Category Archives: job

Train2Game News Bundle Stars Game Creation Sales

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Ever wanted to create your own games but don’t having any coding skills? Then Bundle Stars (bundlestars.com) has everything you could ever possibly need, in the brand new Ultimate Game Makers Bundle featuring RPG Maker, App Game Kit, Game Guru and Axis Game Factory. 

There’s never been a better time to create that killer game, with four of the greatest game making tools on the planet at your fingertips.

The Ultimate Game Makers Bundle puts game design in the hands of gamers. What’s more, with four different bundle tiers to choose from, users can purchase the specific content that best suits their game making needs.  This means that the Ultimate Game Makers Bundle is just as customisable as the games you can create.  From RPGs to First-Person Adventures, through the Ultimate Game Makers Bundle, gamers are free to create their own unique experiences and share them online.

The Ultimate Game Makers Bundle

·         Tier 1 – $2.99 (8 Titles) Saving 98%
Ø  Axis Game Factory AGFPRO v3
Ø  AGFPRO Fantasy Side-Scroller Player DLC
Ø  AGFPRO BattleMat Multi-Player DLC
Ø  GameGuru
Ø  GameGuru Mega Pack 1 DLC
Ø  GameGuru Mega Pack 2 DLC
Ø  RPG Maker XP
Ø  The Princess’ Heart (Game created through RPG Maker)

·         Tier 2 – $7.99 (11 Titles & all previous tiers) Saving 98%
Ø  AGFPRO v3 Premium
Ø  AGFPRO – Zombie Survival Pack + Zombie FPS Player DLC
Ø  GameGuru – Buildings Pack DLC
Ø  GameGuru – Fantasy Pack DLC
Ø  GameGuru – Death Valley DLC
Ø  RPG Maker VX Ace
Ø  RPG Maker: Old School Modern 2 Resource Pack DLC
Ø  RPG Maker: DS+ Expansion – Retro Sci-Fi DLC
Ø  RPG Maker: Modern Day Tiles Resource Pack DLC
Ø  RPG Maker: Survival Horror Music Pack
Ø  Last Word (Game created through RPG Maker)

·         Tier 3 – $14.99 (10 Titles & all previous tiers) Saving 98%
Ø  GeoVox
Ø  App Game Kit: Easy + Instant Game Development
Ø  App Game Kit – Giant Asset Pack 1 DLC
Ø  The Official App Game Kit Tutorial Guide
Ø  RPG Maker: Zombie Survival Graphic Pack
Ø  RPG Maker: Frontier Works Futuristic Heroes and BGM DLC
Ø  RPG Maker: Always Sometimes Monsters Asset Pack DLC
Ø  RPG Maker: POP! Horror City
Ø  Edolie (Game created through RPG Maker)
Ø  Heroes of Legionwood (Game created through RPG Maker)

·         Tier 4 – $79.99 (3 Titles & all previous tiers) Saving 91%
Ø  RPG Maker MV
Ø  RPG Maker MV: Cover Art Characters Pack DLC
Ø  RPG Maker MV: Essentials Set
Ultimate Game Makers Bundle – Interesting Stats
·         All four tiers are worth a total value of over $800
·         The included software boasts over 4,000 total user reviews on Steam!
·         An 84% average Steam user rating!
·         All run on Windows, 12 are compatible with Mac, and 9 run on Linux.
·         Features 4 complete commercial Steam games created using RPG Maker.
·         7 unlock Steam Trading Cards.

All of the keys can be redeemed immediately upon purchase, using a free Steam account.  Available exclusively from Bundle Stars (http://www.bundlestars.com ) for a limited time only, the Ultimate Game Makers Bundle is an amazing deal for budding game designers.

Train2Game News Former Student Kickstarter

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Former Train2Game student looking for community support in create his venture capitalist game that teaches economics.

George Quentin has created a business and economic simulator and needs your help to complete the game. The game is currently in prototype stage to show the gaming mechanic is possible. George now needs help in making it a full title.

The game lets players create their own business and select options to make it the most productive. Skill and financial guile will let the player become a global mega capitalist and earn billions.

George would like feedback from professionals in economics and students who have an eye for games design. There are educational elements to the game. George and team are considering providing the game to educational institutions as a learning tool.

If you’re interested in creating the venture capitalists of the future, George is giving you the chance to work on the game with him. He’s looking for support staff as well as community feedback.

