Train2Game News: Microsoft explains their new player reputation system

Xbox OneMicrosoft have announced plans for their overhaul of the reputation system on the Xbox One, in the hopes you play with like minded people.

The past systems Microsoft have used to let players known other peoples reputations have never walked all that well and have mostly been ignored but senior program manager of Microsoft’s new initiative, SmartMatch, Michael Dunn is working to change this.

SmartMatch will have three categories you will come into; Good Player, Needs Work and Avoid Me. They are going to be using a percentile system to place players into these categories and Michael Dunn said that: “You can imagine it like the ‘good players’ are like the 80 percent, the ‘needs work’ and the ‘avoid me’ are kind of the thin tail out from the rest of them.” The idea is to separate the Avoid Me group from the rest of the players.

Most people will automatically, “start with a score that’s in the 75 range, which is definitely a good player,” Dunn explained, and it will take quite a bit of work to get into the avoid me category. They also have a lot in place to help people who are getting grief complaints or complaints only from the same person, so it isn’t really possible to have a group of players or just one player give someone a low reputation.

However, people won’t just end up in avoid me or needs work without knowing. Unlike the Xbox 360 reputation system, with Xbox One Microsoft will be sending people warnings so that they may fix their problems before ending up in the deep end.

Dunn explains “The goal of the overhauled reputation system isn’t just to create some sort of stratified social hierarchy inside Xbox Live, but to improve the quality of matchmaking.”

The Train2Game London Connection 2013 at AppsWorld

Train2Game exhibiting where the global Apps market meets

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This year Train2Game will hold its London Connection at AppsWorld,  22-23 October 2013, in Earls Court 2 along side 250 exhibitors and over 8000+ attendees including developers, mobile marketers, mobile operators, device manufacturers, platform owners and industry professionals registered for two days of high level insight and discussion.

Jan Telensky, Train2game, said, “For the first time we have moved our annual London Connection to AppsWorld where we hope to meet up with as many students as possible.

“Our move to AppsWorld reflects our strong relationship with Microsoft launching Apps on the Windows 8 platform, including Windows8 phones, both for games and non-games.

“We look forward to a great event, our students gaining even more knowledge, and some fun networking”.

Being showcased at AppsWorld will be both gaming and none gaming Apps showing the wide range of skill sets Train2Game students achieve. Members of Train2Game Student Studios will also attend.

 

For more information about all Train2Game courses including the new Apps courses please visit www.train2game.com

Train2Game News: Microsoft allowing self publishing on Xbox One

Xbox OneMicrosoft have announced they will allow self publishing for indie titles on the Xbox One. This is excellent news for Train2Game students.

Microsoft have also announced that each console can be used as a development kit, much like the way that Apple devices can be used as such.

Here’s the official statement from Xbox corporate VP, Marc Whitten:

“Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We’ll have more details on the program and the timeline at Gamescom in August.”

Whitten also told Kotaku that dev kit functionality will not be available at launch, but will be added ‘at a later date’.

This dispells all concerns of the accessibility and exposure of indie game on Xbox One, Whitten promises they will live on the Xbox Live Marketplace with the major titles.

Whitten explains “Of course there will be different pivots inside of that. There will be everything from what are we curating, kind of like spotlight content, to the normal discoverability stuff like recommendations, what’s trending, what’s got a lot of engagement on the platform. But you shouldn’t think of it as there’s an indie area and a non-indie area.”

With this announcement it opens up an entirely new indie market for Train2Game students and Student Studios with all the features of the Xbox One, allowing you to get creative with features such as Kinect and the Cloud.

Train2Game News: Xbox One’s Kinect Privacy

Xbox OneMicrosoft have stated that they will take an aggressive stance to any one who tries to use the Kinect to collect data.

With the new Xbox One being bundled with Kinect, many people voiced their objections for fear of it breaking their privacy but Microsoft has said this definitely won’t happen. The company is currently trying to release information on the data requests it has received from intelligence services in the past, but is being blocked from doing so by the US government.

It’s not the first time that Microsoft has sought to calm fears over Xbox One privacy. The company previously promised that Kinect would not record ambient conversation data, and only listened for the “Xbox On” voice command when switched off. In addition the Kinect sensor will have an activity light so you will be able to tell when the device is in use.

A Microsoft spokesperson said, when asked about Kinect privacy, “Absent a new law, we don’t believe the government has the legal authority to compel us or any other company that makes products with cameras and microphones to start collecting voice and video data. “We’d aggressively challenge in court any attempts to try and force us to do so.”

