Category Archives: mobile

Train2Game News Pac-Man 256

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Famed publisher and developer BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe today announced its latest project: PAC-MAN 256!

Developed by Hipster Whale (Crossy Road) and BANDAI NAMCO Studios Vancouver, this free-to-play game will be available for smartphones and tablets in summer 2015.

PAC-MAN 256 allows players to enjoy a brand new genre of PAC-MAN games; the iconic character created by NAMCO in 1980 will star in an endless maze chased by the infamous “256 Glitch”! Hipster Whale and BANDAI NAMCO Studios Vancouver have perfectly recaptured creator Iwatani Toru’s original PAC-MAN universe for a modern day mobile experience. Players can expect to encounter plenty of Pac-Dots, Power Pellets, and the notorious ghost ensemble: Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. PAC-MAN 256 will also feature coins, power-ups and more to spice-up the thrilling pursuit.

“The gaming industry keeps on growing massively on a daily basis and we, at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe, are proud to be pioneers of this with some of the biggest licenses out there! This year, we are celebrating PAC-MAN’s 35th Anniversary and we couldn’t miss such an opportunity: we decided to create a brand new exciting game with Hipster Whale and BANDAI NAMCO Studios Vancouver. This results in a stirring game based on some elements that made history. Join us in celebrating PAC-MAN’s anniversary!” said Tatsuya Kubota, Head of Mobile & Web Gaming at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S.

“We are thrilled to be working with the creators of the huge hit Crossy Road in creating a new PAC-MAN game for his 35th Anniversary. We’re already seeing incredibly strong, hooking gameplay in the early prototypes, and cannot wait to share this experience with everyone!” said Daisuke Hattori, Project Manager of PAC-MAN 256 at BANDAI NAMCO Studios Vancouver Inc.

Hipster Whale Director, Matthew Hall, who was just five years old when PAC-MAN™ was born, shared his enthusiasm about Hipster Whale collaborating with BANDAI NAMCO on PAC-MAN 256.  “Playing PAC-MAN in a seaside arcade in 1980 is one of my earliest memories. It is an incredible honor to be able to contribute to one of the most iconic video game franchises in history.  Our game, PAC-MAN 256, takes the infamous ‘glitch’ level of PAC-MAN and builds upon this to become a unique game that retains the retro spirit of the original.”

Train2Game News Open Gaming Alliance shows industry boom

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The games market has exploded in the past seven years. In 2009 mobile games barely made a dent in the overall games market. Today mobile is one of the fastest growing segment.

Advances in the graphics quality and player engagement have opened up mobile to a growing mid-core audience. The PC is experiencing renewed growth thanks to expansion of the overall player base that includes a wider demographic and broader geographic reach. In the future, new growth will also be supported by emerging opportunities in virtual reality/augmented reality and eSports. Ultimately, today’s games cross an array of platforms that includes mobile, PC and consoles.

The latest data from the Open Gaming Alliance shows the total global games market for 2015 is estimated at $76 billion and is expected to reach over $100 billion by 2019. While all segments will see growth over the next four years, mobile and PC gaming will continue to grow significantly. The mobile games market is projected to reach $35 billion by 2019, while the PC games market is estimated to reach $36 billion.

This growth has proved to be the backdrop for major shifts in game development itself. Once accessible to only a handful of companies, game development is no longer dependent on large team with multi-million dollar budgets. Game development has expanded to include an increasingly wide range of companies – from the small studios to the medium and large studios.

A snapshot of these studios shows that 20% have over twenty-five people and currently make up the bulk of overall revenue, as outlined in research from  M2 Research. These mid-to-large studios are looking for time-saving techniques and easy deployment options across multiple platforms. Start-ups and smaller studios have generally been in business less than eighteen months but make up 62% of all game studios. These companies need support and access to solutions and tools.

This shift in development has been in large part due to accessible tools. Unity has become an important tool set for independent developers and larger publishers alike who are looking for a flexible game engine, deep toolkit and an active developer community.

Game development has quickly moved into a new phase of expansion as platform vendors such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Sony look to expand their individual ecosystems. As a result developers must innovate for each platform and build games that take advantage of each platform’s strengths while maintaining a broad multi-platform strategy.

