Category Archives: Train2Game

Train2Game

Will the future come in small episodic chunks?

Posted on by
Reply

In a world where we’re seeing digital distribution becoming an increasingly popular way to buy video games, some developers are already altering the way they produce titles.  But firstly, what is an episodic game? Well, it’s a video game produced and sold in small units that build into a recognizable series as opposed to a single massive game. Basically a game could be released over five instalments with each one of these costing say between £5 and £10. Eventually, and when the gamer buys the episodes, they’ll end up with the full game.

Ok, so some of you are probably now saying ‘What’s the point of that? I want to play full games, not just little instalments of them!” And yes that’s a very valid point, after all Modern Warfare 2 wouldn’t have been as successful if it was released with an unfinished campaign mode right? But, episodic content does offer advantages! For a start it provides people with cheap games….you’re more likely to buy a game for under a tenner on impulse than a £40 one, yeah? It also makes things easier for developers and designers, providing them with deadlines in small manageable chunks! Though someone try telling that to Valve…can we have Half Life 2: Episode 3 yet please?

There have been a number of successful – mainly digitally downloadable – episodic games in recent years with Tales of Monkey Island featuring prominently among them. We also five episodes of an episodic Sam & Max title scheduled for release this year from Telltale Games who are well known for producing quality titles that come in little monthly chunks.

Now Telltale have revealed a new scheme which could both further develop the concept of episodic gaming via digital download and benefit Train2Game students aspiring to get their first big break in the industry. The developers will soon be using their skills to create pilots which if sell successfully could be made into full games.

Telltale’s CEO, Dan Connors says this concept is ““excellent way to expand the boundaries of interactive entertainment and gaming by bringing audiences unique and interesting content they might not see otherwise.”

Ok so you Train2Game students may not work for a developer yet, but the concept of episodic gaming could very well provide you with your first role in the industry.  Of course, you’re bound to be a very busy person but if you could produce say a pilot that was a few hours long then get it out there on the internet…and someone likes it, it could very well be the catalyst you need to start your career. There’s never been an easier time to get something out there, especially through the use of digital distribution.

And the use of digital distribution is bound to only get bigger, especially with a certain free and episodic Doctor Who adventure game on the horizon. Yes, it’s going to be free but it could also be the most popular episodic game to date!

So, what do you think? Is episodic gaming the way forward?

Starcraft II release date revealed.

Posted on by
Reply

Activision Blizzard have confirmed that their long delayed RTS Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty will finally be released on July 27th. The game will be released both as a digital download and on the stores of your local games retailer.

The first full sequel to the original Starcraft has been a long time coming; after all it was released 12 years ago. That’s during the last millennium for crying out loud! That was back in the day before Blizzard became a part of Activision too so, you know, ages ago.

Starcraft II was originally scheduled to be released last year but a statement was released in August saying it would arrive in the “First half of 2010” Well…I suppose July isn’t that far into the second half of the year. So, why such a long delay?

Well, the simple answer is that it takes a long time to properly develop a game to perfection, something that all Train2Game students I’m sure know already! None of you would want to release an unfinished, buggy game on the world now would you? No, you’re all of course aware that games development takes a long, long time.

At least the delay meant that Activision Blizzard, along with some lucky gamers, had plenty of time to test Starcraft II in a closed Beta, allowing them to refine many aspects of the game. There have been plenty of Starcraft II previews which have generally been positive so all this extra testing due to the delay can only have made it better right? Blizzard have also upgraded their Battle.net online gaming service to include new features such as voice chat, cloud file storage and stat-tracking.

So, the wait that spanned over two millennia is now almost over. Do you think it’s going to be worth it?

Are indie developers leading the way when it comes to combating piracy?

Posted on by
2

Gaming is an expensive pastime and almost always has been.  One of the first commercially available 3D release was Virtua Racing, which may have looked awful by today’s standards but in 1994 it was the height of technology and cost almost £50. Nowadays, if you look in the right places, you can pick up new releases for around £35, although some games will still get you back over £50 – Call of Duty: Black Ops has apparently got an RRP of £54.99.

Of course, there are those among us who don’t pay for games… the pirates but not ones with eye patches and swords, oh no, but the people who download brand new games illegally without paying for them. Ideas like DRM or even the Digital Economy Bill are being implemented in an attempt to crackdown on piracy but will it ever be stopped once and for all? Unlikely. A worrying prospect for Train2Game students who no doubt would much rather receive royalties for their games rather than have them downloaded illegally and receive nothing!

Now, legendary developer Charles Cecil – who’s currently working on free Doctor Who adventure games for the BBC – says piracy is “nature’s way of turning around and saying games are too expensive and the way that they are distributed is not ideal.” He suggests that an iTunes style of digital distribution could work in the future for games developers and go someway to preventing illegal downloads. Steam has gone some way towards this, but Cecil is correct about the simplicity of iTunes.

Meanwhile, Indie developers Wolfire, are currently allowing you to buy five games, including the highly acclaimed World of Goo for…get this, any price you want to pay! If you really wanted, you could give humble 1p, you could give them a grand if you so desired. The current average contribution people are handing over at the time of writing is $7.90 or about £5.20 in the Queen’s Stirling. Sure it may not be that much but the game’s are being distributed to a wide audience and the developer’s are at least getting some cash for all their hard work.

Sure, you probably won’t get major multinational developers like Activision or Square-Enix giving away the next Modern Warfare or Final Fantasy for whatever price you’re willing to pay, but this system could provide dividends for the indie developers of the future, today’s current Train2Game students. There will still be people who will pay as little as possible for their games for sure, but on the other hand there will always be more generous people who’ll hand over larger amounts for the products.

