Tag Archives: developer

Train2Game News Golden Joystick Awards 2018

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Gamers get ready – the ever popular Golden Joystick Awards will return this November.

Back for the 36th time, to celebrate everything that makes gaming great, the show will be presided over by comedian and previous host Danny Wallace, who will give out the gongs in more than 20 award categories.

Known as the ‘People’s Gaming Awards’, last year saw millions of votes cast globally, with hundreds of games battling it out to be the very best. This year will see the return of the hotly contested ‘Still Playing Award’, ‘Ultimate Game of the Year’ and ‘Most Wanted Game’, and updated categories ‘Best Competitive Game’ and ‘Best Cooperative Game’. It’s all there for the taking, with the world’s gaming public deciding who goes home a winner.

Danny Wallace is back as host for the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards: “I’m delighted to be returning to the much-loved Golden Joysticks for a third year, because it means I won’t have to stay at home and pay for a party to celebrate the very best in gaming on my own, which is pointless and needlessly expensive. This has been a cracking year for gamers. Let’s find out who’s responsible and why…”

Dan Dawkins, Global Editor-In-Chief, GamesRadar+ commented. “We’re working hard to make sure this is the best Golden Joysticks yet, with new and revamped categories designed to ensure that players have a chance to celebrate the games they loved most in 2018.”

Key dates to remember:

  • The Golden Joystick Award categories and shortlist will be announced on Friday 21st September, with public voting commencing that night.
  • The public vote closes on Thursday 25th October.
  • The Awards take place on Friday 16th November at London’s Bloomsbury Big Top, the entire event will also be livestreamed.

To stay up to date with news from the Golden Joysticks follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

Train2Game News PUBG Greaseproof Controller

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To celebrate PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS graduation from Xbox Game Preview to Full Product Release (1.0) and the iconic “WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!” phrase, Xbox Australia has created a limited edition greaseproof Xbox wireless controller to assist players in their fight for elusive, yet tasty, chicken dinner victories.

With over eight-million players on Xbox One globally, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is the definitive battle royale shooter, pitting 100 players against each other in a struggle for survival.

Carrying the PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS signature colour scheme and designed with winning in mind, the award-winning Xbox wireless controllers that fans know and love has been applied with a patented special coating resistant to grease and oil. The hand sprayed urethane coating is impervious to minor scratches, water, and of course – roast chicken grease. To finish, each unit is stamped with the PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS logo and its unique number, with only 200 produced worldwide.

To mark the launch of 1.0, ten lucky fans will be rewarded with a specially-made greaseproof Xbox wireless controller of their own, made available via the Xbox ANZ Facebook page this week. Those who are lucky enough to receive a limited-edition Xbox wireless controller can say goodbye to the greasy fingers of yesterday and hello to the sweet victory of tomorrow: no longer will chicken dinners slip through a player’s fingers.

“With such a massive player base, from the veterans of Erangel, to the Miramar rookies, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS is a game where truly anything can happen,” says Tania Chee, Xbox Lead for ANZ. “The launch of 1.0 brings the much-anticipated Sanhok Map and much more to Xbox One, enhancing the experience of the fantastically popular game, and we’re happy to have created such special gear for the occasion.”

PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS 1.0 is available now from the Microsoft Store and all good retailers for AU$39.95 RRP.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #Greaseproof

Train2Game News Nintendo at EGX 2018

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Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! and Super Mario Party exclusively for Nintendo Switch will be playable for the first time in the UK at EGX 2018, running 20th-23rd September 2018 at The NEC, Birmingham.

Alongside these highly anticipated debut appearances, fans of social competitive gaming will be pleased to learn that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will also be available to play throughout the event, while Saturday 22nd September will offer the next opportunity for the freshest squads in the UK to go head to head in the next Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2018 Qualifier!

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! make their first European appearance!

Attendees at EGX 2018 will be among the first people in Europe to experience a new style of Pokémon adventure as they explore Viridian Forest in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! ahead of their release on 16th November 2018.

Prove you’re a minigame champion in Super Mario Party!

