Tag Archives: developer

Train2game News Assassin’s Creed Identity

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Ubisoft® announced that Assassin’s Creed® Identity, the franchise’s first Action-RPG, will launch on iOS devices on February 25, 2016. The mobile-exclusive game takes place during a fan-favourite time period, the Italian Renaissance.

Assassin’s Creed Identity challenges players to solve The Mystery of The Crows through a combination of thrilling story missions and countless quests. Players will create and customise their own Assassins and take them through numerous adventures in iconic settings from the Italian Renaissance, such as the Santa Croce area in Florence and the Colosseum in Rome. The Assassins will evolve throughout the game and progress from a novice to a master assassin. Characters can be chosen from four individual classes: Berserker, Shadow Blade, Trickster and Thief.

Assassin’s Creed Identity transports the fun, the freedom of movement and parkour to iOS devices using a variety of different controls: tap-to-move, dual virtual stick controls or with a gamepad. Assassin’s Creed Identity uses the Unity game engine to create stunning graphics never before seen on a mobile device, through amazing custom-made HD textures, shaders and models.

On February 3rd, a Q&A video with the Creative Director of the game will be published on the Ubisoft Youtube channel, giving more details about the game and how Assassin’s Creed was re-imagined on mobile.

Developed by Blue Byte®, a Ubisoft studio, Assassin’s Creed Identity will be available on the App Store for £3.99. The game requires iOS 7 and an iPad 3 or a later model, or an iPhone 5 or a later model.

Train2game News Lifesaver Mode

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Blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan has teamed up with Twitch, the world’s leading social video platform for gamers, to encourage young men to use their lifesaving power and sign up to the stem cell register.

The Lifesaver Mode campaign, which will be featured on the Twitch website from 29 January, includes new video content, a chance to win a PS4 console and game, and invites gamers to sign up to three emails from Anthony Nolan, explaining more about stem cell donation and how to join the register. Twitch favourites LTZonda and Two Angry Gamers will show just how easy it is to join the register by simply spitting into a tube and sending it off in the post.

Anthony Nolan hopes the campaign will encourage more young men aged 16-30 to become real-life heroes and sign up to be potential stem cell donors. Young men are most likely to be chosen as a match but make up just 15% of the register.

The campaign is particularly close to the heart of the gaming community because Kieron Fairclough (pictured below and in attachment, credit Liverpool Echo), a nine-year-old boy from Bootle and keen X-boxer, is currently looking for a stem cell donor. Diagnosed with a rare and serious condition called Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA) at the age of two, Kieron’s only hope of a long-term cure is a stem cell transplant to replace his damaged bone marrow with new, healthy cells donated by a stranger – potentially a fellow gaming fan.

Kieron’s mum Ashley said:
‘Kieron’s a proper little gamer and he loves being able to save the world playing his favourite X-Box games, Marvel Superheroes and Superman. He’s also obsessed with vloggers like Dantdm and Stampy Longhead. It’s strange to think there could be another gamer out there who could be Kieron’s own superhero. It could even be a teenager, as you can join the Anthony Nolan register from the age of sixteen. You’ll never know if it’s you, unless you sign up.’
Ashley added: ‘I’m really happy that Anthony Nolan is reaching out to gamers. It feels like the perfect way to get the message out to young guys, and I know they’ll rally behind one of their own.’

Al Scott, Head of Marketing at Anthony Nolan, said:
‘Everyone that joins the Anthony Nolan register is a potential lifesaver. Donating stem cells is a simple, straightforward process similar to giving blood, but it could make a world of difference to a cancer patient and their family. The Lifesaver Mode campaign is looking for more young men to join the register and help us give people suffering with blood cancer a second chance at life.’

The Lifesaver Mode campaign will run until 11 March. If you’re 16-30, you can be a game changer and join the Anthony Nolan register at www.anthonynolan.org/lifesavermode .

Train2Game News Exhibition places available at PLAY Expo Blackpool

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This April, the UK’s favourite Arcade, Indie & Retro video gaming expo will be returning to the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre in Blackpool for it’s fifth year.

Proud supporters of the UK indie scene, Replay Events are offering indie developers and studios special low rates for space and power on the main show floor – but space is limited so if you want to get involved you’ll need to act fast!

Located at the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre, PLAY Expo Blackpool attracts over 5000 attendees from all over the UK during the two day event. The expo draws a diverse crowd due to the variety of systems, exhibitions and activities on offer – some people come for the coin-ops, pinball and retro stuff, some for the current gen and indie games, others for cosplay, highscore tournaments or talks from game industry legends – but the majority embrace the entire spectrum of video gaming culture as a whole.

