Train2Game video diary from Train2Game student Kimberley Caseres. In this video diary, Kimberley discusses how she fits her Train2Game Game Design course around the rest of her life. Watch it below.
You can also see Kimberley speaking to Train2Game at the Eurogamer Expo here on the Train2Game blog.
British game developer Eutechnyx have named among the finalists for Red Herring’s Top 100 Global Awards, which recognise the “most audacious and far reaching private technology companies from across the globe.”
Train2Game students may have previously seen Eutechnyx Lead Programmer Dave Hawes give advice on getting into the games industry in this Train2Game video interview. The Gateshead based studio are currently working on Auto Club Revolution, scheduled for release next year.
“To be in with a chance of picking up a global recognition award before the end of 2011 is a remarkable achievement”, said Eutechnyx CEO, Brian Jobling.
“With Auto Club Revolution entering the final phases before a full release in 2012, the Red Herring nomination is vindication of the vision that we have for this unique product. We have the right team in place, and the right backing from our investment partners, to ensure that Eutechnyx can deliver on all objectives and ensure Auto Club Revolution becomes a global success.” he concluded.
“Technology companies are becoming the bright spot in the economic outlook. Eutechnyx has performed exceptionally in its field and strongly deserves to be singled out as one of the Red Herring Global finalists.” added Chairman of Red Herring Alex Vieux.
The Top 100 winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony that will take place on December 7th in Los Angeles, California.
Train2Game students can find out more about Eutechnyx in this feature about 7 UK game studios to keep an eye on.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on an independent UK game studio being nominated for a global award?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game student video diary from Train2Game Artist & Animator Fee Stewart. In her first Train2Game video diary, Fee tells us a little about herself and why she decided to study with Train2Game. Watch it below.
Train2Game blog readers may have seen this post last week where Square Enix said a Final Fantasy VII remake would take too long to develop.
Final Fantasy VII is a game many have called to be remade for the current generation, and it seems one enthusiast has got fed up of waiting. They’ve used the Unreal Engine to show what a Final Fantasy VII remake could potentially look like.
You can see the video at the bottom of this Train2Game blog post.
The video shows the first section of Final Fantasy VII and is played from a first person perspective. While the animation and interaction is a little on the stuff side it offers an interesting glimpse and what could be.
Unfortunately, it’s likely this fan created game will be pulled offline by Square Enix in the near future. Still it’s an impressing showing of the variety of things that can be one with Epic’s Unreal engine.
Epic Games of course were heavily involved with last month’s Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, which saw four winning teams win places to the Make Something Unreal Contest at the The Gadget Show Live next year. The winning team will talk away with a fully licence Unreal Development Kit for Ios.
For more information on what that means for the winners, check out our interview with Epic Games Mike Gamble.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the fan make Final Fantasy VII remake?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum
Train2Game students will of course know Bioware as developers of the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, as well as the upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. Now the Bioware group also has a specialised social games studio thanks to EA’s acquisition of casual developer KlickNation.
KlickNation has been renamed Bioware social and will specialise in developing RPGs for social networks such as Facebook.
“KlickNation’s expertise in building innovative and compelling RPGs for social platforms makes them a seamless tuck-in with the BioWare team at EA,” Bioware co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka, who along with fellow co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk, recently spoke to the Train2Game blog.
“We share the same creative values. The new BioWare Social unit will bring BioWare and EA franchises to the growing audience of core gamers who are looking for high quality, rich gameplay experiences on social platforms.” Muzyka added.
KickNation has developed social games since 2009, with releases including SuperHero City and Six Gun Galaxy.
“While developing social RPG experiences, we held BioWare as a role model for storytelling and game design,” said Mark Otero GM of the new Bioware Social label.
“Joining with BioWare and EA is an opportunity to realize our vision for bringing high-quality RPG titles to the fast-growing, highly-engaged core gamers looking for deeper experiences on social platforms.”
The Train2Game blog previously reported that Bioware were exploring the ‘experimental’ mobile market.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on EA and Bioware’s continued moves into mobile gaming? Are you excited by the prospect of a Bioware RPG on Facebook?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: GI.biz]
Train2Game students may not have heard of Glitch, the casual MMO from Tiny Speck, but they’ve done something rather interesting with the games’ development.
Two months after Glitch was officially launched, it’s gone back into beta after Tiny Speck decided the game needed “radical changes”
“Two months ago we launched Glitch to the world. Now we’re unlaunching it,” said Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Tiny Speck.
“There are two obvious and huge improvements we need to make: the first is to make the early game reveal itself more easily to new players so they can get into the fun faster.”
According to Butterfield, the second major change needed is to make it easier for players to create levels and buildings.
“Some fairly radical changes to core game mechanics are going to be necessary to make Glitch what it needs to be. And making radical changes to core game mechanics is something that’s a lot harder to do while the front doors are open,” he said.
For more detailed reasons as to why Glitch, the MMO which “takes place inside the minds of eleven peculiarly imaginative Giants,” is going back into beta, see the Glitch blog.
More information about beta testing, it’s importance to game development and how it’s useful to Train2Game students, is available on the Train2Game blog.
