Category Archives: Parent

Train2Game News: SuperAwesome launches Kids Mobile Network

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Kids NetworkThe team behind Box Of Awesome and Swapit; SuperAwesome, yesterday launched the Kids Mobile Network.

The service is designed to offer mobile content creators a new way to work with mobile ads.

“Not all content creators in the kids sector are comfortable using in-app purchases as a revenue model on mobile and tablet,” said CEO Dylan Collins, whose track record includes card battling game, Fight My Monster and Jolt Online Gaming.

“Our premium ad network will provide another monetisation tool which is appropriate and effective. Ultimately, our philosophy is about creating a safe environment for kids with a sustainable model for brilliant, inspiring content to make them smile.”

SuperAwesome was founded in December 2012 and is home to Box of Awesome, The Kids Network, Swapit and Swapit Research, and is a discovery platform aimed at UK children aged between 6 and 16.

“As the go-to expert in the kids market, we’ve had growing numbers of our clients asking us to support their games, apps and other content on mobile and tablet so we’re delighted to formally announce the Kids Mobile Network. We only work with approved content creators who are fully compliant with all marketing standards and legislation,” added head of sales Lee Veitch.

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

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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: SpecialEffect goes International and also changes the life of a gamer closer to home

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Dr Mick in VeniceDr Mick Donegon, CEO of games charity SpecialEffect, has taken the charity global and started helping people on an international scale.

The video game charities founder has been visiting San Camillo Hospital, Venice, to train staff and collaborate on assessments with their patients who have a range of complex neurological conditions. He got the pleasure of working with Albert Einstein World Award of Science Winner Niels Bierbaumer who is a Professor of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology.

This was a great chance for Dr Mick and Professor Bierbaummer to learn from each other and in addition Dr Mick got to spread the word of SpecialEffect to Italy.

SpecialEffect at home

Thanks to all the work that Dr Mick and his team do they are able to help people like Ray who has spinal muscular atrophy which makes it very difficult for him to move.

Ray was introduced to the SpecialEffect team when they were visiting a young man named Jacob who they helped to play FIFA again.

When the team returned to help Ray his face lit up and he said: “All my Christmases have come at once!”

Call of Duty and FIFA 13 are top of the playing wish list for many people at the moment, and Ray was desperate to play them as well. So after an intense session working with his abilities and trying a handful of different access strategies, the SpecialEffect team settled on a set-up that included two switches on his PlayStation joypad, two in his palms and two head-switches on his wheelchair headrest.

It was a hit. Ray’s occupational therapist asked: “On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you?” Ray replied with a hugely ecstatic “Eleven!!”

For Ray this means much more than simply having fun. His disability means that he’s incredibly limited in doing any sort of activity, let alone one that gives such a sense of achievement. The benefits aren’t just personal – while he was playing, an off-duty member of staff jumped at the opportunity to pit his gaming skills against Ray. I’m sure he’s just the first of many new friends, offline and online, that the gift of gaming will give to Ray.

Train2Game News: Opportunity to work with SpecialEffect on once in a lifetime project

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Special Effect logoSpecialEffect have an exciting opportunity for a talented programmer from the Train2Game student pool.

SpecialEffect are working on a very exciting, helpful new project. The games charity is creating a fully accessible chess game for absolutely anyone to play, no matter what disability they may have.

The plan for the game is to be able to use any body part to play the game or even using the power of the mind thanks to technology such as the EPOC system. SpecialEffect specialise in creating hardware and software that is simple to use for people with all abilities.

The charity require a programmer to help finish off the work they have been doing on the project. This could be a once in a life time opportunity to work on an amazing project and really make a difference in the lives of so many people who may have trouble playing games in the fashion we are all so used to.

The charity are looking for a C++ programmer and the programmer who has developed the software so far will be available to give support.

This is an unpaid position but working on this project would be a brilliant addition to your CV as it will get some a lot of attention from the games industry media and possibly national media.

Dr Mick Donegan, Founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, said “Anyone who is potentially interested is welcome to get in touch and we’ll happily send the existing code for them to look at. We’ll also demo what we’ve got and talk them through what’s required to finish off the game.”

