Tag Archives: development

Train2Game News London Games Festival Theme

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​The London Games Festival has unveiled its GAMES ARE GOOD FOR YOU theme, supported with a city-wide and social media ad campaign, as its full programme goes live for 2020.

LGF 2020 takes place from 26 March to 6 April with 100,000 expected. Yearly tentpole events like Now Play This, EGX Rezzed and the festival’s own Trafalgar Square takeover will have a variety of experiences to offer games fans while the B2B strand for professionals grows to include more international attendance than ever before.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “The London Games Festival is a great showcase of our booming games industry and the significant investment and jobs it brings to our capital. Across 12 days, it brings together professionals, businesses and games fans from across the world to celebrate this thriving sector and provide opportunities for our creative talent. I’m delighted that this year’s event will be delivering a positive message to the industry, as we show the world that London is open to business and innovation.”

50 speakers from around the world will talk about the art, craft and business of making games at festival programming including summits on Games Impact, Interactive Narratives, and Games Culture. Dedicated Global Games and Hollywood XP events will delve into international business and connections between films and games respectively. Tickets are now on sale via www.games.london.

Entirely free to attend is the LGF Business HUB, which will not only provide a meeting place plus roundtables and one-to-one mentoring sessions, but also provides the first official showcase for Ensemble, the festivals’s annual exhibition showcasing BAME video games developers and creatives, plus a range of exhibitors from international games studios. 

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie, said:\u2028“Video games and interactive entertainment are a valuable part of the UK’s creative and digital industries. Games provide billions of people around the globe with entertainment, ways to connect with friends, and compelling stories, worlds, characters and themes. For 12 days across the city, the London Games Festival will showcase the creative excellence, the talent, the scaling innovative businesses and the positive impact games have in people’s lives.”

London Games Festival is backed by the Mayor of London with funding of £1.2m over three years and seeks to make London the games capital of the world.  It is delivered by Games London,an initiative from Film London, the capital’s screen industries agency, and video games trade body Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment). 

Games London has become a key driver for global business in the capital’s games sector through its Festival plus trade missions – latest research proves that since 2016 it has created over 550 jobs for London through its work connecting games studios with funders and investors.

Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission, said: “London’s games sector is a billion-pound industry, generating £1.4bn for the economy and directly employing over 5,100 roles. It is fantastic to see the London Games Festival expanding its reach and ambition, building on the success of last year’s festival and doubling our presence in Trafalgar Square, bringing games to life in the centre of London and celebrating work from around the world, drawing on the creative clusters outside of the capital and reflecting the terrific success of the UK industry. 

“Creative industries are the big success story of the UK and London economies and the games industry is a key, cutting-edge component of this success. As well as celebrating this achievement with such a strong programme of events and activities embracing the culture and creativity of games, I’m delighted that the festival will once again enable major new business opportunities through initiatives such as the Games Finance Market, which draws in up to 60 major investors to the UK for pitch meetings with games businesses.”

The full list of highlights for London Games Festival 2020: Ensemble – Thursday, 26 March onwards 

Various locations across the city

The acclaimed exhibition focusing on BAME games professionals can be seen across London
EGX Rezzed – Thursday, 26 March to Saturday, 28 March

Tobacco Dock

Europe’s biggest showcase of indie PC and console games
WIN – Friday, 27 March

Venue to be announced

Fifth edition of our event for women in games with added mentoring support for attendees
LGF Business HUB – Monday, 30 March & Tuesday, 31 March

Embankment Galleries, Somerset House

The B2B week of LGF starts with our all-in-one base of networking, conferences and learningGlobal Games Summit – Monday, 30 March

Embankment Galleries, Somerset House

A new invite-only conference for our international guests to kickstart the B2B weekGames Impact Summit – Monday, 30 March

Embankment Galleries, Somerset House

Dedicated to examining how games positively influence livesInteractive Narratives Summit – Tuesday, 31 March

Embankment Galleries, Somerset House

The second year for our afternoon examining how games are written and tell storiesGames Culture Summit – Tuesday, 31 March

Embankment Galleries, Somerset House

One of the longest running LGF events looks at the artistic practitioners shaping and reacting to gamesGames Finance Market – Wednesday, 1 April & Thursday, 2 April

Games London’s signature event connecting games studios to investors and publishers Games Finance Workshop- Wednesday, 1 April & Thursday, 2 April 

Institute of Directors

A two-day course on learning the fundamentals of games financing and then how to perfect your pitchHollywood XP – Wednesday, 1 April

The Strand Palace Hotel

A brand new event examines the crossover and connections between video games and other screen industriesBAFTA Games Awards – Thursday, 2 April

