Category Archives: Train2Game

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Train2Game student team game Postal Panic released for iPad this week

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Horizon Studios, an independent developer comprising entirely of students on Train2Game courses, will soon release their internally developed touch screen puzzle game Postal Panic for iPad on the Apple App Store. The game will be free for the first three weeks.

 Train2Game is pleased to announce that following the first three weeks, 50% of the revenue from the game will be going to the ‘Princes Trust’

Postal Panic is the fun postcode delivering game developed by Train2Game students. Your job is simple; deliver the parcels to the postcodes as quickly as you can.

As the Parcels come down the conveyor belt, you need to deliver them to the postcode displayed on the Postal Scanner 7000; you need to do this before they hit the bottom, as this will damage the parcels and Postal Paul will get fined. Too many fines and you’re in for the sack!

Features

• Accurate map of the UK postal code system

• Simple, intuitive touch &swipe game controls

• Single or Multiplayer with up to 4 players

• Addictively fun puzzle game play and scoring

• Learn the Post Code areas of the UK and impress your friends & family

For updates on Postal Panic head to the official website at http://postalpanic.horizonstudios.co.uk/ 

Postal Panic is set for release on the iPad, and available from the iTunes App store, from Thursday 30th June.

Postal Panic was developed by Train2Game student team Horizon Studios as part of the Train2Game Christmas Competition 2010.

To play more games developed by Train2Game students, visit the official Train2Game Game Jam website, where all the games developed during the 48 hour event are available for free.

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game Radio interview with Art & Animation student Dave Higgins

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In our latest interview, we speak to and Train2Game Art & Animation student Dave Higgins.

Train2Game Radio caught up with Dave to find out why he chose to study with Train2Game, how he’s finding the course and what he wants to achieve in a career in the games industry.

Listen at www.audioboo.fm/train2game. Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

 

UK Charts: Zumba Fitness stays top

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Last week, the Train2Game blog reported that Zumba Fitness had reclaimed No.1. So, in news that may not be so surprising to Train2Game students now, the multiplatform dance title is once again top of the UK Charts.

The fifth No.1 for Zumba Fitness comes following a 33% spike in sales for the week, the largest number of sales since release week in November.

Former No.1 L.A. Noire climbs two places to No.2, while F.E.A.R. 3 is this week’s highest new entry at No.3 DIRT 3 jumps to No.4, while LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean rises one place to No.5.

Outside of the top 5, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time3D drops from No.2 to No.6 on its second week on sale, while Duke Nukem Forever – No.1 two weeks ago as reported by the Train2Game blog – drops to No.7 in its third week.

FIFA 11 climbs two spots to No.8; former No.1 Brink falls to No.9, while Infamous 2 completes the top ten.

New entry Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon debuts at No.13 in its debut week, while Shadows of the Damned only manages No. 31 in its first week on sale.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 25th June 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
2. LA Noire (Rockstar)
3. FEAR 3 (Warner)
4. Dirt 3 (Codemasters)
5. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)
6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo)
7. FIFA 11 (EA)
8. Duke Nukem Forever (2K Games)
9. Brink (Bethesda)
10. Infamous 2 (Sony)

New releases this week that Train2Game students might be interested in include Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 and Air Conflicts – Secret Wars.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the continued success of Zumba Fitness? Will it once again take No.1 this week? And what does the low entry position of Shadows of the Damned say?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]

Train2Game Game Designer Chris Robinson – Industry Experience Diary No.3

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The third and final part of Train2Game Game Designer Chris Robinson writing about his experiences on a Train2Game student work placement. Chris is on placement at DR Studios. You read can part 3here on the Train2Game blog, or on the official Train2Game industry experiences website.

Chris Robinson has previously shared  his experiences with the Game Design course in a Train2Game student interview. Read them here on the Train2Game blog, or alternatively, listen to him on Train2Game Radio.

New GameSalad engine means no coding needed

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Train2Game Game Designers and Artist & Animators who want to practice their skills but lack coding knowledge (or access to a friendly Game Developer through the Train2Game forum) will be able to do so thanks to the new HTML 5 game engine.

The GameSalad tool allows games to be built using a drag and drop interface, with the resultant titles being exported in HTML 5 code.  It removes the barrier for developing games for both Ios and Android devices, with the results able to be displayed on most browsers.

GameSalad doesn’t offer support for Flash, despite being one of the most popular ways of playing games online today.

HTML 5 is “the next language of the web” said GameSalad CEO Steve Felter.

“We’re giving people the ability to play and share GameSalad games within a web browser – dramatically expanding both the reach of our developers’ games and their ability to create conversations and community around them,”

In other programming news, last month the Train2Game blog reported on the £15 Raspberry Pi mini computer which looks to revive the era of bedroom coding.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the HTML5 game engine? Is it something you’d use?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Develop]

Microsoft: Kinect becoming ‘super-responsive’

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As reported by the Train2Game blog, Microsoft gave Kinect a huge push during their E3 press conference, with developers getting better at using the technology.

