Train2Game News PlayExpo 2013

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PlayExpoFollowing in the high octane tracks of last year’s hugely successful event, the nation’s army of gamers, puzzle pros and arcade gurus will descend on Manchester’s EventCity 11-12 October as the most action packed and utterly immersive gaming expo bursts into multi-player life.

Officially launched today and set to be the largest multi-sensory video gaming event in the North of England, Play Expo is a high tech-meets-retro-extravaganza set across five fantastic zones. The two day event will also pit amateur gamers against the best in the country as the Classic Gaming Championship finals reach their nail biting conclusion in a duel to the death on the main stage. Final heats will take place on Saturday with the Grand Final scheduled for Sunday, where the UK’s greatest retro gamer will be crowned.

Meanwhile, visitors can delve deep into the world of their favourite TV and film franchises, take the driving seat with exclusive sneak previews or be amongst the first in the country to sit at the controls of some of the UK’s hottest under the radar indie games titles.

“The all-encompassing Play Expo is unlike any other gaming event on the planet,” said Andy Brown, show co-organiser. “Whether reliving childhood favourites with the Expo’s unique haul of arcade collectables, getting up close and personal with authentic film props or taking to the main stage in a movie-worthy crafted costume, Play Expo is totally unique.

“Now in our fifth year, we have developed five huge zones which we know hardcore gamers and enthusiastic amateurs alike will love and we have some truly outstanding concepts. Exclusive hardware, game launches, cult actors and characters from the best of TV and film franchises – think Doctor Who and Star Wars and then take it to a whole new level.”

Gamers can expect to immerse themselves in a clutch of no holds barred experiences at the show which was nominated for an MCV award earlier this year.

You can buy tickets and find out more at http://www.playexpo.net/

Train2Game News PlayStation 4 big update

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PS4Sony have announced a huge update for PlayStation 4 including a rich new video editing application, is available today.

In version 1.70 SHAREfactory will be available to download on to your next generation Sony console. Once installed, the app will let you edit video game captures with special effects and, video commentary with picture in picture and the ability to add a custom sound track to your videos. Once created your videos can then be shared straight to Facebook or downloaded on to a USB hard drive.

In the new update you will also have the ability to automatic pre-download so those games that you have pre-ordered that you are dieing to play will be available to be downloaded several days before the release date so that your game is ready to go on the day with no pesky waiting!

There are many other updates coming in the new update and a full list of features can be found at http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/04/30/ps4-system-update-1-70-launches-tomorrow-full-feature-list/

Train2Game News Games for gold May 2014

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Games With GoldThe new games for gold on Xbox have been announced for this month. Dust An Elysian Tale and Saints Row The Third.

Dust, which is usually priced at £9.99 / $14.99, is now free until May 15. Saints Row The Third, which is normally priced at £14.99 / $19.99, will be free to download from May 16 until the end of the month.

Dust An Elysian Tale is a beautiful arcade game with an engaging story. The game play is a bit repetitive but the story and characters keep you engaged through out. The game was designed, created and coded all by one independent coder named Dean Dodrill. A truly astounding spectacle of one mans works.

I imagine Saints Row The Third needs less of a description with the high popularity it received along with it’s recent sequel Saints Row IV. The game is along the same lines as the GTA series but with a total level of insanity added to the mix.

Enjoy the Games with Gold this month!

Train2Game News Insomnia 51 big success

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InsomniaMultiplay, hosts of the UK’s biggest gaming festival has reason to celebrate following its biggest ever spring Insomnia event. Insomnia51, Multiplay’s first event at the Ricoh Arena, saw an unprecedented footfall of over 20,000 across the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.

Thousands of gamers from a variety of backgrounds gathered to enjoy a schedule packed full of engaging content, with Main Festival Stage presenting from We’ve Got Game Founders, Matt Littler and Darren Jefferies. The festival’s activities spanned the range of modern gaming culture, from high level Esports tournaments to a thriving exhibition hall including Minecraft, Indie, Tabletop Gaming, and Retro zones.  There were also panel talks in a 650-seat dedicated auditorium, and of course the UK’s biggest LAN gaming halls.

