Train2Game news: Dead Space story producer Chuck Beaver on getting into the industry

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Dead Space 2 Train2Game blog image

Train2Game students looking to get a job in the industry should regularly practice their skills and take up modding. That’s according to brilliantly named Dead Space story producer Chuck Beaver.

“I would say practice, practice, practice. Write entire stories for mods on any software you can, and implement them using something like Half-Life’s source code.” he said in EA’s latest breaking into the industry feature, echoing what Valve’s Chet Faliszek and id’s Tim Willits have previously told The Train2Game Blog.

“Oh, and buy and devour Robert McKee’s book called Story. It is the fundamental bible on how to write.” he added.

For those who have eyes on becoming a producer, the Dead Space man suggested internships are the best way forward.

“You need to get in the door as a Producer, so take internships as a Production Assistant in game companies. Learn the ropes of project management, working with creatives, and game making in general, so you can apply your writing training appropriately.” he said, before adding that a game design course is valuable for becoming a writer.

“I would also take game design courses, so you can know what you’re talking about, know the medium you’ll be managing, what its limitations are, etc. That is critical.” Beaver concluded.

The full interview with Dead Space story producer Chuck Beaver is over at EA’s The Beat blog.

Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning Producer Benjamin Smith, Dead Space 2 game designer Brian Bartram, and EA Environment Artist Phillip Simmons are among those that have previously spoken to EA’s The Beat, providing advice on how to get into the industry.

What are your thoughts on Chuck Beaver’s advice on getting into the industry? Do you mod?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Animation can be better than dialogue in games writing says Chris Avellone

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Game designers often make the mistake of using dialogue to in games writing, when animation can be better than words. That’s according to Obsidian Entertainment Creative Director Chris Avellone, whose credits include Fallout 2, Neverwinter Nights and Fallout: New Vegas.

Speaking to TheCriticalBit, Avellone said a common problem for game designers is “Lack of scriptwriting experience and brevity when doing a voiced game,” before adding  something a simple animation such as a shrug can have a better impact than dialogue.

“Not being aware that “tone” and emphasis on a word can help you edit out 2-3 extra sentences of foreshadowing – or not realizing that being able to call an “eye roll” or “shrug” animation is often better than any spoken response” he said, citing Uncharted writer Amy Hennig as a master of it.

Avellone is currently helping with InXile’s Kickstarter funded Wasteland 2. ‘The Godfather of post-apocalyptic RPGs’ raised almost $3 million in backing for the project.

You can get advice on getting into the games industry from the Obsidian Entertainment Creative Director here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are views on Avellone’s comments on the use of animation in games writing? Is it something that’s overlooked? What games do you think best use animation in story telling?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or here on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Beefjack] 

Train2Game student industry experience diaries: Jonny Robinson at DR Studios weeks 36-38

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Train2Game designer Jonny Robinson is on a Train2Game work placement at DR Studios. In his latest industry experience diaries, Jonny describes QA Testing an upcoming title from DR Studios, the run up to Make Something Unreal Live and more.

Read what Jonny has to say about his Train2Game work placement  here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game Scribd page. Catch up with previous instalments here. 

Train2Game news: Diablo III enters open beta weekend

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Train2Game students can play Diablo III this weekend, as Blizzard has announced an open beta will be active from today through until Monday. The purpose of the Diablo III open beta is to stress test the servers ahead of next month’s release.

Those interested in taking part in this weekend’s Diablo III open beta need to log in to or create their Battle.net account at http://www.battle.net/, then download the game client from here. Diablo III beta testers can team up with friends and play all of the game’s five classes up to Level 13. A full FAQ on the beta is on Battlenet.

Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. In a recent interview with The Train2Game Blog, Brawl Busters developers Rock Hippo told us that beta testing is “crucial” to the game development process.

For more on beta testing, how it’s useful for Train2Game students, and opportunities to get involved with it, keep reading the Train2Game blog.

Are you looking forward to Diablo III? Will you be taking part in the open beta this weekend?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game Gadget Show Live interview: Commando Kiwi artist Cat Forsyth

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Train2Game student teams recently took part in Make Something Unreal Live at The Gadget Show, a contest in association with Epic Games that saw winners Commando Kiwi walk away with a fully licensed Unreal Development for Ios. Their winning title was a game based on Fighting Fantasy book The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

During the course of the show, Train2Game news spoke to art & animation student and Commando Kiwi member Cat Forsyth. In an interview that was recorded before the winners were announced, she told us how she was finding the experience, and even mentions the possibility of a job offer!

