Category Archives: job

Train2Game News Altara Games loan figures

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Altara Games today has released figures on its loans against video games tax relief to date. In just under 6 months, the company has provided loans to the value of over £1.5m.

These loans have varied in size from £70k to over £500k, and have been provided a broad range of studios and games across the UK.

Ella Romanos said “We started this company to provide what we believed was crucial support for UK studios to help them grow and develop new titles, and to enable them to use the tax relief to their advantage as much as possible. I am thrilled that we have been able to work with such a diverse group of studios, from small teams to larger established studios. I believe our approach of fast turnaround and genuinely understanding the realities of game development has helped us to ensure our loans are suited to industry needs.”

Altara Games provides loans from any point during development, even before development has begun as long as the company has their ‘interim certificate’ confirming that their game is eligible for relief. Loans are provided within weeks, and are only repaid once the tax relief is received.

To find out more, visit www.altaragames.com

Train2Game News Life is Strange against Bullying

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To celebrate everyday heroes standing up against bullying, LIFE IS STRANGE™ publisher, Square Enix®, has partnered with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center (NBPC) for a special community donation challenge.

The team behind LIFE IS STRANGE and PACER encourage their communities to use the hashtag #EverydayHeroes  to share their stories about overcoming adversity, standing up for what’s right, helping a friend in need, and more. For every post using the hashtag #EverydayHeroes from January 13 to January 19th, Square Enix will make a donation to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. To highlight the heroes all around us, these stories will also be featured online at everydayheroes.lifeisstrange.com.

To introduce this partnership, Square Enix has created a video, voiced by Ashly Burch (award-winning voice actress behind Chloe in LIFE IS STRANGE). That video can be viewed on YouTube [here].

For more information about the promotion, visit: everydayheroes.lifeisstrange.com or about PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, visit: PACER.org/bullying

The award-winning episodic series developed by DONTNOD, LIFE IS STRANGE follows the story of Max Caulfield, a photography senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price. The pair soon finds themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, uncovering a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. Meanwhile, Max must quickly learn that changing the past can sometimes lead to a devastating future.

The LIFE IS STRANGE: Limited Edition complete season box will launch January 19th for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Train2Game News Emotional Game Jam

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Emotional Game Jam: Registration is open !

Organised as part of the Emotional Games Awards, the first Emotional Game Jam will take place from February 10 to 12, 2016. Registration is now open.

What is an Emotional Game Jam?
It’s an event where participants try to make a videogame in a limited time.

The Emotional Game Jam will last 40 hours from Wednesday, February 10 at 7 pm CET (GMT+1)  to Friday, February 12 at 11 am CET (GMT+1)

The main theme of the emotional Game Jam will be unveiled early in the Game Jam, and several secondary themes will be distributed on the website and on the EmotionalGameAwards/tv during the competition.

A game jam all over the world

The Emotional Game Jam is open to all participants, whether they are students, professionals or non-professionals in France or in the entire world. Some teams are grouped on the site of the UCO L3Di University Laval, but teams that can not integrate this site can participate online to the Game Jam anywhere in the world.
Teams from Japan, USA, UK and Sweden are already pre registred.
The game jam will be live streamed.

The best games will be rewarded by the Emotional Games Awards Jury and will receive prizes from our partners. Participants in the game jam on the  L3di site are invited to the ceremony of the Emotional Games Awards and to the party.

Teams wishing to participate should be up to 4 people. Registration is on the website http://www.emotionalgamesawards.com/egj.html
Registration is free.

Train2Game News MU Origin Android Beta

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WEBZEN, a global developer and publisher of free-to-play games, announced today that the first Closed Beta for its mobile MMORPG MU: Origin will start on Google Play on the Android mobile platform on the 25th of January.

MU: Origin is an upcoming mobile MMORPG, successfully transferred Full 3D PC MMORPG MU ONLINE’s enormous amount of contents and applied the latest mobile game trends: the game system and user interface which are optimized to mobile devices, and the splendid graphics. MU: Origin allows players to experience a full 3D PC quality real-time MMORPG on their mobile device.

MU: Origin is a mobile game developed through WEBZEN’s IP franchising business – WEBZEN grants the franchisee the right to use a developed concept, including graphics, trademarks, character and even publishing technologies to create a new game. Along with MU: Origin’s IP franchising alliance, a Chinese partner company launched the game in Chinese market, and WEBZEN lead to its game service in Korea as well as giving them its guidance and support for the entire game development phase.