If you are interested in the job get in contact with at mick@specialeffect.org.uk

Train2Game News: SpecialEffect needs the help of Train2Game students with Steam initiative

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Team Fortress 2 SpecialEffectSpecialEffect is asking for the help of Train2Game students who use Valve’s Steam system! The charity who provide video gaming equipment to people with disabilities need your votes.

A few select artists from the Steam community have created SpecialEffect themed items for the game Team Fortress 2 and with your votes they can be in game this summer! The items that have been designer are: a viewfinder, cabinet and belt pack. 99% of the profits from these items will go to help disabled players enjoy games to the best of their abilities thanks to the work done by SpecialEffect.

This idea is the brainchild of James Schall, SEGA’s Director of Digital Distribution.

“Demand for SpecialEffect‘s help is rocketing,” said James. “And I’m excited about the potential of these generous artwork donations to kickstart a big-hearted response from the TF2 community to help meet that demand.”

“It’s a fantastic gesture,” said charity CEO Mick Donegan. “Gamers get what we’re trying to do, and to get that support from artists within the community is a real endorsement of our work.”

“We need £750k this year to give people a fighting chance through specialised games control equipment. We’re bringing this technology directly into the homes and hospitals of the people who need it most, and transforming the lives of people with the most severe disabilities through cutting-edge equipment like eye control and brain control.”

You can vote for the items to be in Team Fortress 2 by going to the link below:

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=156361911

You can also find the items from within Steam itself by selecting Workshops from the Community menu. Hit the link in the grey text below the main ‘Create, Discover…’ heading, and on the next page type ‘special effect’ in the search box (note the space between the two words!). Then hit the Rate button.

If you would like to check out the pages of the artists who created the items for SpecialEffect you can view them in the links below:

Psyke

Svdl

*ﾟ✲*｡✧*☆Twilight Sparkle☆*✧｡*✲ﾟ*

void~

Train2Game News: roll7 are hiring!!

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OlliOlliroll7 are hiring and Train2Game Students have first opportunity at the positions available.

roll7 are a small indie games developer in New Cross, London. They have previously worked on titles such as the upcoming skate game for PS Vita – OlliOlli, Mobile Adventure game – Get to the exit and Focus Pocus – which was developed to help change the behavior of some seven to thirteen year olds.

They are doing testing of one of their upcoming Indie titles and they need Testers ASAP!

– Testers are needed for individual slots of 4 hours

– Testers need to be gamers and ideally own a PS Vita

– Testers need to be able to get to our offices in New Cross

– Testing will be in the form of a game play though, no repetitive gaming or bug searching!

AND YES YOU GET PAID!!!

This would serve as a great addition to the CV for anyone looking to get into the games industry.

Slots are open from July 3 until Mid-August and are set at 10-2 / 2-6 / 6-10

Simon Bennett, who works in production at roll7 said that good work on these titles could lead to even more opportunities for the right person.

If you want to take part, please contact simon@roll7.co.uk

Train2Game News: Train2Game Radio talks to Tarnya Smith

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Tarnya SmithI got the pleasure of talking to Train2Game student, Tarnya Smith, who already has a years experience in the games industry after leaving university and she now works at Distinctive Games who have just released the popular Rugby Nations ’13. You can find out what she has worked on and how she got to where she is now in the interview.

You can listen to the interview here: http://audioboo.fm/boos/1473120-train2game-student-radio-talks-to-tarnya-smith

Or read the transcript below

My name’s Tarnya Smith, I live in Sheffield and I’m doing the Designer course.

Hiya Tarnya, how you doing?

I’m good thank you, how are you?

I’m alright thank you very muchly. So tell me a bit about yourself then?

I started off playing games when I was a kid, with my brother, that’s how I got in to it. I did creative kind of stuff through university and things like that and when I finished university last year I was given the chance to work as a tester for Sega in London, so I kinda took that with both hands and that’s where it started really. Then I got the opportunity to come up to Sheffield, up here, to work for Sumo, which was doing the Sonic game at the time and I got a job here at Distinctive, as a tester as well, and I moved up here permanently because I was living in London at the time.

