Tag Archives: developer

Train2Game News Speech Graphics launches animation SGX

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Award winning software company Speech Graphics today launches its debut animation software SGX, which generates facial animation from audio.
The Coalition, a Microsoft Studio, is the first company to license the groundbreaking software, animating over 35,000 lines of dialogue in the critically acclaimed game Gears of War 4.

SGX has been licensed to a further three global studios, news of which is expected to be released in the new year.

SGX marks a step change in the games sector by bringing the quality of in-game animation close to the quality of handcrafted cut-scene animation.  The result of five years of research and development by Speech Graphics, SGX makes it possible for video game studios to execute large batches of facial animation of thousands of lines of dialogue in-house, using only audio recordings, without needing to outsource to specialists.

Based in Scotland, Speech Graphics has an international reputation for extraordinary advances in audio-driven animation and motion technology, providing facial animation for the video games industry and working with multinational companies like Warner Brothers and global artists like Kanye West.

SGX delivers an immersive experience for the gamer.  SGX processes audio files and transcripts into facial animation, creating audio-generated facial animation that is high-quality and scalable across large volumes of dialogue.

Michael Berger, CTO and co-founder of Speech Graphics, explains: “Automatic, accurate lip sync is one of the holy grails of computer facial animation.  Our task is to create the impression that the animated face you see is the source of the sound you hear.  This illusion is notoriously difficult to achieve: the movements of speech are fast, complex and subtle and the viewer is highly sensitive to any mismatch between face and the voice.

David Coleman, Animation Director of Gears of War 4, commented: “Speech Graphics provided us with a robust system for automatically creating quality facial animation for the many thousands of lines of gameplay dialogue in Gears of War 4. We found the people at Speech Graphics to be very responsive and helpful in us achieving our goals.”

“SGX goes beyond good lip sync. Speech contains energy and emotion, and that too can be decoded from the voice and synchronized in the face. Using all available acoustic information, our algorithms drive not just the mouth but the entire face from audio input, from syllables to scowls.”

Speech Graphics delivers accurate and expressive facial animation. Emotional impact comes through very strongly in both the upper and lower face. Speech Graphics technology captures the intensity of every syllable and animates eyebrows, eyes, lips, jaw, cheeks and even tongue. 

Speech Graphics has a unique fusion of expertise in speech technology and computer animation found nowhere else in the world. The team brings together decades of research into machine learning, speech recognition, phonetics and computer graphics to solve what is an interdisciplinary problem.

Speech Graphics is on track to become the main provider of lip-sync and facial animation – a sector forecast to reach over $500 million (£375m) – to the global video game market. Speech Graphics currently employs eight staff and has plans to recruit three more in the year ahead. 

For further information visit: www.speech-graphics.com

Train2Game News Miitomo Update

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When Nintendo’s first smart-device app, Miitomo, launched in March, it set the stage for future mobile games like the upcoming Super Mario Run. Miitomo has received a major update that adds even more ways for players to express themselves and communicate with friends and is out now.
After downloading the free update, users can immediately enhance their social adventures by sending private messages to any of their friends who also have the Miitomo app, customising their in-game Mii character’s room with things like posters and Nintendo-themed wallpaper and sharing their answers and outfits with even more Miitomo users.

Here is a taste of some of the new things users can do after downloading the free Miitomo update:

· Private messages: After downloading the update, users can send private messages to anyone on their friends list. Users can set the expression of their Mii, and either a user’s main Mii character or a Sidekick Mii will personally deliver the in-app message to the friend.

· Room customisation: Rooms can be decorated with custom flooring and wallpaper, which can both be collected for free in the in-app Miitomo Drop game or by completing in-app actions. Some of the wallpaper is even inspired by some of Nintendo’s key franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. Rooms can also be decorated with posters, adorned with Miifoto images or even real-life photos contained on the user’s smart device. Each room can hold up to eight posters. Poster spots, which each hold one poster, can be purchased individually for £0.79 from the in-game store.

