Category Archives: games

Train2Game blog student interview special: Artist Fiona Stewart post-Scottish Game Jam

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Last weekend, Train2Game Art & Animation student Fiona Stewart (AKA FeeTheGiraffe on the Train2Game Forum) joined a team of experienced game developers at the Scottish Game Jam. After the big event,  the Train2Game blog caught up with her to see how it went.

You can also see the pre-Scottish Game Jam interview here.

Train2Game blog: First of all, how do you feel Scottish Game Jam went overall?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Fantastically well! We all worked brilliantly as a team with excellent communication. Even through problems and lack of sleep no one got irate. We just all got on with what we were supposed to be doing. It was an amazing experience and to come 3rd out of 16 teams is just the icing on the cake. This is what one of the judges (Square Go) had to say about our game:

Shoal
Escaping an oil spill that is destroying your natural habitat, Shoal allowed you to take your fish to meet others, and hopefully a potential mate, in order to continue your species. With some differing moves to avoid obstacles your fishy friends should be saved.

A gorgeous looking game was slightly marred by being a little slow and having a control system that wasn’t as intuitive as it could have been. The glyphs to perform special actions were great and a final version with more levels would be wonderful.

Train2Game blog:  What did you contribute to your team?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Initially I was going to do all the backgrounds but unfortunately the lap top I was using wasn’t coping with large file sizes so had to hand that over to Mike. I then did the plants, front end menu, logo, end screen and hunted around for all the sounds and music for the game.

Train2Game blog: What did you enjoy the most?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: That is really difficult to say just one thing… really it was the whole experience, everything!

Train2Game blog: What did you find the most difficult?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Not being able to help the guys with flash and animation…. and living off junk food for three days.

Train2Game blog: Will it encourage you to take part in the Train2Game Jam next month?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Oh I’m hooked! No way am I going to be missing any jam I can get to now!

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

Star Wars: The Old Republic ‘can be profitable with 500,000 subscribers’

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Star Wars The Old Republic Train2Game blog image

EA claim their upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic will be profitable with 500,000 monthly subscribers.  That’s according to Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello who was speaking in a conference call.

“At half a million subscribers, the game is substantially profitable, but it’s not the kind of thing we would write home about. Anything north of a million subscribers, it’s a very profitable business.”

Riccitiello said the publisher is “incurring significant development costs” for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but suggested those costs would “”essentially turn on a dime” to profits when the game is released.

There is no official word from EA about a release date for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but a report from MCV Online suggests it’ll be available worldwide from September this year. However, increasing rumours of delays could mean it isn’t released until March 2012.

Riccitiello also criticised some games industry news outlets for ‘irresponsible reporting’ of the games development costs.

There’s been a fair amount of talk on various blogs describing [Old Republic development] spends that are vastly higher than anything we’ve ever put in place,” he said.

“Don’t read gamer blogs as having any substance. They bring a chuckle, but they also bring a frustration for those that are being responsible with the management of EA’s R&D dollars.”

For more information about Star Wars: The Old Republic see this post on the Train2Game blog, and this one on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Star Wars: The Old Republic? Do you believe it’ll be a successful MMO? Will you subscribe? Or do you think the competition from World of Warcraft – with its 12 million subscribers – is just too strong?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively, let us know what you think through the Train2Game Twitter account.

[Souce: Gamasutra]

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

Livingstone-Hope Skills Review: UK can build a ‘golden age’ of games development

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Computer Science should be brought into the national curriculum in order to encourage the next generation of Game Developers. That’s according to the Livingstone-Hope skills review which was launched today and the Train2Game blog was in attendance at the event.

The review highlights an educational ‘blind spot’ in traditional institutions but suggests if some changes are made the UK can build a ‘Golden Age’ of video games education.

The report’s authors – Ian Livingstone OBE and Alex Hope – suggest that if the UK’s video games industry overcomes existing barriers to growth and keeps up with its global competitors, it stands to generate £1 billion more sales by 2014.

However, the report shows that there is little awareness of the UK’s excellent achievements in the games industry.  Only 3% of young people and 21% of art, ICT, maths and physics & science teachers interviewed know that top-selling video games such as ‘Grand Theft Auto’ and ‘SingStar’ were developed in the UK.

The report also reveals that the education system is not equipping students with the skills needed by the games industry. Despite physics being vital to gaining employment in these industries, less than 5% of UK art, ICT, maths and physics & science teachers surveyed think that physics is one of the most important subjects to study for a career in video game development or visual effects.

