Tag Archives: Develop

Train2Game News Develop 2015

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Today, Tandem Events, organisers of Develop:Brighton, announced Neil Young, industry veteran and CEO of N3TWORK will deliver the Evolve:Brighton track keynote on the opening morning of the conference.

In his session entitled, ‘Peak Mobile, Are We There Yet?,  Neil –former General Manager at EA and founder of ngmoco- will discuss the potential for mobile games, exploring what native mobile quality means and how it’s important to building the games that truly leverage the power of the platform. He will delve into why the industry hasn’t seen the peak of mobile games market yet and will also share his approach to the role of talent in building the next great games company.

Evolve:Brighton takes place on Tuesday 14 July and is the start of the content packed three day Develop:Brighton conference. Evolve:Brighton, a one day track, focuses on all that is cutting-edge and innovative in game development – new platforms, new technologies, new business models and new markets.

To celebrate the tenth year of the conference, big hitting companies such as Nickelodeon, Amazon and Google will be joined by exciting and up and coming first time speakers, offering the insight of the next generation in video games development.

Following on from the Evolve:Brighton opening keynote there will be 13 sessions from some of the most forward thinking companies in the industry including:

1.      ‘We’re not playing very hard!’ Using Children to Design Games – Dr Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Digital Cultures Research Centre, UWE
2.      Advertising and Games Two World Class UK Industries and How VR will connect with them – Seamus Masterson, Maverick; Ian Chambers, Freelance; Katie Grayson, Inition
3.      Big $ In Japan – Harry Holmwood, Marvelous Europe
4.      Everything is and Will be a Game – Javier Marti, JavierMarti.co.uk
5.      How SMITE Became a Top Global eSport Using Community, Crowdsourcing and Stupid Videos – Todd Harris, Hi-Rez
6.      Studios Kids, Consoles, Content, Coolness – Alison York, Nickelodeon UK
7.      The Develop Panel: What Next Big Thing is Around the Corner? – Chair: James Batchelor, Develop Magazine
8.      The World As Your Game Map: Blending Virtual Experiences with Real World Activity and Exploration – John Hanke, Niantic Labs (a division of Google)
9.      User Generated Content – The Next Generation – Lee Bamber, The Game Creators

“Evolve:Brighton is all about being at the cutting edge of games development,” commented Andy Lane, managing director of Tandem Events. “With a fantastic mix of brand new speakers and big name companies there is great potential for some exciting new ideas to emerge. Added to that it gives me great pleasure to welcome Neil Young as our opening keynote focusing on the ever changing mobile space. It is a cracking line up for the first day of our tenth Develop:Brighton conference.”

Registration is open now at  www.developconference.com  and Early Bird rates are available until midnight on Wednesday 3 June, saving up to £160 off a three day pass.

Train2Game News Get your game at Develop

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Develop:Brighton’s annual search for the next big thing in independent games development is underway as submissions open for its fifth Indie Showcase at www.developconference.com.

The conference’s free-to-enter Indie Showcase celebrates the very best of indie game development with an exhibition featuring the ten best entries as chosen by a panel of experts, chaired by Assyria Games’ Adam Green.

All 10 finalists receive two free Indie Dev Day conference passes, up to five Expo passes, pre-event publicity and a profile on the event website, plus the opportunity to show off their games to around 1,800 developers and publishers at the event.

Over the past four years, more than 250 indie developers have submitted their games to the judging panel. Alumni winners include critically acclaimed 2013 Editor’s Choice winner, Gunpoint, 2014 Editor’s Choice winner Darklings which has made it into the top-100 grossing games chart on iOS and 2013 People’s Choice winner, That Dragon Cancer.

“The quality of the games submitted to the Develop Indie Showcase last year was nothing short of astounding, and it’s great to see so many previous winners going onto both commercial and critical success,” said Andy Lane, managing director of conference organisers Tandem Events.

“The showcase is now in its fifth year and continues to be a fantastic opportunity for indie developers to get their games in front of publishers, the gaming press and their fellow peers,” added Adam Green, managing director of Assyria Games and chair of the judging panel.

“Last year had a record number of games submitted to the competition and what really stood out were the diversity of the entries; everything from highly polished commercial titles, to deeply artistic emotive personal projects and everything in-between. I can’t wait to see what this year’s selection has to offer!”