Competition to reach consumers has never been more prevalent and developers must work harder to find creative and innovative techniques that grab the consumer’s attention. Discovery is imperative as crowded platforms require developers to continue to iterate and innovate. At the same time challenges continue as developers must effectively monetize games through a multi-platforms strategy.

The growing interest in virtual reality and augmented reality will have an instrumental impact on the industry over the next twelve to twenty-four months as the first hardware solutions launch and the first commercial immersive content appears. Virtual reality and immersive experiences provide developers with additional opportunities that extend beyond games into immersive entertainment, education, training, medical and communication applications.

Tomorrow’s games and interactive experiences will expand the markets well beyond today’s confined definitions. The entertainment and digital experiences of the future will be fostered by with a mix of innovation, imagination and inspiration.

Train2Game News FunPlus Group PublishingPlus

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PublishingPlusThe FunPlus Group, a worldwide mobile social gaming company, today announced the creation of PublishingPlus, a revolutionary new mobile game publishing program that will provide game developers with a simple, transparent alternative to “traditional” publishing. PublishingPlus is now open for all free-to-play developers to apply, regardless of team size or location.

Before joining FunPlus as Head of Business Development, Greg Essig managed the games section of the App Store at Apple, where he liaised with numerous game publishers and developers. Prior to Apple, Essig helped create the gaming division for Creative Artists Agency (CAA) where he led numerous development and publishing arrangements. These roles helped shape his understanding of the mobile games marketplace and how PublishingPlus can make it better for developers.

Drawing from FunPlus’ expertise as a global leader in the free-to-play mobile industry, and strong local presence in major marketplaces worldwide, PublishingPlus will provide independent development partners with a wide range of financial and operational support in addition to expert guidance throughout all stages of their games’ lifecycles. Through a structured tier-based system, the program will give developers clearly defined, pre-negotiated milestones and deliverables to ensure concrete expectations for both parties with significantly mitigated risk.

The PublishingPlus program is based on four differentiating tenets:

100% upfront financial support from concept to launch
A 50/50 net revenue split between FunPlus and developers
Global marketing and operations support on iOS and Android
Developers’ continued ownership of their IP

“PublishingPlus is a major step into the future of mobile game publishing,” said FunPlus Co-founder and CEO Andy Zhong. “The current market has let too many great games fall by the wayside due to uncertainty. By eliminating that confusion and offering FunPlus’ wealth of experience and resources, we hope to change this trend so that talented developers have a chance to shine.”

The PublishingPlus website is live and officially accepting applications as of today, May 11. In its transparency, FunPlus includes an easily accessible term sheet for interested developers.

“PublishingPus is a mobile publishing design for the modern mobile market,” said Essig, “With our structured program, developers can focus on making great games, without the headaches that come with negotiating for the resources needed to get there.”

FunPlus gives developers unparalleled support in the mobile free-to-play games space. This includes project financing, art guidance, engineering and tech assistance, design, analytics, localization, monetization, marketing and live operations services.

“As a developer, choosing a publisher is critical to the success of our project, and of our company, and it can be downright scary,” said Octact Co-founder and COO Paul Chieffo. “FunPlus made it easy. Their team has given us the resources to succeed and stands behind us every step of the way. PublishingPlus will make the marketplace more approachable for indie developers everywhere.”

Game developers interested in applying are free to submit their ideas for consideration at any stage of development. PublishingPlus will consider applications as early as paper documents or as far along as geo-beta. Financing begins immediately and support continues for each successful tier and milestone met.

For more information about PublishingPlus, please visit: http://publishingplus.funplus.com

Train2Game News gameit making adverts fun

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gameit, the free mobile trivia app that rewards consumers with prizes and shopping deals for engaging with brands, today announced it has a successfully closed $1.6 million seed funding round from a number of private angel investors along with DAK Capital. 

The news comes on the heels of the app’s official launch as one of the only platforms to increase mobile ad engagement, and provide even more opportunities for consumers to win amazing prizes and shop for one-of-a-kind deals from top brands like Kate Spade, Lululemon, Nikon and Sephora. In its beta launch alone, gameit has already exceeded 380K games played and hundreds of prizes shipped. The funding will be used for customer acquisition, research and development, continued growth and additional brand relationships.

