UK Charts: FIFA 11 tops table

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FIFA 11FIFA 11 has become the third biggest ever game launch in UK history. Oh, and FIFA 11 has also unsurprisingly taken top spot in the GfK Chart-Track All Formats Software chart.

The achievement means that FIFA 11 is the strongest ever launch in FIFA history, with the only other games with more successful launches being Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV.  FIFA 11 was released on Friday, with various UK retailers attempting to offer consumers the best deal. The record breaking, chart-topping achievements of FIFA 11 mean that last week’s number one, F1 2010, has dropped to second place in the UK chart.

Capcom’s Dead Rising 2 remains in third position, moving ahead of Halo: Reach which drops two places from second to fourth.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock moves up one to fifth place. Ryder Cup fever has played a part in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 re-entering the top ten in sixth position.

Sony PlayStation Move game Sports Champions drops from fifth to seventh, while pushing Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands down one more position to eighth. Toy Story 3 still remains in ninth place. PC exclusive title Civilization V occupies the final place in the GfK Chart-Track top ten, having entered in fourth last week. Former chart topper Mafia II drops out of the top ten and into eleventh place.

The full GFK Chart-Track top ten for the week ending October 2nd is as follows:

1. FIFA 11 (EA)
2. F1 2010 (Codemasters)
3. Dead Rising 2 (Capcom)
4. Halo Reach (Microsoft)
5. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Activision)
6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (EA)
7. Sports Champions (Sony)
8. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Ubisoft)
9. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
10. Civilization V (2K Games)

Looking to buy FIFA 11? Check out this link to see where you can get the best deals.

So Train2Game, which of you have got your hands on FIFA 11? Was it always inevitable FIFA 11 would top the charts? And with PES 2011 released this week, will FIFA 11 still be top of the league next Monday? Could Enslaved: Odyssey to the West be a contender?

You can leave your thoughts on FIFA 11, the UK chart and any of the games in it, here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

Fallout: New Vegas developer diary #3 – Art Direction

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Here’s Fallout: New Vegas developer diary number three from Obsidian Entertainment. This time around the main focus of the developer diary is on the art direction of Fallout: New Vegas. This Fallout: New Vegas developer diary is definitely one for Train2Game Art & Animation students!

The developers explain how they make sure that Fallout: New Vegas holds onto the weird 1950’s setting of the post-nuclear world while still adding Las Vegas glamour to the game. There’s a lot of talk about making sure that when exploring the world of Fallout: New Vegas, that the player will feel as if there in the Rat Pack era of the 1950’s.

The designers explain how they’ve given crown jewel of Fallout: New Vegas, which of course Las Vegas, its own distinct classic style, but have made sure make every location in the game world feel truly authentic be the architecture based on the 1950’s, or the earlier Wild West.

It sounds like the artists behind Fallout: New Vegas had a lot of fun designing the famous casinos, which each have their own individual themes. They go so far as to say the Fallout: New Vegas strip is one ‘big artistic playground.’ You can see the Fallout: New Vegas ‘Art Direction’ developer diary below.


The previous Fallout: New Vegas developer diaries are still available if you want a glimpse at how Obsidian handle Tech and Sound, or the story behind Fallout: New Vegas. You can also get a more in depth preview of Fallout: New Vegas in this article.

Of course, you can even get your hands on Fallout: New Vegas from today through to Sunday at the Eurogamer Expo.

Train2Game is also at Eurogamer, and will be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim at Eurogamer 2010.

To enter the prize draw pick up a entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

Fallout: New Vegas is released in the UK on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC on October 22nd.

So Train2Game, what you think about the artistic direction of Fallout: New Vegas? What would you add?

You can leave your comments on Fallout: New Vegas here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

Eurogamer Expo preview (or what I want to play)

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It’s almost here. The third Eurogamer Expo takes place in London’s Earls Court this weekend, and this year it promises to be bigger and better than ever. Various games developers will be showing off titles, and allowing us gamers’ to get out hands on both current and yet to be released games. I’ll be attending the Eurogamer Expo on Sunday, so here’s a look at the games I’m most looking forward to getting my hands on.

Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age: Origins was one of my top games of the last year, so I’m intrigued to see what Bioware are going to be offering with Dragon Age 2. All we’ve really seen in public about Dragon Age 2 is an impressive looking CGI trailer, with Bioware keeping fairly tight lipped about the game itself. What we do know is that rather than the player to choose every aspect of their character, the protagonist of Dragon Age 2 will be called Hawke and comes in a similar method to Mass Effects’ Comander Shepard. The gameplay has apparently been streamlined, allowing smoother gameplay on consoles. However, this has left traditional RPG fans on the PC worried that Dragon Age 2 will be a toned down, experience.

As a PC Gamer, and Dragon Age: Origins fan, I’m therefore very keen to see for myself how Dragon Age 2 is shaping up at Eurogamer. Dragon Age 2 is scheduled for release on March 11 2011.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Enslaved-Odyssey-to-the-West

This action adventure game, from Ninja Theory draws loosely from 400 year old Chinese novel Journey to the West and it looks very impressive indeed. Not only that, but Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is written by the award winning Alex Garland and directed by actor Andy Serkis. The Lord of the Rings man, also voiced and performed the motion capture for Monkey, one of the two main characters in Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. The other main character is a woman named Trip, who in order to get home, places a slavers headband on Monkey. If Trip dies, then Monkey dies, compelling him to guide her home.

The player therefore controls Monkey as he battles through stunning looking environments using both martial arts and weapons as the two protagonists’ journey to the west.  Fortunately for us, early reviews say that Enslaved: Odyssey to the West isn’t just one giant escort mission, and that Trip is rather useful in non combat situations.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is released on October 8th, but you can get your hands on it early at the Eurogamer expo. Alternatively, you can watch this developer diary!

Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas

Another title which I’m looking forward to seeing at the Eurogamer Expo is Fallout: New Vegas.  This Obsidian Entertainment developed semi-sequel to 2008’s Fallout 3 looks to be yet another impressive game available for consumers to test on the show floor. Fallout: New Vegas boasts a large number of new features, many of which are covered in this in depth looking at the upcoming title. You can also see Fallout: New Vegas in action in this developer diary from Obsidian.

Fallout New: Vegas is set for release on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 22nd.

Of course, this is just a handful of the many games on show at the Eurogamer Expo, and the event features various other attractions including developer sessions, and an indie game arcade.

Train2Game will also be at Eurogamer, and we’ll be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim at Eurogamer 2010.

To enter the prize draw pick up a entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

Are you heading to Eurogamer this weekend? If so, what do you want to see?

As usual, leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

FIFA 11 – where can you save the most shiny gold coins?

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FIFA 11FIFA 11 is released tomorrow, and as expected, various retailers are cutting the price in an attempt to persuade you to give them your hard earned cash.

ASDA offer FIFA 11 for just 97p. Yes, you read that correctly, you can get your hands on FIFA 11 from ASDA for just 97P. However, FIFA 11 is only available at that extremely low price if you trade in Halo: Reach, F1 2010 or Dead Rising 2. With these games being so new, who would actually trade them already? Alternatively ASDA will be selling FIFA 11 without conditions for £29.97.

Frugal Gaming reports that Sainsbury’s will be selling FIFA 11 for £24.97to customers who spend £30 or more in store. That sounds like a good deal, if you need to do your weekly food shop anyway! FIFA 11 with your baked beans? Alternatively, you can pick FIFA 11 up on its own for £34.97.

Tesco are selling FIFA 11 for £25, but that’s only if you buy another chart title at the same time.

Away from the supermarkets, FIFA 11 is available from ShopTo on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for £34.85, while Amazon are selling FIFA 11 at the slightly higher price of £35.93.

