Category Archives: Parent

Train2Game News Age Ratings for Games and Netflix to be Improved

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Today the BBFC has launched an innovative new industry collaboration with Netflix to move towards classifying all content on the service using BBFC age ratings.

Netflix will produce BBFC age ratings for content using a manual tagging system along with an automated rating algorithm, with the BBFC taking up an auditing role. Netflix and the BBFC will work together to make sure Netflix’s classification process produces ratings which are consistent with the BBFC’s Classification Guidelines for the UK.

It comes as new research by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and the Video Standards Council Rating Board (VSC) has revealed that almost 80% of parents are concerned about children seeing inappropriate content on video on demand or online games platforms.

The BBFC and the VSC have joined forces to respond to calls from parents and are publishing a joint set of Best Practice Guidelines to help online services deliver what UK consumers want.

The Best Practice Guidelines will help online platforms work towards greater and more consistent use of trusted age ratings online. The move is supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as part of the Government’s strategy to make the UK the safest place to be online.

This includes recommending the use of consistent and more comprehensive use of BBFC age labelling symbols across all Video On Demand (VOD) services, and PEGI symbols across online games services, including additional ratings info and mapping parental controls to BBFC age ratings and PEGI ratings.

The voluntary Guidelines are aimed at VOD services offering video content to UK consumers via subscription, purchase and rental, but exclude pure catch-up TV services like iPlayer, ITV Hub, All4, My 5 and UKTV Player.

The research also shows that 90% of parents believe that it is important to display age ratings when downloading or streaming a film online, and 92% of parents think it’s important for video on demand platforms to show the same type of age ratings they would expect at the cinema or on DVD and Blu-ray – confirmed by 94% of parents saying it’s important to have consistent ratings across all video on demand platforms, rather than a variety of bespoke ratings systems.

With nine in 10 (94%) parents believing it is important to have consistent ratings across all online game platforms rather than a variety of bespoke systems, the VSC is encouraging services to join the likes of Microsoft, Sony PlayStation, Nintendo and Google in providing consumers with the nationally recognised PEGI ratings on games – bringing consistency between the offline and online worlds.

The Video Recordings Act requires that the majority of video works and video games released on physical media must be classified by the BBFC or the VSC prior to release. While there is no equivalent legal requirement that online releases must be classified, the BBFC has been working with VOD services since 2008, and the VSC has been working with online games platforms since 2003. The Best Practice Guidelines aim to build on the good work that is already happening, and both authorities are now calling for the online industry to work with them in 2019 and beyond to better protect children.

David Austin, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said: “Our research clearly shows a desire from the public to see the same trusted ratings they expect at the cinema, on DVD and on Blu-ray when they choose to watch material online. We know that it’s not just parents who want age ratings, teenagers want them too. We want to work with the industry to ensure that families are able to make the right decisions for them when watching content online.”

Ian Rice, Director General of the VSC, said: “We have always believed that consumers wanted a clear, consistent and readily recognisable rating system for online video games and this research has certainly confirmed that view. While the vast majority of online game providers are compliant and apply PEGI ratings to their product, it is clear that more can be done to help consumers make an informed purchasing decision. To this end, the best practice recommendations will certainly make a valuable contribution in achieving this aim.”

Digital Minister Margot James said: “Our ambition is for the UK to be the safest place to be online, which means having age ratings parents know and trust applied to all online films and video games. I welcome the innovative collaboration announced today by Netflix and the BBFC, but more needs to be done.

“It is important that more of the industry takes this opportunity for voluntary action, and I encourage all video on demand and games platforms to adopt the new best practice standards set out by the BBFC and Video Standards Council.”

The BBFC is looking at innovative ways to open up access to its classifications to ensure that more online video content goes live with a trusted age rating. Today the BBFC and Netflix announce a year-long self-ratings pilot which will see the online streaming service move towards in-house classification using BBFC age ratings, under licence.

