Train2Game News XIII Remake Put Back

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After revealing the game’s teaser last April, Microïds and PlayMagic are announcing today a new release window for XIII.

The remake of the world-famous cel-shading FPS, which became a cult classic after its original release in 2003, is now set for a release in 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac.

“We are thrilled with PlayMagic’s work so far. This additional development time is needed to reach the level of polish we’re aiming for. The announcement was greeted by an overwhelming response from the community and we’ll make sure to deliver the best possible game to our fans.” says François Coulon – Head of Production at Microïds.

Play as the famous Thirteen, accused of assassinating the President of the United States. You’ll wake up injured and suffering from amnesia on Brighton beach; the only clues to your past will be a small key and a mysterious tattoo of the Roman numerals XIII on your collarbone. It’ll be up to you to find the answers during this 34-level solo game. Don’t worry: you’ll find an entire arsenal of weapons to help you on your journey.

The remake of XIII will be available in 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac.

Train2Game News Pixel Game Maker MV

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Pixel Game Maker MV, the intuitive yet fully-featured 2D game engine from Playism and Kadokawa Corporation, and sister software to RPG Maker which sold more than 2,000,000 copies worldwide, will craft adventures on PC and exit Steam Early Access in Q4 2019.

Alongside the launch out of Early Access with version 1.0 of Pixel Game Maker MV will come with an array of UI improvements, Steam Workshop support, a free demo version, and more updates addressing issues raised by Early Access users.

The engine’s accessibility allows first-time developers and seasoned creators alike to construct deep games from scratch, without any programming experience. Native engine features include a built-in physics engine, particle effects, support for up to four-person local multiplayer, and the ability to install and create add-ons using JavaScript.

Pixel Game Maker MV comes with more than 15 sample games, each with assets licensed for distribution in users’ games including some created by Takumi Naramura, lead designer for the La-Mulana franchise. Artists can also import their own graphics to create everything from adventure, shooter, and racing games. The options are endless – the only limitation is the imagination.

“Many of the most amazing ideas for games spring from the minds of people who play games the most, but don’t have the technical skills needed to bring their visions to life,” said Shunji Mizutani, founder, Playism. “With Pixel Game Maker MV anyone can become a developer without learning how to code.”

Pixel Game Maker MV is available via Steam Early Access (Windows only) for $84.99 USD/€71.99 and supports Japanese, English and Simplified Chinese. Upon 1.0’s launch, the price will be set at $99.99 USD/€84.99.

For more information, please visit the Pixel Game Maker MV official website

Train2Game News SEGA Retrotainment On A Yacht

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REZtron Ltd., invites you to a
night of RETROTAINMENT like no other for an end of summer
pop-up…

Expect 80s & 90s SEGA nostalgia, competitions, drinks, dancing, a silent disco and much more…

All on top of Europe’s most exotic Mega Yacht Hotel, Sunborn, moored in the Royal Victoria Dock.

Re-live the golden era of gaming with legendary titles on all four generation
of SEGA consoles, Master System! Mega Drive! Saturn! Dreamcast!

  • Legendary games including Golden Axe, OutRun, Space Harrier, Sonic 2, Ecco the Dolphin, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter II, Ecco Altered Beast, Pac-Man, R-Type, Streets of Rage, Alien Storm, Thunderforce, Super Monaco GP, California Games, Virtua Racing, Revenge of Shinobi, Italia ’90, Micro Machines 2, Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter,SEGA Rally, Virtua Tennis , Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead 2,Power Stones, Soul Calibur, Marvel Vs Capcom and many more will be there to keep you retrotained…
  • Retro games displayed on Retro CRT TVs and Huge Projector screens on walls and ceiling
  • SILENT DISCO – (3-Channels) Switch between 80s, 90s and even a retro game music channel throughout the night with our amazing LED lit headphones
  • Dance , Sing and Play retro games in front of a stunning panoramic view of the city skyline that’ll sure to keep your phone busy
  • Sonic speed run Competition + Prizes Giveaway!
  • WIN AN ORIGINAL MEGA DRIVE
  • Photographer will be there capturing all the antics

AND MORE…. 8, 16, 32 and 128-BIT Yacht Retrotainment Awaits…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwF_tbOcivg

The Yacht Retrotainment experience will take place on Saturday August 31st, 6pm til 12am at Sunborn.