· Style Central: Dressing up in the latest outfits in Miitomo is a big part of the fun. With the new Style Central feature, users can submit up to three of their favourite custom outfits a day to share with other users. These other users can browse the submitted outfits to ‘like’ them or try them on. By sharing outfits, users receive My Nintendo points that can be redeemed for fun Nintendo rewards. 

Visit https://my.nintendo.com/ for more information about My Nintendo.

· Answer Central: One of the main features of Miitomo is answering fun questions and sharing those answers with others. The new Answer Central hub displays a public list of questions and answers that anyone can browse or comment on. This opens up the social interactions to a much wider base.

· Sidekick Mii characters: Sidekick Mii characters are controlled by the account user, but play secondary roles to the main Mii. Sidekicks have their own rooms, can be dressed and can even be set to public or private. Up to 100 Sidekick Mii characters can be assigned to the main user.

· Easier to Use: A new timeline feature allows you to see your friends’ latest answers without the need to speak to other Mii characters. You will also be able to see your friends’ customised rooms.

Alongside today’s update, Miitomo has launched in more countries including Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. For more information about Miitomo, visit https://miitomo.com.

Train2Game News Global Game Jam partnered with GDC

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​Global Game Jam® (GGJ), the world’s largest game jam event taking place in physical locations across the globe, announced today that it has partnered with the Game Developers Conference® to offer 25 Global Game Jam volunteers an all-access pass to GDC 2017 in San Francisco, CA on March 1-3, 2017.
For three years in a row, the Global Game Jam and Game Developers Conference have offered scholarships to GGJ organizers, regional organizers or other volunteer affiliates with a goal of reward those participants from underrepresented regions of the world and countries where none or few GGJ sites normally participate. The scholarships give participants an opportunity to further their career development through networking and on-site learning at GDC, the world’s largest forum for the game development community to come together and share ideas.

“Last year, we we’re able to offer scholars from Cuba, Zambia, Pakistan and a number of other areas the opportunity to attend GDC” said Gorm Lai, president and founder of the Global Game Jam. “By offering these scholarships, we hope that our volunteers are able to bring the information that they learn from the conference to grow their local game development communities and further their own careers.”

Interested parties can apply for a scholarship by filling out a short application and survey. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2016 and decisions will be made by the GGJ scholarship community as early as January 1, 2017.

Train2Game News Mass Effect Andromeda

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Today the Andromeda Initiative calls on brave explorers to take their first steps on a 600-year journey to find a new home. 
A new welcome and orientation video gives recruits a briefing on the Arks which will transport the races of the Milky Way to the new galaxy, as well as details on the Nexus and the Pathfinders who will be leading the mission. 

The opening of the Andromeda Initiative also coincides with the release of the official cinematic reveal trailer for Mass Effect™: Andromeda. In it, fans will discover the first story details, as well as glimpses of the game’s protagonists and some crew members. Those eager for more information can look forward to the world gameplay reveal coming in December.

Additional Andromeda Initiative briefings will be made available in the coming months covering topics like planetary exploration and settlement, weapons and biotics training, first contact protocol and more. Those who complete all trainings and briefings will be automatically rewarded with an in-game item when Mass Effect: Andromeda launches in Spring 2017.

Mass Effect: Andromeda gives players the chance to be the Pathfinder, charting a course in a dangerous new galaxy in search of a new home. Meet and recruit all-new and interesting characters in an epic space saga, and pit your team against terrifying enemies and creatures singularly-focused on your destruction. Utilize verticality and boosted jumps to even the playing field, as well as destructible cover and brand-new weapons and Biotics to make combat more thrilling than ever. Utilize the most flexible progression system ever in the Mass Effect franchise to build the Pathfinder exactly how you want, focused on the abilities and skills that will make you virtually unstoppable.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is developed by BioWare™ and will be available in Spring 2017 on Origin™ for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Train2Game News NES Classic Edition release date

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​Like, oh my gosh! The ’80s are totally back and Nintendo is totally embracing them with the Nov. 11 launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition system, which includes 30 classic NES games such as Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby’s Adventure and PAC-MAN. But it’s not just the launch of this awesome console that’ll crimp your hair and tight roll your jeans.
    On the night of Nov. 10, fans who visit the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza will have a blast in the past with an ’80s-themed launch event.