While mobile game markets have grown rapidly, this business model started from the idea that it would be able to lead even more global gamers to a mobile game by taking advantage of high brand awareness of PC online game MU ONLINE. In fact, the strong performance of IP Franchising was primarily due to mobile game MU: Origin based on the well-known PC online game MU ONLINE.

Since MU: Origin officially launched in Korea, April 2015, the game was ranked on the top 1 game of Korean top-grossing charts in both Google Play and App Store. Furthermore, MU: Origin was ranked on the top 1 game of App Store’s top-grossing charts in China, and the game was ranked in the top 5 games of Google Play’s worldwide top-grossing charts in May 2015.

MU: Origin still has a significant number of registered players, with more than 120 million accounts in China, and 20 million downloads on Google Play Store only in Korea. Amongst many mobile games in the markets, the game has been in the top-tier position in both two countries.

Additionally, WEBZEN has already secured an influential channel ‘WEBZEN.com’ to bring its games to the global market with 60 million players from all over the world. To promote the game in the West, the WEBZEN team is planning to organize cross-promotions with other PC games on it’s the global game portal ‘WEBZEN.com’.

From 12th January through to 31st January, 2016 (PST), any Android phone or tablet user who can access to Google Play and a compatible device in Europe, North and South America can sign-up for early access to try the game during Closed Beta phase on the official MU: Origin website at: http://muorigin.webzen.com/

Just a few thousand players will be selected to take part in the first round of closed beta testing, and participants who receive an invitation letter by e-mail will be able to download the game fully localized into English for free. The Closed Beta will be running from 25th January until 31st January, 2016 (PST).

Full release of the game is currently scheduled for spring 2016, as well as expansion into other platforms including iOS.

Interested players are invited to check out the game’s official forums found at http://forum.webzen.com/forum/en/mu-origin-english more information, and MU: Origin’s news and updates will be available on its official Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MUOriginWEBZEN/

Train2Game News Game Developers Choice Awards

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Organizers have revealed the nominees for the 16th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the leading peer-based video game event celebrating the industry’s top games and developers. The host for the ceremony will be veteran developer Robin Hunicke, co-founder of Funomena.

Winners in all categories will be honored at the Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony, taking place on Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 at 6:30pm at the San Francisco Moscone Center during the 2016 Game Developers Conference alongside the Independent Games Festival Awards. The ceremonies will be livestreamed on Twitch at the following link: http://www.twitch.tv/gdca.

Among the esteemed nominees, two games have earned the most nominations in four categories each. The open-world entry in Kojima Productions’ legendary action stealth franchise, Metal Gear Solid V, has earned nominations for Best Audio, Best Design, Best Technology and Game of the Year. CD Projekt RED’s vast open-world action role-playing game, The Witcher 3, received nods for Best Visual Art, Best Narrative, Best Technology and Game of the Year.

A diverse selection of additional titles received multiple nominations for the Game Developers Choice Awards, including six titles which each earned three nominations apiece. DICE earned three nominations for its action shooter  set in the beloved Star Wars universe, Star Wars Battlefront, including nods for Best Audio, Best Technology and Best Visual Art. FromSoftware’s dark and rewardingly punishing action RPG, Bloodborne, is the nominee for Best Design, Best Visual Art and Game of the Year. Bethesda Game Studios’ ambitious and massive RPG world of Fallout 4 received nominations for Best Design, Best Technology and Game of the Year. Nintendo’s breakout color-filled third-person shooter, Splatoon, nabbed nominations for Best Design, Innovation Award and Best Visual Art.

A pair of acclaimed independent games also received multiple nominations for their novel approach to game design. Her Story by Sam Barlow received accolades for the game’s unique true crime detective story and earned nominations for Best Handheld/Mobile, Innovation Award and Best Narrative. Undertale, the subversive and clever RPG that puts the fate of nearly every NPC in the player’s hands, earned nominations for Innovation Award, Best Narrative and Best Debut for developer Toby Fox.

Any video game that was released and made publicly available to customers during the 2015 calendar year, irrespective of platform or delivery medium, is eligible for nomination for the 2016 Game Developers Choice Awards. Both nominees and winners are selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is an invitation-only organization, comprised of leading game creators from all parts of the industry.