Specialist retailers Gamestation and GAME are offering FIFA 11 for £37.99 and £39.99 respectively.

GAME CEO Ian Shepherd has told MCV that GAME isn’t concerned about supermarket competition for the big launch of FIFA 11.

“FIFA’s going to be a really exciting launch – we are building up for a really big week on it”  He said.

“For us it’s a much broader question than price competition – trade-ins, pre-order incentives, Reward Card points, exclusive content in-store all comes into play for us on big launches like this.”

“Look at Halo: Reach, Move, StarCraft II, and other big launches – we over-index on market share when new products arrive because we have a great mix of offers.”

A large number of GAME stores will be opening their doors at midnight to celebrate the launch of FIFA 11 and allow gamers to be among the first to get their hands on the latest edition of the annual franchise.

If you’re undecided over whether you want FIFA 11, you can find out how to get your hands on the FIFA 11 demo – and the PES 2011 demo – here. Alternatively, you can test out FIFA 11 tomorrow through to Sunday at the Eurogamer Expo!

Train2Game will also be at Eurogamer, and we’ll be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim.

To enter the prize draw, pick up an entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

So Train2Game, will you be playing FIFA 11 tomorrow? Are you planning to attend a midnight launch? What do you think about the various retailers’ deals? And will FIFA 11 inevitably take top spot of the UK chart from F1 2010?

You can leave your thoughts about FIFA 11, or it’s pricing, here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Call of Duty: Black Ops’ zombie mode confirmed

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Call of Duty Black Ops Zombies

Activision has confirmed that Call of Duty: Black Ops’ will see the return of the popular zombie mode.  The news that a zombie mode will be part of Call of Duty: Black Ops’ takes the wraps off one of the worst kept secrets in the gaming industry.

The Call of Duty multiplayer zombie mode first appeared in Treyarch’s 2008 title, Call of Duty: World at War. The zombie mode has proven so popular, that the developer will also be including it in upcoming release, Call of Duty: Black Ops’. The mode will once again allow up to four players to team up and fight the zombie apocalypse.

Zombies have been such a hit with our community that we were committed to bringing brand new zombie experiences to Call of Duty: Black Ops,” says Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia.

“We’ve taken extra special care to retain the essential ingredients of our Zombie game, and have also crafted a nice surprise for the fans.”

The inclusion of zombies in Call of Duty Black: Black Ops’ follows the announcement that four updated co-op maps from Call of Duty: World at War will be made available as part of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige and Hardened Editions.

Call of Duty: Black Ops’ is released worldwide on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on November 9th.

You can read a more in depth look at the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops’ in this earlier post in the Train2Game blog. Unfortunately, Call of Duty: Black Ops’ won’t be on show at the Eurogamer expo this weekend.

Train2Game will be at Eurogamer, and we’ll be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim.

To enter the prize draw, pick up an entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the inclusion of a multiplayer zombie mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops’? Did you enjoy the Nazi Zombie mode in Call of Duty: World at War? Would it persuade you to buy Call of Duty: Black Ops? Or is it just a gimmick?

You can leave your thoughts on Call of Duty: Black Ops’ or its zombie mode, here or on the Train2Game forum.

Nintendo 3DS release set for early 2011

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Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS is set to be available in Japan from February 26th 2011, with an American and European launch reportedly following in March. The 3DS will cost ¥25000, the equivalent to £188, said Nintendo during a conference in Japan. The 3DS will be available in two colours, Aqua Blue and Cosmo Black.

The release date will surprise some; with sources previously suggesting the Nintendo 3DS would be available before Christmas. Despite the announcement of a launch date for Japan, there is not yet a solid release date for the 3DS in North America and Europe. However, it’s thought that Nintendo will shortly confirm that the 3DS will be available in these regions mere weeks after the handheld is released in Japan. The estimated price of a Nintendo 3DS in Europe is £199.