Constantin Graf, developer of iOS title SwapQuest and 2014 Indie Showcase winner commented “The first thing I would say is do it! It doesn’t really matter if you’re on a very tight budget, just take your chances, somehow you’ll be able to make it in the end. The other thing I’d say is you shouldn’t just do it for the chance of winning, but for the experience of meeting up with like-minded people that can give you some real insight.”

Submissions for the Develop Indie Showcase are now open and it’s completely free to apply. Applicants wishing to enter must comply with the following rule:

– Studios with no more than 15 people
– Studios – and games – that are non-publisher funded
– Games which are not published by a third party at the time of submission
– Games that have a development budget of less than £1million
– Games that are created in the “indie spirit”
– More information and application forms can be found on the website www.developconference.com

The deadline to enter is 11 May and the overall Indie Showcase and People’s Choice winners will be announced to press and delegates at the Develop:Brighton Conference on Thursday 16 July 2015.

Train2Game News Interface

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The teams behind MCV and Develop are hosting a brand new event in May for developers to showcase their games, find investors and pitch ideas.

Interface takes place on May 14th in central London and will bring together developers, publishers, platform holders, investors and funding experts.

Interface will connect indies, start-ups and creators of new games with investors and backers in private pitch meetings; plus, there will be demo zones and breakout sessions dedicated to seminars on better business practices.

There will also be areas for studios looking to recruit, plus networking and lounge spaces.

Interface will be affordable for businesses large and small, with prices starting at just £49.

Registration for walk-in delegates opens in March.

First partners will be announced next week – sponsorship includes exhibition space, access to the B2B meeting/pitching service and prominent exposure.

Email interface@nbmedia.com to be one of the first to find out more.

Interface will also offer affordable demo areas for indies wanting to showcase games, premium spaces for publishers, content acquisition, technology, recruiters and platform-holders looking to find games and partners; and over 300 delegates, including press, to present your creations to.

Interface takes place at the Candid Arts Trust, a creative arts space in London next door to Angel tube station.

“Indies, investors and creators of interactive content have told us they want a new place to find partners, see games and pitch ideas,” said Michael French, publisher of MCV and Develop.

“Interface focuses on quality meeting time – that’s what matters most if you’re looking to score a deal or a new business.”

Source: Develop

Train2Game News Steam Dev Tools Sale

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Steam’s big Autumn sale includes a number of deals for its library of game development tools.

Those interested in the recently release App Game Kit 2 can pick it up at 33 per cent off for £50.91. 2D game animation software Spriter is also available at 50 per cent off for £22.49, while Mixamo’s character creation toolset Fuse is currently discounted by 55 per cent and costs £34.19.

Other tools on sale include the Axis Game Factory Pro and Premium, texturing tools Substance Designer and the Substance Indie Pack, 3D modelling application Silo 2, RPG Maker and game engine Leadwerks, plus a number of others.

Offers end on December 2nd.

You can find the full list of software on Steam here.

Train2Game News Games Developers on Twitch

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Twitch Games DevTwitch has added a new category that focuses on games development, offering an insight into the game creation process.

The new category – simply titled Game Development – allows studios to stream footage of their developers working on the game, whether its creating artwork, designing levels or tweaking gameplay mechanics.

The category actually launched on October 16th, according to Polygon, and so far has a few devs showing off their work-in-progress.

“We conducted a Twitch Town Hall session at PAX Prime, which is when we let our community share ideas they would like to see implemented on the platform,” said Twitch’s director of community and education Marcus Graham, aka djWHEAT.

“The idea of having a section for game developers was suggested and it resonated with the audience, so that inspired us to add it as a category.”

Source: Develop

Train2Game News 500 studios in the UK

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Develop has compiled a list of more than 500 British games development studios as part of Game Source 2014, a new directory for the UK’s games agencies.

The list was compiled by the Develop team, and is an updated version of last July’s Develop 100, which ranked to the top 100 UK studios and included a list of hundreds more.

Game Source’s studio directory features the company names and website links for more than 500 studios found throughout the UK, ranging from indie start-ups and one-man studios to publisher-owned behemoths and other triple-A games developers.

