MechWarrior Online developer Piranha Games has created a custom mech in tribute to a young fan, 5-year-old Sarah Parries of Vancouver, Canada, who sadly passed away from brain cancer in May.
The memorial project originated as a petition from within the MWO community after members learned about Parries’s death and her interest in BattleTech and MechWarrior Online, which she played with her father.
The Jenner—with night vision, medium lasers, and short range missiles—was her favorite, according to MWO community manager Niko Snow. A special tribute version, which can be seen above, can be purchased from the game for $10 which will go directly to the Canadian Cancer Society.
As of 12 p.m. PST on July 23, the charitable Jenner had already raised more than $12,000 and it is still rising.
You can view a video demonstrating the mech in game below
Microsoft have stated that they will take an aggressive stance to any one who tries to use the Kinect to collect data.
With the new Xbox One being bundled with Kinect, many people voiced their objections for fear of it breaking their privacy but Microsoft has said this definitely won’t happen. The company is currently trying to release information on the data requests it has received from intelligence services in the past, but is being blocked from doing so by the US government.
It’s not the first time that Microsoft has sought to calm fears over Xbox One privacy. The company previously promised that Kinect would not record ambient conversation data, and only listened for the “Xbox On” voice command when switched off. In addition the Kinect sensor will have an activity light so you will be able to tell when the device is in use.
A Microsoft spokesperson said, when asked about Kinect privacy, “Absent a new law, we don’t believe the government has the legal authority to compel us or any other company that makes products with cameras and microphones to start collecting voice and video data. “We’d aggressively challenge in court any attempts to try and force us to do so.”
They went on to say “When Xbox One is on and you’re simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded”
Microsoft has asked the US Attorney General to permit itself and other companies to share more information on what data it gives to government security agencies, such as the number of security requests it has received. At the moment it is blocked from releasing this information by the US government.
This is a very clear message from Microsoft that they will respect your personal privacy and fight for it if need be.
The Unity engine has just been updated to 4.2 and it now includes support for Windows Phones, Windows Store and Blackberry 10.
In Unity 4.2, all users of the free version of Unity can publish to any mobile platform they wish, including Windows Phone 8, Windows Store, iOS, Android or BlackBerry 10, without any additional charge.
In addition, Unity Pro users will be able to use the Windows Store Pro deployment option, which includes the Windows Phone 8 and Windows Store apps platforms, free of charge.
Unity Pro users will have access to advanced Unity features when deploying their iOS, Android or BlackBerry 10 projects by if they choose to purchase Unity iOS Pro, Android Pro or BlackBerry 10 Pro Add-On products from the Unity Store.
A host of other features have also been added to the game development engine.
In the graphics realm, there’s now OpenGL ES 3.0 support for Android and static and dynamic batching for shadow casters and shadow collector pass.
The editor now has integrated version control support for Perforce, and, crucially, splatform switching, player building and asset importing can be cancelled, bringing greater flexibility to the software. Tweaks has also been made to the shader and texture importers to reduce the time spent switch between them.
Looking to the mobile development side, deferred lighting is now a feature on both Android and iOS, and there have been a number of usability upgrades for both platforms.
There have been improvements to other areas of the tool too, and you can read more about those, as well as more details on the features mentioned above on Unity’s blog page which you can find here, http://blogs.unity3d.com/
The major change for the 4.2 update is support for the new platforms, which means the engine provider has effectively doubled its platform supports.
More social sharing details have been announced about the Xbox One and PS4. It can be very helpful for creators of “Let’s Play” videos.
Xbox One is able to automatically record the last five minutes of your gameplay, less time than Sony will store on PlayStation 4. PlayStation 4 can record seven minutes.
Microsoft Studios creative director Ken Lobb detailed the exact amount at San Diego Comic-Con while discussing the new Xbox One version of Killer Instinct. Sony Europe’s Neil Brown revealed at Develop last week the amount the PlayStation 4 could record.
“The idea is you’re always recording,” Lobb said of the Xbox One’s game DVR feature, nicknamed ‘Project Upload’. “The last five minutes of any game you’re playing are always being stored on your hard drive.
Like PS4, you’ll be able to edit that footage on the fly, Lobb explained, and add titles, a voice-over or extra footage recorded using Kinect.
For times when you can’t stop playing, such as in the middle of an online session, Microsoft will allow you to capture and immediately save the last 30 seconds of gameplay for editing later.
“Say you’re playing online and you just did the best thing ever – you can’t pause as you’re playing online,” Lobb continued. “You can say ‘Xbox, record that’ and it’ll grab the last 30 seconds of gameplay for you to play around with later.”
Both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will also let you stream your gameplay online, which should allow for unlimited lengths of gameplay to be captured.
The game charts are out and The Last Of Us is at number one for a sixth week running! In topping the chart again it also matches the unbroken runs of ‘Black Ops II’ and ‘FIFA 12’, an impressive feat as the title is exclusive to just one format. The only new addition to the charts is Dynasty Warriors 8 which has entered the chart at number five.
roll7 are hiring Train2Game students to be QA Testers at their London based studio. This could be the start of your career!