Tickets can be bought through Eventbrite.

Further details on REZtron’s upcoming events or for retro gaming private hire & corporate bookings please visit Reztron.co.uk

Train2Game News London Pokémon Center Pop-Up

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The Pokémon Company International is excited to announce its plan to
open a special pop-up Pokémon Center retail location in London this
October.

Located in Westfield London
(Ariel Way, Shepherd’s Bush W12 7GF) and open only for a limited time
from October 18 to November 15 2019, the store will give fans a chance
to browse and purchase a range of Pokémon Center-branded products,
including exclusive designs not found anywhere else.

The pop-up Pokémon Center London celebrates the highly anticipated launch of the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games for Nintendo Switch this November; paying tribute to the United Kingdom’s role in inspiring the design and feel of the all-new Galar region players will explore in the games.

Further details on opening times, products available to purchase and additional in-store activities will be revealed in the coming months.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will be released worldwide on November 15, 2019, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

Train2Game News Share Your SEGA Mega Drive Story

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What was your first encounter with the SEGA Genesis?

Did your parents buy you one after you discovered it in a local toy store
ad?

Perhaps you saved up all that hard-earned money, working the paper route and mowing lawns, in order to afford one?

Or maybe your next-door neighbor was lucky enough to own one and you always found time to visit.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the SEGA Genesis and this fall’s
release of the Genesis Mini, we invite you to send us a video clip
sharing your personal story with the legendary console.

The process is easy, as you can record and submit straight from your phone!

Revisit that long summer vacation playing Phantasy Star IV, perform a cover of your favorite in-game song, share your amazing cosplay, do your best “SEGA!!” scream with your friends – we want you to show off your creativity and love for the Genesis!

Send your clip by August 13 for a chance to be included in our compilation video! But before you do, we have some tips for recording your video:
  • Camera Setup: Talk directly to the camera, just like you’re doing a video chat.
  • Video length: Please keep your video submissions no longer than 1 minute in length.
  • Using your phone: Please hold your phone on its side and record your video horizontally (landscape mode).
  • Lighting: Ideally record during the day, with indirect lighting – avoid drastic face shadows.
  • Sound: Please record in a quiet location and avoid background noise.
  • Clothing: Please avoid logos or complex patterns on your clothing.
Once you are done recording, please visit our submission page at https://www.sega.com/mystory to submit your video.
No need to be perfect – we want our fans to speak directly from the heart.
Non-English speakers are welcome. Don’t miss this chance to share your
story with the world!

Train2Game News Save Classical Video Game Music

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A new registered charity has been created to help preserve 8-bit
computer game music for future generations.

“8-Bit Symphony” aims to
arrange, perform, promote and preserve Commodore 64 and other 8-bit game music via orchestral recordings, worldwide concerts or score performances, chipmusic awareness events, scorebooks, retro-museum showings, and other exciting projects.

The charity’s first recording project is being funded by a Kickstarter.

8-Bit Symphony Pro is a double CD album of classic 8-bit music, recorded by the Czech Studio orchestra in Prague .

This follows the recent successful
concert of C64/Spectrum/Amstrad music, 8-Bit Symphony – Hull 2019,
performed by Hull Philharmonic Orchestra at Hull City Hall, a
performance made possible by the kind support of Hull College and its
CEO Michelle Swithenbank. Footage from that concert and interviews with the team will shortly be broadcast during a segment on BBC1’s “The One Show”.

The charity has been founded by Chris Abbott of C64Audio.com.

C64audio.com has been publishing music and representing game music composers since 1997.

Past successful Kickstarters run by C64Audio.com have included orchestral scores, live concerts, CD, DVD and Bluray, games, and even books.

“It’s a really exciting time!
After our recent success in Hull we want to be able to bring more music
to the fans and celebrate the talent of composers. The charity will help
ensure that Commodore 64 music (and more) can be performed and enjoyed, like Zelda, Tomb Raider and Mario already are, all over the world.

If we don’t preserve the music, it will be lost forever to history”

“Our biggest goal would be to eventually reach the Albert Hall.

Wouldn’t that be amazing?

That journey started decades ago… though we’d also settle for London Symphony Orchestra and the Barbican too…!”

