Category Archives: Microsoft

Train2Game News: GallantCloud Blog – Week 11

Posted on by

Gallant Cloud Train2Game – GallantCloud Blog
By Richard Hoffman

Microsoft Accelerator
Week 11

This week we had another good Pitching doctor session to refine our pitch for the demo day. With a few weeks left for the Demo day it is just hard to believe that the time in the Microsoft Accelerator program is almost up and amazing how much progress we are making every week with our game. Everyone we show our game seems to be quite excited and there is always more suggestions and positive feedback to expand the game itself.

I am still studying monetization strategies in games and got stuck in Candy Crush Level 23 for a few days. It is just me or does it seem that the same level is becoming easier over time? Interesting game mechanics for sure! I also start playing League of Legends and Clash Of Clans as they are other successful game it seems.

Clash of Clans reminds me a bit of the Browser game Travian I played around 7 years ago. It just shows that most games are not original really, but have better artwork than another game in the past and are now available on mobile devices.

We came up with some ideas how to implement a few strategies to our game. It is all coming together.

One highlight was the UX (User Experience) Workshop where we learnt more about retention and analytics in general which can also be applied to games. This is very important and useful for our game for sure.

On the business side we are finalizing our Business Plan at the moment and adding the financial figures. Not very exciting stuff compared to creating a game.

It is a lot of work to complete all the tasks and aspects of a game studio and to keep all team members in the loop.

Finally we had a great creative brainstorming session with our mentor again. It is really great to see how he enjoys playing our game and giving positive and constructive feedback to make our game better.

It is unbelievable how much value a mentor and advisers bring to the table and accelerate learning and how to apply it.

That’s all for now. Will keep you up to date about the next weeks.

Train2Game News: Xbox One SmartGlass app available now

Posted on by

Xbox One SmartGlassThe release of Xbox One is nearly upon us but before Xbox One arrives on Nov. 22, you can download the Xbox One SmartGlass app today.

The Xbox One Smartglass App is separate from the Xbox360 app that you may currently own on your smartdevice. You may remember from the Xbox One launch announcement that Microsoft are planning on making this app a lot more integral to your console experience.

Of course you may wonder what the point to getting the app would be before the console is even released. Until the console is released you may want to try these three things to wet your appetite for the next generation console:

  • Search for the perfect game. Don’t waste any time – search for new Xbox One games so you can jump right in when your console is ready. Xbox One SmartGlass also lets you view information such as game details, achievements and challenges so you’re ready to get going with your favorite games. You can even check out the Game DVR clips already uploaded by the community!
  • Keep up with friends. Connect with friends and the Xbox Live community even before you finish setting up your console. Use the app to see what your friends have been up to, check out their latest achievements, or read your messages while you’re waiting.
  • Personalize your dashboard. Pin your favorite games and apps to the Home screen so you jump into your favorite activities right when you finish setting up your console and log into Xbox Live.

Connecting Xbox One SmartGlass to your Xbox One is easy. Just use the same wireless network on your Xbox One SmartGlass-enabled device as your Xbox One and open the app to automatically connect to your console. Once synced, you can use Xbox One SmartGlass to fly through your console set-up by using gestures to navigate and your device’s keyboard to log in to Xbox Live.

Additionally, Microsoft have partnered with developers to deliver some amazing experiences for movies, games and apps available on day one and beyond worldwide. These include Star Trek Into Darkness, Fast & Furious 6, Dead Rising 3, Just Dance 2014, Battlefield 4, Internet Explorer and Machinima.

The Xbox One SmartGlass app is available for download now on all iOS, Android and Windows 8 smart devices.

Train2Game News: Call of Duty: Ghosts for £9.99

Posted on by

Call of Duty GhostsIf you are a Call of Duty: Ghosts fan who is upgrading to one of the next gen consoles then good news! You don’t have to buy the game again at full price.

Activision have made it nice and simple for you to get your current generation copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts on the next generation console. For just £9.99 you can download the next generation version straight to your console. This offer obviously only applies to people who already own the game on Xbox360 or PS3.

You will even get to keep hold of your season pass and gamer profile so you won’t lose all the hard work you have put in to the game already and you will still be able to get all the future DLC that will come out for the game.

To upgrade your game from Xbox360 to Xbox One it can be done through Xbox Live. To upgrade from PS3 to PS4 there is a unique code with the game you will be able to use.