Nintendo also showed off a 3DS Software trailer, including games such as Super Street Fighter IV DS, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater, Dead or Alive Dimensions, and of course Mario Kart 3DS. You can see the Nintendo 3DS software trailer below.


In addition to brand new 3DS games, the Nintendo 3DS will also be able to play Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles thanks to a retro download service. Classic Nintendo games available to play on the 3DS will include Super Mario Land 1 & 2, Super Mario World, Zelda: Link’s Awakening, a large selection of Pokémon titles and many others.

So Train2Game, will you be getting yourself a Nintendo 3DS in March next year? Does £200 seem reasonable? What do you think of the 3DS games line up? And are there any retro titles you’d like to download?

You can leave your thoughts on the Nintendo 3DS here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 dated for October

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4

It’s finally coming. After years of waiting, fans of Sonic the Hedgehog will be able to get their hands on a new 2D Sonic game when Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 from the middle of October.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 has staggered release across the different systems. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will be available on the iTunes App store from October 7th, and on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live from October 13th. Nintendo Wii owners will get Sonic the Hedgehog: 4 Episode 1 last, when it’s made available for download on October 15th.

The price of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 also depends on your chosen system. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 will cost 1500 Wii points on WiiWare, 1200 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Arcade and £9.99 on the PlayStation Network.

SEGA originally planned to release Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 during the summer but held the game back for more development time. Hopefully it’ll be worth the wait if we get to see Sonic back to his 2D best, in Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. SEGA have not disclosed how many episodes of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 there will be.

You can the latest watch the latest Sonic the Hedgehog 4 trailer, showing gameplay from the Casino Street Zone, below.

Unfortunately, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 isn’t set to appear at the Eurogamer Expo in four days time.

Train2Game will be at Eurogamer, and we’ll be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim.

To enter the prize draw, pick up an entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

So Train2Game, are you looking forward to Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1? Which system will you be buying it on? And do you think the prices are a little steep for what is going to be episodic content?

You can leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

(Source: IGN)

An interesting Enslaved: Odyssey to the West developer diary for Train2Game students

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Ninja Theory has released a developer diary about their upcoming game, Enslaved:  Odyssey to the West, and its essential viewing for Train2Game students.  This Enslaved: Odyssey to the West developer diary is titled ‘Behind the game Part 1 : reinventing a legend’ and features the developers –  including Director Andy Serkis – discussing the inspiration and story behind the game.

The ‘Chief Creative Ninja’ of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Tameem Antoniades, explains how the game is based on ‘Journey to the West’ a 400 year old Chinese novel. Antoniades also describes how they’ve taken the core concepts of the book, but put them in the updated setting of a post-apocalyptic North America, replacing magic with technology and demons with droids.

Meanwhile Andy Serkis – who is not only directing Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, but also plays the role of Monkey – talks about how ambitious basing a game around two characters is, and how games will soon be on par with films when it comes to story telling.

Ninja Theory will certainly be hoping this is the case with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, having brought on board writer Alex Garland, whose works include The Beach and 28 Days Later. In addition to all of this, the developer diary features actress Lindsey Shaw, who plays the role of Trip, and it explains the basic story behind the game. You can watch the Enslaved: Odyssey to the West developer diary below. After that, you can watch  a previous developer diary here.


For a more in depth look at Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, take a look at Gabe’s impressions on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog. You can also hear Tameem Antoniandes speaking about the game on this weeks GameSpot UK podcast.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 8th. However, you’ll be able to get your hands on a playable version of the game at the Eurogamer expo this weekend.

Train2Game will also be at Eurogamer, will be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim.

To enter the prize draw, pick up an entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Enslaved: Odyssey to the West developer diary? Is having high profile names such as Andy Serkis and Alex Garland a good thing for the games industry? And are you looking forward to the game?

You can leave your thoughts on Enslaved: Odyssey to the West here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Chart: F1 2010 takes top step from Halo: Reach

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F1 2010F1 2010 has taken pole position in the GFK Chart-Track chart in its first week on sale, knocking Halo: Reach down to second place.