You can view the book for free, either in your browser or by downloading the iPad edition.

Presented by MCV, Game Source is the UK directory of leading games industry service companies, featuring creative and promotional agencies, digital distributors, accessory and hardware firms, logistics and payment companies and much more. The guide showcases the leading players across each sector, offering a snapshot of the resources on offer, plus client history and contact details.

Train2Game News Develop 100 Tech List

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Develop 100Develop have recently put together a list of the top one hundred bits of tech in the games industry today.

It is full of everything from Game Engines to Consoles to peripherals.

This list is definitely a required read for anyone even remotely interested in the games industry to know what is used to make all the games you adore and enjoy.

You can view the full magazine of the Top 100 Tech from develop below:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/232466314/Develop-100-Tech-List

 

Train2Game News Develop next week

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One week from today, Tuesday 8 July, over 1,600 developers are set to descend on Brighton as the industry comes together for the ninth annual Develop in Brighton Conference.

The three day conference will host over 90 sessions covering the whole spectrum of games development. More than 100 speakers will debate the biggest issues and trends in the industry, from the Virtual Reality boom and growth in Second Screen to cloud gaming, new types of funding, alternative publishing models and the psychology behind player interaction.

Rob Fraser, Chief Technology Officer for Cloud Services at Microsoft UK, will open the Evolve Conference on Tuesday. Wednesday starts with Andrew House, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, and Mark Cerny, Lead System Architect for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, giving the Develop in Brighton opening keynote entitled 20 Years of PlayStation, 40 Years of Console Games and 100 Years to Come. On Thursday, Co-founder and President of Capybara Games, Nathan Vella, will deliver the Indie keynote, while Garry Taylor, Audio Director for Sony Computer Entertainment, will give the audio keynote.

Other headline speakers include Peter Molyneux, David Braben, Chris Charla, Dave Ranyard, Roberta Lucca and Siobhan Reddy, Ian Livingstone and Richard Bartle, while the list of companies speaking includes Amazon, Google, Versu, Twitch, Nickelodeon and Lift London.

In the Expo area, delegates attending Develop in Brighton can meet some of the biggest names in the industry including Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft and Epic, as well as discovering some breakthrough talent in the Develop Conference Indie Showcase, sponsored by Unity.

Centrally located within the expo, the Indie Showcase highlights ten unpublished, independently-developed games selected by a judging panel of industry experts. Delegates have the chance to get hands on with the games and vote for their favourite through the People’s Choice vote.

Organisers Tandem Events has also announced new features for the 2014 conference including a new Marketing track, free Indie Boot Camp sessions in the Expo hall and the inaugural Develop Game Jam.

Full information on the conference sessions and speakers together with who is exhibiting at the expo can all be found on the new mobile event app, sponsored by Autodesk, which is available to download through the App, Google Play and Windows store by searching Develop in Brighton.

With around 500 companies booked to attend, the Develop in Brighton Conference isn’t just about the content, but the people you meet during the After Hours events. There’s a host of networking events including Tuesday’s Ice Breaker Drinks, sponsored by Unreal Engine, and the GamesAid Charity Poker Tournament sponsored by Relentless Software. On Wednesday there is the Develop in Brighton Expo Booth Crawl and the Develop Awards. Finally, on Thursday delegates can attend the Close of Conference Beers.

“With only a week to go, we’re thrilled with the quantity and quality of speakers and exhibitors we have to offer our delegates,” commented Andy Lane, managing director of Tandem Events. “From our headline keynote speakers to sessions dedicated to the hottest topics currently in the industry, we have something to offer every type of developer – from one man indies to the biggest studios. Develop in Brighton really is the go-to event for everyone who develops games and I can’t wait to see everyone down in Brighton.”

Train2Game News Develop next week

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One week from today, Tuesday 8 July, over 1,600 developers are set to descend on Brighton as the industry comes together for the ninth annual Develop in Brighton Conference.

The three day conference will host over 90 sessions covering the whole spectrum of games development. More than 100 speakers will debate the biggest issues and trends in the industry, from the Virtual Reality boom and growth in Second Screen to cloud gaming, new types of funding, alternative publishing models and the psychology behind player interaction.