They went on to say “When Xbox One is on and you’re simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded”

Microsoft has asked the US Attorney General to permit itself and other companies to share more information on what data it gives to government security agencies, such as the number of security requests it has received. At the moment it is blocked from releasing this information by the US government.

This is a very clear message from Microsoft that they will respect your personal privacy and fight for it if need be.

Train2Game News: Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game capturing

PS and XboxMore social sharing details have been announced about the Xbox One and PS4. It can be very helpful for creators of “Let’s Play” videos.

Xbox One is able to automatically record the last five minutes of your gameplay, less time than Sony will store on PlayStation 4. PlayStation 4 can record seven minutes.

Microsoft Studios creative director Ken Lobb detailed the exact amount at San Diego Comic-Con while discussing the new Xbox One version of Killer Instinct. Sony Europe’s Neil Brown revealed at Develop last week the amount the PlayStation 4 could record.

“The idea is you’re always recording,” Lobb said of the Xbox One’s game DVR feature, nicknamed ‘Project Upload’. “The last five minutes of any game you’re playing are always being stored on your hard drive.

Like PS4, you’ll be able to edit that footage on the fly, Lobb explained, and add titles, a voice-over or extra footage recorded using Kinect.

For times when you can’t stop playing, such as in the middle of an online session, Microsoft will allow you to capture and immediately save the last 30 seconds of gameplay for editing later.

“Say you’re playing online and you just did the best thing ever – you can’t pause as you’re playing online,” Lobb continued. “You can say ‘Xbox, record that’ and it’ll grab the last 30 seconds of gameplay for you to play around with later.”

Both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will also let you stream your gameplay online, which should allow for unlimited lengths of gameplay to be captured.

Train2Game News: Icey Monty score a direct hit with archery game for Strongbow

Icey MontyTrain2Game student studio, Icey Monty, designed a game to launch Strongbow Berry at Victoria train station last Friday.

John Esslemont, Nick Walker and Domm Young, joined forces with Frank PR in an initiative to launch Strong Bow’s latest flavour. The Icey Monty crew were part of a team that created a vending machine which had members of the public using Microsoft Kinect to shoot berries on the Icey Monty designed game. Players with enough skill to hit the berry were rewarded with ice cold cans of new Strongbow Berry to enjoy on what was another scorching day in the capital.

You can enjoy a video of Nick being interviewed below

Train2Game News: Microsoft might bring back family sharing for Xbox One

Xbox OneMicrosoft has announced that if demand is high enough, they may bring back the family sharing feature on the Xbox One.

The family sharing feature was one that made sharing games a lot easier. You would be able to select ten people on your friends list and instantly be able to share your games with them. It takes away the need to lend out the hard copies of your games and risk them getting damaged.

Specific details on how the system would work weren’t revealed before Microsoft confirmed that it was putting the idea on the backburner following its decision to reverse various Xbox One DRM policies.

Xbox One chief product officer Marc Whitten said of the possibility of reintroducing Family Sharing:

“If it’s something that people are really excited about and want, we’re going to make sure that we find the right way to bring it back

“A ‘road map’ sort of implies more like ‘on date X it’s back’ than I think exists, but we believe really strongly in how you build a great experience on Xbox One for me as an individual, but also for my family. Family Sharing is a great example of how you do that with content.”

Whitten continued: “We took some feedback and realized there was some stuff we needed to add to the program. To add it to the program, we had to make room, just from a pure engineering perspective, to be able to get that work done.

“So taking Family Sharing out of the launch window was not about ‘we’re going to take our toys and go home’ or something like that. It was just sort of the logistics of ‘how do we get this very, very clear request that people really want, that choice, and how do we make sure we can do an excellent job of that, get to launch, and then be able to build a bunch of great features?’

“You know, if there’s anything I think that Xbox 360 has proven, it’s that we’re super committed to this constant cycle of improving the experience and the software, and it’s what we’ve been doing for 360 for the past seven years, and it’s certainly where we’re going to go with Xbox One.”

So it won’t be on launch but it could return in the future. I for one would be quite happy to see this return.

Train2Game News: Unity supports Xbox One and Windows 8

unity-logoMicrosoft has entered a partnership with the makers of the Unity game engine that will add tools and support for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox One.

The deal, unveiled at Microsoft’s Build Conference in San Francisco, brings yet another set of tools to reach Microsoft’s new platforms and will see the two companies collaborating to make Windows 8 and Xbox One even more approachable for Unity developers.

Xbox 360 and Xbox One developers who have their games published by Microsoft Studios will be given free access to Unity tools.

