Train2Game video diary from Train2Game student Kimberley Caseres. In this video diary, Kimberley discusses how she fits her Train2Game Game Design course around the rest of her life. Watch it below.
You can also see Kimberley speaking to Train2Game at the Eurogamer Expo here on the Train2Game blog.
British game developer Eutechnyx have named among the finalists for Red Herring’s Top 100 Global Awards, which recognise the “most audacious and far reaching private technology companies from across the globe.”
Train2Game students may have previously seen Eutechnyx Lead Programmer Dave Hawes give advice on getting into the games industry in this Train2Game video interview. The Gateshead based studio are currently working on Auto Club Revolution, scheduled for release next year.
“To be in with a chance of picking up a global recognition award before the end of 2011 is a remarkable achievement”, said Eutechnyx CEO, Brian Jobling.
“With Auto Club Revolution entering the final phases before a full release in 2012, the Red Herring nomination is vindication of the vision that we have for this unique product. We have the right team in place, and the right backing from our investment partners, to ensure that Eutechnyx can deliver on all objectives and ensure Auto Club Revolution becomes a global success.” he concluded.
“Technology companies are becoming the bright spot in the economic outlook. Eutechnyx has performed exceptionally in its field and strongly deserves to be singled out as one of the Red Herring Global finalists.” added Chairman of Red Herring Alex Vieux.
The Top 100 winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony that will take place on December 7th in Los Angeles, California.
Train2Game students can find out more about Eutechnyx in this feature about 7 UK game studios to keep an eye on.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on an independent UK game studio being nominated for a global award?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game student video diary from Train2Game Artist & Animator Fee Stewart. In her first Train2Game video diary, Fee tells us a little about herself and why she decided to study with Train2Game. Watch it below.
Train2Game students will be highly aware of a variety of games from blockbusters like Call of Duty through to indie titles made just for the love of games. But there is another area of gaming out there and it’s growing.
Serious games look to aid people, be they in school or the workplace, with learning and last weekend BBC Click report from the Serious Games Expo in Lyon, France and took an interesting look at the various ways they’re implemented. Watch the piece here on the BBC Click website.
“You could say we use a lot of game technology based on video games, or based on traditional games like board games. And these can often be considered like simulators in the sense that is a tool that means if we are training someone, to put a sales person in a situation, where they are in front of a client in a selling situation.” Imaginove’s Tanguy Selo said through a translator.
“Today we’ve also seen advancement in what we call the science of integration. So when a new employee, or a group of employees arrive at a company, we can test them in their new environment to see how they react to the complexity of their new company.” he added.
The BBC Click piece then goes onto look at how video games are being used for training personnel, and how suspense and drama are being introduced into what could often be daunting or even boring training in the workplace. It also examines a game for teaching Dutch students about the European Union and Ludomedic, a game designed to help children in hospitals understand their treatment.
The serious games certainly offer a slightly different calling for game developers, and who knows, perhaps Train2Game students will one day be among those making serious, educational games.
For more on how games can be used as an educational tool, check out this video of Gabe Zichermann discussing how games are making kids better problem-solvers.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on serious games and games being learned as learning tool? Is it an area you’d like to get into developing for?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: BBC Click]
Train2Game students have the opportunity to join a closed beta for Microsoft’s new flight sim title, Microsoft Flight. It’s intended for Microsoft Flight take over from the discontinued Microsoft Flight Sim series, with the beta is scheduled to take place in January.
“We have big news for all of our Flight fans: the Microsoft Flight launch sequence has begun!” said a post on Microsoft.com.
“We’re thrilled to announce that the Microsoft Flight beta is scheduled to kick-off in January 2012 and we are now accepting applications to participate in the beta program – to apply click here.”
The post adds that Microsoft will be sorting through Microsoft Flight beta applications over the coming month, with those selected to participate receiving further information before January’s take off.
Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. Not only that, but in an interview with the Train2Game blog, Trion Worlds Senior QA Tester Karl Tars said that beta testing is potentially a way to get into the industry.
For more on the significance of beta testing to the game development process, see the Train2Game blog.
So Train2Game, will you attempt to get involved in Microsoft Flight’s closed beta? And what are your thoughts on Microsoft’s attempt to revive the flight sim?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: MCV Online]
Train2Game blog readers may have seen this post last week where Square Enix said a Final Fantasy VII remake would take too long to develop.
Final Fantasy VII is a game many have called to be remade for the current generation, and it seems one enthusiast has got fed up of waiting. They’ve used the Unreal Engine to show what a Final Fantasy VII remake could potentially look like.
You can see the video at the bottom of this Train2Game blog post.
The video shows the first section of Final Fantasy VII and is played from a first person perspective. While the animation and interaction is a little on the stuff side it offers an interesting glimpse and what could be.
Unfortunately, it’s likely this fan created game will be pulled offline by Square Enix in the near future. Still it’s an impressing showing of the variety of things that can be one with Epic’s Unreal engine.
Epic Games of course were heavily involved with last month’s Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, which saw four winning teams win places to the Make Something Unreal Contest at the The Gadget Show Live next year. The winning team will talk away with a fully licence Unreal Development Kit for Ios.