“72 percent of Americans ignore ads completely, yet companies continue to spend billions on advertising each year to try and reach them. By gamifying mobile advertising, gameit is changing this paradigm,” said Bryce Johnson, CEO of gameit. “gameit creates a true value exchange between advertisers and their audiences – incentivizing consumers to engage with brands, while driving a higher level of brand knowledge and retention. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

gameit makes advertising a part of the mobile gaming experience, rather than an interruption, by building trivia games around branded videos and giving consumers a chance to win the featured product. Players are provided with 5,000 free coins from gameit to start, which they can use to gain access to specific games and prizes. With every correct answer, users earn more in-app coins. The top scorer in each game wins the product for free, but everyone who plays gains access to a deal on the item – ranging from 10 to 65 percent off, depending on how well they do in the game. Players can also “steal” the top spot from their competitors, using their coins to play additional games and capture the win. Thanks to gameit’s new built-in m-commerce capabilities, consumers can make their purchase from directly within the app.

Future updates to the app will include new game formats with increased social engagement to encourage team play among friends, and enhanced tracking capabilities for brands to measure ROI through consumer engagement and retention.

gameit is available now on both iOS and Android for free. To learn more, visit www.gameit.us

Train2Game News Planet of the apps

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Fresh-faced technology show Planet of the Apps, produced by international broadcaster Ginx TV, returns this April for an exclusive season packed with the latest trends for mobile devices and gadgets.

Hosted by technology journalists David McClelland (BBC Rip Off Britain, ITV Good Morning Britain, Computer Weekly), Lucy Hedges (London Live, Rinse FM, Stuff) and presenter Adam Savage (ITN, The First Hour), Planet of the Apps is the essential urban guide to all things mobile, lifting the lid on how smartphones and tablets, apps and accessories are revolutionising our daily lives. Each week the Planet of the Apps team takes a burning tech topic, gets hands-on with the hottest in gaming technology and gadgets, and hears from leading industry experts.

Made by mobile and gadget aficionados for the tech geeks, the brand new season sees the team explore whether the smartphone is killing gaming consoles, marvel at the rise of mobile virtual reality and test out whether wearable tech really can help keep us fit.

Technology and games featuring in this series include the 3DS XL, Sony Xperia Z3 and the PS4 Remote Play, GoPro Hero 4 Black, Google Glasses, Oculus Rift, Hololens, HTC Vive, Galaxy VR and Parrot BeBop drone. Key names in the new series include Dr Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE, and Andy Milnes.

Executive Producer of Planet of the Apps, James Neal said: “Season 4 will see Lucy, David and Adam investigate how the ubiquitous world of mobile tech is influencing mainstream culture. They will be championing the huge growth in crowdsourced projects and the people behind them. Mobile tech is now, quite literally, in the hands of the people and Planet of the Apps will be right there with them.”

The brand new series starts From Tuesday April 21st, 19:00, available  on Virgin Media Channel 286 in the UK and worlwide on Ginx Tv.

Train2Game News Mobile MOBA Beta

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Allstar Games, a leading mobile publisher, has today announced forthcoming mobile MOBA, Allstar Heroes, has now entered closed Beta in the UK.

The Closed Beta, which is currently only available to those with Android devices, will be playable from 26th March to 14th April. To get in on the mobile MOBA madness, head over to the Play Store and download the game now at: http://bit.ly/UKBetaTest

Allstar Heroes brings the complete MOBA experience to mobile devices, smashing together the strategy synonymous with the genre with the fast, fun, pick-up-and-play nature of traditional mobile titles.

“The arrival of the Closed Beta marks an incredibly important and exciting time for everyone here at Allstar Games” said Bea Wang, Vice President at Allstar Games. “We’ve poured our heart into making the game as fun as possible, and I hope everyone enjoys their time with it.”

To celebrate the launch of the Closed Beta, players can now register at the following link to earn in game rewards: http://www.allstarheroes.eu/special/UKBetaTestEvent/

Train2Game News PEGI rating comes to mobile

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PEGI announced today the expansion of its rating system to mobile and digital storefronts in Europe, as part of a global initiative with other classification authorities from around the world.

