Category Archives: games

Nintendo CEO sees ‘rocket start’ for 3DS

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The Nintendo President predicts the 3DS will have a ‘rocket start’ in the USA , boosted by high definition graphics and the games available for the handheld.

“There will be not only our own software, but also third- party titles, which have the photo-realism that will satisfy Western gamers,” said Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata “We expect the 3DS to get off to a rocket start, like the Wii’s debut.”

The latest handheld from Nintendo had its release date and price revealed during a press event in Amsterdam yesterday.  The 3DS is set for release on March 25th here in the UK with retailers setting prices around £220 to £230. Meanwhile the US will have to wait two days longer for the 3DS to be released on March 27th, and will be able to get it for $249.

When currency conversion is taken into account that means a Nintendo 3DS is £60 more expensive in the UK than it is across the Atlantic, a fact that has frustrated some Train2Game students.

For more news from yesterday’s Nintendo 3DS press event, see the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

There is a huge desire for the 3DS, as evident on the Train2Game forum, and it’s reported to be the most demanded electronic device right now and analysts predict it’ll provide the game industry with a boom.

The 3DS launch should be a major catalyst for the game industry,” said Tony Wible, an analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC.  “Polls have shown more pent-up demand for the product than any other consumer electronics device in the market.”

Meanwhile Michael Pachter says the 3DS will sell more than its rival the PSP2:

“I think that the 3DS will outsell the PSP2, because the 3DS is new and different, while the PSP2 is likely going to be a souped up version of the old PSP.  Thus, I think that 3DS will have greater success in capturing the consumer’s imagination.”

The 3DS may also receive some competition from mobile games on devices such as the iPhone, which the Train2Game blog recently reported have seen a massive increase user base in recent times.

Nintendo say they will ship over 4 million units of the device in its first month to prevent a shortage of stock, while it’s predicted the 3DS will bring Nintendo extra $1.8 billion dollars a year.

The Nintendo 3DS is set for release in the UK on March 25th 2011.

So Train2Game, do you agree with the Nintendo President that the 3DS will have a ‘rocket’ start? What are your thoughts on the pricing? And will you get one come March 25th?

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

[Source: Bloomberg]

Starcraft II modder offered job by development studio

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World of Starcraft Train2Game blog image

Regular readers of the Train2Game blog will know all about how modding and community development can provide a leg up into a job in the games industry.

Now another budding game developer has been offered a job thanks to their modding work. A Starcraft II modder known only as ‘Ryan’ has been courted by League of Legends developers Riot Games after seeing a mod he’s working on called ‘World of Starcraft’

Yes, it’s an MMO based on the RTS Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty being built using the games Galaxy Editor.  Videos of World of Starcraft were removed from Youtube following coverage on a number of websites, at the request of ‘Activision Games Inc’ As of yet, the mod and its forums have yet to be affected by any order from Activision Blizzard.

However, Blizzard isn’t the only game development studio that have noticed Ryan’s work with modding. Riot Games Director Games Design Director – and former World of Warcraft designer – Tom Cadwell has contacted Ryan about the possibility of a job offer.

“When I see a modder with a lot of drive that has done something cool, I tend to contact them. I shot him an email recently asking if he was interested in exploring an opportunity here” he wrote on the Riot Games forum.

He also left his thoughts on the Blizzard situation:

“I don’t know because I’m not a Blizzard employee, but I seriously doubt this is anything other than the fact he named the mod World of StarCraft, which has an air of legitimacy that borderline infringes on Blizzar”.

“Blizzard is very supportive of their modders, but also vigorously depends certain aspects of their IP (as they should and must).”

Speaking to Pixelated Geek, Ryan said of the opportunity:

“I would be a complete idiot not to… I’ve waited my whole life for something like this.”

The Train2Game blog will be sure to yet you know the outcome of this tale! It looks like it could be another example of how modding and community design can help give aspiring developers a leg up into the industry, especially when it comes to working with PC games.

Only recently the Train2Game blog examined the Team Fortress 2 community developers who are now have an income from their creations!

The lesson for Train2Game students? Try your hand at modding, who knows where it may lead!

What are your thoughts on Ryan’s situation? Are you encouraged by the fact Riot Games are actively looking to recruit modders? And what are your thoughts on the whole World of Starcraft idea and the issues around it?

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

[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]

Peter Molyneux to receive Lifetime Achievement Award

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Peter Molyneux Train2Game Blog Image

Legendary  game designer Peter Molyneux – who no doubt has many fans on the Train2Game forum – is set to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards.

It’s probably an award Train2Game students dream about receiving in their future!