The Livingstone-Hope skill review also suggests ICT education doesn’t equip students with the programming skills required to enter the games industry, and recommends it should become a compulsory part of education in schools.

Key recommendations of the 88 page report are:

  • Computer science must be part of the school national curriculum.
  • Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) should include industry-accredited specialist courses in video games and visual effects in their list of ‘Strategically Important and Vulnerable’ subjects that merit targeted funding.
  • Young people must be given more opportunity to study art and technology together.

Ian Livingstone, Life President of Eidos, and author of the report said:

“Video games production plays to the UK’s twin strengths of creativity and high-technology and ticks all the boxes for the digital economy. But despite young people being passionate about video games, they are unaware that games such as ‘Grand Theft Auto’ and ‘SingStar’ were developed in the UK and unaware of the career opportunities in the UK.

We need to transform young people’s passion to play video games into a desire to make them, whilst equipping them with the right skills for the industry. In the brave new online world, a second ‘golden age’ for the UK games industry beckons. It’s an opportunity which shouldn’t be missed.”

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the main points of the Livingstone Hope Skills review? Do you believe it really can lead to a new ‘Golden Age’ Are you surprised about the lack of knowledge about the games industry among the public and education sector?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively, you can also tell us what you think via Twitter.

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

Original Grand Theft Auto “Almost Canned” before being saved by bug!

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Train2Game blog GTA logo

Train2Game students will be very aware that Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest franchises in the video games industry with over 17 million units sold across the world.

It may come as a surprise then to hear that the original game was “almost canned” while in production during the late 1990’s! That’s according to an interview with Gary Penn – who worked for DMA Design – gave in Replay: The History of Video Games – It’s a book that may interest many Train2Game students!

Now an extract from that interview published on Gamasutra reveals Grand Theft Auto came close to being cancelled:

“[The original GTA] was a real mess for years, it never moved on, it never went anywhere,” Penn – now with Scottish Independent developer Denki – told author Tristan Donovan.

“It never really felt like it was going anywhere. It was almost canned. The publisher, BMG Interactive, wanted to can it, as it didn’t seem to be going anywhere.”

“There are probably two key things it fell down on. Two critical things. One of them is stability, which is a really boring one but it crashed all the time. So even if you did get something in the game, you couldn’t really test it.”

“The designers couldn’t test stuff out or try things out, it just kept crashing as simple as that,” he added. “That was a boring one, but that was pivotal — so that was the first step to get that knocked out.”

“Now the other thing that was a problem was the handling — the car handling was appalling,” he explained, a game-breaking issue for a game based mainly around driving. “…The core of playing was fundamentally broken”

Penn also reveals how what was originally a bug, ended up essentially saving Grand Theft Auto:

“One day, I think it was a bug, the police suddenly became mental and aggressive. It was because they were trying to drive through you.”

“Their route finding was screwed I think and that was an awesome moment because suddenly the real drama where, ‘Oh my God, the police are psycho — they’re trying to ram me off the road.”

“That was awesome, so that stayed in.”

It’s interesting to hear that it was a big which took Grand Theft Auto from almost being cancelled, to a finished product which has spawned multiple sequels and is one of the most well know video games franchises in the world.

However, there doesn’t seem to be a Grand Theft Auto V on the horizon quite yet, with one analyst even predicting we won’t see it until 2012.

Of course Train2Game students will know that not many bugs change games in a positive way! But now you can learn how to spot bugs – and many other skills – with the newly launched Train2Game QA course.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on these revelations about Grand Theft Auto? Are you surprised to hear the first in a very successful game franchise was almost never released? Does this encourage to stick with developing games that have problems?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively, you can also tell us what you think via Twitter.

[Source: Gamasutra]

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

Train2Game blog student interview #6: Games Designer Craig Watkins

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In number 6 of the Train2Game blog student interviews, we talk to Train2Game Designer Craig Watkins  (AKA Walkers on the Train2Game forum) He tells us why he decided to take a Train2Game course, a bit about his life around the course and what he hopes to achieve this year.

Remember you can read previous student interviews both here on the Train2Game blog and the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

Train2Game blog: Hi Craig, why did you choose to study with Train2Game?

Train2Game Designer Craig: I’d wanted a job in IT but I wasn’t really sure what I actually wanted to do. I just wanted to be as close to an IT job as I could so when that when I understood what I wanted from a 9-5 job, I was in a good position to go there.

I didn’t know that Games Designer was a job role. I always thought that the Game Developers and programmers would design the game, while script writers wrote stories for the games that they were making. I tried college to get a foothold in university in order to learn a scripting language and be able to make games. However, I couldn’t study at a college as I get bored easily and need my own motivation.