The International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) was recently established to streamline the process for assigning age and content ratings to the high volume of digitally delivered games and mobile apps coming into the market today. The IARC.system is currently adopted for use in Google Play and Firefox Marketplace, and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Store, Nintendo eShop and the Sony PlayStation Store are expected to do so at a later date. 

Founded in late 2013, the IARC system represents the first time international ratings organisations have joined forces to agree on a unified process that simultaneously generates ratings for multiple territories while preserving each of their distinct cultural standards. Currently, the IARC process assigns the familiar and trusted content rating icons from PEGI (Europe), ESRB (North America), ClassInd (Brazil), USK (Germany) and the Classification Board in Australia, with more rating authorities expected to join in the future. All publishers on the participating platforms will be required to use the IARC procedure during the on-boarding process. There is no cost to publishers to obtain ratings via IARC and the process is designed to be fast and easy.

“I really applaud this responsible move”, says Robert Madelin, Director General of DG CONNECT, European Commission. “Age-rating apps in a way that is generally applicable, transparent, and consistent and that is familiar and understandable to users is an important step in making the internet a better place for children.”

“The market for digital games and mobile apps is exploding across the globe.  With a single click, developers can publish their games and apps on digital storefronts reaching a worldwide audience. These realities have created regulatory and cultural challenges that call for an innovative solution like IARC to help developers and storefronts provide consumers with culturally relevant, legally compliant and reliable guidance about the age appropriateness of the content in games and apps they may be considering for download,” said Dirk Bosmans, Communication Manager of PEGI S.A.. “It is encouraging that digital storefronts recognise the benefits of this groundbreaking initiative.”

The IARC system assigns age ratings, content descriptors and interactive elements for digitally delivered games and apps.  Developers can only access the system and use IARC ratings on digital storefronts that have licensed and integrated the system into their on-boarding process.  There is no cost for developers to use the system, which features a single questionnaire that once completed immediately assigns different ratings for various territories around the world.  Those IARC-certified ratings are then ingested by the storefront and mapped to their respective regions.  IARC and its participating rating authorities are responsible for monitoring and ensuring the accuracy of ratings assigned by the system. The fundamental goal is to enable digital consumers, especially parents, to have broad access to established, credible and locally relevant ratings for interactive entertainment products, regardless of the device on which they consume them. 

The initial five IARC rating authority participants, which collectively represent regions serving approximately 1.5 billion people, include:

    Pan European Game Information (PEGI) – Europe
    Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) – Germany
    Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) – North America
    Classificação Indicativa (ClassInd) – Brazil
    Classification Board – Australia

For more information about IARC, please visit www.globalratings.com

Train2Game News Nintendo partner with DeNa

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Nintendo Co., Ltd. and DeNA Co., Ltd. today entered into a business and capital alliance to develop and operate new game apps for smart devices and build a new multi-device membership service for consumers worldwide.

Leveraging the strength of Nintendo’s intellectual property (IP) and game development skills in combination with DeNA’s world-class expertise in mobile games, both companies will develop and operate new game apps based on Nintendo’s IP, including its iconic game characters, for smart devices. The alliance is intended to complement Nintendo’s dedicated video game systems business and extend Nintendo’s reach into the vast market of smart device users worldwide. Under the alliance, DeNA will also be able to strengthen its gaming business at a global scale by leveraging Nintendo’s IP. To ensure the quality of game experience that consumers expect from this alliance of Nintendo and DeNA, only new original games optimised for smart device functionality will be created, rather than porting games created specifically for the Wii U home console or the Nintendo 3DS portable system.

In order to create completely new game experiences for smart devices, all Nintendo IP will be eligible for development and exploration by the alliance. As these consumers enjoy the unique kind of gameplay found only with Nintendo, they will have the opportunity to explore even more premium experiences on Nintendo’s dedicated video game platforms. Information on upcoming games and availability will be forthcoming.

Nintendo and DeNA also plan to develop an online membership service that is accessible from smart devices, PC and Nintendo systems, such as the Nintendo 3DS portable system and the Wii U home console. The membership service, which is targeted to launch in the fall of 2015, will be built on DeNA’s extensive experience and capabilities in online membership services.

