Tag Archives: Game Design

L.A. Noire animation tech so advanced it needs 3 Xbox 360 discs

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LA Noire screenshot 187 Train2Game blog image

The extremely impressive Art & Animation techniques of L.A. Noire have certainly caused excitement on the Train2Game forum.

Now Rockstar has revealed that the game is so advanced, that the Xbox 360 version needs three discs to store all of the information. Meanwhile, L.A. Noire on the PlayStation 3 requires the usual one blu-ray disc.

However, Rockstar don’t believe that is will be an issue for 360 gamers.

“To tell the story and make the game we wanted to make, we knew that it was going to take an entire single layer Blu-ray disc and three Xbox discs,”  Rockstar’s Jeronimo Barrera told Kotaku.

“Since the game is built around the concept of progressing through individual cases from desk to desk, players on Xbox will find disc-swapping is hassle-free.

“In fact, players will only need to swap discs twice at natural breaks between cases without interrupting the flow of the game.”

Anyone who needs reminding about the highly impressive facial Art & Animation in L.A. Noire can see it for themselves here on the Train2Game blog. And as also reported by the Train2Game blog, Game Developers Team Bondi claim the technology used to build L.A. Noire will soon make it difficult to differentiate between video games, films and television.

Rockstar’s Barrera also told Kotaku how L.A. Noire could have been even bigger, but some of it has been set aside for DLC.

“Throughout development, we created lots of great cases, the bulk of which were central to the main story of Cole Phelps and his rise through the ranks of the LAPD, alongside other cases that felt more like strong stand-alone episodes,” he said.

“This gave us a powerful main story, and left us with quality extra content that we wanted to put out as DLC, that would slot seamlessly into the existing game.”

L.A. Noire is set for release 20th May on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

So Train2Game, is the L.A. Noire for Xbox 360 coming on three discs an issue for you? Or is it a testament to just how impressive the game will be? And do you think it’s a good move for Game Developers to announce DLC before a game is even released?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Kotaku]

Writing Uncharted 3 a ‘collaborative effort’

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Uncharted 3: Drakes’ Deception – one of the Train2Game blogs most anticipated games of the year – features a ‘collaborative effort’ when it comes the storytelling element of the Game Design.

That’s what Naughty Dog’s creative director Amy Hennig told Edge Magazine when asked how the team go about achieving the levels of polish in Uncharted games.

“I think there are a few factors that allow us to do a good job. One is that Sony gives us the time and the money to do it, and takes it seriously. And Naughty Dog takes stories seriously, too, rather than leaving them as afterthought,” she said.

“So that means we spend a lot of time talking about story, narrative and how we integrate that with the gameplay. And then the other blessing that we can’t forget is that the time we spend with the actors: It’s huge. This is a collaborative process that involves revision and improvement.

Hennig also talks about the amount of work the actors put into getting into their characters.

“Going through those drafts, having rehearsal time and table reads with the actors, letting them improvise – and get to know their characters over a long period of time, it all contributes to raising the bar.”

Earlier this year, the Train2Game blog reported on how Naughty Dog are using the latest techniques to produce Uncharted 3, with motion capture a huge part of the Game Development process.

Uncharted 3 is set for release exclusively on the PlayStation 3 this November.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the amount of effort that goes into writing Uncharted 3? Do you think the ‘collaborative effort’ with actors will become more prominent in the games industry? And are you looking forward to Uncharted 3?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Edge] 

FIFA 12 features ‘biggest’ game design changes of current-gen series

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FIFA 12 official screenshot

Regular readers of the Train2Game blog will be aware that FIFA 11 has been a permanent fixture in the charts – coming in at No.7 in this week’s table – since it’s record breaking release in October last year.

Despite the games immense success in its current form, the team at EA aren’t lying back and hoping to repeat their success by using the same formula. On the contrary, Lead Gameplay Designer Aaron McHardy says the EA Game Development team have started from scratch.

“It’s the biggest change we’ve made since we rebuilt the engine for next-gen consoles” he told Official Xbox Magazine. “I mean we rebuilt the engine from scratch, so that’s as big as it can get, but since then with FIFA 12 we’ve ripped out a big chunk of the game and it’s a massive change.

“It solves a lot of problems for us this year, it gives us better accuracy, better momentum more realistic outcomes, solving a lot of situations that we just tried not to get into before.”

McHardy then went onto explain how FIFA 12’s new Impact Engine will change large aspects of the game.

“Now we’re opening up the game so you can get into these situations and see new cool and interesting things, but also it lays foundation for places for us to go in the future.” he said “When you think about the resilience of the player and the ability for someone to take a hit and continue dribbling, we didn’t have that ability before in our game because you were either dribbling or you were stumbling.

“Now we have that grey area and it’s something we can play with down the line, just to give you some vision of where we see these kind of things going in future.” He concluded.