Netflix will use an algorithm to apply BBFC Guideline standards to their own content, with the BBFC setting those standards and auditing ratings to ensure consistency. The goal is to work towards 100% coverage of BBFC age ratings across the platform.

Mike Hastings, Director of Editorial Creative at Netflix, said: “The BBFC is a trusted resource in the UK for providing classification information to parents and consumers and we are excited to expand our partnership with them. Our work with the BBFC allows us to ensure our members always press play on content that is right for them and their families.”

David Austin added: “We are fully committed to helping families chose content that is right for them, and this partnership with Netflix will help us in our goal to do just that. By partnering with the biggest streaming service, we hope that others will follow Netflix’s lead and provide comprehensive, trusted, well understood age ratings and ratings info, consistent with film and DVD, on their UK platforms. The partnership shows how the industry are working with us to find new and innovative ways to deliver 100% age ratings for families.”

Train2Game News Reducing Screen Time for Kids

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Newspaper journalist and father of three, Andy Robertson launches Taming Gaming book to help parents guide their child’s gaming towards health and wellbeing with unique “family gaming recipes”.

Taming Gaming is an unflinching look at the impact of gaming on family life. It compiles the latest research and advice from psychologists, industry experts, parents, schools and children’s charities.

Discover what really happens when a child plays a video game. Stop worrying about screen time and start guiding your child’s gaming activity from violence, expense and addiction, towards fulfilling, healthy, affordable experiences.

Andy was invited to create the book by crowdfunding publisher Unbound. The book project launches Friday 18th May and can be pre-ordered today as ebook (£10) or full colour hardback (early bird discount £20) via the campaign (https://unbound.com/books/taming-gaming/).

Beth Lewis, Commissioning Editor at Unbound, said, “Taming Gaming is an important and timely book. The gaming recipes offer parents an easy way to get involved in their child’s hobby and start guiding them towards healthy habits.”

Written with non-gaming parents in mind, the book helps you tame the games your child plays, by equipping you to make informed decisions, engage in this area of life and guide their gaming diet.

It’s packed with beautifully laid out tried and tested “family gaming recipes”. Each recipe shows you everything you need to know with jargon-free instructions that take the guesswork out of gaming together. Now parents who’d rather just lock it all away can access a broad diet of cutting edge games children will love, and help them navigate this unavoidable part of life.

“Parents are increasingly worried by what video games are doing to their children”, said author, Andy Robertson. “The NSPCC is warning of Fortnite child-predators, the American Psychological Association citing games as a risk factor for violent behaviour and the World Health Organisation is naming gaming disorder as a clinically significant syndrome.”

“I appreciate parents’ anxiety about this, but I’m also deeply grateful for what the skills and qualities that games have instilled in my children: curiosity, compassion, resilience, confidence, problem solving and patience.”

“I wrote Taming Gaming as a father wanting to air the real headaches of video games in the home, but also as a journalist offering parents an accessible way to solve this problem. The ‘family gaming recipes’ do this perfectly.”

Early responses about the book and recipes have been glowing from parents, industry and academics.

Ken Corish, Online Safety Director, UK Safer Internet Centre commented that “this book is a breath of fresh air in the current dialogue on children’s online gaming. It adds sophistication and insight to achieve the most rewarding gaming experiences rather than panic, fear and barriers. The recipes section for parents shapes each carefully chosen example to the needs and context of their child. Like all of the best cookbooks, the results keep you coming back for more.”

“I just feel alienated from the gaming world. Having advice and strategies in one place, and someone with ideas on how to make Fortnite and FIFA work for the whole family would be a godsend. The recipes are something that I’d actually try. Probably on my own to begin with.” Vanessa Pestridge, mum of two.

Andy Phippen, Professor of Children and Technology, University of Plymouth, “Having worked with gaming kids, education professional and parents over the years what is clear is that there is a lot of ill informed concern over gaming that can cause problems in the family dynamic. Clear, accessible and mature gaming advice like the recipes in this book, can make a tangible difference by equipping parents to play an active role in this crucial part of development.”