You’ve had quite a wealth of experience already then?

Yeah, I’ve been very lucky. I’ve had a years experience straight off the bat, which is quite hard to come by but I work hard so I think that shows and I’ve always wanted to do, creative stuff. I didn’t really want to go back to university because I didn’t really enjoy it the first time around and I’ve always wanted to be a games designer so I thought I would do the Train2Game thing and see how that went.

Did you finish your university course then or did you just think that’s enough once you got the job opportunities?

No I finished, I finished back in May, but the testing job came straight up. I got given that at the end of July so I went straight into that after university.

Is that one you applied for or did they come and seek you out?

No, I know quite a lot of friends who work there and I never really thought about it before but then they started taking on a big bunch of testers so I went for it and got the job.

Very nice. What Sonic game was it you worked on?

Sonic and All Stars Racing Transformed.

Oh was it? I do like that game, it is fun!

Well I’m glad because we worked hard on it! Yeah I really enjoyed working on it, it was great fun and I still play it from time to time.

Excellent. It does certainly have replayability a lot.

Oh god yeah!

So, you said you’re at Distinctive Games now. What are you working on there?

We’ve just completed the Rugby Nations ’13 that’s just come out. At the minute I’m just working on patches for old games that need updating for the new iOS and so on, but there are some projects coming out in the future that obviously, I can’t talk about but there good, I’m enjoying it.

Excellent, so are you a fan of Rugby then or is that just something you ended up working on anyway?

I was actually a big fan. I used to live near Twickenham, so I used to go to Twickenham Stadium when I got the chance but I’m not really a big fan of Sports all round but it’s fine!

Just what ever you can get your hands on really?

Yeah pretty much, it’s all good!

Are you a tester at Distinctive now?

Yeah, I’m a tester, yeah.

So do you think they’ll be an opportunity for you to move up to a designer instead soon?

Well I hope so, at some point.

Is that the main aim? I assume

Well, I’m quite happy to be a tester for a while, it’s not that it’s a problem but obviously my aim long term is to be a designer somewhere. So if I can get in here that’ll be awesome but you know, where ever life takes you.

You seem very relaxed with it all

Yeah, I just think I’m really lucky to get into something I’m really passionate about so I am just enjoying whatever I can get out of it, I’m not going to start stressing that I’m not getting the job I want straight away because that never happens.

That is a very good attitude to have

Yeah, so I am enjoying it and I am just going to try and enjoy it for as long as possible.

Excellent. So it sounds like you’ve had quite a good life already then!

I just think, the last year or so, I’ve been quite lucky and I’ve got to know some people that know people. It’s who you are that opens paths for you. I’ve been in the community a few years now and you do get to know people.

Perfect, well I think that’s all we’ve got time for today

Awesome.

So thanks very much for talking to us!

You’re very welcome!

Train2Game News: Cat Forsyth makes her mark on Big Brother

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Cat ForsythOn Big Brother tonight you will get to see the artistic skills of Train2Game student, Cat Forsyth, who has helped turned people into Zombies for the show.

This series of Big Brother started almost two weeks ago and this week has seen the house mates in quarantine for the weekly shopping task.

If the house-mates thought the morning wake up alarm they normally get was bad, they sure were in for a shock as this morning they had zombies banging on the bedroom windows.

They were hastily gathered in the living room and played an emergency news bulletin showing  the virus wreaking havoc on the Big Brother studios, before green smoke poured from the ceiling indicating the virus had hit the House.

With only six gas masks between them they had to decide who would get one and they chose Hazel, Charlie, Wolfy, Joe, Daley and Callum. The rest became infected and were sent to quarantine (the large task room).

In order to return to the House those in quarantine must be cured through ‘treatments’ or remain until the end of the task. Those who are virus free need to cure them so they can help in the task and earn luxury shopping items.

The quarantined house-mates will only be fed liquid food, be sprayed down by the other house-mates from time to time and have to crawl through a tunnel if they want a cigarette break.

