Tag Archives: Game Development

Train2Game News Borderlands pre-sequel announced

Posted on by

Borderlands pre-sequel2K and Gearbox Software announced today that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, an all-new standalone Borderlands game set in-between the award-winning Borderlands and Borderlands 2, is currently in co-development by Gearbox Software and 2K Australia.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel launches players to Pandora’s moon to experience wild, gravity-bending gunfights in zero-atmosphere environments using an array of all-new weaponry. For the very first time, fans play on the other side as four new playable characters contributing to the rise of the Hyperion Corporation. Fighting alongside Handsome Jack, players witness his transformation into the megalomaniacal tyrant that fans loved to hate in Borderlands 2.

“Since Gearbox Software first created the Borderlands franchise, we never dreamed of this much love and support from gamers,” added Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software. “We are grateful that the incredible talent at 2K Australia has been able to jump in with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel to help it live up to the high standards that Borderlands fans have come to expect.”

“Gearbox has entrusted 2K Australia with the co-development of their award-winning franchise and we are committed to delivering an all-new shoot ‘n’ loot experience that fans will love,” concluded Tony Lawrence, general manager of 2K Australia. “Fans will see for themselves that there’s nothing quite like moon jumping in a low-gravity gunfight, completely freezing a moon bandit with one of the new Cryo weapons, and then shattering him into little pieces that float off into space. It’s pretty epic.”

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel will be available in fall 2014 for Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows PC.

Train2Game News Unity games on Sony platforms free

Posted on by

unity-logoUnity game engine support for PlayStation Mobile app development is on the way, and a preview version has just been released.

A public preview has been released today gives Unity users the opportunity to bring their games to PlayStation Mobile-compatible devices, including PS Vita, for no additional cost.

Unity users can register for free with Sony Computer Entertainment to obtain a licence to test and deploy on the PS Mobile and PS Vita platforms.

A full release for the new Unity for PSM development environment will follow in the summer.

Right now, however, the developers can get to grips with the preview version, which uses a specially customised version of Unity 4.3.

Sony said that the Unity for PS Mobile suite enables easy porting of iOS and Android games for Vita and Vita TV.

Unity support for PS Vita was added in January, and includes features such as Trophies, Friends list and matchmaking. The ongoing developments with Unity are part of a partnership the engine maker brokered with Sony at the beginning of its PS4 campaign.

Developer can find out more about the new software and register with SCE here.

Source: Develop

Train2Game News Gaming Tablet price drop

Posted on by

WikipadWikipad, Inc. today announced a new price point for the Wikipad 7” gaming tablet for UK consumers.

Now priced at £179 in the UK, the Android-based Wikipad 7” is the only tablet to offer the unique combination of console-quality gaming with the functionality and portability of a tablet, thanks to its award-winning and patented detachable dual-analog controller.

The Wikipad is designed to let gamers experience mobile gaming like never before. The Wikipad includes fully customisable controller mapping thanks to the Wikipad Controller Assistant, which allows gamers to use the Wikipad gamepad controller to play virtually any mobile game – even if it’s been designed only for touchscreen controls. The Wikipad also comes pre-loaded with some of the best Android games out there, including Madfinger Games’ Dead Trigger 2, Shadowgun: Dead Zone, Hockey Nations, and titles from amazing partners such as Wild Tangent. The Wikipad also lets users download compatible Android games direct from Google Play, the PlayStation®Mobile store, and TegraZone – NVIDIA’s free app that highlights the best games optimized for the Tegra processor.

When the gamepad controller is detached, Wikipad’s sleek design and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system provide gamers with power, speed and functionality necessary for surfing the web, watching the latest YouTube clips, checking out your friends on Facebook and Twitter, and enjoying all the latest films, books, magazines and music. Wikipad owners can even use dongles such as Google Chromecast to stream content direct from their Wikipad to their TV.

Wikipad 7” comes standard with 16 GB memory and possess an additional micro SD slot to support a further 32 GB of storage together with micro USB, GPS, accelerometer and gyroscope. The tablets ultra-light, super thin chassis stands optimized for cloud gaming with a 12 core Nvidia GPU. With an aspect ratio of 16:10, a 2-mega-pixel front facing camera the Wikipad 7” gaming tablet offers true widescreen HD display and HDMI out.

For a full list of retailers, product specs, a comprehensive support page, technical forums, and retailers please visit: http://www.wikipad.com/

Train2Game News Unreal 4 Dev Day

Posted on by

Epic GamesEpic has announced a date for new ground floor developers to attend a dev day for Unreal 4 at Staffordshire University

Following the successful release of Unreal Engine 4 to the world, Epic Games has announced a new free-to-attend hands-on dev day for ground floor developers on Thursday 17th April 2014.

Unreal Developer Day, which will take place at the recently opened Epic Games Centre at Staffordshire University in Stafford, is open to anyone with an active UE4 subscription.

Registration is now open at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/unreal-developer-day-thursday-17th-april-tickets-11168446123 and is available on a first come first served basis. Epic’s engineering, design and support team members will provide insight into the latest tools and technologies, as well as a look into the future of the new UE4 ecosystem.

Announced at GDC on March 19th, the new Unreal Engine 4 subscription service gives members access to the full engine, tools and C++ source code. More details can be found at http://epicgames.com/news/epic-games-releases-unreal-engine-4-for-all/

“This is a great opportunity for those just starting out with UE4 to learn more and get invaluable hands-on advice from the UE4 team. It’s going to be a very productive day, and should be a big boost for those who are able to attend,” commented Mike Gamble, European Territory Manager.