The Kickstarter starts on the 9th August and can be found at 8-bit-symphony.com

Train2Game News One Special Day 2019

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One Special Day, the games industry’s biggest annual day of fundraising, returns on Friday 4th October 2019 and already some of the giants of the industry have pledged their support.

Over 50 partners from across the games industry including SEGA, Codemasters, Jagex and Zynga will be rolling up their sleeves and getting involved in the event, which promises to be the biggest yet. Many companies will be donating a day of their income from game sales whilst others will stage their own fundraising events.

All the funds raised will support the work of SpecialEffect, the games industry charity dedicated to levelling the playing field for disabled gamers.

Since its inception in 2016, One Special Day has been supported by developers and gamers from all over the world and has raised over £900,000. The vital funds enable SpecialEffect to help disabled gamers both the UK and around the world through personalised help, developer support and initiatives such as EyeMine, software for controlling Minecraft with the eyes.

SpecialEffect CEO and Founder, Dr Mick Donegan, said “We’re overjoyed with the response again this year and very grateful to our One Special Day partners. The day unites the worldwide games industry and their fantastic communities of gamers because they all understand what incredible work we’re doing here. SpecialEffect has a profoundly positive impact on the lives of disabled gamers and events like One Special Day play a huge role in enabling us to reach more in the coming year.”

Companies including Rocksteady, Space Ape, Miniclip, Seriously, Outfit7 and Rare have also signed up. Craig Duncan, Rare Studio Head, said “Because of their unique work, SpecialEffect hold a special place in our heart, and indeed the whole of the video games industry, so we’re looking forward to making One Special Day 2019 the biggest so far.”

Rich Eddy, Director of Communications at Jagex, added “Our RuneScape community has celebrated SpecialEffect’s incredible work for many years, so there was no question that Jagex would be a proud supporter of this year’s event and play a big part in One Special Day. By putting the fun and inclusion back into the lives of those with physical disabilities to play video games, the work of SpecialEffect really levels the playing field”.

For more information on how your company can get involved in One Special Day, email Nick Streeter at nick@specialeffect.org.uk or go to www.onespecialday.org.uk

Train2Game News Pocket Arcade Classics

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My Arcade, a leading manufacturer in licensed retro gaming collectables, announced today that its DIG DUG™ Pocket Player is now available for MSRP $34.99 at Amazon.com, MyArcadeGaming.com, and select retailers.

Additionally, pre-orders for BUBBLE BOBBLE™ Pocket Player and ROLLING THUNDER™ Micro Player are now available for MSRP $34.99 and slated to ship on August 5, 2019.

The officially licensed titles – DIG DUG and ROLLING THUNDER from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., and BUBBLE BOBBLE
from TAITO Corporation – continue My Arcade’s expansion of its
collectable retro gaming players, offering more classics for fans to
enjoy in tabletop and/or portable form.

Making its debut in the West on
the BUBBLE BOBBLE Pocket Player is RAINBOW ISLANDS™: THE STORY OF BUBBLE BOBBLE 2,
a highly sought classic in Japan.

Each Pocket Player features a 2.75”
backlit screen, 3.5mm headphone jack, and front-facing speakers, giving
retro-enthusiasts the ultimate on-the-go gameplay experience for these
iconic games.

DIG DUG™ Pocket Player [$34.99]:
Featuring 8-bit versions of the wildly popular DIG DUG™ and its sequel, DIG DUG™II, players will navigate underground tunnels to eliminate monsters. This Pocket Player also includes THE TOWER OF DRUAGA™ that has players navigating mazes to save a maiden from an evil demon.

BUBBLE BOBBLE™ Pocket Player [$34.99]:
The BUBBLE BOBBLE™ Pocket Player will include fully playable 8-bit versions of the fan-favourite BUBBLE BOBBLE™ as well as its hard-to-find sequel BUBBLE BOBBLE PART™ 2
that has players navigating the Cave of Monsters to defeat enemies. Now
for the first time, players in the United States can enjoy RAINBOW ISLANDS™: THE STORY OF BUBBLE BOBBLE 2 where they can travel to different lands and save the Rainbow Islands.

ROLLING THUNDER™ Micro Player [$34.99]:
The ROLLING THUNDER™ Micro Player is the same arcade cabinet that gamers know and love, scaled down to 6.75” for desktop play. The ROLLING THUNDER™ Micro
Player features artwork inspired by the original arcade cabinets as
well as a full colour, 2.75” screen with volume control and 3.5mm
headphone jack.