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank

The world’s most iconic games ceremony honouring the past year of creative excellenceNow Play This – Friday, 3 April to Sunday, 5 April

Somerset House

A key part of LGF since it started, showcasing installations and interactive experiencesTrafalgar Square Games Festival – Friday, 3 April & Saturday, 4 April

A tentpole consumer moment in the festival bringing games to life in the centre of London
Cosplay Parade – Saturday, 4 April

The fourth year for this family event, and this time integrated into the Trafalgar Square Games FestivalPower UP – Saturday, 4 April to Sunday, 19 April

The Science Museum’s retro games showcase starts during the final weekend of the games festival

To find out more about the London Games Festival visit https://games.london/

Train2Game News Fictional Archeology Pokémon

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The Pokémon Company has unveiled the Daniel Arsham × Pokémon project with American artist, Daniel Arsham, featuring icons of the Pokemon franchise presented within the artist’s creative concept of “fictional archeology.”

Through his work, people are invited to imagine the unearthing of Pokémon a thousand years from now and experience the passage of time. On the surface, Daniel Arsham’s Pokémon sculptures may look weathered, but closer examination of the excavated future of Pokémon exposes a crystallized brilliance.

“The fictional archaeology is really an idea of taking all of the objects from our present day and imagining as if we were an archeologist in the future and looking at these objects from our everyday life or our everyday experience,” said Daniel Arsham.

“I think there’s something kind of prolific and impactful about trying to step outside of our own time frame. It gives us a perspective of our own experiences and lives. Through these works, I hope to be able to shift people’s understanding about time in general. “

“Pokémon evolved as a brand by embracing new technologies and collaborating with partners from new fields ranging from data communication systems and geolocation-related technologies to partners in fashion and art,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, CEO of The Pokémon Company.

“I’m delighted to welcome Daniel Arsham as our collaboration partner. Through his work, my wish is for people around the world to ‘dig deep’ into their imaginations and think about what Pokémon would look like in a thousand years.”

Additional details about the collaboration will be announced later this spring.

To view a video about the Daniel Arsham × Pokémon project, click here.

Train2Game News LEGO Legacy Heroes Unboxed Out Now

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Gameloft, leader in the development and publishing of games, and the LEGO Group are thrilled to announce that the mobile game LEGO® Legacy: Heroes Unboxed is now available on the App Store, Google Play, and Microsoft Store.

LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed is the first turn-based Role-Playing Game (RPG) from the LEGO Group and allows players to collect and playfully battle with over 50 characters from over 40 years of LEGO minifigure history. Bringing together minifigures old and new, LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed gives LEGO fans a new way to play with the minifigures that they know and love. To ensure that as many LEGO fans as possible can enjoy this RPG adventure, the game is designed to be cross-platform, meaning that players are able to save, resume and battle against their friends regardless of the device they play on.

Each minifigure in the game comes with a unique set of abilities and skills, so players can build bespoke minifigure teams to tackle a series of exciting turn-based RPG challenges. Players can explore regions in the game inspired by iconic, fan-favorite LEGO sets such as those from LEGO City or LEGO Castle, and can even collect and unlock digital versions of real-world sets. The digital versions of these real-world LEGO sets feature the original box art and give players the chance to build some of their favorite sets digitally following real-life instructions!

LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed is set in the ruins of Piptown, a small village that players are tasked to rebuild as they start a fantastic journey filled with epic quests and strategic battles.

In true RPG fashion, players will have the chance to team up with allies and make friends with iconic minifigures such as the wizard Majisto, the friendly Hiker and the powerful Chicken Suit Guy – all who bring their own unique skill set to help overcome challenges. Will players team up with Basil the Batlord, the chilly Commander Cold, the upbeat Fitness Instructor, or will they turn to other minifigures new and old as they explore this strangely familiar world?

Even the beloved LEGO minifigure Captain Redbeard from Set 6270 (1989) is here to lend a hand…er, hook to rebuild Piptown!

Gameloft Toronto worked closely with the LEGO Group’s archive team in Billund, Denmark, to study the full range of minifigures from the first minifigure that was created in 1978 all the way through to the newest Series 19 Minifigures that launched late in 2019. Vintage building instructions were also used to ensure every tiny detail from the original minifigure figures were recreated perfectly in digital form.

“LEGO Legacy: Heroes Unboxed builds on the warm nostalgia of LEGO play that people experienced in their youth and couples this with the excitement of bringing these minifigures into a proper RPG experience,” said Thomas Aurick, VP of Creation at Gameloft. “We wanted to celebrate the multiple generations of LEGO minifigures and highlight a variety of characters from past to present. We are proud to bring new life and spark to some of these characters that have never been in a game before.”