If you have held out on getting the game with your next generation console it will be available for £64.99 from selected retailers.

The Xbox One is out this Friday for £430 and the PlayStation 4 is out 29 November for £349.

Train2Game News: Kinect 2 Camera cover

Posted on by

Kinect coverInterWorks Unlimited, leading multi-platform gaming accessory developer, today announced the InterWorks Unlimited Xbox One Privacy Cover accessory for the Kinect 2.

The designer’s first peripheral in a line up for Xbox One, the InterWorks Unlimited Xbox One Privacy Cover features a sturdy design that installs around the embodiment of the Kinect 2 Camera providing a lens cover for quick access to motion gaming or privacy protection whenever you need it.

Throughout the development of the InterWorks Unlimited Xbox One Privacy Cover, InterWorks Unlimited engineers worked closely with Microsoft specifications to ensure 100% compatibility with the Kinect 2. The result is a fine crafted accessory that does not hinder your Kinect 2 operation, but instead enhances it. Using the exclusive lens cover technology, the InterWorks Unlimited Xbox One Privacy Cover puts the user in control, giving the gamer the power to change from motion control gaming to private use and back with the swipe of your finger. Definitely easier than unplugging the Kinect power cable everyday.

In addition to privacy protection, the InterWorks Unlimited Xbox One Privacy Cover also provides protection for your Kinect 2. With the high cost of new consoles, one can never be too careful with protecting that investment. The InterWorks Unlimited Xbox One Privacy Cover provides needed protection from dust, fingerprints, and scratches.

The InterWorks Unlimited Xbox One Privacy Cover is available now at select National Retailers and online outlets, with an MSRP of $19.99. Gamers who want to get the product early, well before the console launch, Order on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Privacy-Cover-XBOX-ONE/dp/B00GK3CL26

Train2Game News: Xbox One Launch Apps

Posted on by

Xbox OneMicrosoft have announced the apps that will be available for Gold subcribers from Xbox One’s launch.

This first wave of third-party apps will be joined by Microsoft’s Xbox Fitness, Xbox Video, Xbox Music, Internet Explorer, Skype, SkyDrive and Upload services on the Xbox One release date of November 22, 2013.

The list of apps for the United Kingdom are as follows:

4oD
Amazon\LOVEFiLM
blinkbox
Crackle
Demand 5
Eurosport
Machinima
MUZU TV
Netflix
NOW TV
TED
Twitch
Wuaki.tv

There are a few differences in the launch apps for different countries.

This will of course be along side the many Windows 8 apps that are becoming more and more available.

Train2Game News: Have you won a free Xbox One?

Posted on by

Xbox OneYou may have won a free Xbox One from Microsoft if you have been a loyal Xbox Live customer. Start checking your emails!

Some users have also been gifted the fully unlocked version of launch title, Killer Instinct. The email states that the recipient will get a version of the game with all characters unlocked from the off. Further instructions will follow on the 22nd, the day of Xbox One’s launch.

This offer has been confirmed as legitimate by Microsoft through their official Xbox twitter account.

Gamers with and without the email have been comparing Xbox Live stats to try and determine Microsoft’s methods for choosing recipients. Some have the Xbox One Pre-order Achievement – but others don’t. Some have been beta testers – others have not. Some have nearly a decade of Xbox Live under their belt – others don’t and some have over 75,000 gamer score – others have around 15,000.

“We don’t have any specifics on that other than that some users have received a gift,” a representative wrote. “We considered a variety of things like Gamerscore, Live tenure and other factors in markets where Xbox One is available.”

Train2Game News: Unity free for Xbox One Developers

Posted on by

Xbox OneMicrosoft has partnered with the maker of the popular Unity kit to secure free access for all ID@Xbox members to the Xbox One add-on, which is planned for launch next year.

Announced at Gamescom earlier this year, ID@Xbox will allow independent developers to self-publish on Xbox One without fees. Registered users will not be required to pay certification or title update fees, though currently developers “with a proven track record” are being prioritised for registration. Microsoft also said in July that every Xbox One console can be used as a development kit, though the functionality will not be available from launch.

“When released in 2014, the Xbox One add-on for Unity will be available at no cost to all developers in the ID@Xbox program, as will special Xbox One-only Unity Pro seat licenses for Xbox One developers in the ID@Xbox program,” confirmed Microsoft’s ID@Xbox director Chris Charla.

