Category Archives: www.train2game-news.co.uk

Train2Game News Ubisoft Soundtracks

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Sumthing Else Music Works, the premier record label dedicated to releasing video game soundtracks, today announced that it has entered into a multiple-title licensing agreement with Ubisoft, to release physical editions of the original soundtracks from blockbuster video game franchises  Assassin’s Creed®,  Far Cry®,  Prince of Persia®,  Rayman®  and  Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell®.

“We’re excited to be working with Ubisoft in bringing their physical product and lineup of artists and titles to the worldwide marketplace,” said Andy Uterano, President of Sumthing Else Music Works.

Under terms of the agreement Sumthing Else will issue Ubisoft’s music catalog on CD and select titles on vinyl, commencing with the original soundtracks from its historical action-adventure series  Assassin’s Creed®  on September 25. Featuring the music of BAFTA award-winning, Billboard and MTV Video Music Awards nominated composer Jesper Kyd and Grammy award-winning, Emmy and BAFTA nominated composer Lorne Balfe, the first physical soundtracks to be released include:

   *Assassin’s Creed Original Game Soundtrack – Music by Jesper Kyd

BAFTA winning composer Jesper Kyd’s immersive soundtrack evokes the medieval Middle-Eastern setting. Set in 1191 AD, when the Third Crusade was tearing the Holy Land apart,  Assassin’s Creed  enables players to become truly immersed into the mindset of Altaïr, the game’s main character, and the rich environments of the game through Jesper Kyd’s thematic original score. The combination of cinematic compositions with Middle-Eastern acoustic instruments and vocal performances, featuring full choir and soloists, delivers a deeply meditative and spiritual aesthetic.

   *Assassin’s Creed II Original Game Soundtrack (2-CD) – Music by Jesper Kyd

Assassin’s Creed II  features a new hero, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Italian noble, and a new era, the Renaissance. To reflect the change in character, story and setting for  Assassin’s Creed II, Jesper Kyd took the music in an adventurous and dramatic new direction, crafting a melodic, acoustic and progressive musical palette. The music propels the action, captures the allure and mystery of the story and immerses players in the breathtakingly detailed settings. Kyd’s multi-award winning Renaissance-inspired score features the series’ iconic theme, “Ezio’s Family”.

    *Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Original Game Soundtrack – Music by Jesper Kyd

The third iteration in the critically acclaimed series, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood was inspired by historical events during the occupation of Rome by The Borgias in 1503. “Researching the history of the Borgia Family it became clear early on that Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood would require a very dark score in order to match the Borgias’ aspirations to become the rulers of Italy. The music follows the compelling story of Ezio as a Master Assassin going up against The Borgias.” – Jesper Kyd

    *Assassin’s Creed Revelations The Complete Recordings (3-CD) – Music by Jesper Kyd and Lorne Balfe

In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, Master Assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of the legendary mentor Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. Introducing the “Assassin’s Creed Theme”, cut-scenes and multiplayer music by Grammy winning composer/producer Lorne Balfe, recorded with a full live orchestra, and featuring a rich, evocative hybrid in-game music score by Jesper Kyd drawing on Greek, Renaissance and Middle-Eastern instrumentation, combining his emotional melodic writing and acoustic/electronic styles associated with the series.

    *Assassin’s Creed III Original Soundtrack – Music by Lorne Balfe

Assassin’s Creed III invited players to experience the untold story of the American Revolution through the eyes of a new Assassin, Connor. Designed from the ground up, Assassin’s Creed III takes one of gaming’s most beloved franchises to new heights with Lorne Balfe returning to helm the original score. “I wanted to create an epic feeling that would complement the grandeur of the visuals. This was the beginning of America as we know it today – filled with cultures from across the world. With such diversity available, I was able to bring Celtic and other musical influences into the game to further accentuate the complexities of the game itself.” – Lorne Balfe

The remaining Assassin’s Creed original soundtracks will be released on CD in October and select titles on vinyl in 2016:

    *Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Original Game Soundtrack – Music by Brian Tyler
    *Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Game Soundtrack Sea Shanty Edition – Various Artists
    *Assassin’s Creed Unity Original Game Soundtrack Volumes 1 & 2 – Music by Chris Tilton and Sarah Schachner

The licensing deal announced today also includes physical releases for the Far Cry®, Prince of Persia®, Rayman® and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell® soundtracks – release dates to be announced.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video game soundtracks, visit www.sumthing.com

Train2Game News Game Audio salary increase

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Salaried employees in game audio and sound design earn an average of $10,000 more annually than was reported in 2014.