Sean McEvoy, Vice President of LEGO Games at the LEGO Group said: “Gameloft has done an amazing job highlighting each minifigure’s unique personality and enhancing the details, characteristics, and charm of some well-loved minifigures from the last 40+ years. This is a delightful new way to play with our minifigures in a game that celebrates fun, creativity, and humor.”

A launch trailer can be viewed here.

Train2Game News Designing With Data

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What role does data play in designing, developing and running the world’s leading videogames?

Data science company Effini has partnered with InGAME, the multi-million pound Innovation centre for games and media enterprise in Dundee, to discuss and debate this issue, as part of Data Fest 2020.

Taking place on March 11th, in the heart of Dundee’s thriving videogames cluster, Designing With Data: The Future of Videogames, features a keynote speech Dr Luke Dicken, the Director of Applied AI at Zynga, and the chair of the IGDA Foundation.

The event will then invite a panel of industry experts, from companies including Outplay, Ninja Kiwi and the university of Abertay to debate the use of data by game developers within Scotland and the UK.

Brian Baglow, the Director of the Scottish Games Network and Head of Marketing for Effini, said: “The intelligent use of data has helped the games market become one of the largest and most successful creative industries in the world today.

Yet on a local level, the video games sector can often be overlooked when it comes to the Scotland’s vision of becoming a data pioneer.

By partnering with InGAME, we can ensure we can leverage their expertise and experience in the videogames market and by creating the event as part of Data Fest, Effini can help to highlight the industry to the wider data community.”

Sean Taylor, the InGAME Project Director, said “We’re thrilled to be part of DataFest and collaborating with Effini to bring this event to Dundee.

“Data-driven design is the next frontier of game development and it’s important that explore the challenges and opportunities it creates for the city’s games cluster.”

For more information and to secure your free ticket, book now:
https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/events/datafest/designing-with-data-the-future-of-games/

Train2Game News Turtle Beach On Top For 10 Years

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Leading gaming audio and accessory brand Turtle Beach (NASDAQ: HEAR) today announced it has been the top console gaming headset maker for 10 years running.

Final NPD revenue data from 2019, combined with NPD monthly revenue data since January 2010 shows Turtle Beach has now sold over 34 million console gaming headsets in the United States and Canada, placing it atop the lists for both the number of units sold and the total revenue generated over the decade. This historic milestone once again demonstrates the strength of the brand and shows that Turtle Beach is console gamers’ #1 headset choice on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo.

“We are truly honored to be the #1 headset choice of console gamers year after year,” said Juergen Stark, Chairman and CEO, Turtle Beach. “We are passionately focused on creating the best headsets and accessories for every level of gamer, and with ROCCAT now part of the team, we’re going to bring this same ethos to PC gamers as we continue to develop new products and grow the business.”

NPD revenue sales data for the decade shows that 3 of the 5 top headsets – including the #1 selling headset – were from Turtle Beach, making the brand a leader in console gaming headsets. NPD sales data for 2019 also shows Turtle Beach achieved a 40%+ revenue share for the 10th consecutive year. This consistently places Turtle Beach at a market share level higher than the next four competitors combined.

Turtle Beach has long been a pioneer in gaming audio, designing products with the key features gamers want and delivering them to the market first.

Beyond creating the first-ever console gaming headset, as well as the first wireless and surround sound gaming headsets prior to 2010, the past decade has seen Turtle Beach’s constant drive for innovation yield more breakthroughs in gaming headset design and functionality.

For example, Turtle Beach’s Stealth 600 and Stealth 700 for Xbox One were the first gaming headsets to wirelessly connect directly to the console, easing Xbox gamers’ ability to simply sit down, connect, and start playing. Turtle Beach’s original Elite Pro headset was the first true esports headset built from the ground up for competitive gamers, and introduced a handful of new (at the time) features, including Turtle Beach’s patented ProSpecs™ glasses-friendly design to make gamers with glasses more comfortable, plus cooling gel-infused memory foam ear cushions to keep players’ ears cool when the action heats up.

With new, more powerful consoles on the horizon and a resurgence in PC gaming, Turtle Beach is already developing the next wave of high-quality, innovative console and PC gaming headsets and other accessories sure to help gamers play their best.

For additional information on the latest Turtle Beach products and accessories, visit www.turtlebeach.com

Train2Game News GameStars Supporting Make-A-Wish

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YouTuber Syndicate is supporting the fundraiser “GameStars” to unite the gaming community behind the charity Make-A-Wish® UK because video game-related wishes are hugely popular with the young people it supports. 
  
