Train2Game News Chartboost new Targeting and Monetization for Mobile

ChartboostChartboost, the largest business engine for mobile games, has announced the launch of three new products – Post-Install Analytics (PIA), Retargeting and Newsfeed.

Chartboost’s expanded product offering is part of the only unified solution exclusively for mobile game developers to target and re-engage segments of players through in-game messaging and retargeting campaigns, all from one Dashboard.

“Chartboost is committed to providing mobile game developers with the tools and insights to create campaigns that drive high ROI and solve for their in-game business goals,” said Maria Alegre, CEO and co-founder of Chartboost. “For the last three years we’ve been focused on creating the best discovery and monetization platform for mobile games, so with the release of these new products we’re building more robust solutions for mobile game developers looking to engage, retain and grow.”

The Post-Install Analytics (PIA) measures player activity and engagement after they’ve installed the game via the Chartboost SDK. It creates analytics reports for game developers, that aggregate player behavior, to help them optimize their ROI. PIA tracks player bootups, session length and in-app purchases, analyzing how often and how long players are in the game, who is a paying customer, and their in-app purchase behavior. This data is presented in Custom Reports that give developers control of the data they want to receive in their desired format including:

·         In-app purchase revenue
·         Average revenue per user
·         One to seven day retention
·         Average session length

Retargeting builds off of PIA and allows game developers to maximize the value and ROI of their campaigns by allowing them to target players who installed the game based on their playing and payer behavior. These players are more likely to re-engage with the game or be converted into paying players because they already have the game installed. Retargeting is comprised of the following features and benefits that will allow an advertiser to target their existing players for re-engagement and monetization:

Features & Benefits

·          Tracking & Segmentation – Track and create custom player segments based on player behavior in the game:
o    Bootups (frequency, last login, install date)
o    Session length (average length)
o    IAP (total spent, spent per purchase, number of purchases)
·          Targeting – Target specific player segments who have previously installed the game and by device list for higher retention, re-engagement and/or monetization.
·          Deep Linking –  Leverage deep linking support to direct players to a specific location in the game.
·          Quality –  Receive higher quality re-engagement through the largest mobile gaming-only platform.

Newsfeed was built specifically for the mobile game experience, providing an in-game messaging tool that allows game developers to engage and retain their players through real-time communication, or “stories.” Newsfeed helps developers generate awareness and interest in updates, new features, and promotions, and scores over existing solutions like push messages that players tend to dismiss and forget, by showing messages both in a slide-in banner and a persistent feed. In addition, it can serve as a cross-promotional tool that drives players to other games in their portfolio.

Newsfeed supports rich messages that include images, text and calls-to-action, and provides engagement metrics for each story. It also provides stories with an optional countdown timer allowing developers to build excitement and a sense of urgency around in-game events like limited time offers.

Features & Benefits

·  Customization – Developers have the option to build and manage their own fully customizable UI.
· Dynamic Messaging – Include an image, title and body text, countdown timers and links, including in-game slide-in banner to alert players instantly.
· Access & Control –  Player-specific options to control how many times and how often a message is shown, supported by transparent analytics to capture CTR and unique clicks.
· Simplicity –  Easy-to-use Dashboard message creator to draft, update and send messages to the Newsfeed.

Post-Install Analytics (public beta) is free and available today via SDK 4.5 for iOS and SDK 4.1 for Android.

Retargeting (closed beta) will run on a cost per click basis and will be available later this month to advertisers who update to SDK 4.5 and sign up for early access.

Newsfeed (public beta) is free and available today via SDK 4.5 for iOS with Android support coming soon.

Train2Game News: Microsoft at E3

XboxMonday, on the eve of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Corp. unveiled the future of gaming on Xbox One through a spectacular lineup of games from the world’s most visionary creators.

This holiday season on Xbox One gamers will enjoy the quintessential collection of the most popular game in Xbox history with “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” as well as highly anticipated exclusives such as “Sunset Overdrive,” “Forza Horizon 2,” “Fable Legends” and “Dance Central Spotlight.”

From start to finish, Microsoft’s annual E3 press briefing featured wall-to-wall games and highlighted the deep passion for gaming that Xbox creators share with their most dedicated fans. Showcasing the power of the cloud and the best multiplayer experience on Xbox Live, Xbox exclusives shared the stage with blockbusters such as “Assassin’s Creed Unity,” “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare,” “Evolve” and “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” and independent games such as “INSIDE,” adding to a growing library of games on Xbox One. In addition, beginning today, gamers can choose to buy an all-new Xbox One option for $399. Xbox One with Kinect will continue to be available.