Following on from the success of Insomnia49 last summer, Insomnia51 featured appearances from special guests from across the globe. Providing fans with the chance to meet them in person, Insomnia51 enabled YouTube stars to connect with their communities through Meet & Greet sessions, panel talk sessions, and main stage shows.

As the first Insomnia Gaming Festival of 2014, Insomnia51 saw increased entries for not only Esports tournaments on PC, but also on console. As part of their pledge to help grow the console tournament scene at Insomnia events, Multiplay delivered the Console Esports Arena, an area wholly dedicated to console Esports including tournament stations, a spectating zone, and an area for press.

Last year the Insomnia Gaming Festivals hit several milestones, with both its largest ever event and it’s fiftieth outing. 2013’s rapid growth and increased attendance inspired a change of venue, and the UK’s biggest gaming festival found a new home at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena resulting in the highest attendance for an Easter event in Multiplay’s 17-year history.

“There is no equivalent to the Insomnia Gaming Festival in the UK. There’s no single event that combines the LAN halls, the tournaments, the exhibition, the special guests, the stage activities, all into a single weekend-long gaming-focused festival experience,” said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay. “With each passing year Insomnia grows bigger and better, in no small part due to our incredible community and the fantastic partners we work with. With our summer plans for Insomnia52, 2014 is shaping up to be an unstoppable year for Multiplay events.”

To view all photos from Insomnia 51, please visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mpuk/collections/72157644032424851/

For more information on Insomnia52 visit http://insomniagamingfestival.com. More announcements will be made in the coming months.

Train2Game News Driveclub release date

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DriveclubIt’s a big day at Worldwide Studios as they have announced a launch date for the much anticipated PS4 exclusive title from Evolution Studios – Driveclub.

The team has been working relentlessly on the game and have captured a new video to showcase just how impressive it’s currently looking. The studio planned for the game to be ready for early 2014 and are committed to delivering on their ambitious promise of creating a truly innovative, socially connected racing game.

The problem with being ambitious is you have to be prepared to accept there will be challenges along the way. What Driveclub offers has not been previously achieved in this category and because of this, the team needed more time to give you the game you’re waiting for.

You can enjoy the stunning fast racing action for Driveclub in the new trailer below. The game is due to be released on PlayStation 4 October 8 2014.

Train2Game News E.T has been found

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Atari dumpsiteA Film crew has busted  the myth on the Atari landfill by finding boxes of long lost cartridges.

The fabled Atari dump site where it was alleged the console firm dumped thousands of E.T. game cartridges following the title’s catastrophic failure has finally been dug up 30 years later.

A team of filmmakers, along with Microsoft, received permission earlier this month to excavate the site in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

It had been believed that Atari dumped 14 truckloads of discarded cartridges and computer equipment at the site in 1983, which local media were said to have reported at the time.

Not long after the dig began, the crew discovered the rumours were true and Atari had in fact dumped “thousands upon thousands” of unsold cartridges.

The dig has been organised and filmed by Xbox Entertainment Studios, Fuel Entertainment and Lightbox Entertainment as part of a documentary on Atari called “Atari: Game Over”.

Train2Game News Microsoft announce several TV shows for Xbox

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Xbox OneMicrosoft has announced no less than 12 original TV shows or features for Xbox Live, all of which “will offer interactive capabilities, as well as unique interactive features customized on a per-show basis, making it a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience you won’t find anywhere else.”

Created or overseen by the recently founded Xbox Entertainment Studios, the pickings include the previously announced Halo TV series, plus a Halo “digital feature” executive produced by Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner. There’s also a reality TV show about up-and-coming football players, a couple of shows based on famous tabletop games, and a 2015-bound Channel 4 series about machines that look like humans. It’s a bit of a spread.