Super Mario Party will also make its UK debut, giving visitors the opportunity to try out a range of mini-games from the upcoming multiplayer game as they compete for the Toad Cup! This is the perfect opportunity to get some practise in before hitting the boards alongside friends and family anytime, anywhere on 5th October 2018.

See legendary game worlds and fighters collide in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will also be available for attendees to play, giving UK fans another opportunity to get to grips with newcomers Inkling and Ridley, as well as the game’s new mechanics, ahead of its release on 7th December 2018.

Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2018 Qualifier Tournament – Saturday 22nd September

EGX will also play host to the next Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2018 Octo League qualifier on Saturday 22nd September, and Nintendo UK is accepting pre-registration now from full teams of 4 or 5 people! For teams to secure their place in the tournament they should send an email to NintendoCommunity@Nintendo.co.uk with the subject line “Splatoon 2 Tournament EGX 2018”, providing the names or tags of their team members. Teams will need to purchase a ticket to enter EGX 2018, which can be done from the EGX website.

Teams and players can also register at the event from 2pm on Friday 21st September, if there are spaces available. For players not in full teams that attend the event and wish to compete, Nintendo UK will endeavour to match any squids (or Octopi) for hire with others looking to create a team if there is space in the tournament.

Those not at the show, will be able to watch the Octo League tournament streamed live on Twitch and YouTube on Saturday 22nd September. To find out more about the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2018 and catch up on the tournament so far visit the Splatoon 2 UK Championship 2018 hub.

And more to come!

Nintendo UK will have more EGX announcements over the coming weeks regarding playable games, tournaments, and stage and livestream activities, so make sure to follow @NintendoUK and @NintendoUKVS on Twitter to stay up to date with everything going on at the show!

If you’re attending the event, make sure to bring your Nintendo Switch so you can play whatever you want with other fans at the show. There will be charging stations available at the event, as well as docks and screens available for use as well**.

For those that can’t make it to the event, fear not! Nintendo UK will be livestreaming on Saturday 22nd September and Sunday 23rd September, bringing the action from the headline tournaments, as well as interviews with top players, and general coverage from the event. Make sure to tune in at Twitch.tv/NintendoUK or YouTube.com/NintendoUK, and follow @NintendoUKVS and @NintendoUK on Twitter to learn about the full schedule closer to the event.

Train2Game News Macmillan Game Heroes

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This September as part of the ‘Macmillan Game Heroes’ campaign, two teams of professional streamers will be attempting to raise the largest amount of money for people living with cancer by spreading the word amongst their followers and the gaming community.

On Thursday 4th October, the two teams made up of streamers including Valkia, B0aty and Two Angry Gamers will come face to face to battle it out in a gaming showdown, competing against each other in a whole host of games, challenges and forfeits.

All the action will be live broadcast on video streaming platform Twitch, the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers.

Taking place at JustGiving HQ in London, starting at 12pm on 4th October and finishing at 8pm, the streamers will be divided into teams and will compete against each other in games, challenges and forfeits. Points will be awarded for wins, bravery and donations. Anyone can tune in to Macmillan’s Twitch channel (www.twitch.tv/macmillancancer) to watch the event.

Viewers of the live stream will be asked to donate to their favourite team to help them win, or complete their own 24-hour gaming challenge at home on their own or with friends in an attempt to ‘Beat the boss’.

Pro streamers taking part in Macmillan Game Heroes challenge include:

  • Vaalkia
  • B0aty
  • TwoAngryGamers
  • AngrySausage
  • ArtyFakes
  • Frozenbawz

Macmillan is also asking gamers at home to be a Game Hero and get involved in the action at a time of their choice, by taking on their own gaming marathon.

Gamers can choose whether they want to go at it alone or as part of a team, as well as the timings, the games and whether it is streamed or not – anything goes. By getting sponsored for their marathon all gamers will be doing something heroic for people living with cancer.

Heather Pearl, Head of National Events at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “Our fundraising gaming challenge is back for 2018 and we’re encouraging as many people to get involved as possible, to help make this year bigger than ever before.