The Creative Director of Microsoft Game Studios Europe has produced many innovative and popular games during a career that spans over 20 years, and it’s likely that Train2Game students are very familiar with a lot of them!

The Guildford man first broke into the gaming mainstream with Bullfrog Productions, arguably becoming the father of the ‘God Game’ genre when the studio released Populous for the PC in 1989. Some Train2Game students are probably old enough to remember it!

Other classic games produced by Molyneux’s Bullfrog studio include Theme Park and Dungeon Keeper.  He left Bullfrog to found Lionhead Studios in 1997 and as Train2Game students will know, the studio is still operating today, but now under the Microsoft banner.

Molyneux continued to produce innovative games and further developed the God Genre through the Black and White series of games, the first of which was released in 2001. More recently he’s produced the Fable series of games, the latest of which – Fable III – topped the UK Chart when it was released for the Xbox 360 late last year.

You can see a more in depth look at Fable III by reading this Thoughts of Train2Game blog by Gabe.

Molyneux’s success in the games industry is therefore going to be acknowledged with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the GDC Awards.

“Peter is a remarkable asset to the games industry, and truly embodies everything that the Lifetime Achievement Award represents,” said Meggan Scavio, event director of GDC.

“We’re proud to honour someone who has had such a profound impact on the industry, through his boundless enthusiasm and profound talent in creating games about choice and interactivity that the entire world loves to play.”

The 11th annual Game Developers Choice Awards will take place in San Francisco on March 2nd, and will be hosted by industry-favourite Tim Schafer.

So Train2Game, what are your favourite Peter Molyneux games? Do you think he deserves the award after his many years in the games industry?

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

David Braben’s tiny PC could revive the age of bedroom coding

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Every Train2Game student is bound to be interested in this! A Tiny PC that costs a maximum of £15 has been revealed, and its creators hope the ultra portable computer – with the width of just a 20p coin – can encourage a new generation of game developers.

The Raspberry Pi has been called the spiritual successor to the BBC Micro of the 1980s, the computer that took many bedroom coders to high profile figures in the UK video games industry. Some Train2Game students probably grew up with them too!

The project was announced by Chairman of Frontier Developments David Braben  at the Learning Without Frontiers event (Which Train2Game Course Director Tony Bickley also attended ) and he has spoken to GamesIndustry.biz about it.   He hopes the Raspberry Pi it’ll encourage children to learn more about how computers actually work, and potentially turn them into the game developers of the future:

“A group of us formed a charity here in Cambridge called Raspberry Pi, with a view to creating the spiritual successor of the BBC Micro, to provide a way to motivate people to realise that computer science, maths, STEM subjects actually are not deathly dull – because that is the message a lot of kids seem to have picked up,” said Braben.

He also explained to GamesIndustry.biz what exactly the Raspberry Pi is:

“We’ve come up with a design and made early prototypes of a machine which is really, really small and allows people who don’t have access to a PC at home – which is true of a lot of kids – but do have a TV to have a device where they can browse the web, do email, YouTube, watch video very easily and cheaply.”

The result is a tiny self contained computer which can be directly plugged into the HDMI port and outputs an image of 1080p.  Each Raspberry Pi will also apparently be encased in material that will make it “indestructible”

Braben also told GamesIndustry.biz that the Raspberry Pi will be able to support various types of programming language:

“It can have some very simple scripting language programming – which might even be something like BASIC – so even though it doesn’t satisfy the gamut of all the objective oriented learning and so on, that’s very easy to pick up once you’ve got the general principals of how a computer works, what it does, how it does it”.

And the man behind the classic Elite hopes the Raspberry Pi will provide opportunities for a new generation of bedroom developers.

“It’s really trying to redress the balance a bit so kids coming up now do have at least a chance, and hopefully it’ll be someone like me ranting on in 20, 30 years about how that was a great opportunity for them. You never know!”

This newly announced device is sure to be of much interest to Train2Game students, especially those on the Game Development course.  The projects main aim is to make learning skills that are vital to the games industry both simpler and more enjoyable for kids. Of course, the Train2Game courses also allow adults to do this too, but the Raspberry Pi is sure to be good for the future of the games industry.

The announcement comes after Braben strongly criticised the teaching of ICT in the UK, and before the upcoming Livingstone-Hope review says there’s a growing skills gap in the UK game development industry. The Train2Game blog will be covering the launch of the report.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on David Braben’s Raspberry Pi? Do you think it will be helpful for the games industry? Would you spend £15 on one and do your own bedroom coding?

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

[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]

iPhone game Angry Birds merchandise heading to High Street

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Angry Birds Train2Game blog image

In recent weeks the Train2Game blog has been reporting on the rise of social media and casual games, and all evidence does point to the genre becoming more and more successful in future.