Unlike some other expos, the indie section at PLAY Expo Blackpool won’t be hidden away in a separate hall away from the main ruckus.
Indies will be centrally located within the main exhibition space, i.e. where the people are. Prices for exhibiting are extremely
reasonable:

    -£180 Standard booth (1x table, 6ft backing board, space and power for 2x PC/Console set-ups, 2x Exhibitor passes)

    -£300 Large booth (2x tables, 6ft backing board, space and power for 4x PC/Console set-ups, 4x Exhibitor passes)

(Note that wired internet, PC hire and additional exhibitor passes are also available at an additional cost. Please contact us for further information and prices).

In addition to this, exhibiting indies will have their own dedicated liaison in the form of RGCD.DEV/RGCD.CO.UK’s James Monkman, who’ll be on hand before, during and after the event to help ensure exhibitors requirements over the weekend are fully accommodated.

For further information on the event visit the PLAY Expo Blackpool website (www.playexpoblackpool.com ). You can either register your interest in exhibiting online via the contact page, or request an information pack from James direct via email (james.monkman@replayevents.com ) or Twitter (@James_Monkman).

Train2Game News Plays.tv Chrome Extension

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Plays.tv, the video-sharing platform for gamers, today introduced the Plays.tv Chrome Extension, now available in the Chrome store.

The extension allows Twitch viewers to quickly capture, trim, and share any moment from a livestream with a click, hotkey, or by typing “!plays” in Twitch chat. The streamer always retains credit and all highlights appear on their profile page, along with videos the streamer personally uploads, making Plays.tv the comprehensive destination for all of gaming’s best moments.

“Anyone who’s ever watched a Twitch stream has seen something incredible that they’ve wanted to replay or share,” said Dennis Fong, CEO and founder of Plays.tv parent company Raptr. “The new Plays.tv Chrome Extension lets anyone do exactly that, while guaranteeing the streamer gets full credit – and coming soon, compensation as well.”

Plays.tv has created a complete experience for creators and viewers alike. By connecting their Twitch account, fans automatically get highlights from each streamer they follow as part of their Plays.tv feed, and coming soon, a “live indicator” that will alert them when those streamers are broadcasting live.

“Fans are constantly asking me to post more highlights, but I just don’t have the time given our crazy practice schedule.” said Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg, League of Legends mid-laner for Team Solo-Mid. “It’s great that fans can now grab my best moments for me and see them posted next to clips I’ve personally shared.”

“The new Plays.tv Chrome extension puts the control in the hands of the fans,” said Nik Adams, Senior Vice President, Global Sales & Business Development at ESL. “Now they get to tell us what they think the best moments are across all of our tournaments – from Intel Extreme Masters and ESL One to our National Championships and beyond. This gives fans a whole new way of interacting with our broadcasts.”

With the Plays.tv Chrome Extension, users can capture a 30-second, source-quality video clip of any Twitch livestream moment after it’s happened. The clip can then be trimmed and posted to Plays.tv – with one-click sharing to Reddit, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The video is posted with attribution to the original streamer; Twitch broadcasters will have all highlights from their Twitch stream presented on their Plays.tv profile page, organized by livestream session.

Train2Game News Mobile game to support LGBTQ

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Atari®, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, today announced the worldwide availability of Pridefest™, an original social-sim game inspired by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community.

Available now on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch as well as on Google Play for Android devices, Pridefest is a free-to-play game designed to emulate the colorful atmosphere and inclusive spirit of the hundreds of real-world Pride parades held annually around the world. In anticipation of the launch, Atari first showcased Pridefest at NYC Pride and Flame Con where members of the LGBTQ community and allies received an exclusive sneak peek of the game. For more on their reactions and excitement, check out the highlight video https://e1.m.tt/a/nrrobhrb.html

To download on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch:
https://e1.m.tt/a/vttkmjzb.html

To download on Google Play for Android devices:
https://e1.m.tt/a/vttkmgbk.html

“Pride is only one small portion of the diverse LGBTQ culture and community, but it is one centered on freedom of expression, the pursuit of equality, and shared celebration. Pridefest was designed to celebrate progress the LGBTQ community has made toward equality while working to emulate the spirited and celebratory atmosphere of today’s real-world parades,” said Fred Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer of Atari. “It was that spirited atmosphere that especially drew us to the idea of Pride as an overarching theme and parades as the core gameplay mechanic. ”

As the new mayor of a city that has seemingly lost its fun and color overnight, Pridefest players are tasked with bringing the city back to its former glory. The mayor must transform buildings from dull to bright by spreading joy throughout the city, acting as the Grand Marshal and restoring pride throughout the city, neighborhood by neighborhood. Players can showcase their personality by customizing avatars, shops and storefronts, and pride flotillas while following an engaging storyline through more than 40 quests to unlock new content. Fill the “Fun Meter” to achieve the city’s optimal happiness and make the citizens cheerful again.