    On launch weekend (Nov. 11-13), Nintendo is also bringing back its righteously nostalgic Power Line for three days only.

    On Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, its social media channels will go completely retro to a time when “social media” involved trading passwords and game tips on the school bus.

Are you ready to go back in time? Grab your neon sunglasses and jelly bracelets. Things are about to get radical.

“Many of us have fond and wonderful memories of the original NES,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With these launch activities for the NES Classic Edition, we want to replicate the nostalgic feelings of sitting down and playing the NES with your family for the first time.”

To kick off the launch, Nintendo will host a “Remembering #NESterday” social media takeover starting on Nov. 10. By using the #NESterday hashtag, Nintendo fans will be encouraged to share fond Nintendo gaming memories and even present-day photos with their old NES consoles. Some of these photos will be shared on Nintendo’s social media channels, and people will also be able to participate in a Twitter sweepstakes that will be just as tubular as you might expect.

On the night before the launch (Nov. 10) starting at 9 p.m. ET, Nintendo invites you (and anyone who wants to party like it’s 1985) to the Nintendo NY store for an ’80s-themed NES Classic Edition event. The first 250 visitors can play classic NES games, participate in a costume contest dressed as their favorite Nintendo characters or ’80s icons, and show off their NES knowledge in the ultimate retro Nintendo game show. When the clock ticks over to midnight on Nov. 11, the one-handed gloves come off and the NES Classic Edition will be available to purchase, while supplies last.

While playing one of the 30 great NES games included on the NES Classic Edition during the weekend following the Friday launch, you might find yourself puzzled by some of the more challenging games. (“How do I find the first Warp Whistle in Super Mario Bros. 3?” you might ask yourself.) If your memories of the original games fail you, no need to fret. You can just call the Power Line, which will return and run from Nov. 11 to Nov. 13, between the hours of 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT each day. The original Power Line was a beloved service in the ’80s that connected fans to Nintendo Game Play Counselors who offered helpful tips and tricks. In this fully automated version, you can use your real-life phone (bonus points if it has a cord!) to dial (425) 885-7529 to hear recorded tips for several games, plus behind-the-scenes stories from original Nintendo Game Play Counselors. You never know what you might learn!

With 30 great NES games, a replica of the original NES controller, three display modes (including one that makes your fancy hi-def display look like a retro tube TV) and Suspend Points for easy on-the-spot saving, the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition is a great value at a suggested retail price of only £49.99. The stocking-sized console launches on Nov. 11.

For more information about the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic .

Train2Game News DC Legends

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced that DC Legends, a strategy role-playing game in which players collect and form unlikely alliances of Super Heroes and Super-Villains from across the DC Universe, is now available on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Google Play for Android Devices.
To view the launch trailer, please visit the WB Games UK YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/Vyf219wmaZwhttps://youtu.be/Vyf219wmaZw.

As the shadow of the Blackest Night prophecy falls across every world, willpower alone cannot save the shattered DC Universe. Players will need to collect allies such as Green Arrow™, Doomsday™, Wonder Woman™, Batman™ and many more, to form teams of Super Heroes and Super-Villains that battle Nekron and the Manhunters. As players battle to decide the fate of all life in the universe, they can unlock the ability to make their heroes Legendary, acquiring remarkable new super powers, powerful stat increases, and enhanced character designs.

“We think DC fans will appreciate the authenticity and depth we’ve brought to DC Legends,” said Jonathan Knight, VP, Studio Head at ‎WB Games San Francisco. “The game delivers an experience that’s both exciting and engaging, empowering players to strategically customize their teams and upgrade their super powers, as they battle against other players across the world.”