“We’re encouraging gamers at home to hold their own gaming marathon and get sponsored to do so, as well as asking people to tune in to Twitch on Thursday 4th October to watch their favourite professional streamers go head-to-head. All money raised will help Macmillan continue to provide emotional, financial, medical and practical support to people with cancer.”

For more information on Macmillan Game Heroes, please visit https://gameheroes.macmillan.org.uk/

Follow the conversation on Twitter using @MacGameHeroes #gameheroes

Train2Game News Suikoden II Orchestral CD Kickstarter goal reached

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On Sep. 3, 2018, the re-launched Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for a new orchestral CD recording featuring music from “Suikoden II” had reached its funding goal.

The campaign, was hosted by VGM Classics (NM, USA), a classical record company specializing in video game music. The campaign now aims for stretch goals for more music by September 20, 2018.

Suikoden II
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgmclassics/suikoden-ii-an-orchestral-cd-2cd-0

“Suikoden II” is a role-playing video published by Konami for the PlayStation system in 1998. The original music was based on orchestral and ethnic sounds that reflected the many cultures and feelings that permeated the story.

The funding goal of the campaign was US$15,000 in an all-or-nothing format, and the campaign sets two stretch goals at $27,500, and at $40,000 for more music by September 20, 2018.

VGM Classics has invited the award-wining composer/conductor Kentaro Sato to be its music director to oversee and direct the recording. Mr. Sato is the orchestral and choral mastermind behind such video game titles as the “DISSIDIA Final Fantasy” series. The prospective orchestra for the project is the Budapest Symphony Orchestra (Budapest, Hungary).

VGM Classics expects that its projects not only will fulfill the wishes of game music lovers, but also will contribute to the advancement of musical art and culture at large.

For two other current Kickstarter projects by VGM Classics, please visit at:

Star Fox 64 (aka, Lylat Wars)
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgmclassics/star-fox-64-lylat-wars-an-orchestral-cd-64cd

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentina https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgmclassics/fire-emblem-echoes-an-orchestral-cd-cd

Train2Game News Labo Vehicle Kit

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Start your engines! Only two weeks until the launch of Nintendo Labo: Vehicle Kit!

To celebrate, Nintendo just released an overview video that dives (and drives and flies!) into more detail about this new Nintendo Labo kit.

After building several unique Toy-Con creations using Nintendo Labo: Vehicle Kit, there are plenty of games and features to explore. Here are few experiences shown in the video:

  • A closer look at Adventure, one of the included games, in which you get to explore a mysterious world featuring pyramids, an archeological dig site, snowy mountains and much more. Use the Toy-Con Key creation to seamlessly swap between a car, plane and submarine to explore the deepest depths and highest heights of the world. Interact with a variety of intriguing characters as you explore and complete different missions solo or co-op with a friend.
  • Each vehicle is controlled using the various Toy-Con projects you build with the included materials in the Vehicle Kit. And each has different controls and special moves in the game – launch a grappling hook with your submarine, do a barrel roll and shoot missiles with your plane, perform wheelies and deploy saw blades or bombs with your car, and more!
  • Different included games offer a variety of fun experiences: In Rally, you pass through checkpoints while racing to the goal. Circuit is a racing game with a twist – you can launch punches at opponents! Slot Cars is a classic game that is controlled using only the Toy-Con Pedal. And in Battle, you can participate in one-on-one automotive combat with other players.
  • Paint Studio uses the Toy-Con Spray Can to let you personalize your in-game vehicles – and the driver! Gently shake it to feel and hear the “ball” inside as you mix up the paint.
  • Custom Controls, a new feature for Nintendo Labo, lets you make your own controllers for the included games with common household items. Want to ride a broom to steer the plane? How about drawing button controls on a customized screen protector when playing in Handheld Mode? Go ahead! It’s a great way to get started with building your own Toy-Con creations.
  • With the Toy-Con Car, Key and Pedal, you’ll also be able to race against your friends in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game for Nintendo Switch shortly after launch (Nintendo Switch and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold separately). Learn more about this new way to play with Vehicle Kit here.

Nintendo Labo allows fans of all ages to make, play and discover with its interactive DIY cardboard kits that come to life with the power of the Nintendo Switch system.