“As Atari’s first game developed in support of LGBTQ equality, Pridefest works to bridge the gap between this underserved community and the gaming industry,” said Chesnais. “While creating a fun, inclusive game members of the community and allies can enjoy was an important goal, we hope that Pridefest also serves as a platform for members of the LGBTQ community to connect in a safe, supportive atmosphere.”

Packed with social features designed to encourage players to connect on a global scale – Pridefest boasts one-to-one chat functionality, options to visit and run pride parades in far-off cities created by other Pridefest players, as well as a “club” system that allows the formation of in-game groups. The various social features can be turned on or off, based on the preferences of players.

Also essential to the Pridefest experienceis the level of personalization, which is incorporated throughout the game. Avatar customization gives players the choice of dozens of body types, hairstyles, clothing, and accessories to personalize. Pride flotillas provide another opportunity for customization, with various themes, mascots, decorations, and more available to incorporate into each parade.  

Pridefest is developed in partnership with Mad Marshmallow. To learn more and download on the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch or on Google Play for Android devices, visit PridefestGame.com.

Train2Game News Revolution 25th Anniversary

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Revolution is proud to announce the forthcoming release of the Revolution: the 25th Anniversary Collection box set on 11th March 2016, exclusively on PC, at a price of £ 29.99 / 39,99 €.

As well as Revolution’s full roster of games, the box set will contain comic books, posters, high quality audio tracks, a Broken Sword USB, and a digital timeline with extensive behind- the-scenes materials, plus two hours of video telling the Revolution story and the making of their games, featuring interviews with key team members and creative partners such as Dave Gibbons, Rolf Saxon and Barrington Pheloung.

“As a team, we feel very privileged to still be writing adventure games after twenty five years, and are hugely proud of the loyalty and passion of our fans over this period. It is with great pleasure that we have put together this collection of our games, posters, comics and other material, as well as a comprehensive series of movies retracing the history both of the company and the games that we have created. We hope that it will appeal to all gamers who love adventure games,” said Charles Cecil, Founder & CEO of Revolution.

Distributed exclusively by Koch Media, Revolution: the 25th Anniversary Collection will include:

·         Revolution’s full catalogue of adventure games:
Broken Sword 1 – Shadow of the Templars
Broken Sword 1:  Director’s Cut
Broken Sword 2 – the Smoking Mirror
Broken Sword 2: Remastered
Broken Sword 3 – the Sleeping Dragon
Broken Sword 4 – the Angel of Death
Broken Sword 5 – the Serpent’s Curse
In Cold Blood
Beneath a Steel Sky
Lure of the Temptress

·         Comic Compendium for Broken Sword 1, 2 and 5 by Dave Gibbons and Angus McKie

·         Beneath a Steel Sky Comic by Dave Gibbons

·         4 double-sided Posters

·         Broken Sword USB Stick with the Soundtrack of all games (soundtrack also included on DVD)

·         Audio CD with selected tracks of all Soundtracks

·         Exclusive Interactive Timeline with 25 years of behind-the-scenes assets and information, as well as six episodic documentary movies covering the 25-year history of Revolution and its games.

Train2Game News Mew in GAME

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Pokémon celebrates 20 years of “Gotta catch ’em all!” on February 27, and as part of the celebrations, fans are invited to head to GAME Digital PLC this February to discover and collect the first of the special Pokémon characters to be distributed throughout 2016!

Owners of Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon X or Pokémon Y for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems can head into a local shop and collect Mew, the very first of the Mythical Pokémon!

Mew is said to possess the genetic composition of all Pokémon. It is capable of making itself invisible at will, so it entirely avoids notice even if it approaches people.