“We are committed to delivering amazing experiences that will help define this generation of games and delight the millions of passionate Xbox fans around the world,” said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. “Xbox will be the only place you can enjoy the most-anticipated blockbusters and new franchises, including exclusives like ‘Sunset Overdrive,’ ‘Halo: The Master Chief Collection,’ ‘Forza Horizon 2,’ and ‘Dance Central Spotlight.’ In addition, on Xbox One gamers will be able to play upcoming hits like ‘Destiny,’ ‘Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare,’ ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ and a vibrant catalog of games from independent developers.”

Led by fan feedback, Xbox has delivered new features and updates every month since the launch of Xbox One, setting a new pace for innovation. Only on Xbox One can you instantly switch between your favorite games and entertainment, so you never miss a moment, and easily share your gameplay with others via Upload Studio and Twitch. Xbox Live Gold offers a superior multiplayer experience, with innovative features such as dedicated cloud servers for multiplayer matches, no waiting in lobbies, cloud storage for Game DVR and an advanced reputation system.

Since the launch of Xbox One, the Xbox Live community has spent nearly 1.7 billion hours on games and entertainment, an average of five hours per day per console. The introduction of the new Xbox One console option offers more choice than ever before at a great value.

“Today we’re thrilled to offer our fans more choices to play the games they love and to enjoy all of their entertainment with the new Xbox One option for $399,” said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president, Devices and Studios at Microsoft. “With an amazing lineup of exclusive games and more than 225 entertainment apps available around the world by this holiday, powered by our Xbox Live multiplayer service, we’re committed to making Xbox an incredible place to play.”

You van view more details about some of the games and features in the PDF below:

Further information from Microsoft at E3

Train2Game News Autodesk drops price of Maya LT 2015

Maya LT 2015The 2015 edition of Maya LT has seen its price slashed by $20, making it more affordable to indie devs.

The animation and modelling software from Autodesk is now available for $30 per month, down from $50 – which, the company points out, is less than a dollar per day. Unless you’re in February, of course. In the UK, it now costs £25 per month.

Maya LT was first launched as an entry-level version of Maya, designed so that indie developers and smaller studios could afford one of Autodesk’s leading tools. The tools provider recently released Maya LT on Steam as well, allowing hobbyists to create their own content for titles like League of Legends.

This is the latest in a series of moves to make Autodesk’s products more accessible to indies.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 09.06.14

Watch DogsAfter six months the charts are finally starting to become more active again. Watch_Dogs holds the number one spot in the charts this week with Mario Kart 8 still just behind. Square Enix’s Murdered: Soul Suspect has entered the charts this week in third.

All formats

Week ending 7 June 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 WATCH DOGS UBISOFT 1
2 MARIO KART 8 NINTENDO 2
3 MURDERED: SOUL SUSPECT SQUARE ENIX
4 WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 3
5 FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 4
6 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL EA SPORTS 6
7 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION 3 EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 5
8 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 9
9 TITANFALL EA GAMES 7
10 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 8
11 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 16
12 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 13
13 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 10
14 WILDSTAR NCSOFT EUROPE
15 TOMODACHI LIFE NINTENDO
16 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 11
17 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 15
18 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 14
19 LEGO THE HOBBIT WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 12
20 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT 19
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.

Train2Game News Marmalade SDK goes free

MarmaladeDevelopers will now be able to download the Marmalade SDK for free.

Marmalade Technologies has announced that a free license is now available for its flagship product, which enables studios to create games for multiple platforms, including iOS Android, Blackberry, Tizen and both Windows Phone and Windows Store using a single codebase.

Developers will also have access to other products, such as Marmalade Quick, Marmalade Web and Marmalade Juice, which helps them convent iOS projects to run natively on Android.

Meanwhile, developers with Marmalade’s Indie, Plus or Pro licences can now develop games for Windows and Mac, Roku and selected Smart TV platforms.

“Following feedback from our developer community, I’m delighted that we are now able to give all developers the world over the ability to experience the full power of the Marmalade SDK for free,” says CEO Harvey Elliott.

“We know from our community that maintaining native performance for apps across different platforms is a top priority, and now all developers can use a free version of the Marmalade SDK, meaning no compromise on performance whatever their platform and freeing them to concentrate on making fantastic apps and games.”