Professor Sonia Livingstone, OBE, Department of Media and Communications at LSE also commented on the gaming recipe idea. “Many parents feel anxious about digital technologies and are unsure where to get advice – their own parents are often less useful here than in other areas, for instance. Much of the advice on offer is commercially-motivated, or underestimates parents’ developing digital knowledge, or is frankly unrealistic about the everyday pressures of family life. So a new approach is definitely needed.”

Train2Game News The Walking Dead Michonne Game

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Today we can share release dates and all-new screens for the first of three episodes in  The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries will premiere its first of three episodes,  ‘In Too Deep,’ this February 23rd on PC/Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services, the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One® and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, followed by a release on compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon App Store starting February 25th.

The second episode in the miniseries,  ‘Give No Shelter,’ will follow in the month of March, and conclude with the third episode,  ‘What We Deserve,’ in April. All three episodes in the miniseries will be available for purchase at the cost of $14.99 USD or equivalent when the first episode debuts, including access to the second and third episodes as they become available.

In this premiere episode,  ‘In Too Deep,’ Michonne joins Pete and his crew on the sailing ship  The Companion as they cruise the coast for survivors and supplies. When a desperate signal for help draws them to a scene of horrific massacre, Michonne and the crew are lead further to the floating survivors’ colony of Monroe, which may just be harboring the person responsible for the carnage.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries stars the iconic, blade-wielding character from Robert Kirkman’s best-selling comic books, portrayed in-game by award-winning actress  Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black). Haunted by her past, and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne’s absence between issues #126 and #139 of the comic book. Over the three episodes of the miniseries, players will discover what took Michonne away from Rick, Ezekiel, and the rest of her trusted group… and what brought her back.

Ahead of its release, fans are invited to get an exclusive extended preview of the first episode of the series on  Youtube.com/TelltaleGames this Sunday February 14th at 8:30pm EST / 5:30pm PST. The development team will introduce the series allowing fans to experience the first five minutes of the premiere episode, exploring Michonne’s struggle to remain among the living while being haunted by her past.

To date,  The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series has sold  more than  50 million episodes worldwide, earning  more than 100 Game of the Year awards from outlets including  Metacritic, USA Today, Wired, Spike TV VGAs, Yahoo!, The Telegraph, Mashable, Polygon, Destructoid and GamesRadar, and was also the recipient of two  BAFTA Video Games Awards for  Best Story and Best Mobile Game.

The Walking Dead is set in the world of Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series and offers an emotionally-charged, tailored game experience where a player’s actions and choices affect how their story plays out across the entire series.

The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries Episode 1 – ‘In Too Deep’ is rated ‘M’ (Mature) for Intense Violence, Blood & Gore, Sexual Themes, and Strong Language by the ESRB.

Train2Game News Interview with resident Iron Man

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In recent weeks Train2Game has been documenting Sheldon Gilman’s pursuit to create the ultimate Iron Man suit.

He’s working on a collection of costumes and hopes to create a pair of Iron Man costumes for next year’s MCM Expo.

This week Train2Game caught up with Sheldon to hear more about the man inside the costume, including his professional and personal ambitions. 

Please tell us about yourself?
“My name is Sheldon Gilman, I am 35 and currently live in a small village called Redbourn in Hertfordshire with my wife and one year old daughter. I was originally born in Jamaica and moved to England with my parents when I was six months old. We lived in south London till I was seven then moved to Luton and now I live in Redbourn with my Wife and daughter.”

“I should also mention it was my very patient, loving and understanding wife who initially got me interested in cosplay and is constantly having to dodge Iron Man parts and tools that are all over the living room.” 

What cosplay does your wife enjoy, do you have photos of you both in cosplay?
I haven’t quite convinced Parveen to dress up yet but that’s soon to change as she’s told me she “MAY” consider dressing as Pocahontas next May. 

What is your regular job?
“I work in the IT department at Aldwyck Housing Group. A housing association.”