Freelancers earn an average of $1,000 less per project while the average number of projects for freelancers has risen from 4.6 in 2014 to 5.2 in 2015, according to the Game Audio Industry Survey by GameSoundCon with 591 respondents.

The percentage of salaried workers in game sound design increased from 37% in 2014 to 46% in 2015.  Freelance designers now make up 46% of the game audio industry versus 60% in 2014, demonstrating a previously unseen even split between salaried employees and freelance composers and designers.

Other changes include:

●     80% of game composers reported they also provide sound effects, in comparison to 65% of composers who reported providing sound effects in 2014

●     23% of indie game projects now offer soundtrack clauses allowing composers to profit from soundtrack sales, rising from 18% in 2014.  The percentage of AAA games offering payment for soundtracks remained constant at 5%

●     While game audio and sound design remains a primarily male industry, the percentage of respondents identifying as female doubled from 3.5% in 2014 to 7% today

The Game Audio Industry Survey, conducted by GameSoundCon, tracks compensation, working conditions, contract terms and production information for the game music and sound industry.

GameSoundCon, taking place Nov. 3 – 4 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, offers attendees hands-on training sessions and networking events with audio industry luminaries.

“The changes we observed in game sound design compensation over just one year demonstrate the value of collecting this information,” said Brian Schmidt, executive director, GameSoundCon.  “Our inaugural 2014 survey was meant to illuminate aspects of the game audio industry that Gamasutra’s annual salary survey didn’t focus on.  I’m very pleased to see our efforts continue to bring new findings to light about this group of talented professionals.”

More information about GameSoundCon is available at www.GameSoundCon.com

Train2Game News 5K resolution virtual reality headset

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Starbreeze AB, an independent creator, publisher and distributor of high quality entertainment products, today announced a collaboration with Tobii, the leader in eye-tracking, to integrate Tobii’s eye tracking technology into Starbreeze unique 210-degree field of view, 5K resolution virtual reality-headset StarVR.

Eye tracking is set to further revolutionize virtual reality application where the user’s eye movements and reactions can trigger different reactions and paths in the experience. Most importantly, the implementation of foveated rendering (Gaze Prioritized Graphics), or computational graphics, can occur when the device knows the specific area the user is currently looking. With foveated rendering, StarVR will not need to sacrifice any of its graphics quality or resolution in order to accommodate the large FOV found in VR HMDs, ensuring a consistent, top-quality experience for users.

“We’re still in early development of our StarVR HMD and are therefore looking for best in class solutions to the components that we believe make the best VR experiences there is” said Emmanuel Marquez, CTO of Starbreeze AB. He continued” Eye tracking technology in a VR HMD will let us customize the experiences and enable even further immersion.

“Starbreeze is known for creating killer, high-quality consumer experiences, which is what attracted us to this collaboration,” said Oscar Werner, president of Tobii Tech. “The ambition is to deliver the most immersive and realistic experiences with the highest graphical standards and eye tracking components for an unparalleled VR HMD.”

Examples of Eye Tracking Enhancements to Virtual Reality:

    Gaze-prioritized graphics (also known as foveated rendering) – VR graphics can be improved and optimized by, for instance, rendering graphics with higher resolution in the region where the user is looking.

     VR comfort – Comfort in the VR experience can be improved by more precise graphics rendering based on data about the position and direction of the eyes.

    Gaming  immersion – Harnessing natural eye movement, environments and characters can be made more realistic and interactive in games through:

        -Natural targeting – To pick up or throw an object, instead of pointing towards the object through head movement, users only need to look at the object to interact with it. This interaction is natural, intuitive and seamless because it so closely mimics real life.

        -Eye contact – This fundamental non-verbal communication is critical to our interaction with others. Bringing the same principle to character interaction in a film or game makes users even more deeply immersed. Characters can come to life, interact or ignore you based on eye contact.

        -Immersive graphics and sound – Scary or surprising reactions can be created by knowing what users are paying attention to. Sounds, for instance and characters may appear from where users are not currently looking.

Train2Game News UKIE 2015 Member Survey

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Ukie’s 2015 member survey results indicate UK games businesses are confident of future growth in a global market place.

Ahead of its AGM at EGX tomorrow, Ukie has revealed the results of its 2015 Member Survey. The results, collected from Ukie’s membership of developers, publishers, platform holders and games service providers, reveal a rise in the number of start-up games companies and confidence of further growth, fuelled by international deals and the introduction of the tax breaks last year.