Train2Game News The Gamers Brain

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Game User Experience (UX) expert Celia Hodent is not surprised by the global success of Fortnite as this week brings together the top Fortnite players for the finals of the Fortnite World Cup Tournament.

With a total of $30 million in prize money at stake, the wildly popular video game earned over $1.8 billion in 2018 alone, and has 250 million players worldwide.

With a PhD in psychology, Hodent has worked extensively with some of the world’s most successful titles, including Fortnite (Epic Games), Rainbow 6 franchise (Ubisoft), and Star Wars games (LucasArts). Drawing on her vast experience, she is also the author of the critically acclaimed book, ” The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX Can Impact Video Game Design. ”

Experiencing a game happens in the player’s mind. The Gamer’s Brain thus provides readers with insight into how the human brain learns and processes information, while demonstrating how that plays out in the context of creating potentially multi-million dollar video games.

By distilling psychology and cognitive science research, as well as employing real-life industry examples, Celia breaks down the ingredients for successful and engaging video games, empowering game makers to develop their own unique game recipe.

You can read more in her recent article Understanding the Success of Fortnite: A UX & Psychology Perspective published on Gamasutra.

“No one could have predicted the sheer impact Fortnite would have on the game industry. From a UX perspective it shows that applying psychology and developing a UX strategy can resonate to engage and delight players. The Gamer’s Brain outlines this UX mindset by understanding how players experience games and by providing actionable insights that work across a wide range of industries.” said Celia Hodent.

As a UX expert and consultant, Celia currently travels the globe meeting with clients, speaking at events and presenting her sought-after Master classes on Game UX, Unconscious Bias & Inclusion, and Ethics. Celia provides clarity into the role UX plays in creating video games that are not only entertaining but also have the potential to become transformative cultural experiences.

The Gamer’s Brain is available in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, (French coming soon), and can be ordered via: https://www.crcpress.com/The-Gamers-Brain-How-Neuroscience-and-UX-Can-Impact-Video-Game-Design/Hodent/p/book/9781498775502

Additional information on The Gamer’s Brain book, along with videos of Celia’s talks on the UX of Fortnite and about UX, AI, & dark patterns at UNESCO can all be found at thegamersbrain.com.

Train2Game News Pokémon Masters Pre-Registration

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DeNA Co., Ltd., in partnership
with The Pokémon Company, began opening pre-registration today for
Pokémon Masters on Google Play and the App Store.

Pokémon Masters is a strategy and battling game where players form teams of sync pairs (the combination of a Trainer and their partner Pokémon) to engage in 3-on-3
real-time battles against AI opponents.

The game takes place in an
all-new location – the island of Pasio, where Trainers and their partner
Pokémon from every known Pokémon region will gather to compete.

Players who pre-register for the game will receive a notification when it
launches later this summer.

A new series of six gameplay trailers was also released today on the official Pokémon Masters YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/PokemonMastersGame) to provide fans with a deeper look into the world of Pokémon Masters and its major gameplay features.

These trailers include:

  • An overview of the game’s battle and progression systems
  • A preview of the Story Mode, including a look at the Pokémon Masters League (PML), a tournament that takes place only on the island of Pasio
  • How to evolve Pokémon in this game and the special powers that come with evolution
  • A look at the unique features of cooperative play, such as the ability to switch between sync pairs during battle
  • How to build the perfect team based on each sync pair’s strengths and specific role (Strike, Support, Tech), as well as how to add new sync pairs to your team

In addition, a preview version of
Pokémon Masters will launch on supported Android devices in Singapore starting tomorrow and will be coming soon to Canada.

In the preview version, players in these regions will be able to enjoy select content from the game before it launches worldwide without needing to pre-register on Google Play. All player progress during this time period
will be saved and carried forward to the final version of the game.

Pokémon Masters will be available worldwide as a free-to-start game with in-app purchases on compatible Android and iOS devices, with release planned for summer 2019.

To pre-register go to:

The game will be available in English, French, German,
Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese. Fans can
learn more about Pokémon Masters at https://pokemonmasters-game.com/en-US.

They can also stay tuned to the official social media channels on Twitter (https://twitter.com/PokemonMasters), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PokemonMastersGame), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/pokemonmastersgame), as well as the official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/PokemonMastersGame) for upcoming news about the game.