“Our vision is to democratize game development and provide opportunity for all developers, from individuals to massive teams,” said Unity CEO David Helgason.

“Our collaboration will help further these goals by empowering our community to create games across Microsoft’s powerful platforms. Their vision to provide the best outlet for games to be enjoyed parallels our own vision to build the best platform for games to be developed and we’re excited to work with them to shape the future of the industry.”

Unity’s support for the Xbox One includes many next-generation features like Kinect gestures and recognition, multiplayer matchmaking, SmartGlass, and the console’s cloud features.

The Windows 8 support includes a Windows Store Add-on that will be available for free to Unity Pro 4 licensees once it’s launched this summer. The add-on will support both Windows Store apps and Windows Phone 8 apps.

“Unity has established itself not only as an incredible development toolset and engine, but as a significant force for creative freedom and innovation in the games development community,” said Microsoft’s Steven Guggenheimer.

“With Unity’s commitment to support Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Xbox One and Xbox 360, Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem will benefit from the wealth of ideas and imagination flowing from the Unity games development community.”

This should be great news for Train2Game students who enjoy creating with the Unity engine. It opens bigger, wider markets to get your work out in to the world.

Train2Game News: Games Industry News- 05.07.13

Xbox360 DashboardIt’s Friday so it is time for the end of the week games industry news round up!

Microsoft has begun inviting Xbox Live members worldwide to participate in the public beta for its 2013 Xbox Live Update for Xbox 360. The update will include improvements to overall performance and the ability to conduct transactions with local currency, as Microsoft Points will be retired later this year. To join, interested 360 owners should look for the Xbox Beta Program tile on the home hub of the Xbox Dashboard and once the places are filled the beta will be closed to the public. You will be required to sign an NDA for security reasons.

In celebration of summer, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces that all its mobile games in the App Store are priced at £0.69 this week including Man of Steel, LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7, Batman Arkham City Lockdown, Scribblenauts Remix, LEGO Batman DC Superheroes, Midway Arcade and Bastion. Man of Steel, Batman: Arkham City Lockdown and Scribblenauts Remix are also available on Google Play at the same low price.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced the Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition is available for PC from Steam and other digital download portals. Originally developed by NetherRealm Studios, led by Mortal Kombat co-creator and creative director Ed Boon it has been adapted for PC by High Voltage Software. If you have always wanted to try your hand in Mortal Kombat, now is the time.

2K unveiled the WWE 2K14 cover art featuring WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The official reveal, which took place during an episode of Monday Night Raw, showcased cover artwork designed in partnership with “The People’s Champion.” The cover art reflects The Rock’s physicality and signature in-ring pose. To further celebrate, 2K recently launched a consumer contest for the opportunity to create alternate cover artwork to be included with WWE 2K14 retail copies. “I am exceptionally grateful to be chosen for the cover of WWE 2K14 and serve as the first cover Superstar under 2K’s leadership,” said The Rock.

Square Enix has released a new Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII trailer dubbed “The Divine Task”. The latest video reveals more about the game’s story, including the appearance of supporting character Hope. Lightning Returns was revealed at the Final Fantasy 25th anniversary event in 2012 and is billed as the last entry in the “Lightning saga”. The Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII’s release date has been confirmed as February 11, 2014 in North America and February 14 Europe on Xbox 360 and PS3. You can enjoy the trailer, here.

Train2Game News: Xbox360 Ultimate Game Sale!

Xbox 360Train2Game students with an Xbox360 will be happy to hear that they have a great game sale this month!

On Xbox360 today you can pick up Borderlands 2, Assassin’s Creed 3, Far Cry 3 and Max Payne 3 for just £8.99 each which is incredible value for some of the last years biggest games. There’s a range of offers which last all week too including Bulletstorm, Crysis and the first Mass Effect.

Some of the games offered over the week are as follows:

  • Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway – £4.49
  • Far Cry Instincts: Predator – £4.49
  • Crysis – £4.49
  • Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 – £4.49
  • WWE 13 – £13.99
  • Mass Effect – £4.49
  • Prey – £2.69
  • Bulletstorm – £4.49
  • Dragon Age: Origins – £4.49
  • Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga – £14.99

This month will also see a new free game offered by Microsoft in there lead up to the launch of the Xbox One. If you are an Xbox Gold member, you can pick up XBLA tower defence game, Defence Grid: The Awakening for free instead of its normal 800msp price tag, saving yourself £6.80.

The game will be available until July 15 when a different game will be free to download.

Offers will change every day in the sale over the next week so make sure you keep checking back to see what is on offer, you could pick up that game you’ve been wanting for a low, low price.