With digital distribution becoming more and more popular there’s now more scope than ever for an independent developer to get their work out there and have it played by thousands, or hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions of people! So not only could creating a highly popular indie game provide you with enough money to pay the rent, it’ll also look excellent in any developer’s portfolio.

So go on my fellow gamers, support indie developers! Not only can you help stop the pirates, but you’ll also get a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside when you do.

World Cup fever: Good for EA

Posted on by
Reply

The FIFA World Cup is now just 37 days away and football fans are no doubt gearing up for one of the biggest sporting spectacles on the planet. Supporters in the UK –  or at least in England, the only home nation to feature in the tournament – appear to be feeling the buzz already if the latest game charts are anything to go by, with 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa storming to the top of the UK charts in it’s first week. It’s an impressive feat in itself but perhaps even more so when you consider that it’s beaten off competition from Super Street Fighter IV which is certainly no pushover.

It’s the third time this year EA have topped the all format charts this year having already done so with Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Mass Effect 2. Naturally successful sequels are big success stories, and can often be bigger than the originals, which isn’t only good news for companies such as EA, but also any of you on the Train2Game courses. Successful games generally mean big sequels with bigger budgets and therefore potentially new opportunities to ply your trade in the industry. Good ay?

EA say they’ve made hundred’s of improvements with FIFA World Cup looking better than FIFA 10 and apparently plays better too. It certainly sends a message to long time EA rivals Konami, who announced PES 2011 today. Imagine what EA can do with the time they still have available to produce FIFA 2011. You have to wonder how much more realistic both gameplay and graphics can get…the sky might very well be the limit for anyone looking at breaking into the games industry right about now. Things have come a long way in the next five years, and who knows what the next five will hold?

Well, no doubt there will be another FIFA World Cup game that could top the charts…roll on Brazil 2014!

Welcome to Steam Mac users!

Posted on by
1

So, the date that Valve’s digital distribution service Steam will be released on Mac’s has finally been revealed. On May 12th, Apple users will finally be able to join PC gamer’s in spending countless hours not only playing classics such as Half Life 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2, but a wide variety of independent titles as well. (Perhaps one day Train2Game students will see their work released through Steam!)

So, what does the release of Steam on Apple systems actually mean? Well, firstly it’ll allow staunch Mac users – you probably know one…the ones that refuse to use Microsoft products – to play a wide variety of quality games. Now, I’m not a Mac user but some of my best friends are and on countless occasions I’ve had to hear them complain about either the lack of decent games available on Mac’s or the fact that they appear to be a lot more expensive than PC games. Hopefully the release of Steam on the Mac will leave these chaps with nice warm feeling in their tummies.

So, will the introduction of Steam onto Mac’s have any benefits for the traditional PC gamer? Well, if you only own a PC then probably not. But if you own say, both a PC and a MacBook, the digital distribution service means not only can you install your games on both systems, but it’ll also allow you to play on your PC then pick up where you left off on a Mac. It’s therefore probably a good thing that I don’t own a MacBook then…that’d cause another crippling addiction to Football Manager for sure.

Now, quickly moving on before I have a relapse:… Another that the introduction of Valve’s digital distribution service to a new system will have, is that Mac gamers will be able to play online along side their PC gaming counterparts. There won’t be any form of segregation, it’ll be Mac and PC owners living peacefully together  as they attempt to shoot each other in the virtual face. Sure, you might get the odd pro-Mac or anti-Microsoft spray in an online game,  but that’s hardly going to cause World War III. Or are some of you out there  that are really, really against including Mac users in your games?

So there you have it Mac users, you have just under two weeks to wait before you get to join the largest digital gaming community around. And PC gamers…make them feel welcome will you?

Ah Gordon Freeman, it’s good to see you…

Posted on by
2

Wait a minute, I’m not called Gordon! Perhaps I’ve played a bit too much Half Life over the years… let’s start over.

Hi there! My name’s Danny and I write for Train2Game. I’m here because I’m very fond of gaming, which I’ve been doing I got a Master System when I was about 7 years old. Since then, I’ve owned a Mega Drive, various Game Boys, Playstation’s 1,2 and 3 and last but not least PC’s – I remember when 200 was considered to be a great ping, back in the day when Counter Strike was still just a Half Life mod. Ah memories…

Anyway, enough of my past endeavours, ‘What are you playing right now?’ I hear you ask, well I’ll tell you.

When it comes to my PS3, I’m currently ploughing my way through Final Fantasy XIII in addition to playing Batman: Arkham Asylum (Yes, I know I’ve been a little late joining that particular party)

My current PC favourites include Team Fortress 2, which I spend far too much time playing but that’s what happens when a game occasionally provides you with a free virtual hat! I’m a massive RPG enthusiast (re: geek) with Dragon Age: Origins still managing to occupy large portions of my time. I also occasionally play Football Manager…but as a recovering addict I know I shouldn’t be doing that!

Basically, I mostly enjoy action adventures, shooters, RPG’s and sports games….but every genre has top-notch games right? And I’ll be talking to you about all of them, along with discussing what’s happening in gaming industry.

I’m looking forward to it very much.

Train2Game Designer Student Jon’s Video Diary

Posted on by

Part 1 of Train2Game Games Designer student Jon’s video diary
It’s been a dream of his to get a career in the games industry, ever since he was visited by a Careers Advisor at school who asked him what he wants to do with his life and he said all he wants to do his make computer games.
For more information http://is.gd/bAApW

Train2Game on BBC 1Xtra Rampage Blog

Posted on by

“Train2game is the name of a new educational course that sets you up for a career in the gaming world. The course has been given the thumbs up by important men in suits and you could end up with a properly recognised qualification. (Bonus!!).”

For more from the BBC 1Xtra Rampage Blog: http://is.gd/bze5p