The “Zombies” make up was applied by Train2Game Art & Animation student, Cat Forsyth and the company she works for, Silent Studios. She has been using her Art skills to make these people very “Un-life” like and utterly terrifying, you can enjoy Cat’s handy work below.

Cat Zombie BBBe sure to tune in to Big Brother tonight on Channel 5 at 10pm to see the horrific action unfold!

Train2Game News: Train2Game Radio talks to Lee Pearson

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Lee PearsonI got the pleasure of speaking to a very ambitious guy who has been working incredibly hard to get noticed. Train2Game student, Lee Pearson, has worked through many obstacles to get his character designs noticed.

You can listen to part one of the interview here: http://audioboo.fm/boos/1471396-train2game-student-radio-speaks-to-lee-pearson-part-1

Part two is here: http://audioboo.fm/boos/1471393-train2game-student-radio-speaks-to-lee-pearson-part-2

Or you can read the transcript below:

Hello my names Lee Pearson, I’m on the Train2Game Radio forum, talking about my work I’m doing for the indie game scene, in the USA.

Alright Lee, how you doing mate?

Yeah not too bad mate

Excellent. So, tell me a bit about you then buddy?

My name’s Lee Pearson, I come from Ashford originally, I was born and raised in Ashford, Kent. I spent the last thirty years in education full time and all that. I’ve been drawing since I was born. My obsession with monsters began when I was watching Ray Harryhausen films and I started drawing loads and loads of monsters, loads of gory stuff. My Father used to bring home loads of the old VHS Videos and I got inspired by drawing that and that’s how it all started.

Yeah, the good old video nasties?

Yeah the good old eighties, I was probably only about five but that’s what inspired me to draw really and I just used to do it for my own enjoyment and just kept doing it and doing it. It was extremely violent, it worried my dad a little bit, and I just kept drawing and drawing them because I loved doing it. It’s what I have gone back to doing today now.

I’ve always had an interest in working on Movies and Video Games but I haven’t found the exact thing to get there at the moment. I’m still needing a little bit more experience yet. I did courses after I left school. I spent from 1994 to 2008 doing all these art courses and all that but I just felt this isn’t exactly what I want to do. I want to do something in Video Games and Movies because I’ve got such an imagination designing creatures.

I’ve had it hard with my courses because I’ve had special needs, I had to deal with a lot of family problems helping friends out, mental health problems and a lot of other things I’ve had to cope with.

I finally graduated in 2008, with an HND in fine arts with nine distinctions, including photoshop, and I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome in 2008.

I left college from 1998 to 2008 just doing stuff for DJ scenes, just to calm myself down a bit. I always wanted to do Video Games though and my mate called James Sacker had this little card for Train2Game calling out all the Games Designers, I thought this looks interesting. I looked into it and my Dad said, “don’t do the course Son because it’s going to cost you a lot of money”. So I had some guys come around to my new flat that I am living at at the moment and we spoke about it and watched the Video and I thought to myself, it’s something I really want to do because I love Monsters and I love Gore and I love all that stuff. Without telling my Mum and Dad, I signed on to Train2Game.

I assume they now though, do they, you parents?

Not yet at the moment, just keeping it a secret

OK Lee, that’s all good that you did all that before so it’s 2013 now. What are you up to now?

At the moment I’m just working in some indie game companies in America, just doing it online. I decided to grab a copy of Photoshop CS 5, I’ve spent an awful lot of my money on computer equipment out of my benefit money, I had to sacrifice food for it. I bought Graphics Tablets, Scanners, Printers and all sorts of stuff. I’ve been practising and practising with the Graphics Tablet and over time I’ve mastered it in about ten months really, my graphics tablet.

I’m doing mostly Horror games. I did one last year before I started learning the Graphics Tablet. I went on the concept art OEG and I was flicking through all the games adverts and there was one that caught my eye, called Richard Lee, he was a guy looking for a guy to do his art work for a cult Horror game in America based before Jesus Christ. I applied for it and he liked my work so much that he said, yeah I’ll give you the shot.

It wasn’t done by a graphics tablet, it was done with A4 paper and pens and I started drawing all these really gory demonic characters. We worked on it together for a couple of months and then sadly he gave me an email saying he had to stop to go back to Trucking because of money. It’s a shame because I thought it would be a fantastic project to work on.