So Train2Game, what do you think of EA’s decision to start FIFA 12 from scratch? Do you think the bold move will pay off? And if you could completely rebuild one game series, which would it be and why?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: CVG]

EA claim Battlefield 3 ‘superior’ to Call of Duty and reaffirm commitment to digital

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EA has once again turned up the heat in their battle with Activision, claiming that Battlefield 3 will be superior to the next Call of Duty.

Last month, the Train2Game blog reported that Battlefield 3 has a huge marketing cost, with the ambition of it ‘taking Call of Duty down’

While speaking to investors EA CEO John Riccitiello said he believed Battlefield was superior to Call of Duty in every way, even when it came to Game Development and Game Design.

We know we have a big competitor,” he said. “But head-to-head with Call of Duty in Q3, we have the superior game engine, a superior development studio, and a flat out superior game. Our goal is to significantly gain share in the huge FPS category and to put the other team on defence.”

It could be an uphill struggle, with Call of Duty being UK’s biggest selling entertainment product of 2010, but Riccitiello suggested that Battlefield 3 is heading in the right direction, with pre-orders up 700% up “versus the same period before the launch of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.”

“A lot of people are telling us they want to play this game on day one,” he said. Are there many Train2Game students out there who want to play Battlefield 3 on release day?

Earlier this year, the Train2Game reported that Riccitiello believed digital downloads would overtake traditional retail this year. He reaffirmed EA’s commitment to digital while speaking to investors.

“Over the coming years, we will transform EA from a packaged goods company to a fully integrated digital entertainment company.” he said. “We transform EA to a games-as-a-service model by focusing on three new strategies.”

“We are the only company with world-class teams working cross-platform on social, mobile and console development. We are integrating these teams and augmenting them with product monetisation and marketing.” He added.

So Train2Game, is Battlefield 3 going to be a Call of Duty beater? Do you believe EA are going to be promoting it the right way? Is it a day one purchase for you? And what are your thoughts on EA’s commitment to digital?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Eurogamer & Industry Gamers] 

Reflections promise ‘accessible’ Driver: San Francisco.

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Driver San Francisco

As many Train2Game students will know, whether a game is easy to pick up and play or not can sometimes hold the key to its success.

Perhaps with this in mind, Reflection’s upcoming Driver: San Francisco will be “more accessible than any other Reflections game” Lead Designer Jean-Sebastien Decant told Edge, and that the return of the series has been focused on “Accessibility.”

The news may be disappointing to any Train2Game students that appreciated the challenge of previous games in the Driver series, but Decant insists it’s not about making Driver: San Francisco easy.

“In the history of Reflections they have made tough games for hardcore gamers. And this one, the core experience is more accessible than any Reflections game.” he said.

“It’s not about making it easy, it’s about having the right ‘helpers’ so that the AI is challenging but not unfair – for chases, races, getaways. The player has to know what he has to do in an instant”

“Having the proper information always displayed – especially in a game where you can be in any car at any time, where we change the gameplay a lot from one mission to another – accessibility applies to signs, feedback, UI.”

The concept of accessibility also applies to the Game Design of Driver San Francisco‘s online multiplayer, with the ‘Shift’ mechanic allowing players to switch vehicles instantly in an effort to give players who crash at the first corner a chance. Studio manager Gareth Edmonson explains why:

“There’s always been a problem with multiplayer games, that you crash into the first corner and you’re out of the action,” he said. “Shift totally changes that, and it creates a much more accessible, much more engaging experience. It totally changes the way you play the game.”

This Game Design feature intended to level the online playing field may be appreciated by some Train2Game students, but those who enjoy a challenge may not approve!

The whole accessibility issue sounds familiar to Bioware’s claims – reported by the Train2Game blog – that the Game Design of Dragon Age 2 is ‘more welcoming’ to novice players rather than dumbed down.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the ‘accessibility’ of Driver: San Francisco? Is it a positive or a negative thing? Is it something you’ll consider when developing games? And which games do you believe have the right balance between being accessible but challenging at the same time?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Edge]

Tomb Raider reboot ‘necessary’ say developers Crystal Dynamics

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Tomb Raider reboot Train2Game blog image

The upcoming Tomb Raider reboot from Crystal Dynamics – one of the Train2Game blogs most anticipated games of the year – was necessary to push the iconic franchise further.

That’s what Studio Head Darrell Gallagher told Edge Magazine in the latest issue.

As reported by the Train2Game blog, the Tomb Raider reboot was revealed last year and it’ll see a young Lara Croft  stranded on an island and fighting for survival. The news of a Tomb Raider led to plenty of excitement on the Train2Game forum.

“A reboot for us felt like the necessary thing to do,” Gallagher told Edge “Lara had hit her apex in how she was before, and we didn’t really feel we could take that any farther. It was a chance to look at everything again, bring new people in who had been interested in the franchise before but didn’t feel like Lara was modern enough.”