How much does the suit cost to create?
“Well I’ve never kept an accurate tally of how much it cost but my last suit was in the region of £200. This current suit, so far has cost me around £400 – £450 and there’s still more things I need to buy like electronics components and paint. However, when it’s completed, I expect it to have cost me £700 – £800.”

Would you ever sell a suit and if so, how much would one cost to buy?
“I definitely would sell my suits. I’d sell them in whole or in part (i.e. just the helmet) Prices would depend on detail. For a raw suit in foam, no paint, animatronics or electronics I’d say around £600 for a fibreglass suit all painted with full animatronics and electronics £1500.”

When will your latest suit be finished?
“I have set my finish date for May next year because I want both the Iron man Mk 20 and the War Machine to be completed for the MCM Expo in London where myself and a few others visit twice a year.”

Do you have a photo in the suit you at MCM Expo last year?
“I attached a pic of me with Rob Ledsom at MCM a few years back. I have to admit I haven’t worn this suit to MCM Expo time. I have also attached a pic of me in my Assassins Creed/ Jango Fett mash-up Costume.”

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What does your daughter understand of what you are doing?
“My Daughter Inara is very curious little monkey and likes to be involved in whatever everyone else is doing. My friends at Armour up have made her first costume to wear at her fancy dress party later this month.”
 

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What do you have planned in the future?
“I plan on getting a large shed built in my back garden this summer so I can create more costumes. I have many in mind like Sam Wilson aka The Falcon from Captain America – The winter Soldier, Heimdall from Thor, Batman – Arkham Knight Armour, Jager Pilot Suits from Pacific Rim and some crossovers too like Iron C3PO and Iron Tron. I will most definitely need help with some of these so I will be working with my younger brother and a very good friend of mine who is starting her own company called Armour Up.”

Would you see costume design as a future career?
“Very much so! The course I’m doing is useful, in that it’s showing me design techniques that speed up my design process greatly. However, as I am pretty much a one-man-band, production would be slow. I’m currently working on Iron Man mark 20 and War Machine simultaneously, and hope to have them finished by May 2016. I also have a Heimdall costume to make by May 2016 so I’m already a very busy bee.”

Which course are you studying with Train2Game?
“I am studying Games Artist and Animator.”

How are you finding the Train2Game course?
“The course is great! I actually started learning 3D animation on my own, watching YouTube videos and playing about with the different options in 3DS max but I thought it was time I got a qualification in the industry. The flexibility of the course has allowed me to continue working full-time, take care of my daughter all whilst studying to change to a career that I’d love.”

What are your thoughts on T2G?
“Train2Game have been a godsend. Courses of this type are very hard to find, As I work full time to support my family, I cannot afford to take three years out to get a bachelor’s degree from a normal university and no other university in this country has a program where you can study 3D animation totally from home, in your own time and get a portfolio as well as a recognised qualification out of it.”

Can you tell me more about your friend’s venture, Armour Up, and how you will be involved?
“I am getting James and Serena to write a few lines about what they do for you, but just briefly, they are both cosplayers. Alongside Serena’s regular job, she is an awesome seamstress and is very good at making period clothing. James and I both work for the same housing association but he is also a part time actor.”

“At the moment we’re just exchanging creative and business ideas and sharing expertise as I know nothing when it comes to cloth and Serena is eager to learn how to use the harder materials. James is the brains behind the operations and has good business head on his shoulders. He’s almost finished putting the Armour Up website together. I’ll update with more shortly.”

Further details of Sheldon’s project will follow on the Train2Game blog
Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry

Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.plasisgamesportal.com

Train2Game News BBC micro:bit

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The BBC and partners today unveiled the BBC micro:bit – a pocket-sized, codeable computer that allows children to get creative with technology. In the BBC’s most ambitious education initiative for 30 years, up to 1 million devices will be given to every 11 or 12 year old child in year 7 or equivalent across the UK, for free.

In the 1980s, the BBC Micro introduced many children to computing for the first time. Part of the BBC’s 2015 Make it Digital initiative, the BBC micro:bit builds on the legacy of the Micro for the digital age, and aims to inspire young people to get creative with digital; develop core skills in science, technology and engineering; and unleash a new generation of digital makers, inventors and pioneers.