Now  Kinect developers are starting to unlock “a whole bunch of new stuff” with their “super-responsive” titles. At least that’s according to Kinect’s Microsoft creative director, Kudo Tsunoda.

“I think the great thing about Kinect, and you saw so many new types of experience at the E3 keynote, is it’s all being down with the same hardware and development tools that have been available for a while – it’s just us as developers getting better at using the technology,” he said.

“You could see that in Kinect Star Wars: we’ve got the responsiveness down now where you could be blocking laser shots coming in with the lightsaber, which obviously needs to be very responsive to be able to do that.”

“It’s super-responsive, and that’s certainly unlocking a whole bunch of new stuff.” He added.

Microsoft has already stated that all first Xbox 360 titles will come with Kinect support in future, and you can find out more here on the Train2Game blog.

And as also previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Minecraft for the Xbox 360 will also come with Kinect support.

Only yesterday the Train2Game blog reported that while Peter Molyneux is a huge fan of Kinect, he believes the lack of buttons leads to interface control issues.

So Train2Game, how do you see Kinect technology developing? How much will it improve in future? And to what extent could it change Game Design as we know it?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: CVG]

Ubisoft want next-gen consoles, Sony see no need…yet. Where do you stand Train2Game?

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As Train2Game blog readers will be aware, at E3 Nintendo revealed the Wii U, making them the first of the three major game industry manufacturers to produce new hardware.

Some believe that this should persuade Sony to produce a new console, but Sony boss Jack Tretton says there isn’t any rush to make a PlayStation 4.

“I didn’t see anything about Nintendo’s announcement that said ‘Oh, we’d better get working on rolling out a new PlayStation here pretty soon.’ Tretton told Forbes.

“What we’ve seen from the competition is trying to add features that already exist in PlayStation 3,” he said. “We invested heavily in that, we rolled a very heavy rock up a steep hill, through the launch period. But now I think that all pays off, and we’ve got a long runway behind it.”

Ubisoft on the other hand believe that the time is right for a new console generation, and that new consoles will inspire game developers, game designers  and game artists to be more creative.

“I always like a new generation of consoles because it’s really the best way for us to be more creative. It gives you lots of new ways to create.” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot told GamesIndustry.biz.

“And also the gamers are more open to innovation when a new console is coming, they don’t consider all the brands the same way, so they go after something completely new and they try it.”

“When the machines have been there for a long time you can always improve and increase the quality, but you don’t make revolutions in the way things are done.”

“I think it is time, it is time [to move on]. And that’s why I’m very happy when Nintendo comes with a new console.” He added.

It’s not the first time Ubisoft has mentioned their keen for a new console generation. As reported by the Train2Game blog last month, the publisher said they want next-gen consoles ‘sooner rather than later’

Meanwhile, as reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this year, job adverts from Microsoft suggested that their already looking into their next console.

So Train2Game, where do you stand? Do current consoles still have some way to go? Or do you agree with Ubisoft in that the game industry needs new ones to push forward creativity?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Game Informer & GamesIndustry.biz]

Apple could ‘own’ the games industry

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Train2Game students will be highly aware of how Apple has revolutionised the way we play games, but that could just be the start according to one respected industry figure.

Former PlayStation executive Vice President Phil Harrison believes that in 10 years, Apple will own the entire game industry.

“At this trajectory, if you extrapolate the market-share gains that they are making, forward for ten years – if they carry on unrestrained in their growth, then there’s a pretty good chance that Apple will be the games industry,” Harrison told Edge

“When asked to clarify his point, Harrison said: “[I mean in terms of] the proliferation of devices – you’ve got iPhones, iPads, iPods, which are all part of the same ecosystem; the speed at which Apple sold 15 million iPads is phenomenal. And the number one activity on an iPad, according to some reports, is games, and I think that will only continue.”

Earlier this year, The Train2Game blog reported that gaming is the number one activity on tablet computers such as  the iPad.

“The fact that the consumer purchase and discovery mechanism is so well integrated – you see something on the App Store, you click a button, the product delivers to your device. That end-to-end shopping experience, if you want to call it that, has been so elegantly built by Apple and they will continue to refine it” Harrison added.

Earlier this month, the Train2Game reported that OnLive plan to bring Triple A titles to tablet computers thanks to their cloud gaming system.

Meanwhile, Train2Game students know the benefits of producing mobile games, with some having even worked on DR Studios Bug Wings while on a Train2Game work placement.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the claims? Could Apple dominate gaming? Or will there always be competition? Or is the whole thing farfetched?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum

[Source: Edge]