George:  ‘The original goal was just to see if can make a game that bonds business and economics, I wasn’t really sure where it would lead me but I just gave it a go, and over time it became a serious idea that I should pursue. I love games that are very data driven and strategic, especially when there are many variations and randomness in them.’

‘The game is prototype of an upcoming business and economic simulator. Your goal is to build your company from the ground up. Where you will be able to trade internationally, gain reputation and make as much money for your company to survive and sustain growth. I thought it would be best to have the gameplay element focused on business where you manage and control your company.’

‘I can see room for many improvements because the game has loads of potential. Only two people are working on the game but I would like more. The more we worked on it, the more we kept thinking it would be a great tool for learning and enhancing knowledge, where people will be able to challenge themselves, gain a better understanding of both subjects.’

‘There are many benefits for making this. Given that these are some of the most studied topics taught in schools, colleges and universities. It would be fascinating tool for not only pupils but the wider community. This tool will help pupils further their learning and allow them to practice or exercise their skills in these areas.’

‘I was being ambitious when starting this and the whole idea was to try and make a game that would stimulate the world which led me to economical are. I don’t have a background in economics but I am looking to get those with that background on board or even get any feedback as I can from them. I’m looking for both QA and students of courses if possible.’

‘I am looking for suggestions and feedback on how it can be made or improved.’

– Suggestions of other games where they use similar styles and strategies.
– Gamification feedback
– In-game features suggestions
– The things that could be added
– The things that should be removed
– How we can install some narratives
– What elements/features would be great for education

‘I am definitely looking for guidance and direction on how best it can be built. This prototype only tells our point of view of how business and economics is implemented in a game. so feedback from other people will really give us an insight of what we are missing, especially those with economics or business background.’

‘My ambition as a game maker is to continue to develop my skills and work on as many creative ideas. I am ready for any criticism. That is exactly what I want to hear. I am hoping everyone will be honest. It will really help to know what frustrates people in the game. After all it’s just a prototype.’

See the game here and let us know your feedback http://geo93.itch.io/globaleprototype

Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry

Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.plasisgamesportal.com

Train2Game News Commando Kiwi looking for artists

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Professional Studio wants Train2Game Artists to help complete project.

Studio seeking artists to work on Valour: Shadow of Grimdark
Commando Kiwi is reaching out to the Train2Game student community to help complete its new title set to be released 2016.

The team are close to completing the project and need help to create 3D assets. They are looking for a couple of artists to come on board for the final stages of the build. The Artists chosen will receive a credit on a shipped title, which will be a huge endorsement as they embark on their professional games development careers.

Commando Kiwi is an independent studio and the majority of the members are current or former Train2Game students. They are hugely popular in the Train2Game community and won the Make Something Unreal Live Competition in association with Epic Games a few years ago. The team is relatively large for an Indie studio, with ten team members plus outsourced audio support.

The team want to create a game that all team members can use in their portfolios, showing off their work with a project that out shines the average indie title. The first release will be used to get feedback from community and if it’s a success Commando Kiwi may take the title to Kickstarter to gather funding for a full enhanced version.

The additional team members will not need to be available full time, but enough to make a decent contribution to the project. Commando Kiwi are aware most Train2Gamer’s have other commitments. If the artists that join the team are successful, they could be asked to join the team permanently.

Adam Sherratt, Commando Kiwi, ‘The game is called Valour: Shadow of Grimdark, as the name implies the game Valour could in the future be made up of several chapters, which we have already have back story planned for.’

‘The game is 3D action adventure game with RPG elements and is massively updated version of a project we showed November last year at Apps World and Platform Expo. The player must explore and fight their way through the game world, gaining new weapons, equipment and skills as they go to realise their destiny and save the land from the impending war and destruction.’

‘We are aiming to have the first part completed and on the App Store by the end of the Quarter one of 2016. Of course this really depends on whether we are able to get the help we need on the Art front as the project is being held up by this at the moment. Code wise the game is essentially complete and just requires a little more polish / bug fixes’

‘If the Artists who work with us do well then we would certainly look to integrate them into the team for the foreseeable future. This first release is non-commercial and is designed to be an outstanding portfolio piece for all of us that we can also use to get feedback from the community. If it is well received we plan to go on and seek crowd funding to extend and enhance the game and produce a paid version for the App Store.’

‘I personally have completed all of the T2G Developer course material and just have coursework projects to complete. The knowledge gained from the course has been a huge help getting me this far and all my original contacts were from taking part in the T2G game jams and events. However my current priority is to get the first release of this game completed. We are still doing all our work in our spare time in addition to our main jobs so we don’t require people to be able to put in silly hours just a reasonable contribution.’