The host for the 2016 Game Developers Choice Awards, Robin Hunicke, has established a career designing, making and teaching about games for more than 12 years. Hunicke has contributed to an eclectic mix of critically acclaimed titles, including Journey, Boom Blox, MySims, The Sims 2 and several others. Recognized as an influential Woman in Games, Hunicke is an outspoken evangelist for diversity of thought and participation in game design and game culture. She co-organizes the annual Experimental Gameplay Workshop at GDC, and is also a Professor of Art, Games & Playable Media at UC Santa Cruz. A game designer and producer by training, she has a background in computer science, fine art and applied game studies. She currently serves as the co-founder of the independent San Francisco game studio Funomena, where she is working on Luna and Wattam.

The complete list of nominees, including honorable mentions, for the 16th annual Game Developers Choice Awards is as follows:

Game of the Year
Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)
Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Rocket League (Psyonix)

Honorable Mentions: Her Story (Sam Barlow), Super Mario Maker (Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 / Nintendo), Undertale (Toby Fox), Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo), Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix)

Innovation Award
Her Story (Sam Barlow)
Super Mario Maker (Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 / Nintendo)
Undertale (Toby Fox)
Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo)
The Beginner’s Guide (Everything Unlimited Ltd.)

Honorable Mentions: Rocket League (Psyonix), Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes (Steel Crate Games) Cibele (Star Maid Games), Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix), Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)

Best Debut
Studio Wildcard (ARK: Survival Evolved)
Toby Fox (Undertale)
Moon Studios (Ori and the Blind Forest)
Moppin (Downwell)
Steel Crate Games (Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes)

Honorable Mentions: Asteroid Base (Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime), Question (The Magic Circle)  Thomas Happ (Axiom Verge), Dinosaur Polo Club (Mini Metro), MidBoss (Read Only Memories)

Best Design
Rocket League (Psyonix)
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)
Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios/ Bethesda Softworks)
Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo)

Honorable Mentions: Her Story (Sam Barlow), Super Mario Maker (Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 / Nintendo), Undertale (Toby Fox), The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt), Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios / Microsoft Studios)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game
Lara Croft: GO (Square Enix Montréal / Square Enix)
Fallout Shelter (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Downwell (Moppin / Devolver Digital)
Her Story (Sam Barlow)
AlphaBear (Spry Fox)

Honorable Mentions: Prune (Joel McDonald), The Room Three (Fireproof Games), Subterfuge (Ron Carmel and Noel Llopis), Pac-Man 256 (Hipster Whale and 3 Sprockets / BANDAI NAMCO), Sage Solitaire (Zach Gage), SteamWorld Heist (Image and Form), You Must Build a Boat (EightyEight Games)

Best Visual Art
Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios / Microsoft Studios)
The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Star Wars Battlefront (DICE / Electronic Arts)
Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo)

Honorable Mentions: Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami), Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics / Square Enix), Batman: Arkham Knight (Rocksteady Studios / Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), The Order: 1886 (Ready at Dawn / Sony Computer Entertainment), Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (The Chinese Room / Sony Computer Entertainment), Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

Best Narrative
Her Story (Sam Barlow)
The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix)
Undertale (Toby Fox)
The Beginner’s Guide (Everything Unlimited Ltd.)

Honorable Mentions: Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (The Chinese Room / Sony Computer Entertainment), Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks), Until Dawn (Supermassive Games / Sony Computer Entertainment), Cibele (Star Maid Games), Soma (Frictional Games)

Best Audio
Star Wars Battlefront (DICE / Electronic Arts)
Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios / Microsoft Studios)
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (The Chinese Room / Sony Computer Entertainment)
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)
Crypt of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games)

Honorable Mentions: Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks), The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt), Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix), SOMA (Frictional Games), Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment), Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo)

Best Technology
Metal Gear Solid V (Kojima Productions / Konami)
The Witcher 3 (CD Projekt RED / CD Projekt)
Star Wars Battlefront (DICE / Electronic Arts)
Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Just Cause 3 (Avalanche Studios / Square Enix

Honorable Mentions: Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics / Square Enix), Batman: Arkham Knight (Rocksteady Studios / Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo), Super Mario Maker (Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 / Nintendo), Halo 5: Guardians (343 Industries / Microsoft Studios)

The Game Developers Choice Awards also gives out three annual Special Awards: the Pioneer, Ambassador and Lifetime Achievement awards, all of which will be announced in the near future.

For more information about the 16th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit http://www.gamechoiceawards.com. For information about the 2016 GDC, visit http://www.gdconf.com.