Source: Develop

Train2Game News Develop Game Jam

image

Tandem Events – organisers of the Develop in Brighton conference – today announced the launch of the first Develop Game Jam at this year’s Develop in Brighton conference.

Sponsored by Square Enix Collective and with tech provided by Unreal Engine 4, the Game Jam will take place on the 9 & 10 July and teams will be tasked with developing a game based on a theme revealed only 24 hours beforehand.

The competition will run from 2pm until midnight on Wednesday 9 July and then from 8am until 2pm on Thursday 10 July. Teams will consist of up to four people and all ranges of experience are welcome.

Industry mentors will visit the Game Jam throughout the conference to offer their advice and wisdom. Mentors already confirmed include Ella Romanos, Mike Bithell, Barry Meade and Georg Backer.

Entry is free, but there are only 30 places available. For more information and to register visit http://www.developconference.com/content/develop-game-jam

Train2Game News Borderlands The Pre-Sequel release date

Borderlands The Pre Sequel2K and Gearbox Software announced today that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the next standalone game in the wildly popular Borderlands franchise, will be available internationally on October 17, 2014.

Currently in co-development with Gearbox Software and 2K Australia, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is set in between the award-winning Borderlands and Borderlands 2, and brings low-gravity shoot ‘n’ loot mayhem to Pandora’s moon for the first time. Additionally, those who pre-order the game through participating retailers will receive the Shock Drop Slaughter Pit bonus content, which features intense zero-atmosphere combat against the fiercest enemies Pandora’s moon has to offer, and rewards players with unique in-game loot.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel offers gravity-bending gameplay with oxygen-propelled jetpacks, as well as new weapons, enemies, vehicles, and moon environments. Playing as four all-new character classes with unique skill trees, gamers will contribute to the rise of Handsome Jack and experience his origin story as he transforms into the megalomaniacal tyrant fans loved to hate in Borderlands 2.

“The teams at Gearbox and 2K Australia have combined the best talent from both studios to create a Borderlands experience that we know fans are going to love,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “For those that haven’t played the critically acclaimed franchise, there’s never been a better time to jump in than with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.”

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel continues the franchise’s tradition of industry-leading co-op allowing friends to play together locally via split-screen as well as online with drop-in-drop-out capabilities. With co-op being as seamless as ever, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel remains accessible for gamers and their friends to play alone or together in a variety of configurations.

“It’s incredibly exciting that an all-new Borderlands experience is as close as this October,” added Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “If you’ve played any of the Borderlands games or if you have a friend who hasn’t yet, the opportunity to blast off as a new set of playable characters in a whole new campaign experience, including shooting and looting on the moon, is just around the corner.”

“We are huge fans of the Borderlands franchise and are thrilled to have this opportunity to show what we can bring to the Borderlands universe,” concluded Tony Lawrence, general manager of 2K Australia. “We can’t wait for fans to play as Athena, Wilhelm, Nisha and Claptrap and experience the new low-gravity gunplay with awesome new guns to freeze and smash enemies, all in the name of Handsome Jack.”

You can view the awesome, joy puke inducing trailer below

 

Train2Game News Radius Festival

RadiusIf you love games then you’ll love the Radius Festival, successor to last year’s hugely successful ‘EToo’ event, founded by The Guardian’s games editor Keith Stuart, game designer and producer Georg Backer, and Loading Bar Manager Jimmy Dance.

The ambition was to create an event where people could discover and explore new and interesting games – and over the course of four days, it attracted over a thousand visitors.

This year EToo has evolved into the more ambitious Radius Festival, which will include several separate events.

The festival kicks off this Monday, June 9th, with “Radius Loading”, a big E3 media briefings party at the new Loading Bar location in Dalston, London, where popular gaming podcast Midnight Resistance and friends will collectively analyse the major press conferences.

Then, between June 19th – 21st, the “Radius Exhibition” will showcase a range of fascinating, exciting and intriguing games, from both well-known studios and new talent. The venue is one of London’s premiere locations, the White Space, seconds away from Leicester Square, right in the heart of London.

“Radius Exhibition is not just for developers; it is for everyone who loves to explore, discover and engage with games and their creators”, game developer and Radius organiser Georg Backer says, “which is why we’re curating the exhibition rather than asking developers to pay for exhibition space, and why the exhibition is free to attend.”

“There are amazing games out there, many unheard of, struggling to be discovered. We want to help them find an audience”, adds Andy Payne, chairman of UKIE, CEO of Mastertronic and co-organiser.