Due to the response and quality of the students that responded to the first roll7 request for student QA testers, the company are now offering two students an opportunity to get “proper hands on QA experience.”
roll7 are curently looking for candidates that:
Are diligent and hard working
Can keep attention to detail when performing similar tasks again and again
have good written communication skills
are SERIOUS about working in the Video Games Industry
Must be London based
The position will ideally be fully time between 19 August to 18 October. QA Testers please look out for more opportunities in August and September.
For full details of the positions, London based, please initially email recruiting@train2game.com including your contact and Train2game college details. Full details will be sent to you.
Don’t delay and apply today to start your journey deeper in to the games industry!
Train2Game students who are fans of the SciFi series, Firefly will be happy to know that a game based on the cult series has been announced.
Firefly Online was announced for Android and iOS at the San Diego Comic Con by Fox Digital Entertainment. The game will be released in summer 2014.
The game is in development at QMXi and Spark Plug Games, which handled the iOS port of Puzzle Quest 2.
When announcing the game, Fox said “Firefly Online will let players take on the role of a ship captain as they hire a crew and lead missions, while trading with and competing against millions of other players like themselves.
“Much like the crew of Serenity, the Firefly-class transport ship featured in the original show, players must do whatever it takes to survive in the Verse: find a crew, find a job and keep flying.”
Once you have assembled a crew, you can customise your ship, take part in space and planet-side missions, use “unique social features” to interact with fellow Firefly fans and make use of cross-platform, cross-device support.
You can enjoy the trailer, which was shown at the San Diego Comic Con, below
You can sign up for updates on the game at Firefly Online’s official website, Keepflying.com.
Developers of the next Abe’s Oddysee game, Oddworld Inhabitants, is inviting you to try and become a voice in the new game.
The developers are rebooting the Abe’s Oddysee series with Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty. The voices will be used for the Mudokon who are the natives and workers on the planet the game takes place on.
The sound quality has to be at a high standard for the game so you must have the following:
Decent microphone for recording your voice
Soundcard or Audio Interface capable of 24bit/96kHz recording
Good cables (if there’s electrical feedback we can’t use it)
The script to read out
A SoundCloud account
The sound clips required are the following, once you’ve had a few practices turn on your microphone and get recording!
Hello / Hi
OK
Laughing
Giggling
Angry hissing
Pain grunts (oof, ow, eugh, etc) x5
Death screams x3
Bonus points for providing some sound effects for the wildlife of Mudos (birds, Scrabs, Elums, etc.)
Your audio clips must be in by Friday July 26.
To enter your sample, simply upload your audio and share with the developers account on SoundCloud either public or privately shared. You must put your name in the title and file name so you get credit for your work. Multiple takes are encouraged but the file must be 24BIT/96KHZ WAV FORMAT, and downloadable from SoundCloud.
There is no guarantee that your sound clip will be used but if it is used you will be in the end credits of the game for all to see.
Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty will be out on PS3 and Vita by the end of this year and on Wii U, PS4 and PC in 2014.
The 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.
2K today announced the emphatic return of Ultimate Warrior to the ring – virtually – in WWE 2K14, the forthcoming installment in the flagship WWE video game franchise.
Making his long-awaited arrival from Parts Unknown, the self-professed “Founding Father of Life Intensity” will be an exclusive playable character for those who pre-order the game at any participating retailer for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft or PlayStation3 computer entertainment system.
“Immortality is inspiration, pure and simple. An example to others that they, too, can do things larger than the life they are actually living, and Ultimate Warrior was the pure embodiment of this belief, in what has proven to be a very attention-getting and inspiring way,” said Warrior. “It was my good fortune to be his creator and performer, and I am humbled by all those fans who’ve not only kept his legacy alive, but deepened it over time. In WWE 2K14, Ultimate Warrior’s creed, ‘Always Believe,’ lives on.”
Making his WWE debut in 1987, Ultimate Warrior garnered worldwide attention and became a pop-culture phenomenon for his iconic music and ring entrance, zealous personality, boundless energy and dominant in-ring prowess. Though he faced many rivals throughout his career, including Honky Tonk Man, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, Sgt. Slaughter, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Undertaker, perhaps his most celebrated match was against Hulk Hogan in “The Ultimate Challenge” at WrestleMania VI on April 1, 1990. Warrior defeated Hogan that day to unify the WWE Championship and Intercontinental Championship, becoming the first WWE Superstar ever to hold both titles simultaneously.
“There has never been another WWE Superstar quite like the Ultimate Warrior – his intensity and energy is unmatched, and his legacy is undeniable,” said Chris Snyder, Senior Director of Marketing at 2K. “Fans love him, opponents fear him and everyone can agree that he’s one of the most iconic Legends in WWE history. Pre-ordering WWE 2K14 is the only way we mere mortals will ever have a glimpse into the greatness that is Ultimate Warrior.”
Become Immortal – 2K’s lineup of premier sports simulation titles expands with the company’s upcoming release in the renowned WWE video game franchise, WWE 2K14. Developed by Yukes for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, WWE 2K14 is positioned to be the most electrifying, authentic and comprehensive WWE video game experience to date. WWE 2K14 will be released on October 29, 2013 in North America and November 1, 2013 internationally.
You can enjoy the Ultimately amusing Trailer below:
MechWarrior Online developer Piranha Games has created a custom mech in tribute to a young fan, 5-year-old Sarah Parries of Vancouver, Canada, who sadly passed away from brain cancer in May.
The Train2Game Blog 