“We want to make sure the dev who’s working away in Omaha, or Coventry, or Chiba will have the same shot to realize their vision on Xbox One as one of my developer friends we hang out with in Seattle or at a trade show like GDC or Gamescom.

“The Unity add-on for Xbox One supports every element of Xbox One, from Kinect to SmartGlass to the impulse triggers of the new controller,” Charla added. “Using Unity, developers will be able to take advantage of all aspects of Xbox One, which is rad. More importantly, Unity is available for Windows and Windows Phone too (and yes, the add-on is available at no cost to developers for Windows Phone and Windows 8 store games). So from one base game, developers can ship their games across all Microsoft platforms.”

Unity Technologies CEO David Helgason has said that while the dev kit will support high-end features that will make use of Xbox One’s additional power, its established toolset will simplify deployment for familiar developers.

Train2Game News: A Gallant Journey Part 3

Posted on by

WP_20131027_023GallantCloud’s Wayne Campbell discusses the team’s current project A Knights Tail and the bustling UK development scene.

Hi everyone this is Wayne from Gallant Cloud at the helm of this week’s blog and what an awesome week it has been for the team! We started this week’s project entitled A Knights Tail.

So far building this project has been amazing since we as a team are loving every part of the process. It’s hard work for sure, but we all love what we are doing and we are also meeting some really influential people in the gaming industry and beyond.

We are all absorbing things really fast and as we are halfway through the Microsoft Ventures UK accelerator, this is where we all turn things up even more! We assigned our individual tasks through the new system to keep track so that everyone is up to speed on their task. We have the daily scrum to make sure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet which has been working brilliantly so far. Everyone has been supportive of one another and pushed each other to achieve their best.

We are all very excited about the things we are doing and planning on doing the future and are very fortunate to be right in in the middle of the melting pot of the game developing world. Earlier this week several of the team members went to the Bossa event, where they were showing off some incredible new things that were happening with the Oculus Rift and it was brilliant to meet some really passionate people.

That is one of the greatest points about being in tech city. There are so many incredible events going on all of the time and so many great people. We have found that joining the community has been like becoming part of the family. All I can say in the words of Ben Cooper: it’s “absolutely awesome.”

We all came from different backgrounds and put together simply with the same vision to make absolutely mega games. I come from South London where it can be kind of tough if you don’t have any direction or will power. I personally would like to make some kind of difference in my community and show that anything is possible if you work hard enough for it.

This weeks event highlights: we had another great session around funding and giving us more direction on where to focus our attention for the business side of the company. There was also a session with the incredible Ben Nunney from Twilio on telling a coherent brand story. We attended a user experience workshop within Central working and had a pitching practice session to get a feel of what to expect later this year. We then had a meeting with Professor Bernie Good, a Cyber-psychologist. It is always a pleasure to talk to her and she has some incredible knowledge and views on video games and their gamers.

This week we also had our monthly start-up meeting. This was a brilliant chance for all of the start-ups on the program to give feedback on how they feel the accelerator has been so far. The Microsoft Ventures UK team really have been brilliant in helping each of the teams realise their full potential and constantly work hard to give our businesses the best chance possible.

Thanks for reading guys and don’t forget to check us out on our website, Facebook and Twitter and obviously our blog each week for new updates on what we are doing!

One love, Wayne

Train2Game News: A Gallant Journey Part 2

Posted on by

WP_20131027_029GallantCloud’s Paul Rayment discusses how the early stages of the Microsoft Ventures UK Accelerator Programme have gone so far.

GallantCloud, the team of five Train2Game students merged together to create a new and upcoming games studio, are now on Week 4 of the Microsoft Ventures UK Accelerator Programme.

With our mentors onboard, ranging from members of existing high profiled games studios, Microsoft resources, and many others lending their expertise, GallantCloud now have a vast quantity of resources to make use of.

The team and mentors have worked hard and have created a game development curriculum that is unique to GallantCloud and will work alongside the overall curriculum that all Microsoft Ventures UK Accelerator teams are working to.

The GallantCloud curriculum is very geared towards making the most of the teams time in getting ideas out there and filtering those ideas to a smaller number which the team will develop further. To accomplish this we are using a physical whiteboard for those in the office, and then everything is transferred to the digital whiteboard for future analysis.