When it comes to the realm of Facebook, Cityville is currently the most popular standalone game with over 100 million users playing in the less than two months since it was released. However, when it comes to casual games for mobile phones Angry Birds is King.

Angry Birds is the most popular game on the iPhone, with over 50 million downloads and is an almost permanent fixture in the top paid software chart in the Apple App store. Now this success looks like it could lead to even more revenue for developers Rovio, with Angry Birds merchandise now seemingly set to invade the High Street. It’s something that Train2Game students may dream of seeing happen with their own games!

Speaking to MCV, Rovio spokesperson Ville Heijari said:

“We have licensing agents in North America and Europe going through various opportunities. We want to address fans of all ages with fun and inspiring Angry Birds merchandise – solid products that will contribute to building a strong brand.”

“The full console games will be available later in 2011. We’re looking at digital distribution as our main channel at the moment, but have not ruled out boxed games.”

Yes, you read that correctly Train2Game blog reader, later this year it may be entirely possible to walk into a High Street retailer and buy a game that first appeared on the iPhone.

Cuddly toys and mobile phone covers are already available, while Rovio say stationary, board games and clothing are also on the way.

Game PR boss Neil Ashurst says Angry Birds “will become like Harry Potter in terms of the enthusiasm around it.”

There is certainly a lot of enthusiasm around the casual mobile game, with the New York Post reporting that a TV series could be on the way! Would any Train2Game students like to see games they create made into a broadcast series?

Whatever happens with Angry Birds in future, it’s already clear that mobile gaming could be a very lucrative market for a Train2Game student development team.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the ever rising success of Angry Birds? Have you played it? Is it worth the hype? And would you like to see games you develop end up with merchandise including pencil cases and board games!?

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

[Souce: MCV Online]

Train2Game Christmas competition 2010 – The result

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The result is in!  After a very closely fought Christmas competition we finally have the winner, and it was very very close.  By a winning margin of just half a point, the victors are …. <drum roll> … Horizon Studios!

Congratulations to Marty and the rest of the gang at Horizon studios.  Everyone involved with the judging was impressed with the amount of work covered by the team in just 10 days and the game they developed was fun and was close to the competition brief.

Who did they pip by just half a point?   Rampage Designs!  Well done to Aaron and his crew, it was very tight between them and Horizon Studios.

“Firstly I just want to thank everyone who took part for their efforts.” said Dave Sharp of Train2Game.

“Mete, Rory and I enjoyed playing the games and overall the standard was very high.   We’re looking forward to working on the game now and bringing it to life on the iPad.  Everyone that submitted a game should be proud of their efforts, there were some good game ideas.  I hope the teams to can continue to develop the games they have started and take them forward.”

You can discuss the Train2Game Christmas competition result here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

Playfish social games played by 55 million people a month (and other fun facts for Train2Game blog readers)

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Playfish Madden Superstars Train2Game Blog Image

Casual game developer Playfish has released some figures that Train2Game students may find interesting.  The EA casual firm now has 55 million users a month, a very impressive number given that the studio was founded in just November 2007.

Playfish has revealed a lot of other statistics that could very much encourage a Train2Game student to take a look at producing casual Facebook games in future. They certainly quite fascinating, especially with the fun facts and images included by Playfish.

  • 55 million people play Playfish games every month.
  • More than 340 million Playfish games have been installed and played worldwide.
  • More than 90 million items are virtually transacted daily in Playfish games
  • There are nearly 57 million restaurants in the game Restaurant City
  • Over 2.2 million American football teams have been created in Madden NFL Superstars
  • Almost 80 million people own virtual pets in Pet Society.
  • 1.7 billion apples have been purchased and fed to virtual pets since July 2008
  • 187 million pairs of shoes have been bought in Pet Society.
  • 10.9 million people have built their own ancient Roman city in My Empire.
  • 10.6 million football clubs have been created using FIFA Superstars
  • And nearly 25 million people own hotels in Hotel City.

The numbers are very impressive indeed, but pale slightly next to the Facebook giant that is Zynga. As reported on the Train2Game blog last week, their latest social game Cityville now has over 100 million users playing.

That news came just a day after a report stated that one fifth of consumers are now playing casual games online. And with an increasing amount of users purchasing in-game items, there is an increasing incentive for Train2Game students to look into producing social games in future.

For more information about in-game purchases, be sure to check out the Train2Game interview with industry consultant Nicholas Lovell.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the success of Playfish? Have you played any of their casual games? If so, what do you think?