·         LEVEL: 100
·         TYPE: Psychic
·         ABILITY: Synchronize
·         MOVE: Pound

Mew’s appearance at GAME Digital PLC will take place from 1–28 February, and is timed to coincide with the release of the Pokémon TCG: Mythical Pokémon Collection—Mew scheduled to launch on 22 February. This is the first of the Mythical Pokémon Collections designed to celebrate Pokémon’s milestone year. It includes a special Mew promo card and a pin of the Mythical Pokémon, plus two Pokémon TCG: Generations booster packs and a code to unlock the cards in the Pokémon TCG Online.

Mew fans can head to one of GAME  Digital PLC UK’s participating shops and look for even more collectible items featuring the original Mythical Pokémon Mew, including a plush, a Mew figurine with Great Ball from TOMY, and an exclusive t-shirt designed by BIOWORLD Europe. All items are exclusive to GAME Digital PLC in the United Kingdom while stocks last.

Owners of Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon X or Pokémon Y who wish to collect Mew for their game should head to the counter where they will receive a special code printed on a receipt at no charge.

What’s more, Pokémon TCG: XY—BREAKpoint, the latest expansion to the XY Series, will also be available in stores from 3 February!

This Mew bonanza comes hot on the heels of the Pokémon Company International’s announcement that they are celebrating 20 years since Pokémon first launched with the video games Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green in Japan for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996.

Pokémon TCG: Generations boosters will be available within the specially labelled and designed range for this special year, starting with the Mythical Pokémon Collection—Mew and followed by new Mythical Pokémon Collections throughout 2016, each containing additional Pokémon TCG: Generations boosters. Four Pokémon TCG: Red & Blue Collections, each featuring one of the original superstars of the Pokémon world, will be released containing even more boosters.

Throughout 2016, even more collectible Pokémon characters will be distributed to owners of the hugely successful Nintendo 3DS games Pokémon Omega Ruby, Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. After Mew, Darkrai, Arceus, and other popular Pokémon will be distributed during the 2016 celebrations!

Plans differ depending on the fan’s location, so be sure to visit Pokemon.co.uk/20 for more information about Pokémon 20, Train On projects, and join the conversation using #Pokemon20.

Pokémon. Twenty Years. Train On.

Train2Game News Re-figuring Innovation in Games

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University of Leicester study to address gender inequality in UK-based game design higher education programmes

The marginalised status of women in the video game industry will be challenged by a new international research project involving the University of Leicester.

Video games routinely feature ‘hyper-sexualised’ female characters , and despite around half of all game players being women they remain dramatically underrepresented in the industry, with only 4 per cent of programmers being female and women making up just 22 per cent of the industry workforce as a whole.

A new project, titled ‘Re-figuring Innovation in Games’, which is funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), aims to support a dramatic re-think and ‘re-configuring’ of the video game industry, where a lack of gender diversity, inclusivity and interventions that can shift the status quo stifles innovation.

Dr Alison Harvey from the University of Leicester’s Department of Media and Communication explained: “Women and girls have largely been excluded from games culture − as players, makers and protagonists. Additionally, many of those who do participate in games have been publicly harassed both online and offline as exemplified by the ‘Gamergate’ hate campaign.

“Addressing long-standing gender inequalities in the global digital games industry is a vital means by which to stimulate innovation and sustain the growth and consolidation of this massive creative arena.

“This project recognises that these issues can only be tackled through the inclusion of a range of international and interdisciplinary partners thinking about and planning to create equity in games culture, education, and work.”

Dr Harvey is co-leading the Formal Education research theme of the project and will be conducting a study of UK-based game design higher education programmes in order to assess how diversity is encouraged or hindered within formal education such as degree and certificate programmes in game design and game studies.

The study aims to make an intervention in how these programmes are promoted and organised to foster more inclusive game design training, through consultation with educators, students, skills bodies, professional associations, policy-makers, and industry representatives.

Key outcomes of this international cross-sectoral partnership project include the development of: an inclusivity toolkit for the games industry, gender-inclusive curricula for game programs and incubators, and high-impact blogging, journalism, and scholarly presentations and publications that inform and prepare the next generation of researchers and game-sector employees to rebuild a games industry and culture that supports inclusion and innovation.

The project, which will run until 2019, is led by Professor Jennifer Jenson at York University in Canada and includes the University of Leicester as well as 20 partners from international universities, gaming companies, gaming collectives, gaming NGOs, and professional associations.

The project website is available here: www.refig.ca

Train2Game News Pokémon Super Bowl Ad

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The Pokémon Company International today unveiled a new TV commercial that will air during Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, February 7.