In an extremely impressive debut week, F1 2010 outsold second place Halo: Reach and third place Dead Rising 2 combined. The result makes F1 2010 the first Formula 1 game to top the charts for almost ten years when F1 2001 took the title. F1 2010 has sold more than ten times the Formula 1 game from 2001. Codemasters are sure to be popping open the champagne.

Microsoft’s Halo: Reach sees an 80% drop in sales from its hugely successful debut week and drops down to second position. The multiplatform Dead Rising 2 enters the chart in third, while the PC only Civilization V impressively makes its debut in fourth.

Sony PlayStation Move game Sports Champions drops three places to fifth in its second week on release. There’s another new entry at number six, with Activision Blizzard’s sixth Guitar Hero game, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock sneaking ahead of seventh placed Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Prince of Persia drops two places from fifth.

Mafia II and Toy Story 3 are the biggest losers inside the top ten, with both of the past chart toppers dropping five places each down to eighth and ninth respectively.  The Collector’s Edition of online only Final Fantasy XIV takes tenth spot, with the standard edition set to be released in the coming week.

Red Dead Redemption drops from tenth to thirteenth, marking the first time Rockstars’ western has been outside the top ten since its release in May.  Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Just Dance and Kane & Lynch 2: Dogs also all drop out of the top ten.

The full GFK-Chart Track top ten for the week ending September 25th 2010 is as follows:

1. F1 2010 (Codemasters)
2. Halo: Reach (Microsoft)
3. Dead Rising 2 (Capcom)
4. Civilization V (2K)
5. Sports Champions (Sony)
6. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Activision)
7. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Ubisoft)
8. Mafia II (2K)
9. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
10. Final Fantasy XIV (Square Enix)

If you’ve yet to try F1 2010 , you’ll be able to see it for yourself as the game will be playable at the Eurogamer Expo at Earls Court, London  this weekend.

Train2Game will be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim at Eurogamer 2010.

To enter the prize draw, pick up a entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

So Train2Game, is it surprising to see F1 2010 knock Halo: Reach off the top step after only one week? Will Codemasters’ F1 2010 suffer a similar fate when FIFA 11 is release at the end of this week? And how do you think the other entries will fare?

Leave your thoughts on F1 2010, or any of the other games in the top ten, here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Fallout: New Vegas Developer Diary #2 – Tech & Sound

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Obsidian, the developers of Fallout: New Vegas have released a second developer diary about the upcoming post-apocalyptic action-RPG. The previous Fallout: New Vegas developer diary examined concepts behind the game and its early development.

This time, Fallout: New Vegas developers discuss the weapons and technology you’ll find in Mojave Wastelands! The guys at Obsidian also reveal how they approached sound design and music for Fallout: New Vegas.

When it comes to weapons, the developer diary reveals some of the new weapons available in Fallout: New Vegas, which the designers say each have their own distinct feeling. These new introductions for Fallout: New Vegas include new energy weapons, a compact grease gun, and a machine gun that fires rounds of grenades. That’s right, in Fallout: New Vegas you can fire a machine gun that fires actual grenades as bullets!

This latest developer diary also reveals how Obsidian have gone to great length to make sure that sound feels right in Fallout: New Vegas. The developers tells us how they used some of the best musicians, composers and audio technicians in order to achieve this.

Fallout: New Vegas Developer Diary #2 –Tech/Sound is available below.


Fallout: New Vegas is released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on October 22nd.

You can also read this in-depth Fallout: New Vegas preview, or even get your hands on it at Eurogamer next weekend.

Train2Game will be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim at Eurogamer 2010.

To enter the prize draw pick up a entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Fallout: New Vegas developer diary? How important is sound in a game like Fallout: New Vegas?

You can leave your thoughts about Fallout: New Vegas here, or on the Train2Game forum.