The Ukie survey results show that 4 out of 5 UK games businesses are anticipating a period of growth for their company in the next 18 months. This statistic is an improvement on 2014, where 77% of respondents anticipated that their business would grow.

Significantly, this is particularly evident in UK developers, where 93% of respondents expect the next year and a half to bring growth for their company.

The Video Games Tax Relief, which came into effect in 2014, appears to have played a role in this expectation of growth, with 64% of developer respondents saying that they have been able to hire more staff as a direct result of a successful tax relief application. Nine out of 10 respondents plan to take advantage of the tax breaks for culturally relevant games in the future.

The survey also showed the huge growth in UK games businesses over the last few years, with nearly half the respondents to the survey (46%) being companies that have been in existence for 5 years or fewer. A majority of the businesses are also considered small or micro, with 61% employing 25 or fewer staff.

Despite the relative youth and small size of many games companies, the UK sector contributes £1.4bn GVA to the economy and the UK consumer market was estimated to be worth £3.6bn in 2014, ranking sixth worldwide.

The survey also revealed how active UK games businesses are in overseas markets. Over two thirds (68%) of Ukie members generated over 60% of their annual turnover from business outside of the UK, showing a huge export nature and international reputation of the products made in Britain. Ukie operates a global trade programme to help UK games businesses of all sizes to access international markets and forge overseas partnerships.

Ukie CEO, Dr Jo twist, commented on the results, saying, “It’s great to see such a confident outlook from UK games businesses as we continue to demonstrate that we are a hugely productive, growth sector of the future. Ukie lobbied hard for the Tax Relief to come into effect, and to see it having such an impact in actively growing our industry is amazing. Our survey also shows the importance of overseas markets to UK companies – our sector is competing against some major global competitors and our presence in the international markets is something of which we should all be proud. I look forward to seeing the further impact of the Tax Breaks, the introduction of more events in our global trade programme and the continued growth in the fantastic UK industry in the next 18 months.”

Train2Game News London Video Game Market

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Buy and Sell Video Games, Board Games and Merchandise All in One Place Right in the Heart of London

Passionate about gaming? Looking to buy that D&D edition you’re still missing? Or trying to sell your rare, import, mint perfect NES power glove? The London Gaming Market has you covered.

Brought to you by Replay Events, Showmasters and Dark Cleo Productions, the London Gaming Market will see competitively priced stalls and vendors come together to delight and engage video gaming and table top gaming fans from all walks of life.

The market will be open every four months at the Royal National Hotel in Russell Square, London. The first date will be held on Sunday 15th November, just in time for some early and awesomely nerdy Christmas shopping.

The following dates will take place in March, July and November 2016 giving fans and traders alike plenty of time to get their collections together or catalogue that missing piece of merchandise.

Tickets will all be available on the door which opens at 11am. Early entry tickets cost £5, tickets after 12PM cost £2. Children under 14 can enter for free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Visit the website at http://www.londongamingmarket.com for the latest news, stall booking information for traders and directions to the event.

Train2Game News European games devs driving global digital economy

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The Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) has presented a report by Deloitte that shows how European games companies are a driving force behind the global digital economy.

The report Mobile Games In Europe explores the emergence of the in-app purchase model in mobile video games. It shows how that model now supports 21,000 full-time employees in the European Union, many of them working in small enterprises that have been able to build sustainable businesses. The report highlights how mobile game developers now enjoy a lower barrier to entry and can start and build successful businesses anywhere in Europe. Regional industry hubs have attracted talent and capital and created new types of jobs and flexible, innovative business models.

ISFE expects to see double-digit growth in the mobile games industry until 2017, making it the fastest growing ‘content’ sector in Europe, with consumer spending estimated at more than €20 billion in 2015 alone.

The Deloitte report demonstrates that the in-app purchase model is popular with consumers, who show a high level of awareness of these games and enjoy more choice and variety. It also shows that only a small percentage of these gamers ever make in-app purchases. Consumers now download more free and in-app purchase mobile games than paid games. 

On Tuesday 15th of September, ISFE organised a high-level event at the Microsoft Executive Briefing Center in Brussels to present the findings of the report. The event featured a keynote speech by MEP Kaja Kallas (ALDE) and a panel discussion during which representatives from the games industry, the European Parliament and the European Commission discussed how the growth and leading position of the European games industry could be ensured while supporting the EU’s Digital Single Market initiative.

“Of the top 10 apps in the Apple iOS and Google Play app store in June 2015, six were made by game companies headquartered in Europe”, says Simon Little, Managing Director of ISFE. “We can be proud of our leading position, while keeping the focus on fostering a business environment where skills and talent keep our companies at the top.”