The ad, shot in Rio de Janeiro, celebrates the millions of Pokémon fans around the world, encourages them to enjoy the Pokémon references hidden in the ad and Train On. A 30-second version of the ad will be aired at the beginning of the third quarter of Super Bowl 50. An extended version can be viewed at http://bit.ly/1KzQloU.

“For 20 years, the Pokémon world has inspired fans to train hard and have fun,” said J.C. Smith, senior director of Consumer Marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “This ad is reflective of that passion, and I can’t think of a bigger stage to share this story than the Super Bowl.”

The ad is part of a yearlong campaign celebrating 20 years of Pokémon. First introduced in Japan in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green for the Nintendo Game Boy system, Pokémon has delighted fans of all ages around the world for two decades. With more than 275 million video games sold worldwide, 21.5 billion TCG cards shipped to 74 countries, and an animated series spanning 18 seasons, Pokémon is one of the most successful entertainment brands in the world.

Be sure to visit Pokemon.co.uk/20 for more information about Pokémon 20, Train On projects and join the conversation using #Pokemon20.

Pokémon. Twenty Years. Train On.

Train2Game News Train2Game student creating Harry Potter character

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Murthy Upadhyayula has designed his own Dobby the House Elf for his wife.

Former student from India who studied the Art and Animation course with Train2Game is working on his portfolio and creating his favourite characters to show off his work.

Murthy enjoyed the course and said it gave him a base of knowledge to build upon.  He studied alongside both of his brothers and they have created games together. His brother Srinath is now studying at a prestigious university in the US. Murthy is currently working in customer services but gaming is still his dream.

Murthy is working on the VFX Model of Dobby the House Elf from the Harry Potter films,  he’s also creating other pieces for a demo reel. Murthy’s dream is to work in the games industry and he says a strong portfolio is essential in getting recognised.

He told Train2Game that he created the character as it is a favourite of his and his wife told him to! When we asked if he wanted his own house elf, he said ‘A that is really handy but unethical. I’d rather have a house-elf as a friend.’ Which we agree with and we promised EA and JK Rowling about his project.

Murthy Upadhyayula , Train2Game student: ‘My Name is Murthy Upadhyayula (Rambo 85 on the forums). I am from India, currently living in Luton. I am studying the art and animation course.’

‘The course is quite good for beginners trying to understand how the game pipleline works. It gives students a solid foundation which they can use to build upon. I have discontinued the course half-way through. But it must be noted that I had to do it because of reasons beyond my control. After a long gap, I am now back into the scheme of things, and somewhere down the line I may try and finish the course if the opportunity presents itself.’

‘The knowledge I gained from the first two sections of the course proved to be very useful in some of my personal projects as well as making an android games with my brothers titled “Chimping”.’

‘Both my Bros (Bhanu and Srinath) had signed up for the developer course. Srinath was forced to leave the country mid-way through his course as his Visa expired, and he didn’t have enough investment to apply for a Business Visa which was the only option given to him at the time. Thankfully, he got accepted in a prestigious university in United States (Texas), and his experience with Train2Game had played a big part in it. Bhanu continues to study at his own pace.’

‘For the past couple of months I have been working on a VFX model, Dobby from the Harry Potter films. I am also doing some motion graphics, and character animations, all to be compiled into a demo reel.’

‘I simply wanted to create a VFX character that would fit well into modern games as well as film and TV. I thought it is best to show as many skills as I can in one project rather than creating separate portfolios for Games and Film/TV. This way, I can diversify my portfolio.’

‘When I said I was going to create an elf-like character, my wife suggested Dobby as its one of her favourite characters. I jumped on the idea, as I too love the character in the books and in the movies. Besides, anyone who’s married knows that you never say no to your missus.’

‘I have learnt a great deal with this one project. I have been able touch several aspects of the pipeline: sculpting, re-topologising, texturing, shading, compositing, rigging, posing, storytelling, and animation.  I have also researched and came across some useful shortcuts that speed up the creation workflow.’

‘A strong portfolio is the single most important thing according to many of the experts in the industry. I have never heard anyone saying they got a job because a great reading CV. As an artist you are judged based on your portfolio and if you have one that stands out, nothing else really matters.’

‘I would love a full-time position at a games studio. I have tried and failed a lot in the past couple of years, but I am looking forward to another push this year, and hopefully someone notices my latest demo reel and offers me a position. Fingers crossed. I will be updating the website with Dobby images and latest demo reel once it’s ready.’

You will find some of Murthy’s work at http://murthy85.wix.com/artbymurthy

For more information contact mark@train2game.com

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