Main studio members currently working on the project are:

Adam Sherratt (Originally T2G Developer Course)
Andrew Smallwood (Originally T2G Design Course)
Danny Welch (Originally T2G Developer Course)
Erolle Del Rosario (Originally T2G Art Course)
Martyn Whittel (Originally T2G Design Course)
Malik Razik (Originally T2G Art Course)
Tom Constable (From University background – met at Epic Game Jam)

We are currently also trailing a couple of new Artists:
Liam Sell (From University background – met at Platform Expo)
David Vickery (Originally T2G Art Course)

Adam Sherratt, Commando Kiwi, ‘In additional to this we have an outside company called Undercurrent Audio doing some of the scores and sound effects for us.’

‘If anyone is interested can they please email me at adam.sherratt@commandokiwi.co.uk along with their portfolio or a sample of any work they have done. Obviously once they have signed our NDA we can answer any questions and show them more of the project.’

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

Train2Game News BrightLocker funding

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BrightLocker, a revolutionary new crowdpublishing platform created by a diverse group of video game industry veterans, is set to redefine the crowdfunding landscape for videogames with a platform that goes beyond simply allowing backers to fund projects. BrightLocker is the first platform to allow its community to actually participate in the funding, creation, selection and development of games.

Preparing for live launch in early 2016, the BrightLocker platform is now accepting signups for its Closed Beta testing, which will begin in early December.

“In the traditional crowdfunding model for videogames, consumers play the role of a pay-and-pray bystander, often backing games that never get made,” said Ruben Cortez, CEO, BrightLocker, Inc.  “BrightLocker will ensure that every game that gets funded actually gets made and published. We use the power of the crowd to put the ‘fun’ in funding, engaging with users throughout the entire development process, giving gamers the chance to imagine, choose, create, play and even earn money.”

By gamifying the process, BrightLocker rewards gamers at every step of the crowdpublishing process, from game concept through development to launch. For active members of the community, the platform and process are unique opportunities to make their favorite ideas become reality – all while earning rewards, achievements, and currency they can use on the platform and in future games, creating a never-ending virtuous cycle.

In addition to benefits for players, BrightLocker is also attractive for developers. Crowdpublishing on BrightLocker allows developers to work on games ‘pre-approved’ by gamers, reducing user acquisition cost and making development more efficient, dramatically increasing a titles chances of being a hit product. The games on BrightLocker are not limited to any one platform.

BrightLocker is set to officially launch and provide unprecedented power for gamers in early 2016. For more information on BrightLocker, and to sign up for the Closed Beta, please visit www.brightlocker.com.

Train2Game News Train2Game welcomes Ombudsman Decision

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12 November 2015 – It is widely known, in the public domain, that Train2Game is leading the way bringing City & Guilds to the gaming sector.

This decision was not taken lightly and followed an extensive period of consultation with our students who persuaded us to go the City and Guilds route.

Subsequently, a tiny number of students, for reasons unknown, claimed this was a retrograde step, one deciding to raise the issue with the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The Ombudsman service stated in their findings, “I think that in this case the alternative offered is a better quality product…..”

Adding, “……the new qualification is more widely recognised internationally and is more prestigious so likely to lead to better opportunities for students”.

The Ombudsman service also stated, “I am persuaded that the new qualification offered is better than Mr S signed up for. If he had completed the course I think it is likely he would have been in a better position to get a job”.

Train2Game welcomes the final decision and endorsement of the Ombudsman that the complaint was unfounded and that City and Guilds exam (qualification) is superior to TIGA exam (qualification).

In view of this decision Train2Game will continue to lead the way bringing the “more prestigious” qualification(s) to its students and to the gaming sector via City & Guilds.

Train2Game News Rumpus Animation hit Kickstarter goal

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Studio with working Train2Game student get last minute surge of investment to reach target

Train2Game student Leah Panigada and her team successfully raise funding for comedy point-and-click sequel Bertram Fiddle. Rumpus Animation is based in Bristol and Leah is a full time employee at the company alongside studying with Train2Game. The Kickstarter went down to the wire, achieving its £25,000 target with one day to spare, the total now sits at over £28,000.

Train2Game spoke to Leah to find out more about her studies, Rumpus Animation and what’s next now the Kickstarter is complete.

