A new week means a new batch of Train2Game student placement diaries. This time, we kick of with Train2Game Game Development student Darren Price who is on a work placement at DR Studios.
In the latest diary, Darren discusses creating a user interface for a game and some of the programming that goes into it. Read it here on the Train2Game blog, or on the official Train2Game industry experience diaries website.
Darren’s previous diary is available here on the Train2Game blog.
The games industry should move towards adopting a single console.
That’s according to Bethesda Softworks game director Todd Howard whose view is likely to split Train2Game students.
“I’d like there to be only one platform. It’s a lot of work to make the games look good on ever platform you’re on,” said Howard told PSM3.
He compared it to being able to use DVDs and Blu-Rays with multiple outlets.
“I often equate it to DVD or Blu-Rays. Once I’ve bought a DVD I can use it in my TV, in my computer, in my car, here, whatever. And I think it would be good for gaming if it was like that,” he said.
However, Howard admits his wish is rather unlikely.
“They spend billions of dollars selling consoles at a loss for years, but then make the money back with games,” he commented. “It’s not like the industry is hurting, we’re doing really well. But if I had one wish, you know, we would have better games for a single platform.”
The idea of one console certainly raises an interesting prospect, and not just because it’d mean the death of console exclusive titles! But it could potentially make games easier to develop and allow them to get to a wider audience; both are things Train2Game students are likely to approve of!
On the other hand, the idea of a single console does seem to overlook the PC, which as the Train2Game blog reported last month, has ‘shot by’ consoles according to Epic.
“We’re at the stage in the life of the consoles where the PC has shot by them in terms of capabilities.” said Epic Games VP Mark Rein
“With the PC you can simulate the future – you can put enough hardware in a PC to show you what a future console will look like.” he added.
So Train2Game, is the idea of a single gaming device too farfetched? Or could you see it happening in future? How could it benefit developers?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: CVG]
One third of people in Great Britain own a smartphones, while gaming is the fastest growing online pastime.
That’s according to a report from Ofcom, which argue confirms something the Train2Game blog has reported on a number of times – that mobile gaming is becoming a huge phenomenon. It’s therefore an area that Train2Game students would be wise to think about pursuing a career in.
And while the Ofcom report states the iPhone, with its easy to use App store, is still the preferred choice of smartphone for many, the Train2Game blog previously reported that Android devices are increasing their share in the market. Indeed, many Train2Game forum users own Android smartphones themselves.
Interesting, the Blackberry is the most popular smartphone among teenagers.
Meanwhile, the Ofcom report reveals that there’s been a 23% increase in online gaming over the last year, with smartphones likely to have contributed to this too. Online social media games are also becoming more and more popular, with the Train2Game blog reporting that more and more developers are using it as a platform to release games.
Indeed as reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this week, Civilization developer Sid Meier said games ‘will take over the world’ and social media gaming will play a part in this.
“I think now is one of the most exciting times to be a Game Designer” said Meier.
“With the rapid growth of social network games there are new opportunities for smaller indie developers to make and distribute games, so we’re seeing a wider variety of games on all kinds of cool devices than ever before. That’s great for the whole industry.”
And as previously reported by the Train2Game blog, both smartphone and social media gaming, free-to-play could provide a viable model for making revenue from games.
“The guys who are making more money are allowing people – if they like the game – to keep upgrading. And instead of the maximum amount of that money you can make from customer being 99c you can make $5, in some cases $30.” Industry analyst Nicholas Lovell previously told the Train2Game blog.
So with one third of Brits using a smartphone, that’s a huge potential audience for any iPhone games produced by Train2Game students; it could very much be your future.
So Train2Game, do you see developing games for smartphones as a good career path? Is the potential audience just going to keep growing?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: Develop]
Train2Game student Fabiano’s first video blog is now available on the Official Train2Game YouTube channel
His first video blog is also available in text form! Read it below here on the Train2Game blog.
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game student Fabiano Dias brings you his first video blog in which he talks about why he chose to study with Train2Game.
Watch it here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2GameUK YouTube channel.
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Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students on industry experience placements at DR Studios have helped produce Bug Wings throughout its game development and update cycle.
The game for iPhone,iPad and iPad touch has received some positive reviews with the Train2Game blog previously reporting on a score of 4/5 from 148apps. Bug Wings also received 4/5 from high profile American website GamePro.