Syndicate – also known as Tom Cassell – played video games with wish teenagers who attended the launch of the new venture at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester yesterday.  
 
Tom, who runs the channels Syndicate and Life of Tom as well as the clothing range Syndicate Original, said he felt honoured that six young people had chosen to meet him for their wishes when they could have done anything they wanted! 
 
Tom said: “I’m buzzing to have launched GameStars and will be encouraging all my followers to get involved.” 
 
By signing up to GameStars, the gamer community, developers and streamers can come together to raise money and help grant wishes – at a time of unprecedented demand for wishes at the charity – by either holding a livestream fundraiser or by fundraising through offline gaming with friends. 
 
Make-A-Wish Chief Executive Jason Suckley said: “For the young people we support, playing video games isn’t just a hobby, it can be a vital lifeline. It allows them to be themselves and stay connected with friends and family despite the confines of illness, hospital and treatment. 
 
“Through gaming, seriously ill children and teenagers can experience a new identity where they are not ill and there are no limits to their abilities, so it’s also a way of escaping the reality of life with a serious illness. More children than ever have turned to us in recent months, so we’re urging the whole gaming community to get behind us to help us to grant wishes by fundraising through GameStars.” 
 
To find out more and sign up to GameStars, visit http://bit.ly/2uGVmES 

Train2Game News Halo NERF Guns

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Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) today announced a partnership with 343 Industries to introduce a range of officially licensed Halo® NERF blasters, including a first look at the NERF Halo MA40 Blaster and NERF Halo MicroShots assortment hitting shelves this fall in the U.S. and U.K.

This partnership will unite two leading brands: Halo, who has fundamentally changed the videogame landscape for nearly two decades, and NERF, who has captivated generations of fans as the leader in foam, action-based performance toys.

The NERF Halo blasters will immerse Halo fans into the highly anticipated next chapter of the legendary Halo franchise, Halo Infinite, featuring the iconic Master Chief. Through an epic line-up of sci-fi inspired NERF blasters designed to look like the accessories featured in the game, fans can play out the heroic battles in an interstellar war between humanity and an overwhelming alien threat.

“Halo consumer products licensees and categories have expanded significantly since the launch of Halo 5: Guardians in 2015,” said John Friend, Head of Consumer Products at 343 Industries. “Halo has grown to become one of the leading sci-fi transmedia and entertainment franchises through the release of our many books, comics, apparel, and so much more. Hasbro is the perfect partner to bring the heroism of the Master Chief to fans of all ages and expand the Halo Universe to a new generation.”

To kick off the partnership, Hasbro unveiled three forthcoming products: the NERF Halo MA40 Blaster, a motorized, semi-automatic blaster that includes a 10-dart clip and 10 ELITE darts, and two collectible single-shot MicroShots blasters inspired by iconic Halo launchers – SPNKr and The Needler. Select products will also include an exclusive Halo Infinite code for unlockable game add-on content.

The NERF Halo MA40 Blaster, NERF Halo SPNKr MicroShot, and NERF Halo NEEDLER MicroShot will debut at most major retailers in the U.S. and the U.K. this fall, with additional markets to follow in 2021. The segment will continue to build with additional blasters, accessories, and retail exclusives launching later in the year.

“NERF and Halo are both heritage brands that kids have grown up with and loved for decades, and we’ve found a strong overlap within our consumers,” said Adam Kleinman, Vice President of Global Brand Strategy and Marketing, Hasbro. “We are constantly looking into ways to bring more innovation and excitement to the NERF brand, and saw an incredible opportunity to collaborate with 343 Industries as they reinvent Halo for the next generation.”

Halo Infinite is set to release this Holiday alongside the next generation Xbox gaming console, the Xbox Series X. Follow NERF on social (Instagram.com/NERF and Facebook.com/NERF) for more information on Halo and upcoming releases.

Train2Game News Marvel’s Avengers Deluxe Details

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Square Enix® announced today that Marvel’s Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Edition and Deluxe Edition will be available alongside the Standard Edition on September 4, 2020.

Further, players who pre-order any version of the game will receive guaranteed access to the Beta (at participating retailers), a Marvel Legacy Outfit pack, and an exclusive nameplate.
 


The Marvel’s Avengers Deluxe Edition includes an exclusive Obsidian Outfit pack (six hero outfits), six exclusive Obsidian nameplates, and 72-hour early access.

Marvel’s Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Edition features a full color 12” statue of Captain America. Designed by the artisans at Gentle Giant, this deluxe high-quality PVC statue captures every texture and detail on Captain America’s uniform. Marvel’s Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Edition also includes a copy of the Deluxe Edition, an exclusive SteelBook® case, Hulk Bobblehead, Mjolnir Keychain, Black Widow’s Belt Buckle, Iron Man’s Prototype Amor Blueprints, Kamala Khan’s Honorary Avenger Pin, a commemorative Avengers group photo, and 72-hour early access before the September 4, 2020 release date.