Nintendo Labo: Vehicle Kit launches on Sept. 14 at a suggested retail price of $69.99. For more information about the kit, visit https://labo.nintendo.com/kits/vehicle-kit/.

Train2Game News Suikoden II Orchestral CD

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On Aug. 29, 2018, the re-launched Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for a new orchestral CD recording featuring music from “Suikoden II” had reached 2/3 of its funding goal.

The campaign, which started on August 14, was hosted by VGM Classics (NM, USA), a classical record company specializing in video game music.

Suikoden II
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgmclassics/suikoden-ii-an-orchestral-cd-2cd-0

“Suikoden II” is a role-playing video published by Konami for the PlayStation system in 1998. The original music was based on orchestral and ethnic sounds that reflected the many cultures and feelings that permeated the story.

The campaign aims ultimately to raise US$15,000 in an all-or-nothing format by September 20, 2018.

VGM Classics has invited the award-wining composer/conductor Kentaro Sato to be its music director to oversee and direct the recording. Mr. Sato is the orchestral and choral mastermind behind such video game titles as the “DISSIDIA Final Fantasy” series. The prospective orchestra for the project is the Budapest Symphony Orchestra (Budapest, Hungary).

VGM Classics expects that its projects not only will fulfill the wishes of game music lovers, but also will contribute to the advancement of musical art and culture at large.

There are two additional crowd-funding campaigns.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgmclassics/fire-emblem-echoes-an-orchestral-cd-cd

Suikoden II
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vgmclassics/suikoden-ii-an-orchestral-cd-2cd-0

Train2Game News Games festival at Leamington Spa

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The UK is set to welcome a brand new games festival as Interactive Futures announces its inaugural event in early 2019.

The event will be held in Leamington Spa, one of the UK’s largest games clusters outside of London, and will offer a range of sessions and opportunities across 3 days for games professionals, content creators and curators, game players and families.

Interactive Futures will bring together the creative and games communities to showcase the latest developments and opportunities, uncover career and industry insights and reveal new releases with a whole bundle of fun on the side. The event will celebrate the heritage and success of Leamington Spa’s games community, whilst also providing a platform for all UK based games professionals to gain industry insights, network and collaborate.

Known in the industry as “Silicon Spa”, the cluster employs over 2500 highly skilled individuals and equates to over 10% of the total UK games development workforce. The town has a history of over 30 years in the sector with local talent including key names such as Codemasters, SEGA and Ubisoft.

Among the first speakers to be announced is Dr Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE (Association for UK Interactive Entertainment), who will opening the conference on Friday 1 February, and Jordan Webber, who will be acting as Conference Chair throughout the event. A games journalist, often found in The Guardian or talking about games on The Gadget Show, Jordan is hugely passionate about both games and her adopted hometown of Leamington Spa.

“I spend a good deal of my time convincing people to come to Leamington, so this event is the perfect way to get lots of my friends, colleagues, and other people from the video game community to visit the best town in the world.”

Sessions across the event will focus on a range of key topics including accessibility, influencer marketing, project post mortems, diversification in talent, breaking into the industry, staying safe online and upcoming new releases. With influencer marketing a current hot topic, we’ll be discussing how companies can use this to their advantage in promoting their releases. Friday’s influencer session will see Rich Keith, Managing Director of influencer management company, Fourth Floor Creative, and James Day, Head of Social Media at Jagex, discuss their top tips for engaging influencers and how the marketing landscape is changing.

Another key topic at the event will be accessibility in games. Joining the panel discussions will be Playstation’s accessibility specialist, Mark Friend alongside Barrie Ellis from games accessibility charity, Special Effect, accessible games designer at Midoki, Lynsey Graham and specialist accessibility consultant, Ian Hamilton.

For those looking to start their career in the industry there will be a range of experts available to help you on your way. Nick Duncombe, Resource Manager at Playground Games, the team behind the Forza Horizon series, will be discussing routes into the industry alongside the likes of DJ Hero co-creator, Alex Darby, and e-sports presenter and influencer Elle Osili-Woods. If you fancy yourself as a games journalist or the next big influencer, then sessions with freelance journalist Alysia Judge and CMO of influencer platform, Matchmade, Heini Vesander, will be sure to help attendees get started.