Read the interview here, or listen via Train2Game Radio. Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Cat, can you tell me what course you’re on, please?

I’m on the Train2Game Art & Animation course, and I’ve been doing it for about a year.

And how did you get into that?

I was actually a jeweller beforehand by trade, business was beginning to get a bit slow, so I decided to take the opportunity for the Train2Game course advertised, and I applied for the Art & Animation course,  and here I am now.

And how are you finding the course so far?

I’m enjoying the course very much. Unfortunately, because of The Gadget Show, I haven’t actually done anything in several months, but fingers crossed when the dust settles after this event, I’ll get back onto it.

How did Commando Kiwi, the team that you’re on, come about?

We went to the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam in November last year. None of us had met each other before and we got put together as a team, came up with the name Commando Kiwi, and that’s where we started.

What’s your role on the team?

I’m the UI Artist for the team, I’m predominantly doing the user interface, graphics, buttons, things like that.

So what’s been happening over the last few days?

Basically, we’ve sped up out working process; it’s a lot easier to work all together in one room. It’s a culmination of the last three or four months and we’re fine tuning things, tweaking things, making the game run smoother, things like that.

It must have been hard over the last few months, working towards this show and doing your studies at the same time.

A little bit, I think I sit on my computer until about 11 o’clock at night, that’s my life at the moment!

Hopefully this experience will help further your study and career path, do you think that’s going to be the case?

Yes, it’s a massive opportunity and I couldn’t imagine being where I am now six months ago. I’ve learned an awful lot, my skills have improved immeasurably, and I’ve had loads of opportunities meeting people, making contacts, learning. It’s been an invaluable opportunity.

How do you rate your chances here at Make Something Unreal Live?

I think the competition is quite good but I think that we’ve got a fair chance.

And you had an underhand interview happen here at the show?

Yes, I had an interview without knowing it. I got introduced to a gentleman who took my card, and fingers crossed after the event I can keep in contact with the possibility of a job.  It’s been very worthwhile.

Excellent, a fantastic opportunity. Thanks very much Cat.

For more information about Train2Game and Make Something Unreal Live visit www.train2game.com

Train2Game news: Codemasters launch Codemasters Racing publishing label

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British developer Codemasters has launched a new publishing label, Codemasters Racing, to provide “razor focus” on their racing franchises. The first game to be released under the Codemasters Racing name will be DiRT Showdown on Friday 25th May.

Other franchises that’ll be represented by the new label include official Formula 1 titles and the GRID series. Codemasters say it “will become a symbol of quality for racing gamers.”

“We have kept our reputation for delivering best-in-class racing games, and best-in-class racing games is now our razor focus going forward.” Codemasters chief of communications chief Rich Eddy told MCV.

“In racing, we are No.2 in Europe and that’s not good enough. We want to take racing games across multiple platforms and genres. So that players can play anytime, anywhere and on any device.

“Racing is our DNA, it is our heritage, it is our specialisation and it is our absolute focus going forward.” he concluded.

“To clarify Codemasters (as a name) is not “dead”, it remains the name of the company. We just have a new label called Codemasters Racing.” added Communications Manager Andy Gray on Twitter.

Codemasters have also announced a new service called RaceNet, a free extension for their games that will letplayers will be able to track their races, rewards and rivals. RaceNet will launch in BETA alongside the DiRT Showdown Demo on Tuesday 1st May.

There’s more Codemasters news on The Train2Game Blog, including last year’s interview with F1 2011 Chief Game Designer Steve Hood

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Codemasters new label? Is a focus on racing games a good move for them?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Capcom launch Street Fighter 25th anniversary art tribute contest

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Train2Game Art & Animation students have an opportunity to showcase their skills and potentially see their work used by Capcom in a contest launched to celebrate the upcoming 25th Anniversary of Street Fighter.

“Whether you’re a professional or a first-timer, your art is welcome. Throughout the year, we’ll be showcasing our favorite pieces, and we’ll even utilize some of them in our official 25th Anniversary celebration activities. It’s a great opportunity to have your work become a part of history!” read a post on the Street Fighter website.

The Street Fighter artwork can be a traditional pencil or paint piece, digital artwork, or even photography. Two themes Capcom are looking entrants to expand on are ‘Twenty Five years of history’ or ‘I am Street Fighter’  The pieces that the publisher likes the most will be used in their official Street Fighter 25th anniversary material.

Train2Game students wishing to enter the contest have until Friday 4th May to do so. All the information on how to submit work is here.