Leah Panigada, Rumpus Animation and Train2Game: ‘I am currently a Train2Game student. I have been for a year and a half. It can be quite difficult as I am currently on the design course. I’m a 2D digital artist so find the 3D things quite different to what I’m used to! I most defiantly feel my experience with Train2Game has been positive. Although it’s a struggle to learn a new art form I feel like it’s all worth knowing. The Train2Game courses are very thorough and are very good at keeping you up to date on the latest changes to the industry. I’m the only person on my team at work that is studying Train2Game although my best friend is also taking a Train2Game course. She is taking the coding side and we hope to make some small app games in the future.’

‘Rumpus animation is owned by Joe Wood and Seb Burnett. They founded it in 2011 and have been creating animation for the BBC, CBBC, GOOGLE JAPAN, AARDMAN, as well as plenty of one off projects from loads of different clients. About two years ago Seb and Joe decided to pitch Bertram Fiddle as a point and click adventure game. Safe to say that the whole studio is VERY excited to make the turn from an animation company to a game and animation company!’

‘The Bristol development scene is thriving! The Bristol Games Hub is a community of gamers, game developers and game publishers all under one roof! They really support each other and have regular meet ups for other game developers in the area. It’s refreshing to see so many unique and interesting new games and ideas being made. Link to their site is here: http://bristolgameshub.com/’

‘Our team is actually very young. Our producer, Elise Townsend  – Who is newest on our team is the youngest at 22. Dan Emmerson and I are 23 to 24. Seb and Joe are in their 30s. I was only just starting work experience with Rumpus when Bertram Fiddle one was starting up but they still accepted me as part of the team. I was still learning loads about animation and how to set animation up for games. Now I’m a full time member of the studio and the second game is going to start soon! So yes I have been here while the first game was released. Let’s hope it’s the same for the second!

‘Bertram Fiddle 2: A Bleaker Predicklement is the sequel to our first game. In this new adventure Bertram Finds himself framed for a murdering he did not commit. We plan to make this game Puzzlier, Punnier and more perplexing than ever! It’s a story-based comedy point and click adventure game set in Victorian London. We are planning to put a lot of weird new characters in this one inspired by Victorian Novels, HammerHorror and Lovecraft. Episode 1 was featured on the app store and received ‘The Best Narrative’ award from Tokyo indie fest, 2015.’

‘There’s some great humour in there. Seb is the creator and writer of all the jokes and story in the game. The bizarreness of it really makes it fun to work on everyday! You never know if you’ll be designing a werewolf or animating a Fish-man! I think it’s a great game for kids but also brilliant for the more mature audience. In a sense we have drawn inspiration from many different places! Like Gavin the Cyclops from Mythology, – Count Fulchmuckle – who has red eyes and a taste for ‘exotic’ things. We also have Lady Ravisham from Charles Dickens – Great expectations, and Geoff the murderer from any old school murder Mystery!’

‘I feel that the first games was received really well. Nearly all the feedback we got was positive and complimented the humour and look of the game. Some people felt that the puzzles weren’t difficult enough which is something we really want to work on with the second game. Other than that, it’s great to see that people can understand what Bertram Fiddle is about and that his character is pretty human. Although I feel like people warmed up to Gavin more than Bertram. ‘

‘We’ve been working a lot on our Kickstarter and trying to catch as much attention as possible. Our short videos and gifs have been a blast for us and the fans! As for the sequel, it’s got a storyline, a bunch of awesome new characters, Concept-art, Fan-art, puzzle ideas and backgrounds ready to go! We also have a production blog for Kickstarter backers were you’ll be able to keep up to date with our processes. I really can’t wait to start on it! Dan and I have been given a lot more freedom when it comes to creating the puzzles, designing/ animating characters and story.’

‘The support for the second game has been overwhelming! Seb acting even weirder than normal and has had very little sleep. The Kickstarter was incredible, there were some really cool prizes up for grabs. Some of my faves were the ‘MEMBERSHIP TO THE ADVENTURER’S CLUB reward you will get this fantastic 8 inch, book-shaped tin, printed to look like a, er, book, so you can hide all your secret Adventuring bits and bobs away. There’s a really cool art book coming out that will have some awesome work from many a talented artist’s such as Warwick Johnson Cadwell and Violaine Briat. If you’ve been keeping up with twitter you’ll know who! We’ve also given backers the opportunity to be a character in the game! I’m very Jealous of that one!’