The UK currently faces a critical skills shortage in the technology sector, and the BBC and our partners aim to help change that.

Tony Hall, Director-General of the BBC says: “Channelling the spirit of the Micro for the digital age, the BBC micro:bit will inspire a new generation in a defining moment for digital creativity here in the UK. All you need is your curiosity, creativity and imagination – we’ll provide the tools. This has the power to be transformative for the UK. The BBC is one of the few organisations in the world that could convene something on this scale, with such an unprecedented partnership at its core.”

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that you can code, customise and control to bring your digital ideas, games and apps to life. It measures 4cm by 5cm, will be available in a range of colours, and is designed to be fun and easy to use. Something simple can be coded in seconds – like lighting up its LEDs or displaying a pattern – with no prior knowledge of computing. All that’s needed is imagination and creativity.

The BBC micro:bit also connects to other devices, sensors, kits and objects, and is a great companion to Arduino, Galileo, Kano, littleBits and Raspberry Pi, acting as a spring-board to more complex learning.

Key features include:

    25 red LEDs to light up, flash messages, create games and invent digital stories

    Two programmable buttons activated when pressed. Use the micro:bit as a games controller. Pause or skip songs on a playlist.

    On-board motion detector or ‘accelerometer’ that can detect movement and tell other devices you’re on the go. Featured actions include shake, tilt and freefall. Turn the micro:bit into a spirit level. Light it up when something is moved. Use it for motion-activated games.

    A built-in compass or ‘magnetometer’ to sense which direction you’re facing, your movement in degrees, and where you are. Includes an in-built magnet, and can sense certain types of metal.

    Bluetooth Smart Technology to connect to the internet and interact with the world around you. Connect the micro:bit to other micro:bits, devices, kits, phones, tablets, cameras and everyday objects all around. Share creations or join forces to create multi-micro:bit masterpieces. Take a selfie. Pause a DVD or control your playlist. 

    Five Input and Output (I/O) rings to connect the micro:bit to devices or sensors using crocodile clips or 4mm banana plugs. Use the micro:bit to send commands to and from the rings, to power devices like robots and motors.

Each element of the BBC micro:bit is completely programmable via easy-to-use software on a dedicated website (available later in the summer at microbit.co.uk) that can be accessed from a PC, tablet or mobile. Your personal area on the website will allow you to save and test your creations in a simulator before they are transferred to your micro:bit, and the available tools scale to be as complex as your ideas, imagination and skills require.

Sinead Rocks, Head of BBC Learning, says: “We happily give children paint brushes when they’re young, with no experience – it should be exactly the same with technology. The BBC micro:bit is all about young people learning to express themselves digitally, and it’s their device to own. It’s our most ambitious education initiative for 30 years. And as the micro:bit is able to connect to everything from mobile phones to plant pots and Raspberry Pis, this could be for the internet-of-things what the BBC Micro was to the British gaming industry.”

The micro:bit was first conceived by BBC Learning in 2012, and initially developed together with the BBC’s award-winning R&D department. The scale and scope of this unique initiative has only been made possible by an unprecedented collaboration between 29 international organisations, pioneering start-ups and transformative education organisations.

The BBC is the overall editorial and project lead for the micro:bit, coordinating the partnership, micro:bit development and delivery, learning resources and on-air and online inspiration for teachers, schools and makers across the UK.