Rob Fraser, Chief Technology Officer for Cloud Services at Microsoft UK, will open the Evolve Conference on Tuesday. Wednesday starts with Andrew House, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, and Mark Cerny, Lead System Architect for the PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, giving the Develop in Brighton opening keynote entitled 20 Years of PlayStation, 40 Years of Console Games and 100 Years to Come. On Thursday, Co-founder and President of Capybara Games, Nathan Vella, will deliver the Indie keynote, while Garry Taylor, Audio Director for Sony Computer Entertainment, will give the audio keynote.

Other headline speakers include Peter Molyneux, David Braben, Chris Charla, Dave Ranyard, Roberta Lucca and Siobhan Reddy, Ian Livingstone and Richard Bartle, while the list of companies speaking includes Amazon, Google, Versu, Twitch, Nickelodeon and Lift London.

In the Expo area, delegates attending Develop in Brighton can meet some of the biggest names in the industry including Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft and Epic, as well as discovering some breakthrough talent in the Develop Conference Indie Showcase, sponsored by Unity.

Centrally located within the expo, the Indie Showcase highlights ten unpublished, independently-developed games selected by a judging panel of industry experts. Delegates have the chance to get hands on with the games and vote for their favourite through the People’s Choice vote.

Organisers Tandem Events has also announced new features for the 2014 conference including a new Marketing track, free Indie Boot Camp sessions in the Expo hall and the inaugural Develop Game Jam.

Full information on the conference sessions and speakers together with who is exhibiting at the expo can all be found on the new mobile event app, sponsored by Autodesk, which is available to download through the App, Google Play and Windows store by searching Develop in Brighton.

With around 500 companies booked to attend, the Develop in Brighton Conference isn’t just about the content, but the people you meet during the After Hours events. There’s a host of networking events including Tuesday’s Ice Breaker Drinks, sponsored by Unreal Engine, and the GamesAid Charity Poker Tournament sponsored by Relentless Software. On Wednesday there is the Develop in Brighton Expo Booth Crawl and the Develop Awards. Finally, on Thursday delegates can attend the Close of Conference Beers.

“With only a week to go, we’re thrilled with the quantity and quality of speakers and exhibitors we have to offer our delegates,” commented Andy Lane, managing director of Tandem Events. “From our headline keynote speakers to sessions dedicated to the hottest topics currently in the industry, we have something to offer every type of developer – from one man indies to the biggest studios. Develop in Brighton really is the go-to event for everyone who develops games and I can’t wait to see everyone down in Brighton

Train2Game News Psychology in Games at Develop

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DevelopTandem Events – organisers of Develop in Brighton – today announced the inclusion of three psychology sessions as part of the Evolve day.

Taking place on the first of the three days of Develop in Brighton, Evolve is dedicated to sharing new ideas about the latest and hottest trends in video games development.

One of those trends, using psychology within video games development, has become of increasing importance to the flow and style of modern day gaming. Evolve will have three sessions dedicated to the latest research curated by Berni Good, founder of Cyberpsychologist Limited.

Dr Linda Kaye from Edge Hill University will begin proceedings with her session entitled Social Psychology and Digital Gaming Experiences – What Can Developers Learn From This Discipline? Dr Kaye will outline some key insights from her research on concepts such as group flow and social identity theory. Linda will help delegates understand how gaming with others provides largely positive psychological experiences and outcomes for players, as well as outlining the implications for game development.

Following on from Dr Kaye is Alex Meredith from Nottingham Trent University with his session Psychological Research in Video Gaming 101 which will delve into the methods available to developers to doing psychological research in video games. He’ll explain under which circumstances certain research methods and types of analysis should be used.

Finally, Berni Good of Cyberpsychologist Limited will discuss the future of gaming psychology in her session Using Psychology in an Applied Way in Game Development – and a Glimpse into the Future of Psychology in Gaming. Berni will talk about how psychology is used and applied in video game development and research, with examples of real life success stories.

At the end of the sessions, there will be a Q&A with all three speakers, chaired by Berni Good.

Evolve takes place on Tuesday 8 July, with the Develop in Brighton Conference continuing on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 July at Brighton’s Hilton Metropole.

To find out more about these sessions and to register visit www.developconference.com