Everyone on the UK Accelorator Programme has just been really helpful as well as informative. GallantCloud have been granted access to hardware and software that wouldn’t have been possible going it alone. Great things were happening, but now they are happening with greater tools for the job.

Of course it isn’t all work (well it is, but it’s fun!), the Eurogamer Expo that took place in London Earl’s Court was a fantastic opportunity not to be missed.

Being that GallantCloud were all Train2Game students, at the allotted time we took our positions within the GamesIndustry/fair section of Eurogamer in the Train2Game room to talk of our experiences whilst on the Accelerator Programme to train2game students. Day two also saw GallantCloud standing up front talking again. After a great overview of the UK accelerator programme a thunderous applause erupted!

Eurogamer was a great experience and we certainly had fun and took away a lot from it (not just the free loot and photos with cosplayers!). GallantCloud managed to take part in the mass energy and excitement that buzzed throughout the building, gathering ideas and intel on ways to create, present and expand on everything there is to do with getting a game created from the simplest to the complex of ideas.

Technological advances such as eye tracking systems to drive cars with your eyes only (or slice fruits in Fruit Ninja!) were brilliant to witness and experience each piece of innovative technology adding to the way we think about our game ideas.

We invited our followers to join us in our Eurogamer experience, with a constant stream of pictures and updates to our Facebook and Twitter, and received loads of new support and great feedback!

We have achieved a lot and have so much more ahead of us to accomplish. We continue to move forward, each step a discovery.

If someone were to ask us how we feel things are going with the UK Accelerator Programme, things are going incredibly well. There is something happening every day, whether it be a talk from an external party coming in to give insight in to how they got started with their product, or a quick chat with a mentor, a meeting with Microsoft to give updates on our milestones, or actually getting some games created, there is always productivity taking place.

 

Train2Game News: A Gallant journey Part 1

Posted on by

Gallant CloudThe GallantCloud Games team chronicles their journey through the Microsoft Venture accelerator

Hello ladies and gents and welcome to GallantCloud Games!

We are a brand new start-up game company and are in the privileged position of working with the Microsoft Ventures UK team on their accelerator pilot.

The team is made up of five guys who have wanted to make games since getting their podgy little fingers on their first Gameboy, console or computer. We are all Train2Game students, working to create beautiful little games from the safety of our bedrooms and garages when we escape work (or the kids).

We entered a competition that popped up one day on the Train2Game student world, and after phone calls, meeting and deliberations we, the lucky few, were put together.

We then had a bit of a mountain to climb. We needed a name and with a name a logo.

This proved to be harder than anticipated, with all five members contributing to create a very unhelpful list of a hundred names, all of which weren’t quite perfect.

After many late night Skype calls and much cursing we had it! Now… just to create a logo.

So there we were on September 9th. Five chaps who hadn’t met as a team before got together at Central Working to meet the other brilliant teams who had a place on the Microsoft Ventures UK pilot scheme.

After the initial meetup and layout the hard work began. We jumped in at the deep end, having to pitch a so far non-existent game to a panel of industry professionals in just two days time.

After a shaky start and some incredible training from the Microsoft team and its partners, we managed to pull off a pitch. The rest of the evening involved chatting and sharing a drink with some great people about our new company and how we should go about forming what we are doing.

Following some great advice, we organised a game jam for our team. Held at Central Working and with the theme of sound, we took over several desks for 24 hours and went about creating our game ‘Monster Night’, finding out how well we worked together as a team and learning where each others strengths and weaknesses lay.

The next week brought some more excellent training and more ideas of how to structure the company and made us think about what we want to deliver to our customers. It also brought some new ideas for potential games that the team felt passionate about and that we put in the ‘to do’ design pile.

We were also invited to take part in the Develop Quiz. Aside from from the dodgy ‘reversed songs’ round It was an absolutely brilliant night and GallantCloud went head to head with some extremely talented game developer teams, with some brilliant stories shared and yet more great advice for the team! We decided not to show all of the other teams up and positioned ourselves a sly third from the bottom on the scoreboard…

We managed to get some more design and concepts done throughout the rest of the week, even managing to create a rough prototype of one of the games, sparking ideas for how it will work and what type of things we could add to make it AWESOME.

The first two weeks have been incredible for the team and we have an exciting time ahead of us. We would love for you to follow our journey through our blogs!