Train2Game News Ch’illout CD inspired by Wipeout

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Ch’illout” by CoLD SToRAGE pre-order date extended and exclusive new prize!

Tim Wright’s next album will be a tribute to the PlayStation Wipeout franchise – 14 music tracks from the series re-imagined in ambient and chilled mixes.

This will be Wright’s first physical CD album, having only ever published on digital formats in the past… and the stops are being pulled out to make it a classic.

His new 2 x CD album will be presented in luxury packaging, with bespoke artwork from ex. Psygnosis Wipeout artists and a full colour double sided poster to boot.

In addition to winning one of 3 x rare copies of the Strix Memoria USB Album, as of today Wright has added an additional item to his free draw prize.

This new gem is a one-off CoLD SToRAGE hoodie, as worn by Tim to the AMIGA 30 UK event in 2015, which will be shipped off to one lucky winner.

Due to popular demand, the deadline for pre-orders has been extended to January 31st 2016, so there’s still time to get in on the project.

CoLD SToRAGE’s new album Ch’illout” can be pre-ordered until 31st January 2016 from here; http://www.coldstorage.org.uk/chillout

Train2Game News Student creating studio for kids games

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Train2Game pupil creating cartoon games for kids wants students to join his team and get hands on experience making games

James Mahon, 25, from Birmingham wants students to join him in making awesome games for kids. James is on the Games Design course, is coming to the end of his studies and has so far created two games. The latest title he’s working on is a traditional platform game, with cartoon style graphics and comic book sequences. He’s specifically looking for is looking for level design and QA.

James Mahon, Train2Game student: ‘I am studying Game Designer course and enjoying it, I have almost finished it. I’m using everything I have learned and have created two games in the last year.’

‘I am looking for team members that enjoy working in a team and can work towards a common goal. I hope to make good connections with other designers and create some team spirit to help make better games. I am looking for a level designer to work with as a team. I am just a designer that can conceptualize art and implement features. Unfortunately, designing levels is outside of my area of study.’

‘I have finished prototyping a simple platform game and looking for a QA Level Designer to help design linear levels and test that they are fun to play. I have concept art of the two heroic characters and the villain.  The aim is to create a game with mass appeal in its characters and long-lasting value as a sustainable franchise.’

‘This is a traditional 2D platformer featuring lovable characters that will appeal to boys and girls. This children’s game features, a rice grain on a mission to find the lost rice grains with the aid of his companion, a pixie. Their ultimate objective is to defeat the mutant bug that terrorized the rice grains into fleeing their home.’

‘Another, concept on paper is an educational game featuring a ‘cool’ narrative character on duty to teach kids the importance of safety. This game will be created for school kids and in web browser for accessibility.’

‘Both of these concepts will have HUGE levels to design. That’s what I want help with. Above all, these concepts need some team spirit to help make a better game.’

‘Having played many kids games when I was younger, I still can understand what makes them fun to play for kids. I was a kid once and some kids have negative influences so the aim would be to create a positive influence through entertainment in a video game.’

‘I plan on making video games for kids/teenagers from 7 to 18. I have a few concepts on paper that are perfectly viable. Kids games aren’t as mainstream as adult games i.e Grand Theft Auto, but games don’t have to involve gratuitous violence to be fun – cartoon violence can still be fun, or even, no violence.’

‘I plan to start of small and grow big in the future with better games. I have big plans for my team to create big games that have a lot of value. I enjoy playing hardcore video games the most. Ubisoft inspire me.’

For more information contact mark@train2game.com

Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry

Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.plasisgamesportal.com  and www.gamatier.com

Train2Game News Warhammer 40,000 Tactical Objectives app out now

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Former Train2Game students now professional developers launch official Games Workshop app just in time for Christmas

Independent Video Games and Apps developer, Derp Studios, today release its tactical objectives app created with Games Workshop to accompany the Warhammer 40,000 board game. The team which includes Train2Game students has been working with Games Workshop to create the app.

The app has been designed to assist in playing the latest version of the popular table top game, offering a digital version of tactical objectives cards which previously were only available on limited edition print runs. This is one of the first ever official licensed hobby apps which supports the Warhammer 40,000 table-top game.