In DC Legends, the battle against Nekron and the Manhunters spans across a wide variety of DC locales, including Metropolis, Themyscira, Thanagar and many more. The cinematic action and vivid environments bring each encounter to life as players unleash Superman’s™ Heat Vision or Bizarro’s™ Flame Breath on wave after wave of undead foes. They can also compete against other players in PvP combat and demonstrate their superior team-building skills as they climb the ranks in 14 unique Leagues with escalating rewards.

DC Legends is now available to download for free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and Google Play for Android devices.

Follow DC Legends on Facebook and Twitter.

Train2Game News Final Fantasy XV IGN Premiere

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Take a trip to Eos on 22nd November  as IGN and Square Enix Ltd., team up to offer fans a chance to attend an exclusive immersive event where the world of FINAL FANTASY® XV will be brought to life. 
Hosted in London, the FINAL FANTASY XV IGN Premiere will allow guests to experience some of the many locations that appear in the game first-hand, as well as play the epic open-world adventure a week before its release. 

“IGN Premiere is all about celebrating the most storied franchises in gaming with an immersive theatre experience that is then streamed out to the world. FINAL FANTASY XV has an incredibly rich universe, story and characters which makes it the perfect fit for the IGN Premiere concept that we look forward with sharing with our viewers across the globe” said Alex Simmons, UK Editor-in-Chief, IGN.

Tickets will be limited and you will need to register your interest by signing up for a chance to win before midday on 9th November at premiere.ign.com where the terms and conditions can also be found . Ticket winners will be notified the next day and have until 23:59 GMT on 13th November to confirm attendance. The event is only open to UK residents aged 18 or over and you will need to bring photo ID.

If you’re not able to attend, tune in to the one-hour live stream on IGN starting at 20:00 GMT / 21:00 CET on November 22nd for never-before-seen content, interviews with the team behind FINAL FANTASY XV and many more surprises! To join in the discussion, use #IGNPremiereFFXV to tag your tweets.

FINAL FANTASY XV will be available on the 29th November for the Xbox One and PlayStation®4 system. For more information on FINAL FANTASY XV, visit: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com . To watch the recently released CG cinematic trailer, “Omen”, visit: https://youtu.be/8ivTFP7Qa-Y

Train2Game News SEGA Silent Disco Masquerade

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REZtron Ltd., today announced it will be hosting yet another ‘SEGA Silent Disco Masquerade’. 
This year the retrotainment will take place at the luxury 5-star Chelsea Harbour Hotel on fireworks night, November 5th.

Guest will be transported into the golden era of SEGA gaming with legendary blue sky titles on all four generation of SEGA consoles…Master System! Mega Drive! Saturn! Dreamcast! mixed up with a night of drinking, masquerading, fireworks and silent raving….all on the penthouse suite of one of London’s most exotic 5-star hotels….

§  Legendary games including Golden Axe, Alex Kidd, Wonder Boy, Double Dragon, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter II, R-Type, Streets of Rage, Alien Storm, Sonic 2, Super Monaco GP, Virtua Racing, Revenge of Shinobi,Italia ’90, Micro Machines 2, Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2, SEGA Rally, Daytona USA, Virtua Tennis, Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead 2, Power Stones, Soul Calibur, Marvel Vs Capcom and many more…

§  Displayed on RETRO CRT TVs and huge Projector screens

§  Silent Disco – Switch and dance to Classic rock, pop, House, Hip Hop, RnB, Dance and SEGA music throughout the night with our amazing headphones

    -Speed run competition on Sonic the Hedgehog (runs til 10pm)

    -WIN A MEGA DRIVE+GAME for the fastest time on Sonic 2

   -Dance and play retro games in front of a stunning panoramic view of the city skyline that’ll sure to keep your phone busy

    -Photographer will be there capturing all the antics

The ‘SEGA Silent Disco Masquerade’ experience will take place on Saturday Nov 5th, 6pm til 12am at Chelsea Harbour Hotel. Tickets can be purchased through Designmynight.com 

Train2Game News UK Games Fund

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​Consider yourself the next Kojima? Ready to become the next Rocksteady? Maybe you’ve got the skills to become a future Meier?
UK games developers could be in with a chance of securing up to £25,000 of government funding, as the hunt begins to find the UK’s next big video game.