He added that the Crystal Dynamics Game Development team put a lot of work into the Game Design of the new Tomb Raider in order to give Lara Croft the right feel.

“We left no stones unturned as we were going through the concept, and then kept the right stones. The crucial thing is that it feels like her, even though it’s completely different.”

Crystal Dynamics also revealed that the reboot is as important for the studio as it is for Tomb Raider itself.

“The Trilogy games weren’t official reboots for us,” said global brand director Karl Stewart. “They were just Crystal’s interpretations of the game as it was. We see this as a fully fledged reimagining.”

Gallagher agrees and believes the radical departure from the previous Tomb Raider games is a risk worth taking for the series.

 “We wanted to take risks. We felt like we’d done some really great games after inheriting Tomb Raider from Core [Design], and one of our goals now was to do something that people didn’t expect, that felt fresh. [The series] is a sacred and fragile thing, but you have to go for it. You’re not going to make it sacred again unless you make that big leap.”

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot? Are the big changes In Game Design a massive risk? Or do you believe the title is heading in the right direction? And if you could help reboot a series, which one would it be?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Edge] 

Some handy advice for Train2Game students on remaining focused during Game Development

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Hogrocket Logo

Train2Game students are taking one of the four Train2Game courses – Game Design, Game Development, Game Art & Animation and Game QA Tester – for the sole reason that they want to produce video games.

The following is taken from a blog by Pete Collier of indie start up Hogrocket (and formerly of Bizarre Studios) which explores how a Game Developer can remain focussed on objectives while producing a game. It contains some useful information for Train2Game students who may already be starting to produce their own titles!

Talk to others about your work: Explaining what you’re doing to another person forces you to approach it from an outside perspective and with a more conclusive eye. Another person is objectivity, so use it.

Leave your work and then come back to it: The further down the rabbit hole you’ve tumbled the longer you should leave it before returning. It’s a simple and classic strategy but one of the most effective. However it takes self-awareness to recognise that you’ve lapsed and fallen into crazy-land. Taking action can sometimes just mean having a cup of tea or in more serious cases a longer break, like a vacation. The amount of times I’ve come back to my work and muttered “What was I thinking?!” is plenty. Artists; how many times have you overly tweaked detail that no one will ever notice but you? Coders; overly engineered a piece of code for its intended purpose? You get the picture.

Know your goals: It’s hard to look at things with an objective eye without an objective! Pretty simple, but I’m sure, like me, you’ve seen your fair share of developers, or even entire teams, getting caught up in needless details and tangents because their objectives weren’t clear.

How is your contribution relevant?: Without a sense of purpose we can all stray. Refuse to take on work until you’re absolutely clear why what you’re doing is important and how it fits into the bigger picture. You can’t be expected to remain objective without knowing this. This ties a lot into effectively motivating your team.

Be passionate about your work, but leave your emotions at the door: Emotional attachment prevents objectification. Any Pimp will tell you that one for free. We all need to be able to cut our losses and get rid if something isn’t fulfilling its purpose. Being sentimental, emotional and overly attached can be your biggest enemy here. So grab a flamboyant hat and a lovely big fur coat and your fellow developers will know you mean business.

Present your work to the team: A more extreme version of talking to just one person; this can be a really useful exercise. Fear of talking to a large group of people forces you to consider your audience and demonstrate a very clear grasp of your work. Succinctly summarising your work is impossible to do without looking at things objectively. Just simply out of respect for your audience you’re perspective has to be a wider one.

Collier adds that while straying from objectives isn’t a negative thing in Game Development, the Game Developer should always be aware of their end goal.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the tips for staying focussed on objectives during Game Development?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source:  Gaming Reality via Gamesindustry.biz]

Train2Game blog interview with industry veteran Jason Falcus

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“Iguana Entertainment  is an independent Game Developer formed in 2009 by industry veterans Darren and Jason Falcus.The company puts heavy focus on mobile gaming, with Train2Game student  Lauren Black  helping in their development on a work placement.”

In an interview with the Train2Game blog, Iguana Entertainment Development Director Jason Falcus discussed his experiencein the industry, the future of mobile development and provides some advice for Train2Game students. Read it below.

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

Robin Channon gives his thoughts on his Train2Game placement at DR Studios

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 Train2Game Game Design student Robin Channon spent 6 weeks on a work placement at DR Studios. Before he left, Train2Game Radio caught up with him to find how he found the placement and whichskills learned through Train2Game he’s used at DR Studios. The interview is available to listen to at www.audioboo.fm/train2game while the full transcript is below

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game Radio Speaks to Train2Game Game Developer Sam Welsh

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Sam Welsh is studying to become a Game Developer with Train2Game. Train2Game Radio caught upwith Sam to find out why he chose to study with Train2Game, how he’s finding the course and theweekly videos he produces for fellow Train2Game students. Read the interview below or listen at www.audioboo.fm/train2game