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

[Souce: Playfish via MCV Online]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 trailer

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This morning we revealed on the Train2Game blog that Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XIII-2 with a brief teaser trailer at an event in Japan.

Now both the trailer and the official press release have appeared online.  According to Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIII-2 be better than the original:

“FINAL FANTASY XIII-2” is currently in production with an aim for producing high quality game content which exceeds “FINAL FANTASY XIII” in every aspect; namely, a brand-new story which stems from the previous title as well as a battle system which has evolved further since “XIII” – and more. We will be disclosing further details about the new game in the future.”

Anyway, enough with the text. Train2Game blog readers can see the Final Fantasy XIII-2 trailer below. Oh, it’s in Japanese by the way…

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is scheduled for release “next winter” for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Square Enix will be hoping it can go some way to matching the success of Final Fantasy XIII which has shipped 6 million units worldwide since its release in March 2010.

Square Enix has also launched a European Final Fantasy XII-2 website which Train2Game blog readers can check out for soon  more information.

You can also see trailers for Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Final Fantasy Type-0 here on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Final Fantasy XIII-2 trailer? Does it convince you that Square Enix are doing the right thing? Will it be as successful as Final Fantasy XIII?

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

[Source: CVG]

Final Fantasy XIII-2 announced

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Final Fantasy XIII-2 Train2Game blog image

Here’s something that Train2Game students may not have expected; Square Enix has revealed that Final Fantasy XIII-2 is in development.

The announcement was made during Square Enix’s 1st Production Department Premier event in Japan by Director of Final Fantasy XIII – and the new sequel – Motomu Toriyama. A short trailer showed protagonist Lightning battling with an unknown character with purple hair. It’ll be available online in a few days.

The announcement marks Square Enix’s second attempt at developing a direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game.  The only previous direct follow up to any game in the series long running history was Final Fantasy X-2 in 2003.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is scheduled for release in Japan before the end of this year and will reach Europe “next winter”

If any Train2Game students can read Japanese, they can check out the official Square Enix website for Final Fantasy XIII-2 here. The rest of us may have to wait a little longer for more information.

During the same press conference, Square Enix also announced upcoming Final Fantasy Agito XIII for the PSP has been renamed ‘Final Fantasy Type-0’. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy Versus XIII still looks like it’ll be a PlayStation 3 exclusive.

Update: the first screenshot has also arrived, which you can see courtesy of Famitsu below.

Train2Game blog Final Fantasy XII-2 screenshot

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the newly announced Final Fantasy XIII-2? Did you enjoy the original? If so are you excited about Final Fantasy XIII-2? Or did you feel let down by Final Fantasy XIII last year?

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

[Source: CVG]

Update: the first screenshot has also arrived, which you can see courtesey of Famitsu below.

Train2Game blog student interview #2: Game Developer Stuart Wragg

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There are over 2000 students currently on Train2Game courses, and with so many out there we decided it’d be a great idea to chat to them. Oursecond mini interview is with Train2Game Development student Kevin Wragg (AKA Nova on the Train2Game Forum)

Hi Kevin, Why did you choose to study with Train2Game?

Train2Game student Kevin: The main reason I decided to take up a course withTrain2Game, was due to fact I was unable to do the same course at collage or university because of financial commitments.  Train2Game allowed me to study while I was still working and was therefore the only course that ticked all the boxes.

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

Train2Game student Kevin: From a very young age I have always loved video games, but developing them never really struck me as a career path. It was only when I started running an online game for me and some friends, writing NPC scripts, adding new items and interfaces, that that I realised I loved it and wanted to learn more. So it was a little surprise when one day at work during my lunch break, I opened the paper to find an article on the games industry with a link to the Train2Game website. I promptly ripped the article from the paper, the rest as they say, is history!

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

Train2Game student Kevin: Before I got interested in game development my life lacked any direction. When I left school I had no idea what I wanted to do, and ended up building boilers in a factory, which I’m still doing to this day. Before Train2Game I was a very ambitious person with no ambitions, now I feel like I have a direction in life.

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

Train2Game student Kevin: Due to the nature of my job I often find myself tired after work, so most of the work I do for the course is at the weekends.  Its one aspect of this course that enables the course to fit around me rather than the other way around.  Another bonus is that during holidays I can put more work into it while I have the free time.

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

Train2Game student Kevin: It was great to meet Dave Sharp from Train2Game and the other students at the Newcastle meet, and I find the Train2Game forum a great place to meet like minded people all working towards the same goal.  I think the best is yet to come, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed what I have learnt so far and I’m eager to get stuck into the rest of the course.

Kevin is on the Train2Game Game Development course