The event is also backed by Warwickshire County Council, Warwick District Council and Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, who remain incredibly proud of Leamington Spa’s standing within the UK games industry.

Nick Harper, from Exient Studios, commented, “Our Silicon Spa businesses are key to the thriving games market in the UK and display the wealth of talent that lies across the country in this sector. Interactive Futures is the perfect way for us to celebrate this talent and success and will allow us to welcome those from outside the area to see what we have to offer.”

As well as the conference programme visitors to Interactive Futures can immerse themselves in the Talent Expo, featuring a range of companies showcasing new releases and opportunities throughout the event, as well as a range of soon to be announced Fringe events around the town.

Interactive Futures will take place at the Royal Spa Centre on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 February and will be preceded by an academic conference for colleges and universities on Thursday 31st January.

Tickets for the event are on sale now from www.interactive-futures.com with Friday 1 February providing an industry specific focus and Saturday 2 February open to all families, students and active gamers. You can also follow the event on social media @int_futures on Twitter and @interactive_futures on Instagram.

Train2Game News Half-Life 2 Epistle 3

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The Project Borealis Team – the fan project developing Half-Life 2: Epistle 3, based on the Epistle 3 script published by Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw – have released their fourth development update.

The update features the announcement of their upcoming tech demo, a reimagining of fan-favourite Ravenholm from Half-Life 2, alongside new character concept art.

A video has been published detailing the tech demo, including footage of the demo’s location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkAU3A5nM-E.

The tech demo will be a chance for Half-Life fans to provide feedback on the team’s progress. The team says that “Ravenholm provides an obvious choice for a demonstration of our skills, taking a fan-favourite location in Half-Life 2 and re-imagining it in Unreal Engine 4, fourteen years later.”

Concept art also shown in the update features new arctic designs for the Headcrab Zombie enemy type, as well as an exploration of the allied Rebel NPCs, and a more detailed environment piece around the idea of a crash site from near the start of the game.

A number of team openings have also been made available in light of the update; details and forms for these positions can be found at https://www.projectborealis.com/join-the-resistance/openings/

Project Manager Michael Dunaway commented, “Completing this tech demo has been one of our largest endeavours as a team since starting on this journey nearly a year ago. This upcoming demo lays out the foundation for everything that represents our efforts in bringing the nuanced HL2 experience into Unreal Engine 4. We’re excited to see fans’ reactions to our work and will continue refining the gameplay experience based on the feedback we receive.”

Find out more about the game and follow its progress on the official website at https://www.projectborealis.com/.
Get involved in discussions about the game by joining our Subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/dreamsofhalflife3/) or Discord (https://discord.gg/Rkz95GS).
Make sure to also follow the team on Twitter at https://twitter.com/proj_borealis for future updates.

Train2Game News Streets of Rage 4 revealed

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Publisher Dotemu (Wonder Boy, Windjammers) and developers Lizardcube (Wonder Boy) and Guard Crush Games today revealed Streets of Rage 4, an all-new continuation of SEGA’s iconic arcade brawler series known for its radical fights, jammin’ ‘90s beats and dashing sparring gloves and bandanas.

Featuring hand-drawn visuals from the team behind 2017’s gorgeous Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap remake, Streets of Rage 4 builds upon the classic trilogy’s gameplay with new mechanics, a fresh story and a gauntlet of dangerous stages with a serious crime problem.

Streets of Rage 4 recalls classic gameplay but it stands as an entirely original arcade-style romp thanks to the expertise of Guard Crush Games and Dotemu.

Whether players gang up with a friend or clean up the city solo, Streets of Rage 4 is a skull-bashing, chicken-chomping delight all set to a thumping soundtrack sure to get your blood pumping.

To keep up to date on all things Streets of Rage 4, punch your keyboard until it types www.streets4rage.com, go to www.facebook.com/StreetsofRage4 and slice that follow button on Twitter @Dotemu, @Lizardcube and @Guard_Crush.