At participating retailers, those who pre-order Marvel’s Avengers will receive either a limited-edition pin set, patch set, digital comic book, or SteelBook designed by legendary Marvel artist Mark Brooks. The company also kicked-off its pre-order program today, which includes guaranteed access to the Beta, an exclusive nameplate, and a Marvel Legacy Outfit pack. These Marvel Legacy Outfits are inspired by moments from the comics that defined who each Super Hero was as they first embraced their powers to become the icons they are today.

In addition, players who pre-order their copy of Marvel’s Avengers from the PlayStation® Store will receive additional pre-order bonuses, including a Ms. Marvel “Talk to the Hand” emote and “Marvel’s Avengers: Hex Pattern Logo” dynamic theme. The exclusive Digital Edition on the PlayStation® Store includes an exclusive Ms. Marvel nameplate and 1,000 credits which can be used towards Super Hero customizations. This edition also includes 72-hour early access when the game launches in September. PlayStation®4 players can also play the beta first when they pre-order any edition on PS4™.

Marvel’s Avengers will release simultaneously for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC on September 4, 2020. The game is currently rated RP, rating pending by the ESRB.

Train2Game News PUMA Sonic Shoes

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PUMA, the world’s fastest sports brand, and Sonic, the world’s fastest hedgehog, are once again joining forces ahead of the release of the blockbuster movie “Sonic the Hedgehog™”.

SEGA®’s famous blue video game character will be featured in a new collection, which plays with the designs and graphics that appear in the game and the movie.

Blending Sonic’s playfulness with PUMA’s sportstyle design, the PUMA x SONIC collection consists of the RS-X³ SONIC sneaker in two new colorways with a semi-transparent white or black grid look, bright color pops and gold accents, available in adult and kids sizes.

The collection is supplemented with the PUMA x SONIC hoodie in bright blue or sleek black, and the PUMA x SONIC tees with graphics on the front and back as well as a tee with AOP print. Completing this PUMA x SONIC drop, the new collection also offers matching apparel, footwear and accessories for kids, adorned with cool prints and hints of the Sonic universe.

Disrupting the speed of sound with style, the PUMA x SONIC collection hits the shelves globally on PUMA.com, at PUMA stores and selected retailers on February 7, while the kids’ collection arrives on February 15.

Train2Game News British eSports Finals

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The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit organisation set up to promote and support grassroots esports, has announced the dates for its student grand finals.

The 2019/20 British Esports Championships will once again conclude at the Birmingham NEC’s Insomnia Gaming Festival, which runs from April 10th to 13th. The tournament is for students aged 12 and above in secondary schools, alternative provision schools and further education colleges across the UK.

The specific dates for each of the three finals are as follows:

Overwatch: Friday April 10th, 10am

Rocket League: Friday April 10th, 12pm

League of Legends: Saturday April 11th, 10am

The finals will see the winners of our winter championship face off against the winners of the spring championship, which has just got underway.

Team BTC (Bridgwater & Taunton College), Clyde Hot Shots (Glasgow Clyde College) and Sunderland Seers (Sunderland College) have already qualified for the League of Legends, Rocket League and Overwatch finals respectively, with the slots for their opponents currently up for grabs.

The news comes as the British Esports Championships continue to draw growing numbers of participants, following record sign-ups last October.
For the 2019/20 season, 72 individual schools and colleges are taking part, representing a 94.59% increase over the 2018/19 season.

In terms of the number of teams, 259 signed up for 2019/20, a year-on-year rise of 93.28%.

Mary Antieul, head of esports at Insomnia and BELONG, commented: “We are delighted to be hosting the 2020 Championship finals at Insomnia 66, the UK’s largest gaming festival. We look forward to watching the school and college teams compete alongside the best of our Insomnia BYOC teams and BELONG Arena Clash teams.”

Elliot Bond and Alice Leaman, British Esports school and college liaison officers, said in a joint statement: “We’re delighted to bring the finals of the British Esports Championships back to Insomnia for another two days of epic grassroots esports action. Some fierce rivalries have formed between the different teams over the past few months and we look forward to watching them culminate on the big stage come April.”

Elsewhere, a separate tournament for alternative provision schools will take place again this year, following a competition in 2019. Further details about this will be announced in due course.

If you would like to watch the finals live, you can purchase tickets to Insomnia here: https://www.seetickets.com/tour/insomnia