Product partners include:

    ARM – providing mbed hardware, software development kits and compiler services
    Barclays – supporting overall product delivery and outreach activities
    element14 – sourcing components and managing the manufacturing
    Freescale – supplying the sensors and USB controllers
    Lancaster University – creating and writing the micro:bit runtime
    Microsoft – providing the TouchDevelop web-based programming tools and hosting service as well as teacher-training materials
    Nordic Semiconductor – supplying the main processor and enabled Bluetooth Smart
    Samsung – connecting the BBC micro:bit to phones and tablets, and developing the Android app
    ScienceScope – distributing to schools and developing the iOS app
    Technology Will Save Us – designing the shape, look and feel of the device
    The Wellcome Trust – providing learning opportunities for teachers and schools

Fundamental to the success of the BBC micro:bit, the BBC and partners will be working closely with teachers, educators and schools over the summer to ensure that resources, information and support are available in advance of micro:bit distribution this autumn, supporting the curriculum. BBC Learning will also provide resources including Live Lessons, getting started videos, projects and tutorials.

The BBC micro:bit will start to arrive in schools in late October, giving children a chance to settle into new schools, and teachers the opportunity to build this into lesson plans for the rest of the academic year.

The BBC micro:bit initiative aims to make a huge impact in 2015 with the BBC and its partners committed providing up to 1 million micro:bits before the end of the year. And it won’t stop there. The technical specifications for the device will be open-sourced, and the partnership plans to collectively develop a not-for-profit company to oversee and drive the micro:bit legacy. This will enable additional micro:bits to be made commercially available in the UK and internationally through various outlets in late 2015.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/microbit

Train2Game News Biba taking mobile games outside

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Biba, a developer of mobile augmented reality games and apps, and PlayPower, a leading provider of play, sport and recreation equipment, have partnered to bring digital and real world play together.

The companies are inspiring kids to get back outside by fusing digital games with active outdoor play through new Biba mobile apps and Biba-Activated playgrounds from PlayPower.

“Biba’s mobile games designed for outdoor play are just a breath of fresh air,” said Dr. Greg Zeschuk, former Bioware Founder and Biba’s Chairman of the Board. “PlayPower and Biba are creating a new category, an inventive way to blend our new media habits with the health benefits and joy of active outdoor play. I am inspired by the category as a game designer and father.”

Biba games ensure children use the phone not as a vehicle for abstraction, but as an intuitive, single-function interface.  In addition, the games are designed for ‘refereed play,’ keeping the phone predominantly within the parent’s hands, keeping kids safer, devices safer and providing parents an opportunity to have freeform fun with their kids.

“We want to change what screen time means,” said Matt Toner, President of Biba.  “Our games bring kids back outside and turn playgrounds into the ultimate destination for modern families to go for healthy, active fun.  Thanks to our partnership with PlayPower, we think we’ve blended the richest parts of mobile play with the unadulterated fun of jumping, swinging, sliding and playing outdoors.”

The storyline of Biba’s initial mobile games is simple:  Playgrounds are transformed into the wreckage of robot spacecrafts that have crashed on Earth, and players interact with their very own companion robot, which encourages the player to explore the playground through its whimsical eyes.  The games marry a colorful interface intended to foster the imaginations of kids ages 3-9 with a unique ‘embodied play’ game philosophy that encourages kids to actualize their gameplay with their bodies.  Fun and age-appropriate physical challenges are reinforced through points, high scores and badges that can be shared online and with friends.

Biba games will be optimized for use with ‘Biba-Activated’ playgrounds from PlayPower, where augmented reality technology will create deeper gameplay experiences.   Biba apps will provide information about the gameplay experiences available at each playground—enabling families to search and find their favorite playground destinations..  Some of the Biba games will work with playgrounds that aren’t Biba-Activated, since Biba games allow players to tag which types of playground equipment are available to them.

“Active outdoor play is essential to the development of healthy children.  Getting enough active outdoor play for their kids is a problem with which most modern parents are familiar.  The solution PlayPower has developed with Biba blends the technology-driven world that kids expect with the joyful outdoor fun that parents remember from their own childhood,” said Lynne Vandeveer, Chief Marketing Officer at PlayPower. “Parents’ concern for their children is justified by research that shows kids are spending too much time sitting still in front of a screen and not enough time outdoors.  We intend to change that by engaging modern kids on their own terms.”

Biba games will be coming to mobile devices later this year, at the same time that Biba-activated PlayPower playground equipment will be populating city parks across the country.