In the words of Jordan Levin, executive vice president of Xbox Entertainment Studios, “creating original TV content is a logical next step in our evolution”. This echoes comments to OXM from various bigwigs on the subject last year. According to Microsoft Soho’s Rob Stevens, for example, “game developers are realising there is a big appetite for more immersive interactive content, which we have decades of invaluable experience in making with games – creating this type of content for TV gives us the ability to reach a hugely diverse array of new audiences.”

The first shows are due to screen on Xbox Live this year – Microsoft has apparently looked at hundreds more concepts, more details on those will be announced at a later date.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 28.04.14

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TitanfallThe charts have been very quiet recently but this week there hasn’t been a single new game added to the top twenty. The only new additions are Batman Arkham Origins making a return due to the new DLC being released and Disney Infinity sneaking back up.

All formats
Week ending 26 April 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 – TITANFALL EA GAMES 1
2 – 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL EA SPORTS 2
3 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 5
4 – FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 4
5 LEGO THE HOBBIT WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 3
6 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 8
7 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT 6
8 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 9
9 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 10
10 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 12
11 – ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 11
12 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 17
13 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 14
14 TRIALS FUSION UBISOFT 7
15 – INFAMOUS: SECOND SON SONY COMPUTER ENT. 15
16 – METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES KONAMI 16
17 THIEF SQUARE ENIX 13
18 – DARK SOULS II BANDAI NAMCO GAMES 18
19 DISNEY INFINITY DISNEY INFINITY –
20 BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE –
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 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 Batman Arkham Origins DLC

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Batman AO DLCWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have released Cold, Cold Heart, the action-packed story add-on for Batman: Arkham Origins.

Set on New Year’s Eve, Cold, Cold Heart sheds light on the tragic origin story of Mr. Freeze and players will discover how he earned his place as one of Gotham City’s greatest villains. Cold, Cold Heart is available today for purchase on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Games Store and STEAM for £7.99 and also for players who have purchased the Batman: Arkham Origins Season Pass and are connected to the Internet.

The Cold, Cold Heart Story Add-On introduces new locations including Wayne Manor and GothCorp, taking players on an ice-cold journey as Victor Fries encounters Batman for the first time. Players will have access to all new gadgets including Thermocharged Batarangs and Thermal Gloves. Batman is also equipped with his powerful Extreme Environment (XE) suit to take down Mr. Freeze and his Cryo-thugs in hours of new story content.

You can enjoy the new trailer for this DLC below

Train2Game News Unreal Engine 4 update

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Unreal Engine 4Epic Games has released the first major update to Unreal Engine 4 since its public launch as a $19 per month subscription-based service at the 2014 Game Developers Conference (GDC).

With the release of Unreal Engine 4.1, all subscribers who are registered Xbox or PlayStation developers, including members of the ID@Xbox independent developer program, can receive access to the engine’s complete source code for their respective console platforms, at no extra cost.

For the past two years, some of the world’s leading console developers have been using UE4 to build their next-generation games, so the widespread console availability of this engine is highly notable for the indie developer community.

The 4.1 update also includes SteamOS and Linux support, refined iOS and Android workflow, new game templates both for C++ programmers and designers using Blueprint visual scripting, and more than 100 improvements based on community feedback. In addition, Epic’s Elemental demo is now available for free for subscribers to download from the engine’s Marketplace so that developers can learn from its construction and use its assets in their own projects.

As a demonstration of UE4’s high-end console support, the engine includes “Shooter Game,” a sample project created by Epic and released for free on Marketplace.  The sample is now undergoing certification on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Driven by feedback from the community and informed by Epic’s experience building games such as “Fortnite,” Unreal Engine 4 is evolving at an incredible pace.  Its first month has seen thousands of development forks created on GitHub to improve and extend the engine in an open, collaborative manner.  Starting now, developers on GitHub can see Epic’s internal development process in real-time, with live-streaming source code updates.

To learn more about UE4 or to download the tools, visit www.unrealengine.com.