ISFE represents the European video games industry to the European Union and international organisations. ISFE spreads the word on its members’ positions regarding the main political and legal initiatives of European and international institutions in fields such as intellectual property, e-commerce, trade negotiations and the protection of minors.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 21.09.15

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destiny_the_taken_kingDestiny The Taken King has taken the number one spot in the charts this week beating out Forza 6 that has driven to second place. Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 managed to make its way to third.

All formats
Week ending 5 September 2015

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 DESTINY: THE TAKEN KING ACTIVISION –
2 FORZA MOTORSPORT 6 MICROSOFT –
3 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2016 KONAMI –
4 METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN KONAMI 1
5 MAD MAX WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 3
6 SUPER MARIO MAKER NINTENDO 2
7 – GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 7
8 DISNEY INFINITY 3.0 DISNEY INFINITY 4
9 RUGBY LEAGUE LIVE 3 ALTERNATIVE –
10 LEGO JURASSIC WORLD WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 8
11 GEARS OF WAR: ULTIMATE EDITION MICROSOFT 6
12 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 9
13 UNTIL DAWN SONY COMPUTER ENT. 5
14 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION –
15 NHL 16 EA SPORTS –
16 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 10
17 DYING LIGHT WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 12
18 MADDEN NFL 16 EA SPORTS 14
19 DESTINY ACTIVISION 15
20 CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE ACTIVISION 19
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2015 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.

Train2Game News Sinclair ZX Spectrum VEGA available now

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FunstockRetro.co.uk – Europe’s Number One Retro Gaming Destination are proud to announce that the ‘Sinclair ZX Spectrum VEGA’ is officially out now and in-stock!

The ZX Vega is a brand new ‘plug and play’ console, packed with 1,000 built-in games and includes several ‘Perfect Ten’ (rated by Retro Gamer Magazine) classics such as ‘Knight’s Lore’ and ‘Back To Skool’ as well as hundreds upon hundreds of classics. See the full list here: ZX Spectrum VEGA game list. Any of your favourites missing? – the VEGA also supports SD cards, so you can easily add more games yourself.

About the Sinclair ZX Spectrum VEGA:

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega is a new low cost games computer based on Sir Clive’s hugely successful Spectrum products of the early 1980s.

    -Over 1,000 built-in officially licensed ZX Spectrum games
    -Supported by Sir Clive Sinclair
    -Simple ‘Plug and Play’ system
    -Developed by former ZX Spectrum Developer, Chris Smith
    -Allows you to play almost any ZX Spectrum game via its micro SD Card slot. Well-known retro gaming sites carry tens of thousands of titles that you can legally download
    -Can play games you yourself have programmed
    -Improves on the original – no more waiting for a game to load via tape
    -Comes complete with ready-mapped buttons for all included games, as well as the option of using the in-built virtual keyboard
    -Connects to both your TV’s USB port (for power) and its video/audio inputs (for the signal) no other cables are needed
    -Includes a selection of games such as classics that will keep long-term fans happy and newly-written games that will introduce a whole new generation to the wonderful world of the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Vega
    -Is designed and manufactured in the UK – the home of the original ZX Spectrum revolution
    -Is rated by PEGI as suitable for all adults and children aged seven and upwards
    -SD card compatible, so if there’s a specific gaming missing from this list, you can easily add it using an SD card

The console is available now at:  www.funstockretro.co.uk

Train2Game News 2015 Developer Satisfaction Survey

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Crunch time continues to be prevalent in the game industry, with 62 percent of game developers reporting their job involves it.

Of those experiencing crunch, nearly half are working more than 60 hours per week, with 17 percent working more than 70 hours, according to the 2015 Developer Satisfaction Survey (DSS) by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).

During these periods of crunch time, 37 percent of employee respondents reported their employers do not or are unable to offer any additional reward to their employees for working overtime. Of those who are offered some form of compensation, 28 percent say they are given various perks such as meals, 18 percent are given time off and 12 percent get a combination of the two.

Poor working conditions were reported as the second leading factor contributing towards society’s negative perception of the game industry, with 55 percent of respondents selecting it among a list of provided factors. Sexism among gamers was the primary factor with 57 percent of respondents selecting it, and sexism in games rounded out the top three with 52 percent of respondents.

Other crucial points of the DSS include:

Salaries of Employees and Freelancers

·         67 percent of employees make more than $50,000 per year, with the most common salary[RB1] [ms2]  falling somewhere between $50,000 and $75,000.