The UK Games Fund is inviting developers to apply for the grants in a bid to support video games projects and help develop new talent.

The fund, which in now its third round, has so far helped 50 developers from across the nation see their gaming dreams transformed into reality thanks to more than £1.3m in government grants. 

Minister of State for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock MP said:

“The UK is a world leader when it comes to making video games, and we’re determined to make sure this continues long into the future.

“Our UK Games Fund has already helped many young games companies turn prototypes into a reality. Together with the Government’s video games tax reliefs this shows how we’re supporting this dynamic sector to attract further investment and new talent.”

The UK’s video games sector plays a vital role in the country’s thriving creative industries, which contributes £84 billion to the economy.

Video games developer Sensible Object, who successfully applied for funding from the first round of the UK Games Fund, have brought their game “Beasts of Balance” to life thanks to the government grant. About to be launched in retailers including John Lewis, “Beasts of Balance” is an ambitious mixture of a physical tabletop and digital game in which players stack beast-shaped pieces into a balancing tower that’s scanned by a connected smartphone or tablet.

On a visit to the Sensible Object studios in Somerset House, the Minister was shown how the developers have developed their designs and are now bringing them to market.

Alex Fleetwood, Sensible Object founder, said:

“Launching any venture is fraught with risks, but creative businesses like game companies come with even more challenges and the UK Games Fund is a very timely form of support for those that hope to grow and succeed in that area.

“The fund is well-run, straightforward to apply for, and clear in its decision-making, making it a valuable asset to game companies like ours and the industry as a whole.”

The Government’s UK Games Fund is aimed at supporting new video games businesses, encouraging talent, accelerating growth in regional games clusters and complements UK’s video games tax relief. Many small businesses lack the capital to help develop their ideas and attract private investment. The Fund has been created to help bridge that gap and help developers take their ideas from the drawing board and into production.

Paul Durrant, head of the UK Games Fund, said: “We’re really excited about this funding round, given the high demand and the quality of projects we’ve seen so far. It’s also good to see the success stories arising from our support. Sensible Object’s rapid progress shows just what we can achieve when we assist the UK’s top games development talent.”

  Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie,  said: “The UK is home to some of the world’s best and brightest creative games talent, and support from the UK Games Fund has already helped many projects get a much needed boost towards development and funding. The fantastic games that have already emerged from previous rounds shows what a huge asset this fund is to the games sector in the UK, and Ukie is proud to continue supporting the project through this next round.”

To apply for funding visit: ukgamesfund.com

Train2Game News BioShock Collection Review

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bioshock-collectionWould you kindly read this review I was asked to do for the BioShock Collection?

The BioShock Collection is the remastered collection of BioShock 1, 2 and Infinite with all the DLC by 2K Games and Take Two Interactive.

The games are stunning visual pieces of art and story telling. Seeing these remastered on Xbox One is an absolute delight and a pleasure for the eyes. If you have played the games before everything is still there with the addition of a commentary from Ken Levine to find through the first game to discover more about the process of how the game was created.

If you have played the games before then this is more for the die hard fans as there is not much new for you to discover. However if you have never had the pleasure of the cities of Rapture and Columbia then this is definitely for you as every gamer needs to play the BioShock games.

They have entertaining game play with a mixture of gun play and the plasmids, beautiful locations, enticing stories and complex characters.

In conclusion if you have never played the games this is most definitely a game that needs to be picked up. If you have played them before you won’t find much new but if you just want to go down to Rapture or up to Columbia this is the way to do it.