Will you enter the Street Fighter 25th anniversary art contest?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Valve reveal how CS:GO beta heat maps influence design decisions

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Train2Game News readers should find this interesting; Valve has released data about the science of player actions during the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive beta, and how it ultimately effects their design decisions.

The developer has released heat maps of the map de_train showing where 6.5 million bullets have been fired during the beta. You can see it in full here.

“Recently we have discussed how we incorporate feedback into our design decisions. In addition to valuable feedback on the forums, another important form of feedback we receive is gameplay data.” read an update on the Counter-Strike blog.

“Our data collection is extensive. We track nearly every player action, from individual bullets fired to weapon purchases, and the resulting data can be used to help us evaluate game design decisions.”

The post added the heat map helps the Valve development team gain insights into player habits.

“A straightforward way to visualize the data we collect is through heat maps. Heat maps can reveal player preferences, choke-points in maps, sight-lines for snipers, and much more.”

In an interview with The Train2Game Blog , Valve’s Chet Faliszek said that beta testing is an important part of the game development process for CS:GO.

“It’s really important to us because we’re going to let that drive the release date,” he said.

“Because we’re really looking to get the feedback from the community over the changes we’ve made. We’ve brought over some stuff that was good from Counter-Strike: Source and we’ve brought over some stuff that was good from 1.6, so it’s going to be interesting to see how the communities react” Faliszek added.

There’s more Counter-Strike: Global Offensive news right here on The Train2Game Blog.

What are your thoughts on Valve using heat maps to help make design decisions? Are you taking part in the CS:GO beta?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Impossible for devs “to not get attached” to work even if it’s “not good” say Darksiders II team

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Train2Game students will get attached to the work they produce during game development, and might find it difficult to let something go if it needs to be significantly changed or dropped all together.

That’s according to Darksiders II creative director Joe Madureira and Vigil studio general manager David Adams who were speaking in an extensive interview with Gamasutra.

“You totally get attached to stuff… It usually comes to a series of painful realizations, where you try to fix it, and it’s still not good, and you try to fix it, and it’s still not good.” said Adams on getting “precious” with assets produced during game development.”

“And on your third or fourth time trying to fix it, you’re like, “It’s just something we can’t do”. For whatever reason, we don’t have the time to commit to it, or we don’t have the right people… But yeah, I don’t think it’s possible to not get attached to stuff; we’re human beings.” he said.

Darksiders II Creative Director Joe Madureira agreed, adding that developers need to compare what they’re doing by playing other games, even if it means you drop the idea afterwards.

“You just have to be honest about it, too, and play other games, and see how you measure up. And if something’s not good, we all know it; you can see it. Even if you worked on it for two months, it doesn’t really change the fact that it’s just not very good.” he said.

Madureira argues that learning to let go of your work is something you need to do when working in the games industry.

“Sometimes you do get really attached to something, and you’re sad to see it change, but… And there’s morale hits — there’s all that stuff that you mentioned — but it’s just part of working in games. I think the longer you work in games, the more you’re just cool with it.”

“I think people that just are fresh out of school, and super excited, sometimes get crushed by how hard it actually is. And once you’ve been doing it for a while, you just expect that stuff’s going to change at any given moment, even after we’ve worked on it for a long, long time.” the Darksiders II creative director concluded.

The full, four page interview exploring development of Darksiders II is on Gamasutra.

The comments from the Darksiders II team are similar to some made by Bioshock Infinite boss Ken Levine, who as previously reported by The Train2Game Blog, said “Everybody has to get comfortable with throwing their stuff away”

What are your thoughts on the comments from the Darksiders II team? Is it possible to not get attached to your work? Have you struggled to throw a concept away?

Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: Family Guy Online enters open beta

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Train2Game students can now register to play Family Guy Online, which has now entered open beta.

The free-to-play, browser based MMO is based on the hit TV series, allows you to interact with Family Guy characters and other players in this game world version of Quahog.

Family Guy Online players create their own character, based on one of four classes influenced by the show’s central cast, as they take on quests to help the town’s residents. It’s written and voiced by the talent behind the TV series.

Train2Game students interesting in taking part in the Family Guy Online open beta can register on the game’s website.

Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. In a recent interview with The Train2Game Blog, Brawl Busters developers Rock Hippo told us that beta testing is “crucial” to the game development process.

For more on beta testing, how it’s useful for Train2Game students, and opportunities to get involved with it, keep reading the Train2Game blog.

What are your initial thoughts about Family Guy Online? Will you be signing up to take part in the beta?

Leave your freakin’ sweet comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.