When I first saw an advert for Train2Game I was very sceptical as it seemed a little too good to be true, but I sent off a request form anyway. Nine months passed and I get a phone call from Train2Game.  I was shocked as I thought I would get an email asking for a lot of money from the get go, but no they went out of their way to phone me for a chat about me and my experience with gaming.

An advisor came round and gave me a lot of confidence about Train2Game and its structure.  I really felt like they wanted to teach me how to become a Games Designer.

Train2Game blog: Which Train2Game course did you decide to take and why?

Train2Game Designer Craig: I chose the Train2Game Games Design course. At first I didn’t 100% know what a Game Designer did but I knew that my skills are more in line with that than the other two options. (Games Developer and Games Artist & Animator)

When I was in school I was obsessed with story driven role-playing games such as Final Fantasy VII.  I used to write down my own game ideas, starting with the genre and a few little comments about what I wanted to achieve – I now know these as Design goals thanks to Train2Game – then I used to write small stories, and then try to link them together to make something bigger.

These were gateways to what I was actually good at; writing game rules, game mechanics, designing content and calculations for scenarios to be resolved by checking against other calculated numbers… these are the things that I loved doing. As I went through the Train2Game course I realised that I really been doing these things for a while just without knowing that was I doing so!

Train2Game blog: What were you doing before you started your Train2Game course?

Train2Game Designer Craig: I was – and still am – working full-time at McDonalds. I have worked there for nearly 7 years now and I’m now a manager at a low-medium volume store.  I manage around 15-30 staff per shift and around 70 staff overall and am part of a management team that drives up to 1.5million pounds of sales a year.

Now I know some of you are saying that it’s a fancy way of saying that I flip burgers, but that isn’t true. McDonalds is one of those jobs that on the surface seems like its one thing then behind the scenes, behind the smiles and the suggestive selling you see what and how the company really runs on, how they manage to get people to come back to the store, how they make sure that they are the best of their industry.

I’ve learned some things while working at McDonalds that I’m not sure that I would learn in other jobs.  It’s full of surprises and no one day is the same with focus and challenges always changing. It’s what kept me there for so long! I get bored quickly and need things to keep me motivated and focused otherwise I drift off.

Train2Game blog: How are you finding balancing the Train2Game course with the rest of your life?

Train2Game Designer Craig: Quite easy to be honest! But that’s all down to the fact that I work 11pm – 7am.  I usually get up late afternoon, spend a few hours with the family, put the kids to bed, watch something with the girlfriend, then get a couple of hours of the Train2Game course in before work. Don’t think I would be able to do it if I worked shifts like I did before!

Train2Game blog: What has been your favourite part of your Train2Game course so far?

Train2Game Designer Craig: I would say it’s the feeling that the Train2Game course gives me that my life is heading in a direction I want to go in. So many times in life we feel as if we don’t have a choice about our actions, that we are going along with the flow regardless of how we wanted it to go and it is hard to swim against the tide. This was the first thing that I worked towards that I wanted to do.

Train2Game blog: What do you hope to achieve with Train2Game this year?

Train2Game Designer Craig: December seems so far away but I really want to have my foot dipped into Section 3 of the Train2Game course,  and I would like to be in a development team and  make a full, successful, enjoyable game if at all possible. I want to be in a close team of people who all want to make fun games as much as me and have the drive and passion to be able to get them to as near a professional level as possible.

Train2Game blog: Thanks Craig.

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

UK Charts: Dead Space 2 takes top spot

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Dead Space 2 Train2Game blog image

Dead Space 2 has entered the UKIE GFK Chart-Track All Formats chart at Number 1, becoming the second sequel to take top spot in as many weeks.

The dethroning of LittleBigPlanet 2 means there’s been a different Number One for every week in 2011 so far.  It mark also marks a much more successful debut week for Dead Space 2, with a 70% increase in launch sales compared to the original games launch week in 2008.

Last weeks No. 1 LittleBigPlanet 2 drops to second place while former chart topper FIFA 11 rises one spot to No. 3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood also moves up one to No.4 as Call of Duty: Black Ops drops down to No. 5.  It’s been two weeks since Activision’s highly successful shooter last took top spot.

Just Dance 2 still remains in the top ten despite falling three places to No. 6 with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit spending week 4 one place behind it after moving up three places from No. 10.

Wii Fit plus drops to No. 8 while Art Academy and Just Dance both re-enter the topt en.