During the evenings, the venue will host the “Radius Show”, a live-streamed Internet show broadcast on Twitch featuring developer interviews, guest stars and many surprises. As with last year’s show there will be amazing games, interesting conversation, fascinating insights, breaking news and controversy.

“Last year we had everyone from comedian and actor Rufus Hound to video game poets and a music group that uses modified Guitar Hero controllers,” says co-founder of Etoo and Radius, Keith Stuart. “We’ll also have some great guest presenters, and I’ll be wearing a new jumper.” 

The full line-up for the “Radius Exhibition” and “Radius Show” will be announced very soon, along with a few surprises.

The Radius Festival is a not-for-profit event supported by sponsors that include Sega, Mastertronic and game designer Mike Bithell, who says “Grass roots events like Radius are the unsung heroes of game devs, bringing exposure to the projects and people that define our medium’s future. I’m excited to do my bit to help the folk at Radius empower new people. Also I’ve been assured that there will be a Volume poster in the bathroom of the event.”

Keith Stuart adds “Radius continues what Etoo started, but one thing won’t change: Radius will maintain the intimate and friendly atmosphere for developers, gamers and everyone who is enthusiastic about technology, creativity and gaming.”

Get your free tickets for “Radius Loading” and “Radius Exhibition” here: http://radiusfestival.eventbrite.co.uk

Train2Game News Operation Supply Drop rewards soldiers

Operation Supply DropMilitary-themed video game charity Operation Supply Drop proudly announces the first of several new initiatives for 2014, made possible by the overwhelming success of its recent 8-Bit Salute fundraiser: “Thank You Deployment.”

This initiative provides self-sacrificing members of the armed forces an all-expenses-paid VIP trip to select gaming events or tours of game development studios for a rare insider’s look at the video game industry.

U.S. Army Specialist Sean Patton, the inaugural recipient of the Thank You Deployment, will be flown to this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

Specialist Patton was severely injured while his infantry unit provided suppressive fire for a team of Special Operations when a suicide bomber detonated near his vehicle. Severely wounded, Patton continued to lay down covering fire with his vehicle’s .50 caliber machine gun until the insurgent forces were eliminated. Following several reconstructive surgeries, Specialist Patton is 100% mobile, but is in the process of being medically discharged from the U.S. Army. He received a Purple Heart and Silver Star for his heroic actions that day.

“Sean is a lifelong gamer, and we look forward to being able to provide him with this once-in-a-lifetime experience to enjoy E3,” said Glenn “Commander” Banton, chief marketing officer for Operation Supply Drop. “There is no way that we can take away the traumatic experience suffered by Specialist Patton on behalf of his country, but we hope that sharing with him the joy and passion so many of us feel in making video games will help ease the trauma and showcase the generosity of those within our industry.”

This is a fantastic initiative to help our deserving men and women of the armed forces. Operation Supply drop asks that you share this post to spread the word to help more military personnel.

Train2Game News Endemol Job Opening

EndemolTrain2Game spoke to Endemol UK on behalf of the students and they are looking to hire Digital Creative’s to help conceptualise and build amazing apps and games.

Endemol UK is one of Britain’s largest independent production companies and is behind some of TV’s biggest hits including Big Brother, Pointless, 8 out of 10 Cats and Ripper Street to name just a few.  Endemol Games have a proven track-record in creating TV show branded games and are building an exciting and original portfolio of products for worldwide distribution.

They are looking to hire two creative individuals who are passionate about games and other forms of digital media to join our digital creative team. The contract will initially be for 3 months. The work is full-time and paid at a monthly rate of £1300 gross income.

What are you looking for in an employee?

We’re looking for friendly individuals who have creative flair but also the technical ability to back it up.

What advice could you give to an applicant?

Any games you can show us that you’ve worked on in the past would be a huge advantage.

Can you tell us anymore about what the successful applicant will be working on?

We have some great IP’s at Endemol, from  Deal or No Deal to Mr.Bean, if you have an idea that fits any of our brands we’d be keen to look at developing it further. That said, we’re also offering the freedom to come up with completely original and unique IP’s. Have an idea for the next Instagram or Candy Crush? We’ll work together to make it happen.

What skills are you looking for?

We’re looking for someone with any level of programming skill, however if you can show us a game or two you’ve made in software such as Construct 2, GameMaker or Stencyl, we’ll be more than happy to consider you for the role!

Where will the job be?

Endemol UK is based in West London

To apply and get further details for this exciting opportunity to further your games career visit https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=YRHOo0wfT6koVipNUDC-8A#