‘It feels great and exciting that we successfully completed our Kickstarter but also a bit strange because the constant hype from 30 days is now over. Although now we are all running around and finishing all of our other projects so that we can fully concentrate on the game. It’s going to be really REALLY busy! We are such a small team that there is never not something to do! To all the people who supported us, it’s just been so overwhelming, exciting, nerve wrecking and stressful, haha, – don’t think we’ll be making another Kickstarter for a while! – but just the biggest of Thankyou’s to those who supported us and I hope that you enjoy playing our game as much as we will enjoy making it.’

The Kickstarter has now successfully finished. It’s a superb game and with a Train2Game student involved, it would be great if the community could continue to support Leah. If you are interested in learning more, find all the information you need at the links below.

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/763843992/bertram-fiddle-a-victorian-animated-adventure-game?ref=nav_search
Bertram Website: http://www.bertramfiddle.com/

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

Train2Game News UKIE planning for industry growth

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The Blueprint for Growth report, commissioned by Ukie, sets out recommendations that will grow the UK games industry by £1bn by 2020

A new report, commissioned by games trade body Ukie, launches at a high-level Parliament event today. The Blueprint for Growth report sets out a series of recommendations for the decision makers in UK parliament that will see the industry grow by an estimated £1bn by 2020. The report can be read in full here.

The independent report, conducted by Olsberg SPI on behalf on the trade body, is based on a series of consultations with over 40 stakeholders from across industry and government. It also includes a literature review of over 60 reports, evaluations, and policy proposal documents, relating to both the UK and the global games industry.

The Blueprint tracks the evolution of the UK games industry since the 1980s, demonstrating the fast-evolving business models unique to the sector, and the perfect blend of British creativity and innovations in technology used by games businesses that have helped the UK become one of the most successful games exporters in the world.

The report also identifies a number of market failures that the sector faces which threaten the global competitiveness and standing of the UK games industry, as well as its potential to spill over and transfer knowledge, skills and innovation to other creative digital sectors. It follows with a series of recommendations that will collectively lead to the UK games sector contributing another £1bn annually to the British economy.

These recommendations include:

1. UK and EU funding to fully and equitably recognise the contribution of games, ensuring effective support alongside other creative industries
2. Support regional growth, FDI and exports across the UK
3. Grow, attract and retain the best talent
4. Create the best tax environment and digital marketplace to do business worldwide
5. Promote games-as-culture and celebrate cutting-edge UK innovation

Each of these key recommendations is cemented with realistic actions that parliament members can take to ensure that the recommendations are satisfied. The fulfilling of these recommendations, the report states, will create more economic return in the games industry and create an environment that allows start-up games businesses to flourish.

The Blueprint for Growth Report will be officially launched at Ukie’s Annual Westminster Reception on Tuesday 03 November. The evening reception will be the culmination of the trade body’s first Westminster Video Games Industry Day, where leading names in the UK games industry will visit Parliament for a day of activity designed to showcase successes of the industry, and lobby and educate MPs to the needs of the sector. Minister of State for Culture and Digital Economy Ed Vaizey will deliver a keynote speech at the event to an audience of MPs, Ukie members and key stakeholders.

Other key figures from the report include:

    21 million people play games in the UK
    The UK’s games market is currently worth £3.944bn
    44% of UK games players are female; 22% are aged 45-64
    There are 1,900 games companies in the UK
    There are twelve established clusters throughout the UK, from Dundee to Leamington Spa to Bristol, and six further areas with critical mass
    95% of games companies are SMEs with clear potential for growth

Dr Jo Twist, CEO of Ukie, said “The UK Games industry blends the best of British creativity with leading technology, creating successful games exported around the world. It’s great to see this report unequivocally recognise this and show that games is now one of the UK’s major creative sectors, a source of economic growth and a mainstream part of British culture.

Government already recognises that the games sector can help meet their ambitions for increasing prosperity in the regions and doubling UK exports and the report outlines how this can be achieved. This can only be achieved by working in partnership with industry, looking globally but acting locally to maximise the potential of the UK sector in a digitally connected global marketplace.”

Chris White, MP for Warwick and Leamington, and Chair of APPG for Video Games, said, “The Blueprint for Growth report raises a number of important questions when considering support for the games sector in the UK in the years ahead.  As Chair of the APPG on Video Games, and the MP for an area with a rapidly expanding games industry, I know just how important it is to support the sector.

I hope that the Government will take note of the findings of the report and that we can all work together to ensure that the UK games industry grows on the world stage, taking as much of the projected 7.9% annual growth rate in global revenues as possible.”