For more information on what that means for the winners, check out our interview with Epic Games Mike Gamble.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the fan make Final Fantasy VII remake?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum
PlayStation will be targeting a younger audience in future, but emphasise that core gamers won’t be neglected. That’s according to SCEE CEO Jim Ryan in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine.
“If you look back at the history on PS1, PS2 the vast majority of the business that we did on both those platforms was done at the sub £129 price points,” said Ryan, who said that many more PS3’s are still waiting tp be bought, even if a future price drop is needed for it to happen.
“Now we’ve only got to £199 in the UK a couple of month back so you can see there’s still a lot of PS3’s potentially to be sold.”
He added that Sony were looking to market the PlayStation 3 to a younger audience.
“I think you’ll see us taking the console more towards a slightly younger demographic,” said Ryan.
“More family market. The core gamer will absolutely not be neglected. There’s going to be tons of great stuff for the core gamer but from our own studio, third parties there’s some quite interesting stuff happening in a number of areas which would allow us to open up a market that we accessed pretty successfully on both PS1 and PS3 but haven’t yet got to on PS3.”
Earlier this year, the Train2Game blog reported that Ryan doesn’t believe the time is yet right for download only consoles.
So Train2Game, what do you make of the idea of PlayStation aiming for a ‘more family market’? Is it an area Sony can tap into?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: OPM]
Train2Game blog readers might not be shocked to hear thatCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 remains top of the UK charts. Sales recieved a a 2% increase over those reported last week on the Train2Game blog. More than 50% of this weeks’ Modern Warfare 3 sales were for Xbox 360.
FIFA 12 moves up three to No.2 but still falls 55,000 sales short of toppling Modern Warfare 3 from No.1. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations drops one spot to No.3 after two weeks in second place. Just Dance 3 jumps four places to No.4, while The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim drops one and completes the top 5.
Saints Row The Third drops to No.6 in its third week on sale, while Nintendo DS title Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call holds No.7 for the second week running. Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS debuts at No.8, Battlefield 3 remains at No.9 while Super Mario 3D Land stays at No. 10.
The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 3rd December 2011 is therefore as follows:
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)
2. FIFA 12 (EA)
3. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft)
4. Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft)
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)
6. Saints Row: The Third (THQ)
7. Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call (Nintendo)
8. Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo)
9. Battlefield 3 (EA)
10. Super Mario Land 3D (Nintendo)
Releases for the coming week include the PS3 version of Just Dance 3.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s continued chart dominance? Will anything beat it to the Christmas No.1?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game forum users have a special place for Minecraft, so many of them will be interested to hear that creator Markus ‘Notch’ Persson is leaving his position as the games’ lead designer to rest and work on a new project.
Mojang developer Jens Bergensten will be taking over the position of Minecraft lead designer, Notch posted on his blog.
“As of yesterday, Jens Bergensten is the new lead developer on Minecraft. He will have the final say in all design decisions, so he will kinda sorta become my boss, I guess. I’ve promised him to not pull rank” wrote Notch, who has high praise of Bergensten, revealing a little about the game design process at Mojang.
“We’ve been working together on Minecraft for a year now, and I’m amazed at how much in synch we two are when it comes to how to design the game” he said.
“And when we don’t agree, we discuss it and something much better comes out at a result. He’s truly a great person to work with, and I feel very confident handing over the leadership of Minecraft to him.”
Notch told Gamasutra that Bergensten will mean more modding opportunities for Minecraft.
“He’s exactly what Minecraft needs right now. He’s a bit more mod friendly than I am, and we need to embrace mods more.” he said.
So Notch will still be involved with Minecraft, which finally received its full release earlier this month. It’s been downloaded over 4 million times since it was made available in its Alpha stage of development. Not bad for a completely independent studio.
For more about Minecraft, see the Train2Game blog.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Notch stepping down as lead developer of Minecraft?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Train2Game students will of course know Bioware as developers of the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, as well as the upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. Now the Bioware group also has a specialised social games studio thanks to EA’s acquisition of casual developer KlickNation.
KlickNation has been renamed Bioware social and will specialise in developing RPGs for social networks such as Facebook.
“KlickNation’s expertise in building innovative and compelling RPGs for social platforms makes them a seamless tuck-in with the BioWare team at EA,” Bioware co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka, who along with fellow co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk, recently spoke to the Train2Game blog.
“We share the same creative values. The new BioWare Social unit will bring BioWare and EA franchises to the growing audience of core gamers who are looking for high quality, rich gameplay experiences on social platforms.” Muzyka added.
KickNation has developed social games since 2009, with releases including SuperHero City and Six Gun Galaxy.
“While developing social RPG experiences, we held BioWare as a role model for storytelling and game design,” said Mark Otero GM of the new Bioware Social label.
“Joining with BioWare and EA is an opportunity to realize our vision for bringing high-quality RPG titles to the fast-growing, highly-engaged core gamers looking for deeper experiences on social platforms.”
The Train2Game blog previously reported that Bioware were exploring the ‘experimental’ mobile market.
So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on EA and Bioware’s continued moves into mobile gaming? Are you excited by the prospect of a Bioware RPG on Facebook?
Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
[Source: GI.biz]
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