Mass Effect 2 and Gran Turismo 5 both leave the UKIE GFK Chart-Track All Formats topten, dropping to No. 11 and No. 14 respectively.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats top ten for the week ending January 29th 2011 is as follows:

1. Dead Space 2 (EA)
2. LittleBigPlanet 2 (Sony)
3. FIFA 11 (EA)
4. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
6. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
7. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
8. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
9. Art Academy (Nintendo)
10. Just Dance (Ubisoft)

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on this weeks’ UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats chart? Is it well deserved by Dead Space 2? With no major releases in the coming week, will Dead Space 2 hold on? And has the momentum of Call of Duty: Black Ops finally slowed down?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. You can also let us know what you think on Twitter.

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2010 UKIE Ltd

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

A reminder about the 1st ever Train2Game Game Jam

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Earlier this week we revealed the first ever Train2Game Game Jam, and you can see the details below.

Train2Game, in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire and DR Studios, is hosting a 48 hour Game Jam. Bringing both students and non-students together for a weekend for a common goal – to make a great game.

The Train2Game Game Jam will take place from the evening of Friday 25th through to Sunday 27th March.

If you like a challenge, and want to come together with other talented individuals this could be a perfect opportunity to push your skills and challenge your way of working. Participants will work concurrently along with industry professionals around a central theme, and you will have 48 hours to create a game.

If all goes well we will see some experimental prototypes that teams can continue to work on after the Jam. Many games developed in jams have become fully published games.

The Jam is Open Source, hardware and software agnostic and all projects are protected under a Creative Commons License. We encourage people to try out new ideas and push themselves within reason, everyone needs to eat and sleep and stay at their best!

More details about the Train2Game Game Jam are below and you can keep up to date with it on the Game Jam event page on Facebook.

Dates: 6pm Friday 25th March 2011 to 6pm Sunday 27th March 2011 (48 Hours)
Location: University of Bedfordshire

Format: Teams of 2 to 6 members
Participants: Existing Train2Game students (limited number), Non Train2Game students
Existing members of the games development industry are excluded from this event.
Age Limit: 17+

Cost: Free for existing Train2Game students
£35 per person for non Train2Game students
Provided: Bag, t-shirt plus extras (TBC) for every participant

There’s even more information available about the Train2Game Game Jam on the Train2Game forum.

We’ve had an excellent response so far with people already saying they’ll attend the event even though it is still two months away! You can check out the Facebook event page here.

Be sure to keep reading the Train2Game blog for more information about the Train2Game Game Jam as it appears!

 

Enslaved could become franchise suggests Namco

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Last years Enslaved: Odyssey to the West was a game that we at the Train2Game blog followed rather closely, but when it was released it was met with rather disappointing sales despite a lot of marketing.

However, speaking to MCV Online, Namco Bandai has revealed that the poor sales haven’t killed off the franchise.

“It didn’t perform as well as we hoped it would, but we’re very proud of how it was received by both the media and the gamers who have experienced it,” said Namco Bandai Marketing Director Lee Kirton.

“I can’t discuss where we are in terms of a sequel, but we’re looking at reviews and feedback from the press and because of the gameplay and quality that Enslaved delivered, we see it as a great catalogue title going forward.”

Namco Bandai also told MCV that they want to become a top five publisher.

“That’s the ultimate goal. We can’t go into too much detail about new titles and new business but we are working to a three-to-five year plan. We’re working closely with developers, discussing exciting new projects.”

Train2Game was at the Eurogamer expo last year and I personally was lucky enough to get a lot of hands on time with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and you can read all about here.

There’s also a report of the Enslaved Developer Session with Ninja Theory’s Tameem Antoniades a highly interesting read too. It contains information that will be of interest to Game Designers, Game Developers and Game Artists!

You can also check out the thoughts of Train2Game Blog for more information.

So Train2Game, did you play Enslaved: Odyssey to the West? If so, do you think it needs a sequel? Were you planning on buying it before other bigger titles got in the way? Do you think you’ll look into it soon?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum. You can also let us know what you think on Twitter.

[Source: MCV Online]

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

Sony: casual gaming “a growing market that we simply cannot neglect”

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Sony PSP2 Train2Game blog image

Train2Game students will probably know it as the worst kept secret in gaming, but today the PS2P was finally officially revealed. You’ll be able to read all about it on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog shortly.

Not only are Sony confident the PSP2 (codename: NPG) will attract hardcore gamers, but they’re also planning to corner the casual market through Android enabled smartphones. This will happen through the newly revealed ‘PlayStation Suite’ which will allow Sony games to be played on Android devices.