Train2Game News Winter Gaming Knitwear!

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GAME-store-logoThe nights are growing longer, and the shops on every High Street have begun to play Noddy Holder, it’s nature’s way of telling you it’s time to start thinking about your Christmas attire before the Tinsilitis kicks in.

There’s nothing like a new item of clothing to bring up the elf-esteem and this Christmas, GAME is offering customers the chance to pull a cracker as it brings a touch of retro with a new range of gaming-themed jumpers and socks for those who want to indulge in a little festive geekery.

The range includes jumpers that even your Grandmother’s knitting skills couldn’t match with a span of iconic gaming themes; Playstation, Sonic & Robotnik, and Street Fighter are all available for £29.99 in store and online at www.game.co.uk. The socks will please even the most ungrateful uncle at only £9.99, and with the same range of gaming themes and unique designs.

Charlotte Knight, Category Director at GAME says: “We know gamers eat, sleep, dream games and now they can wear them too… every stocking needs socks and these are the perfect gift for the gamer in your life.”

Train2Game News Eurogamer 2014 Video

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Train2GameTrain2Game was at Eurogamer last month and we have put together a video from some of our students who were in attendance about there thoughts on the Train2Game course. Enjoy the video below

Train2Game News Play Games to help SpecialEffect

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SpecialEffectSpecialEffect are hosting another Gameblast in February of 2015. This is your chance to play games and help people in need!

The gaming marathon weekend will take place from February 20 – 22 and the idea is that you play games for an extended length of time, whether it be 48 hours or 24 hours is entirely up to you, and get your friends, family and whoever else to sponsor you to do so.

This gaming marathon is entirely down to your self to decide what you can do. Do as much or as little as you want to and try and raise as much money as you possibly can to help SpecialEffect to raise money that will go towards supporting disabled gamers back in to the game.

Last February gamers raised an incredible £70,000 in GameBlast14, and every penny and cent went towards levelling the playing field for gamers with disabilities. This time SpecialEffect are aiming for £100,000, so they’re going to need all the help you can give!

If you want to find out some helpful tips and sign up for this event you can go to http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/gameblast-about

Train2Game News GameLoading Rise of the Indies

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GameLoadingGameLoading: Rise of the Indies is a feature documentary exploring the world of indie game developers – their craft, their games, their dreams, and how they have forever changed the landscape of games culture. The project is currently crowdfunding through Kickstarter to help complete post-production.

Filmmakers Lester Francois and Anna Brady have clocked over 100 hours of interviews with both high-profile and up-and-coming indie developers and industry figures from all over the world. The stories that feature in the documentary are only the tip of the iceberg, with the team currently offering an additional 23 videos on youtube, with more scheduled to be released regularly over the next few months. Popular videos include BitSummit in Kyoto, Dutch Game Garden and Mike Bithell – ‘Story and Gameplay’

The exclusive Member’s Section on their website features longer more in-depth interviews available to Backers. The member’s section is a great resource for indie devs and fans. Those wanting to be a member can do so by backing the kickstarter The Final Push.

GameLoading’s Kickstarter, which launched last week is on track to raise the $50,000 needed to fund post production. Featured on the kickstarter page is the new GameLoading trailer, which has been touching the hearts of audiences across the community. It offers a heartwarming and positive message about developer culture, despite the recent negativity in the industry.

GameLoading features interviews with Davey Wreden (The Stanley Parable), John Romero (Doom), Rami Ismail (Vlambeer), Alexander Bruce (Antichamber), Lucas Pope (Papers, Please), Richard Hofmeier (Cart Life), Phil Tibitoski (Octodad), Zoe Quinn (Depression Quest), Steve Gaynor (Gone Home), Christine Love (Analogue), Mike Bithell (Thomas Was Alone) and dozens more.

The film will demystify what goes into making a game, examine the processes of different studios and individuals, capture the excitement of industry events like PAX and GDC, ponder why we play and what success means, and explore where this art form has come from and where it may be going.