You’re getting some good work experience out of this projects now then?

It’s mostly just one on one really. It’s mostly just Indie stuff really and I just got my work out there by Facebook. I was just getting all my art work and spamming it and spamming it. I was then talking to someone on the Train2Game course and they said, why don’t you try deviant art?, so I got all the recent work I’ve done and spammed it and got it out there and it caught the eye of another guy in America called Mark Wemm, which I am working on at the moment. He told me to create my own character, so I created a Teddy Bear that got possessed by an Alien, Demonic Spirit that turns it into a hideous monster and it’s really really gory. I’m working on that at the moment and I don’t know how long it will take but I’ve been asked to do all of it by Photoshop and I’ve been doing all the landscapes and all the concept art and all the weaponry, it’s just great fun, it really is.

Yeah. It sounds like your enjoying yourself.

Oh I love it! Loving it to bits, it’s really, really good fun

Excellent, so you mentioned before that you had Aspergers so how is it studying and working with that, do you find you get prejudice against it or what?

No, I’ve got to the stage now where I don’t really care about my disability. I just have a laugh like my dad does, just enjoy it. I don’t really care about money I just love and enjoy doing it, it’s great fun.

So what are you wanting to do in the future then Lee?

Well before I go to America, I’m going to America just to have a holiday with my Step Mum, Dad and my family. I want to come back home, get a bundle of computers and PC’s, get a load of Photoshop, all the packages, Zbrush, 3D Max and I just want to go completely character mad. Create characters in Photoshop, to 3D Max and draw them, hand paint them, everything. Bring it all together and that’s the sort of thing I want to do with the rest of my life really. I can’t think of anything else.

I’m going to have obstacles that I am going to have to over come, like the Train2Game course, I realised because I was pushed behind a year, I am going to have to do this course. I am going to have no choice but I definitely want to do more, more, more character designs. I really enjoy doing it, that’s the future for me. I want to try and expand all over the globe. Doing the stuff in America and I sent some stuff off to Japan. I did a picture of Cammie on wall paper and sent it off to Japan, but I definitely want to start doing lots of characters, monsters, vehicles just for games really.

That’s beautiful. You sound like you are incredibly ambitious and just want your art work to be seen absolutely everywhere.

Yeah, definitely. It’s just good fun, just enjoy the ride! I just love doing characters, back in the day it was all done by hand and I was just fascinated by characters. I had them in my head everyday, sometimes even talk to them! I think the future for me now is definitely the Video Game industry.

Well, I think that is all we’ve got time for today Lee, it’s been a pleasure talking to you!

Yeah, it’s great, it’s fantastic!

And I will talk to you soon mate, alright?

Yeah will do mate

Cheers mate, Bye!

Thank you, bye

Train2Game News: Train2Game support React

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ReactTrain2Game are supporting the React Initiative in their plans to cut down drug abuse and teach children the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Sadly, drug and alcohol abuse, antisocial behavior, violence and crime seem to be an ever present menace in our communities, and the problems only seems to be getting worse. Highlighting issues such as these is of paramount importance to the React initiative, and through education and awareness, React aim to help reduce this worrying trend.

Official Home Office statistics show that the UK illicit drug market is estimated to be worth between $4 billion and £6.6 billion, and Class A drug use generates an estimated £15.4 billion in crime and health costs each year, of which 99% is accounted for by problem drug users.

Between a third and a half of all theft and burglary is estimated to be drug related. Worrying figures indeed, and a problem that is most effectively solved through education at a grass-roots level.

The React initiative aims to raise awareness of these and other issues relating to public safety in the form of a printed journal that is distributed nationally to educational establishments, public awareness groups and support groups for the emergency services. It is also sent directly to individual police forces, ambulance and fire services, for onward distribution.

Although React is a national initiative, the publication is region specific for each area of the nation, to ensure that sponsors receive the maximum thank you for their support.

Train2Game believe that this is a very worth while cause to spread the word about and will continue to aid React in their plans and ambitions.