Writing on the PlayStation Blog,  President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Andrew House said the opportunity was too hard to ignore:

“Casual gaming on multi-purpose mobile devices is a growing market that we simply cannot neglect. With that in mind, PS Suite is a new initiative to offer PlayStation quality games on Android based portable devices, be it mobile phones, smartphones or tablet PCs. By offering a fantastic selection of legacy PlayStation games (PS one classics), alongside content made specifically for PS Suite, we believe that we will be offering the PlayStation experience to a wider base of users.”

“Via a program, called PlayStation Certified license program, we will work with hardware manufacturers to provide devices that optimize the gaming experience. We want to give consumers the freedom to choose between various devices when they wish to enjoy a certain piece of PlayStation content.”

“We also realise that PlayStation content should be provided through a secure and unique means, that is both reliable and user friendly. Therefore we also plan to open PlayStation Store to download content on the Android based portable devices. This is a significant move for us and one that we firmly believe will make PlayStation content more accessible than ever before.”

Sony’s move towards the casual market may not come as a surprise to regular Train2Game blog readers, with a recent report stating that social media and casual games are booming.

While earlier this month Capcom suggested that smartphones are drawing people away from handheld consoles. Could developing games for Android phones therefore be a good move for Sony?

Last month Android revealed that their latest operating system – Gingerbread – is optimised for Game Development.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Sony move towards the casual market? If you’re an Android phone user, would you use it to play Sony games?  And do you think gaming giants like Sony moving towards casual games is a positive thing when it comes to finding work in the games industry?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Remember, you can follow Train2Game on Twitter here.

Train2Game blog student interview special: Artist Fiona Stewart pre-Scottish Game Jam

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This weekend, Train2Game Art & Animation student Fiona Stewart (AKA FeeTheGiraffe on the Train2Game Forum) will be joining a team of experienced game developers at the Scottish Game Jam. Before Fiona left for Scotland, the Train2Game blog caught up with her to see how she was feeling before the big event.

Train2Game blog: Hi Fiona, first of all can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: I’ve been a Train2Game Art & Animation student since May 2010. I originally trained as a graphic artist and worked for a publishing company. I then went on to study Fine Art at a private studio which then lead to Bradford Art College to study Painting and Printing at B.A. level.

Since then I’ve been on the fringes of the games industry for the last four years as a texture artist having transferred my painting skills to digital. I also help other (non digital) Fine artists and catalogue their work for them. I joined the Train2Game Art & Animation course to learn 3D modelling, animation and how to make video games

Train2Game blog: How and why did you get involved with this weekends Scottish Game Jam?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: I was asked by Dave Sharp if I would be interested in joining his team as their 2D artist was not available for the Scottish Game Jam.  Already knowing some of the other team members, I felt I could slot in fairly easily. I had followed the team during last years Bangkok Game Jam, so I’m semi aware of what it involves. After seeing what they produced within the 48 hour period, I felt I wanted to experience it and hopefully gain some knowledge as well.

Train2Game blog: Are you confident the skills you’ve learned so far with Train2Game will help you?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Having already learnt Photoshop as a digital artist prior to joining Train2Game, I believe half of my battle is already won. The Train2Game course has however provided me with the skills to know how a game gets put together rather then just knowing how to draw pretty pictures. So, I now feel confident enough in my abilities to be able to be of some use to the team while at the Scottish Game Jam.

I do feel confident enough to know how a game should look and how to produce the artwork to for use in one… the rest is up to the programmers.

Train2Game blog: How are you preparing for the event?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Well, at the Scottish Game Jam nothing is provided so we have to take everything we might possibly need. For me that is my drawing tablet, camera (for taking photo textures or ref material if I need to), a card reader to read the photos, a Media drive that contains Photoshop, a bulk of photos I have already taken, my stash of fonts and brushes for Photoshop, my Wow-Pen and trackball (for when my hand starts to hurt so I can swap over), a laptop, a pillow and plenty of money for coffee!

Train2Game blog: What do you think you’ll learn in a high pressure environment at the Scottish Game Jam?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: Oh, tonnes. You’re being thrown in at the deep end. You have limited time to get it all right and with the promise of execution if we lose (thanks Dave) You have to work making sure you don’t make a mistake or you’ll hold the other team members up. Communication and teamwork has to work or it will all fall down.

Train2Game blog: How much are you looking forward to taking part in it?

Train2Game Artist Fiona: I’m looking forward to it a lot. I’m excited and nervous but I’m sure my experienced team mates will guide me though.  I hope I do OK!

Train2Game blog: Thanks Fiona, and good luck!

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.