn’t stop me one bit, I retook all of my modules, did online learning in my spare time whilst working full-time. I have slapped haters in the face with hard work and persevered with pure determination to make it into the game industry

Since being here I have attended Develop twice, once as a representative of Train2Game/DRS and the other was with Epic Games. I have won 48 hour game jams; I was the leader of the winning team of the Make Something Unreal Live 2012 winning the Unreal 3 licence. I have also got my name on at least 4 games and I have done it all with a smile on my face. Now do I think it will be easy out there in the cold and harsh world without DRS holding my hand; of course not but that hasn’t stopped me before and it won’t stop me now!

What would my advice be to anyone trying to make it into the game industry, just don’t ever stop dreaming and working hard to make your dream a reality and of course join Train2Game 🙂

So, with this being my final DR Studios diary I want to say to anyone who has followed my year long journey into the game industry, thank you and I will catch you on the flip side.

Here is my Portfolio www.jonnyrobinson.co.uk

and my Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ironcore1

if you want to keep in touch or just ask for some advice!

This is Jonny saying goodbye just for now

www.train2game.com

Train2Game Student Diaries Ezekiel Morris weeks 9 and 10

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Ezekiel Morris week 9

Working on a new project so it has been a busy week, we have till Wednesday to get this pitch document done in time so my task was to finish  off  five characters  in 3 days.

I ending up having to stay late with the guys who were collaborating on the project,  we discuss  about the art style to go forward, lucky enough  in my spare time  I  have done quick thumb nails sketches  at weekend then the guy at studio can decide which thumb nails are we going with.

So the first part was easy now  the next part was to  get  some feedback, the guys were loving the characters, I was copying the same art style from the original concept that rod had drawn.

Rod  is in charge of  art style  for this project, he’s shown me some tips  in Photoshop that can be handy to use to speed up my workflow, Anyway I was burning these characters so fast  if there  needs to be any changes I can then  go back to them later.

Staying late working till 10:00 but some Chinese food takeway on the side it’s all good baby.

 

Ezekiel Morris week 10

Previously this week I have been renaming layers in Photoshop. Didn’t get the chance to rename the layers as the art assets for this pitch document has to be done in the week .

The pitch document is finished and the next step is the production stage. My schedules were to create more characters and begin animating them, that would be my job and for the other artist  doing asset building etc.

So as I‘m the character artist on the project the scenario is this ,animate the characters using  Maya, separate  the character’s body parts  in Photoshop then go into 3d max open the PSD or Targa file and  then apply the texture on plane mesh using the cut tool to cut out the shapes.

Now I might have to learn Maya considering I haven’t had any experience in Maya before  so I’m working closely with Matty  who has an understanding on how to use Maya. Using Maya is not that bad, it’s just like using 3d max in  a way but the setup is a bit different just show me the tools and I will know what to do, alternatively unity 3d doesn’t support some of export settings when exporting  from 3d max, looks like maya is the way to go bro.

www.train2game.com