As part of the long-term relationship and commitment by each company, Nintendo and DeNA have also agreed to form a capital alliance. Under the capital alliance, Nintendo will acquire 15,081,000 of DeNA’s treasury shares, which corresponds to 10.00 percent of its total outstanding stock, for a total of approximately 22 billion yen. DeNA will simultaneously acquire 1,759,400 of Nintendo’s treasury shares, which corresponds to 1.24 percent of its outstanding stock, for a total of approximately 22 billion yen. The payment is due April 2, 2015.

Train2Game News Android PlaytestCloud

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Games usability testing startup PlaytestCloud will start offering playtests and usability studies for Android games today.

For just $49 per player game designers can quickly learn how real players behave in their games and fix problems even before the game is launched.

PlaytestCloud offers game designers the ability to easily perform user studies on Android devices within 48 hours. By looking at how actual players engage with games and making changes based on their feedback, designers can easily improve the playability of their in-development titles. PlaytestCloud’s quick turnaround time and relatively low price point allow companies like TinyCo, Wooga and ZeptoLab to quickly iterate on game designs and gauge players’ enthusiasm for their prototypes.

Until now, PlaytestCloud offered testing exclusively for iOS devices. Starting today they also added Android game testing to their platform. Game designers do not need to make code changes to their game. They can upload any recent game build to the PlaytestCloud web site to get player recordings within 24-48 hours. Designers can pick their target audience by age, gender and casual/midcore/hardcore gaming preference. They can also select players of competitors’ titles. Each game test costs US$49 per player. Testers play the games on their own Android device, while their screen is being unobstrusively captured by an SDK that is automatically added to the game.

“Android players are accustomed to different user interface conventions than users of iOS devices. You can really profit from testing an cross-platform game with Android users as well as iOS users.” says Christian Ress, who co-founded PlaytestCloud in 2012. With their Android support, PlaytestCloud also bets on the growing importance of Android titles for game studios’ bottom lines. In 2015 Google’s Play Store has surpassed the App Store’s monthly revenue in Germany for the first time.

Train2Game News Project BlueStreak using UE4

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During a panel at PAX East, Boss Key Productions, a new game development studio founded by industry veterans Cliff Bleszinski and Arjan Brussee, revealed to fans that Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4 will power the indie developer’s upcoming free-to-play, first-person shooter, currently known as “Project BlueStreak.”

“We considered several options regarding what technology we’d use to build ‘Project BlueStreak’. Ultimately, we found ourselves coming full circle to my friends at Epic Games and the elegant solution for rapid and quality game development that is Unreal Engine 4,” said Cliff Bleszinski, founder and CEO of Boss Key Productions. “We look forward to making a top-tier product through this partnership.”

“Project BlueStreak” is a free-to-play FPS grounded in a recovered apocalyptic sci-fi setting, to be published by Nexon America for future release on the PC. Fans can sign up for ‘first to know’ insider updates at bosskey.com. With a team comprised of experienced developers from across the videogame industry, Boss Key Productions aims to innovate the first-person-shooter genre. Pairing Unreal’s unique set of tools with Boss Key’s industry-leading talent, the studio is poised to create a new IP that redefines the DNA of the arena shooter.

“Cliff is intimately familiar with the Unreal Engine and he and Arjan have put together a highly talented team,” said Joe Kreiner, head of Unreal Engine licensing for the Americas, Epic Games. “With that level of experience and creativity, we’re expecting great things from ‘Project BlueStreak’ and we’re looking forward to playing it.”

“Project BlueStreak” joins an impressive lineup of games powered by Unreal Engine 4, including Street Fighter V, EVE: Valkyrie, Fable Legends and many others. Developed by Epic Games, the award-winning Unreal Engine is known for its cutting-edge graphics technology, world-class toolset and scalability across PC, console and mobile platforms.  Unreal Engine 4 has been evolving at a rapid pace, driven by feedback from the community and numerous updates from Epic’s team of world-class engineers. Best of all, Unreal Engine 4 is now free for anyone to download and begin working with today.