Noirin Carmody, COO and owner of Revolution Software, and Chair of the Ukie Board, said, “This Blueprint for Growth report highlights the fantastic successes of our innovative and fast-moving sector, and outlines how the Government can act to help our industry continue to grow and flourish. The recommended interventions will help the sector grow and create the perfect environment for the UK to become the world’s leading destination for games development.”

Andrew Barnes, Associate Director of Olsberg SPI, said, “This report represents a comprehensive overview of the state of the UK games industry, and highlights the tremendous growth of the sector over the last few years.  In conducting this report, the consultancy Olsberg SPI interviewed stakeholders across industry and the public sector, undertaking an independent evaluation of their perspectives together with researching a broad range of other data. We look forward to seeing where the UK games industry will be by 2020 if the recommendations set out in this report are followed.”

Train2Game News Student studio on the hunt for Artists

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Train2Game student Josh Procter and his friend William Marsden have created their own studio and are now on the hunt for artists to join them

Friends Josh and Will have created SVS games and released their first game.  They are now looking to recruit team members to work on the next seven titles they have planned.

Josh is currently studying Train2Game which has helped their collaboration. Both plan to use the studio to work together but also have individual aspirations in the games industry. They are interested in the creative side of gaming and love to come up with ideas.

Since releasing their first game, Marathon, both are really excited with what they created and what more they can do. They sort industry advice in creating Marathon and it was received well. The studio was created in 2015 but the pair have collaborated for some time. Both live in West Yorkshire.  

The guys are now on the lookout for artists to join the team as they have a growing list of games planned for the future. They are on the lookout for people who are: productive, passionate and have personality.

Train2Game interviewed the guys to hear about their projects

Please introduce yourselves, what course you are on and where you are from? 　

Josh: Hi. My name is Josh Procter. I’m from Bradford, West Yorkshire. I’m just on the back end of the T2G Designer course.

Will: My name is William Marsden, I’m from Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. I graduated Teesside University in November 2014 with a BA in Computer Games Design (2:1)

What is the name of your studio and who are the members?

Will: Myself and Josh came together in early 2015 to form SVS Games.

Josh: Yeah. Me and Will have been working together for a while but officially SVS Games was created early 2015.

What was the idea behind the name of the studio?

Josh: SVS means Samurai vs Spartan. Because Will is totally into Murmillo fighting and I am a born Samurai with my years of sword training.

Will: Well it’s our aim to make the kinds of games that we both loved as kids. SVS Games is a way we can showcase our game development skills to attract potential employers, whilst still trying to make our mark on the Indie game world.

Are you enjoying Train2Game and are your studies going well?

Josh: I’ll field this. I’m loving the T2G course, but I’m a very busy guy. The only reason I haven’t finished yet!

What do you hope to gain from taking the course?

Josh: Well, I personally want to write the games myself. And this has given me the skills to write better and create them. Which teams me and Will perfectly.

What is your dream in terms of working in the games industry?

Will: Well I have lots of ideas for pretty huge games. So ideally I’d want to be in a position where I can bring those ideas to life, a creative direction position seems the best position to do that.

Josh: I just really want to be the writing force behind those games. I’m an ideas man. I drift off and let myself come up with new ideas.

So what has it been like completing your first game?

Will: It has been fantastic, We have been working together to make some really involved design work for potential future games, I received some advice from a local Indie Developer to just release something small to get our names out there. Once it was out there and we got over the shock that something we had worked on was out there for everyone, the ball really started to roll and we’re well on the way to our next release.

Josh: It has been kick-butt honestly. I love working with Will and to be able to sit there after it was out, we both sort of looked at each other like “wow, we have a game for sale”
Big stuff man. Big stuff.

Can you tell us about Marathon, what were the challenges in creating this game?

Will: I think my biggest issue was keeping it small. Josh and I have this terrible problem where we keep trying to add too much to something and make more work for ourselves.

Josh: Me and Will cannot help adding more. We sat there with a product we were happy with and then went. LET’S DO MORE!
　
How has it been received?

Will: Actually pretty well considering it was just a quiet release by two guys who hadn’t really done anything before. I keep checking it and we have a nice steady stream of viewers and downloads. We are yet to have a negative comment, so I count that as a win.　

Josh: It’s going nice actually. Neither of us was expecting to make the next big thing. But we wanted to get our names out there and this game is a really nice little start.

Why did you choose to release on Windows?

Will: Honestly because it would be the quickest turnover from development to release. We’re currently looking at releasing on other platforms, including android via Google Play.

And what are you working on next, I hear you have another title in the pipeline?