DR Studios has released a free Lite version of their tilt-controlled arcade adventure Bug Wings. Featuring six levels set across a unique pond in a single player Solo Mode, Bug Wings Lite gives players a tantalizing free taste of the complete game.
Bug Wings Lite is available to download for free from the iTunes App store.
Also released today is version 1.2 of the full version of Bug Wings that introduces a number of game play improvements. These include:
For more information about Bug Wings, visit the official Bug Wings website or the official Bug Wings iTunes app store page.
Support fellow Train2Game students and give it a go!
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: Train2Game]
Train2Game students will be familiar with the impressive facial Art & Animation of L.A. Noire, with many wondering if it could be beaten in future.
Well, the facial animation of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations could surpass that later this year, thanks to the Mocam technique used to capture footage.
“One of the elements that’s really interesting about Mocam is that, while it creates a lot of high-fidelity character expression and movement, the actor doesn’t need to look like the character he’s playing.” Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Lead Game Designer Alexandre Breault told Now Gamer.
“It’s a system that’s able to interpolate the facial movements of one person and apply them to any model. That gives us a lot of flexibility with our actors.” He added.
That means the in-game character doesn’t have to look like the actor who plays them, useful for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations which features a number of historical characters.
Another way the motion capture used for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations could beat that of L.A. Noire is that it incorporates the entire body. Team Bondi’s method, while very impressive, only captured the face of the actor or actress.
“They’re also able to act with their whole body, as the system isn’t just limited to the head” explained Breault.
“ Mocam doesn’t create a clash between facial expression and body movement – it’s all integrated. It allows realistic facial expression, but not at the cost of actor expression as normal mo-cap does.”
It certainly sounds impressive, much like the fact the Train2Game blog reported earlier this year that the Ubisoft team behind Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is over 200 people strong.
And while it isn’t being used to capture facial animation, Uncharted 3 is also using advanced motion capture techniques.
So Train2Game, could Revelations surpass the tech of L.A. Noire? Would it improve the game? Is motion capture the way forward?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
The latest Train2Game industry experience diary from Georgij Cernysiov who is on placement Caspian Learning.
Read the entry here on the Train2Game blog, or the official Train2Game industry experience website.
Train2Game featured prominently at this year’s Develop Conference, with a stand promoting students on the courses. Pardeep Saran is on the Train2Game Game Developer course, and he attended the conference, receiving help at the Train2Game Guru Bar.
The Train2Game blog caught up with Pardeep find out why he chose to study with Train2Game and what he wants to achieve. Listen to the interview at www.audioboo.fm/train2game
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students may have to pay subscription fees to play EA Sports titles in future. That’s according to label Vice President Andrew Wilson who believes there will “absolutely” be a time when plays will want to “access” EA Sports games via subscriptions.
It’s a statement that may initially not go down well with Train2Game students, but it could help them make more revenue from games in the future.
“If we look at what consumers have pushed other industries for: if we look at what consumers forced the music industry to provide, if we look at what consumers have driven as a result of television and movie subscription” Wilson told Eurogamer.
“If you look at us – there’s absolutely a time somewhere at some point in the future where the consumers say, ‘Hey, this is how we want to interact with you: we want to give you a monthly or annual subscription and we want access to everything you make,'”
“They get to drive the time and place for it, and a lot of it is technology dependent, but absolutely we can see a future where that might be the way we deliver games.”
Wilson added that it isn’t current gen consoles that are holding this model back, but internet connections.
“It’s less about the generation and more about internet infrastructure,” he said.
“The thing about consoles [is] that’s a lot of content: six, seven gigs of information. Right now there are some places in the world where you can move that size of information around relatively seamlessly; there are a lot of places you can’t.
“Right now the consoles themselves could facilitate it,” he added, “but there are other barriers to entry that make getting it from Game or GameStop a viable proposition, at least today.”
That last part sounds somewhat familiar, with as reported by the Train2Game blog, Sony previously stating that they want to sell PSN content – currently only available digitally – at traditional retail.
Of course, the games industry already has many subscription based services, with World of Warcraft being the most high profile. As previously mentioned by the Train2Game blog, World of Warcraft has over 12 million subscribers, showing that if people like a game, they’re more than happy to pay a subscription fee.
Therefore, in the future, working on a subscription based game could potentially be lucrative for Train2Game students.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts? Are subscription fees for all games inevitable? Would people pay?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
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