·         Those numbers are dramatically different for freelance game developers, with a majority of 37 percent making less than $15,000 per year. Only 24 percent of freelancer respondents reported making more than $50,000 per year.. Only 12 percent indicated that they make $30,000 – $40,000

·         Almost half (49 percent) of self-employed game developers reported that their annual income from game-related work was less than $15,000 USD.

·Forty-five percent [RB3] of self-employed respondents [ms4] always forgo a salary or wage in order for their company to have what it needs.

Industry Mobility

·         The 2015 DSS found that employees switched employers 2.7 times on average 2.7 times during the past five years, compared to 3.75 times in the 2014 survey.

·         Freelancers and contractors, who have had an average of 4.6 employers duringof the past five years.
Distribution Method of Games

·         While Apple iOS[ms5] , [RB6] [ms7] Google Play and Steam are the overall distribution platform of choice among the different population of respondents, the top 7 overall platforms vary substantially among employees, the self-employed, and freelancers.

·         For employees, the top 3 distribution methods are Google Play, Steam, and Retail Chains; for self-employed respondents, they are Apple, their own personal website, and Steam; and for Freelancers, they are Steam, Google Play, and their own personal website.
Game Genres

·         Among all three types of respondents – employed, self-employed and freelancers – action game is the most developed genre[RB8] , with 52 percent of employed respondents, 51 percent of self-employed and 49 percent of freelancers indicating that it best describes the broad genre of the games they make.
[ms9]

·Role playing and casual games were tied for the second most developed genre by employees at 36 percent each.

·For self-employed developers, the second most developed genre was casual games (44 percent,) followed by strategy games (36 percent)

·Freelancers indicated that casual (47 percent) and role playing games (38 percent) were the second and third most developed genres.[RB10] [ms11]

The results of the survey provides the IGDA with a better understanding of its members’ priorities and critical issues affecting their overall satisfaction, thus helping prioritize the association’s advocacy efforts and initiatives, according to Kate Edwards, executive director.

The IGDA 2015 DSS Survey was conducted and analyzed by: Johanna Weststar, assistant professor, DAN Program in Management and Organizational Studies, Western University; and Marie-Josée Legault, professor, École des sciences de l’administration, TÉLUQ; with assistance and guidance from Kate Edwards, executive director, International Game Developers Association.

Train2Game News Student launches Gamatier

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Leasing online and mobile games with real time management tools is the future of games distribution

Gamatier is a brand new product that lets online and mobile games Publishers and Developers lease games, alongside options to buy. Listing hundreds of different titles, Gamatier will offer bespoke usage options to suit both parties, with Publishers able to decide how they want to access to a game and Developers able to retain ownership.

Publishers and Developers can now lease and manage games for use on Android through the platform, with iOS, Windows and online, arriving soon. The platform and embedded SDK are completely changing the traditional model of selling games, empowering both Publishers and Developers with real time management, advertising, analytics and distribution tools.

The website and SDK have been created by a UK Development team who studied with Games Development course provider Train2Game. Their aim is to create a more effective way of distributing and managing online games. The applications of Gamatier are huge for the games industry. The platform has now launched, the team are planning rapid expansion and currently seeking investment to take the platform to the next level.

John Esslemont, Founder, Gamatier “I have been selling games for a long time and that’s how I came up with Gamatier. I was getting frustrated because once I’d developed a game and given it to a Publisher, it was gone and no longer owned my creation. There was no platform for management; it was bad news for a Developer, often not getting a share of a product’s success.”

“That’s when I created Gamatier; I wanted to give Developers the power to keep making money from their games after they were released. I came up with the concept of leasing games through an online platform. Why sell your game when leasing will let you retain ownership of the IP and you can continue to control your product?”

“Using Gamatier there are huge benefits for Publishers too, they have a store filled with games that they can choose from and many options of how they want to buy or lease games. Leasing allows for reduced initial outlay and management of further investment in a game. The options available to Publishers allow the most effective way to gain revenue based on analytics and implement changes using the platform in real time, such as: exclusive leasing, advertising and other monetisation options.”

“The unique SDK we’ve developed provides extensive, innovative and intuitive options and services, which integrate into our hosting platform. Developers retain ownership of their title and how it is used. Publishers who buy or lease games achieve control over the games ads, analytics, branding, in house ads and lots more via our real-time dashboard.”

“One thing that has been essential to getting Gamatier off the ground is Train2Game; we would not be making our dreams come true if not for its guidance. We think the Gamatier method of leasing games is more efficient, manageable and cost effective. We predict our product will dramatically change how Publishers and Developers buy and sell games.”

www.gamatier.com
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