Will: I like to stay busy and yeah, Josh and I are always working on something. I think the current count is at 6 or 7 games planned for the future or in development at the moment.

Josh: When we started, we had one MASSIVE game in the pipeline, with completed design documents and pitch documents. But we realized it’s far too big a project to start with. We came up with 3 small games to start with, which turned to 4 and so on. I think the count is 7 at the moment. But last night me and Will discussed another one.

And you are on the hunt for developers to join the team and assist with the project, artists and animators?

Will: Most definitely, Artists and Animators are always in demand in the games industry and we’re no different.
　
Josh: In the future, yeah I’d love to take on some new people! But I think we’re just starting out and maybe another one or two people to work with. They’d have to be into swords.

What are you looking for in new team members? What character traits?

Will: Someone who works hard, likes to swap and share ideas and someone who is above all else, passionate about gaming.
　
Josh: I think after years of work. I cannot stand people who half-arse jobs. I really don’t want to sound like a grumpy boss but people have to pull their weight. I just finished moving and lost my entire internet but I still did everything I could to push our projects forward.
Aside from that, they’d need a great personality and to have a laugh.

Is joining the studio a good opportunity, and why?

Will: I would definitely say so. Opportunities to work with other game developers is beneficial for everyone involved, we all share the work load and each get an equal share of the credit. Most employers look for people who have game development experience. The best way by far to do that is to release some games.

Josh: Exactly. I’d love to have some other people working with us. It’s always a good idea to make your own things. Think how indie developers get massive. It’s all about content and quality. You put your heart into a game and it might end up being the next big thing. I think for myself and Will, it’s not about getting famous or super rich, it’s about creating the games that people will lose themselves in. I can’t get over massive moments in games that I go back to thinking about years later. I still have the DmC3 cut scenes on my phone that I watch monthly.

What are the plans for the studio? 　

Will: We are both going to continue to working on games together until we catch the eye of an employer or we start making enough money to make a career of making games for SVS Games full time.

Josh: Keep releasing content. Keep having fun.

http://svsgames.itch.io/
Http:// joshprocterdesign.wix.com/joshprocterdesign
http://svsgamesmaster.wix.com/svsgames
www.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 Open Gaming Alliance welcomes Ubisoft

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The Open Gaming Alliance (OGA), a non-profit trade association focused on the games industry business, today announced Ubisoft® as its newest Corporate Member.

Ubisoft joins a growing roster of other forward-thinking industry leaders including  Intel,  Dell/Alienware,  Logitech,  Razer,  Unity, Webroot and the recently announced  Lenovo in supporting the OGA’s efforts to provide leadership and opportunities; and encourage growth and diversity within the games business ecosystem.

At this year’s E3, the  Open Gaming Alliance announced several  new initiatives including new  membership levels; new AR/VR, Software and Cloud Gaming special interest groups; and a significant expansion of its indie developer support. Additionally, the OGA issued its annual  Pinnacle research report analyzing industry revenues and trends

“PC Gamers are important to Ubisoft, and we’re committed to better understanding and addressing their needs and to continually improving our relationship with them,” said Sandrine Caloiaro, Consumer and Marketing Knowledge Director, Ubisoft. “By joining the OGA, we’re able to glean gamer insights from their research, learn from best practices in our industry and contribute to the group’s upcoming initiatives.”   

The Open Gaming Alliance provides an array of resources to its industry members, ranging from research and best-practice guidance; to marketing support and networking with some of the industry’s premier middleware and hardware providers, and publishers. Founded in 2008, the organization has evolved to cover multiple platforms and operating systems; maintaining its primary goals of strengthening and promoting the community around all game platforms while providing a unified voice.

“Whether Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Rainbow 6 Siege or one of the many other big games in its portfolio, Ubisoft brings quality entertainment experiences to gamers. It’s a thought-leader that spans every genre, platform and emerging technology within the industry,” said Wanda Meloni, OGA executive director. “Joining the OGA demonstrates Ubisoft’s determination to reaching even more players and to partnering with our other members to better our industry.”

Train2Game News Chance to create next Warhammer

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Train2Game student seeking support to create table top strategy war game

Avid gamer Aaron Newton, 27, lives in The West Midlands, he’s currently embarked on a Train2Game course but also wants to create his own board game. He’s now reaching out to find people to assist with his project and is urgently on the lookout for artists. Aaron has big plans and has already created the game’s gameplay, strategy elements and factions.