Chris Ledger, CEO and Lead Designer of Derp Studios; “The Warhammer 40,000:  Tactical Objectives App is one of the first hobby Apps to directly support the Warhammer 40,000 table-top board game.  The aim of the App is to enable players who don’t have a physical copy of either the regular or faction based Tactical Objectives cards to be able to own their factions deck, since the physical copies are on limited print runs.”

“Players of Warhammer 40,000 (the tabletop wargame) will benefit from the app a lot with this being the digital version. We’ve added a couple of decks.  We’ll be constantly adding decks to the app and we do have a couple of features we want to add later on down the line too.” 

“Things are going well with the folks at Games Workshop.  Everyone’s pretty busy and they have a lot of cool stuff going on, especially on the video game licensing side. Games Workshop are really good work alongside with.  They’ve been really supportive and have provided a lot of assets for us to use.  So far it’s been nothing but positive and a really enjoyable experience!”

“The development process has been very challenging and had its ups and downs but we got there in the end.  For Derp Studios this app alone is a big milestone in the company!  I’m not sure what the future holds for more hobby apps within the Warhammer 40,000 IP, however if I’m unable to produce another hobby app then I’d happily make a small licensed video game for them.”

iOS
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/warhammer-40-000-tactical/id990952051?ls=1&mt=8

Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.derpstudios.GWtacticalObjectives

Comments on the app:

Dale Platt “Most useful 40k gaming APP ever made”

Pork Chop Gaming “5* Tactical Objectives at your fingertips”

Website:  www.derpstudios.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/derpstudios
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/derpstudios

Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry
Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.plasisgamesportal.com and www.gamatier.com

Train2Game News Search for a Star 2016

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The Search For A Star & Rising Star student competitions are back for 2016, now open to both games coders and games artists.

Take part in one of the biggest industry-supported game dev competitions in the UK, showcasing your work in front of leading studios and getting a boost towards a career in games.

In 2015, 80% of students who qualified for the second round were able to get a games industry job on graduation. The competitions have a proven track record of improving the employability of those who enter, with the second stage development project even adding a published product to your portfolio.

The tests and challenges are tough, designed by industry professionals to mirror actual studio hiring processes, testing your talents while honing and developing your existing skills.

Prizes include opportunities for internships and jobs at leading UK games studios.

Learn more about the competitions, what to expect in each round, and enter at www.GradsInGames.com/competitions

Registrations are open from now until Wednesday 20th January 2016.

Train2Game News Learn to Program with Minecraft

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Minecraft is the most popular game in PC history, with hundreds of millions of players, and it’s now a gateway into the programming world.

In a novel approach to teaching programming, a new book from No Starch Press, Learn to Program with Minecraft ($29.95, Dec. 2015, 320 pp.) uses Minecraft to introduce fans to the beginner-friendly Python language. Readers learn how to build dazzling creations and unlock a whole new realm of Minecraft, all while learning practical programming skills.

This hands-on approach to programming is filled with fun, step-by-step directions designed to make things clear for readers of all ages and experience levels.

Author Craig Richardson explains his book’s unique approach this way: “My book makes learning to program accessible and engaging for people of all ages. Parents and teachers know how valuable it is to learn how to program, but add the fun and creativity of Minecraft while giving your player superpowers, and who can resist?

Learn to Program with Minecraft shows readers how to take control of Minecraft with programming, and it’s really exciting for kids to see a pyramid or palace appear in their Minecraft world out of nothing more than a few lines of code.”

Readers of Learn to Program with Minecraft embark on a series of interactive and engaging missions as they learn how to:

·        Teleport their players using variables
·        Create palaces, pillars, pyramids, and pixel art using for loops
·        Stack blocks and build spectacular spires in record time with math
·        Unlock the chat feature and write secret messages to their friends
·        Blast craters, open secret passages, and cast spells to transform blocks
·        Duplicate entire villages, castles, and acres of Minecraft countryside

“Think of it this way,” says No Starch Press founder Bill Pollock. “Learn to Program with Minecraft is the ideal alternative to those cost-prohibitive coding camps. Kids who read this book will pick up valuable programming skills and they won’t have to hide their favorite game behind a busy screen.” According to Pollock, “No Starch Press will never be a billion dollar startup ‘unicorn,’ but we’ll still change the world by creating books that open doors for kids everywhere.”

For parents looking to get kids interested in coding, and for Minecraft fans of any age, this hands-on guide is the perfect introduction to programming. The code in this book will run on Mac, Windows, and Raspberry Pi.

Learn to Program with Minecraft is available now in bookstores everywhere.