So Train2Game, what do you make of Glitch going back into beta? Is it a bold move for Tiny Speck? Or should the game have been more thoroughly tested before release?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students have the opportunity to beta test Magna Mundi, the upcoming PC grand strategy title from Paradox Interative and Universo Virtual.
Those Train2Game students interesting in joining the limited closed beta have until 12th December to register their details on the Paradox Interactive beta sign up page. You’ll also need to be a registered member of the Paradox forum. Those chosen to be a part of the Magna Mundi beta will be notified by email on 16th December.
Magna Mundi gives you the chance to control one of 400 nations across a period of over 300 years, from the fall of Constantinople through to the American Civil War and beyond. The latest grand strategy title from Paradox Interactive is scheduled for release next year. Watch the Magna Mundi trailer below.
Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. Not only that, but in an interview with the Train2Game blog, Trion Worlds Senior QA Tester Karl Tars said that beta testing is potentially a way to get into the industry.
For more on the significance of beta testing to the game development process, see the Train2Game blog.
So Train2Game, are you a fan of Paradox Interactive’s strategy titles? Will you attempt to get involved with the Magna Mundi beta test?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students should find this Gamesbrief guest post by Frozen Synapse developer Mode 7 Games very interesting.
The bulk of the post sees developer Paul Taylor take a look back at how both business and design influenced the design and marketing of their turn based tactical title.
As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Mode 7 Games have argued that getting onto Steam is essential for an indie PC game developer. Taylor reiterates that this was vital to the success of Frozen Synapse.
“Steam’s position in terms of digital distribution right now is well documented; having seen the results, there is no doubt in my mind that aiming to create a game which would stand up against other titles on there was the right thing for us to do in this instance.” he said in the Gamesbrief post.
Taylor also suggests that release timing was an element in the success of Frozen Synapse, with Mode 7 Games releasing it in a quiet time for PC releases. His advice to indie developers is to avoid releasing titles during busy periods, such as the run up to Christmas.
“The end of May turned out to be a fairly quiet time and a good time to launch for us: I’d just suggest that indie devs focus on avoiding busy periods (e.g. Christmas and late June to early August) when they’re shaping up for launch.” wrote Taylor.
The Frozen Synapse developer also discusses the growth of Free-to-play, but insists that the ‘pay-once’ model was right for their game.
“Pay-once is the most maligned business model out there right now:I would suggest that even the most hardcore entrenched old-school developers have been won round by the raw data that free-to-play games have generated, so pay-once is in decline.” said Taylor.
“I’m yet to hear a sane scheme for an F2P Frozen Synapse – I don’t think that a free-to-play game along similar lines would be impossible; however I have not heard any viable suggestions for how we could have done it with this game, the game we cared so much about making.” he added.
The Gamesbrief post certainly makes interesting reading for Train2Game students and it can be read here.
Gamesbrief examines the business of games, and Train2Game students can watch an insightful interview with website founder Nicholas Lovell here on the Train2Game blog.
Lovell also spoke in-depth to the Train2Game blog last year, providing useful advice about indie and social game development.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Mode 7’s post-mortem of Frozen Synapse? Will you take the advice on board?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: Gamesbrief]
Train2Game student Daniel Parkes has posted an update on his blog, detailing his latest progress on the Train2Game QA Tester course.
In his latest blog post, Daniel writes about coming back strongly from a minor setback to his course progress to score 90% in his most recent TMA. Daniel also adds that Train2Game is fast becoming very important to him.
“This is my chance and gateway to have a better life, and I’ve found this course with Train2Game is quickly becoming one of the biggest things in my life and it gives me a positive kick.” he said.
Read Daniel’s full post, Back on Track, on his blog.
For more information about Daniel Parkes, check out previous posts on the Train2Game blog. His blog has even served as an inspiration to others!
More information about Train2Game is available at www.train2game.com
Train2Game students are slightly spoiled when it comes to fighting games right now. Street Fighter is going strong, Tekken is still very popular and these two franchises are even coming together with Street Fighter X Tekken set for release in 2012.
And while fighting games may be booming, Team Ninja’s Yosuke Hayashi, believes that the game design of fighters hasn’t changed much. Hayashi is currently leading development of Dead or Alive 5. Dead or Alive Dimensions for the 3DS was released earlier this year.
“To be completely honest, after Dead or Alive 4 we weren’t sure what the future was going to be.”
We were trying to think of something new, but we weren’t getting any ideas of what to do for 5,” Hayashi told Siliconera.
“Then we saw Street Fighter IV and the fighting genre come back because in a large part of Capcom and what they were doing. For all of the fighting games that came out we looked at them, but there was something wrong”
They looked great with updated graphics and had online gameplay, but the gameplay itself hasn’t changed. It’s still the gameplay we’ve had for years.” he said, adding that Team Ninja want to change the fighting genre.
Hayashi describes Dead or Alive 5 as ‘Fighting Entertainment”
“We’re looking for simple, but deep fighting entertainment. We’re not looking to be a technical hardcore fighter. We want a game that a lot of people can have fun with, but people who want that depth can find it.” he said.
As reported by the Train2Game blog, Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada believes that simple game design helps encourage people to try out the series.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Hayashi’s comments? Do fighting games need to evolve, or can they survive without changing?
Leave your comments on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: Siliconera]
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