The game is currently in the development stages; Aaron is confirming game play with his local war gaming group and deciding which elements to incorporate into the final game. He was working in a team of three but unfortunately his previous team have had to concentrate on other projects, his plan is to now recruit new team members to help make his idea a reality.

The game is inspired by Aaron’s love of military history and his time in the army. Two types of faction have been created, Empire of Gaia and The Maulini Dominion. The plan is to have three types of gameplay in one; Skirmish, Ground and Space, allowing players to approach the game with as complex or simple strategies as they wish.

Aaron now has extensive briefs in place but needs people to come in and make them happen. There’s a planned Kickstarter and the opportunity is open to anyone looking to gain experience and develop their portfolio to join him.

Aaron Newton, Train2Game student; ‘The game is currently in the early development stages, the first draft of the core rules and faction specifics are done and I am getting them looked at and checked by a local war-gaming club to see if they are easy to follow and will add more when I get the ok. I decided to do more of an invasion game so that players have if they desire the option of incorporating the ground and space battle concepts into a game.’

‘The game itself is technically a three in one having; ground, space and skirmish, rule sets. The overall design is that the rules cover everything lightly giving wiggle room so players can make simple or as complex strategies as they wish. The game with also have books and PDF releases to flesh out the lore and give players more of an idea to why certain peoples fight, how battles where won etc.’

‘The game is a table wargame that is will be marketed as an invasion game. The two main factions are the Empire of Gaia who are led by The Empress and the Legartums (Generals), the empire is heavily based on the Roman Empire so there is a regimented military, a religion with the empress as the figure head, slaves, and gladiators. The second faction is The Maulini Dominion who are the tattered remains of various other destroyed races, they are led by Lord Hyperion Maul who was previously the Commandium Milartus (Over all head of the Military Forces) for the Empire until a great betrayal happened.’
 
‘The game is designed to be played on the two fronts at the same time but can be played separately, when certain objectives are met devastating tactics can be used for example. If a player’s fleet can get there flagship into firing range they can launch orbital strikes against enemy ground forces. Orbital strikes are defendable by the opponents orbital defence grid however if the player’s ground forces also take control and destroy the defence grid the opponent can’t the defend orbital strikes.’ ‘For players that just want to have a quick game there will be the ‘strike team’ mode which is the skirmish portion of the game.’

‘As for back story The Empire of Gaia is led by an immortal Empress who have been ruling longer than recorded history, there are no records of anything before she came to power. Her power increases as more people worship her as a goddess and the lusts for more and more power. The Maulini Dominion is led by the former Commandium Milartus (Overall military Commander of the Empire) Hyperion Maul who after he is betrayed by The Empire leads his battleground ‘Taedio Ferciae Rapaces’ (the defiant Wolves) against The Empire and then the last races the live free join him under the banner of the dominion and crown him The Void King.’

‘The inspiration for the factions comes from my love of history and especially military history. The Empire of Gaia is modelled of the Roman Empire following its cultures and military characteristics as well as the doctrine of the worlds are there’s for the taking. The Maulini Dominion is more of a coalition of independent peoples rising up against the tyranny of The Empire.’

‘The gameplay and strategies I came up with quite easily it was finding a way that they would work together that was the issue but being an experienced wargamer I have found something I think works well, being ex-army and a lover of military history I used my knowledge of battles to work out different tactics and also being a fan of sci-fi means I found quite easy to incorporate the two together.’

‘Naturally I am a big fan of Warhammer and I suppose there are some similarities to the Horus heresy era game but in my opinion I take it into more detail regarding the reasoning what each faction wants, the units within the game aren’t super human space marines they are men and women who fight for what they believe in whether that be The Goddess Empress or The King of the Void Hyperion Maul.’

‘Initially I had a couple of guys helping me but they due to other commitments have had to leave the project so it is just me at present and I am doing my best to keep going with. In terms of artwork there isn’t any at present but I have the designs briefs of all the units and characters.’

‘The plan for the game is that it will be seen as a genuine alternative to Warhammer 40k with the design and release of more units, character, battlegroups and maybe factions. Mainly the hope is that in 25/30 years’ time the game is still be around as has made a dedicated fan base of its own.’

‘In the short term my opinion of success I hope that if I can get some people who are willing to be involved in effect donating their time to initially to beef up their portfolio as I am working while doing the planning myself there is no money to pay for outside help, so I am hoping members of the student body would like to get involved naturally when the website and games Kickstarter go live and concept and 3d model used the person involved will be credited for its design.

For more information contact the Train2Game blog or email Aaron directly on amnewton66@gmail.com

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