If any Train2Game students are eligible to attend it could be an excellent learning possibility for you.

Train2Game News Bruce Lee Enter the Octagon

Posted on by

bruce_leeElectronic Arts Inc. and the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced today that Bruce Lee, “The Father of Mixed Martial Arts”, will make his historic first step into the Octagon in EA SPORTS UFC, launching June 20, 2014.

Fans can pre-order today to get instant day-one access to Bruce, or they can complete the game’s career mode at Pro difficulty to unlock him.  Players can fight with the legend across four different weight classes and test his legacy against the best of the best in the UFC.

“I am so excited about this opportunity to bring my father back to videogames!” said Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter, CEO of Bruce Lee, LLC and Chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation. “I’m thrilled that fans can now interact with him in a new way. The EA SPORTS UFC development team has been incredible to work with, and they’ve done a great job capturing the look and feel of my father. I think people will love getting a chance to fulfill a fight fantasy by playing Bruce Lee in the new UFC game.”

“There’s no debate, Bruce Lee is the father of mixed martial arts,” said Dana White, UFC President. “He believed not one style of fighting was the best and that you had to have a little piece of everything to be a complete fighter. He was proven right when the first UFC event took place in 1993.”

“It has always been part of our vision to have Bruce Lee, the most iconic martial artist of all time, in the first ever EA SPORTS UFC,” said Brian Hayes, Creative Director, EA. “The team is very excited and tremendously honored to have the privilege of bringing Bruce Lee to life in our game. We’ve been working closely with the Bruce Lee team to ensure we represent the legend with as much visual and gameplay fidelity as possible.”

Powered by EA SPORTS IGNITE technology, EA SPORTS UFC is built from the ground up exclusively for Gen 4 platforms, EA SPORTS UFC captures the human athleticism, physiology and emotion of the athlete like nothing before it. Step into the Octagon and Feel the Fight with every strike, takedown and submission.

To see Bruce Lee realized in game, watch the trailer below. For more information on the Bruce Lee pre-order offer, please visit http://ea.vg/1hSOrEi.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 07.04.14

Posted on by

FIFA 14Another quiet week in the charts this week with The Elder Scrolls Online unable to reach number one but still beating Titanfall which has dropped down to number three. This weeks new number one is FIFA 14 once again.

All formats
Week ending 5 April 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 4
2 THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE BETHESDA SOFTWORKS –
3 – TITANFALL EA GAMES 3
4 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 8
5 METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES KONAMI 2
6 INFAMOUS: SECOND SON SONY COMPUTER ENT. 1
7 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 5
8 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT 7
9 – MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 9
10 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 13
11 – PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 11
12 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 17
13 THIEF SQUARE ENIX 14
14 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 18
15 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 16
16 DARK SOULS II BANDAI NAMCO GAMES 12
17 RAYMAN LEGENDS UBISOFT 20
18 PROFESSOR LAYTON VS PHOENIX WRIGHT CAPCOM 15
19 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS EA GAMES 20
20 FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD REMASTER SQUARE ENIX 10
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 UKIE LtdThese 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 Video Game Pioneers Advice

Posted on by

Andrew HewsonAn exclusive talk by UK games industry pioneer Andrew Hewson has been released publically for the first time.

In the three-part video of his seminar, entitled “Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers” (in keeping with his upcoming book of the same name), Andrew describes the fascinating story behind the formation of Hewson Consultants, the production of some of their hit games and his key lessons from the formative decades of videogames.

Part 1: The Birth of Hewson Consultants
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xHP4BqtChw

Part 2: The Games
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZCK0WS39ys

Part 3: Key Lessons
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_y7ziK524o

Andrew Hewson was the founder of Hewson Consultants, 21st Century Entertainment and the founding Chairman of United Kingdom trade body ELSPA (now known as UKIE). His companies were known for producing original smash hits like Paradroid, Uridium, Nebulus, Cybernoid, Pinball Dreams and Pinball Fantasies as well as promoting famous developers like Andrew Braybrook, Raffaele Cecco, Stewart Gilray and the original founders of DICE.

In 2013 Andrew Hewson reformed Hewson Consultants Ltd, the celebrated retro-games outfit he originally founded in 1980, in order to write & publish his new book “Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers” which was successfully funded on Kickstarter in November 2013. The book is scheduled for release later this year.

Train2Game News Another great success for SpecialEffect

Posted on by

MaxA few days ago games charity, SpecialEffect, had the real privilege of helping five year-old Max to master his games.

“Max has cerebral palsy and loves playing Xbox,” said Theresa, his mother. “He can use his left hand but doesn’t have any fine motor skills in his left side. Up until he started school this hasn’t been a problem, but now he plays with his friends he’s more aware that his limited function affects his ability to play the games his friends play.”

The charity visited Max to see if they could help. His Dad Alan explained that Max loves racing games, but because of his limited function, he’d often have to just steer while his Dad pressed the buttons or vice versa. He also likes Toy Story, but couldn’t make his character move and jump at the same time.

There was various challenges to overcome, but the switch-based setup SpecialEffect have ended up with gives the flexibility to position the switches wherever they need to be. They can also be mapped to any controller button. It was agreed the best thing would be for Max to use different switch arrangements for different games.

Max has a great relationship with his dad and will still enjoy playing games with him, but Max can now play independently if he wants to. At one point he even shouted, “Look Daddy, I’m playing by myself!”

Now he can play the games his friends play, ensuring he’s included. And if you’re a five year-old, THAT’S what matters!

Train2Game News Derp Studios demo on Android

Posted on by

Two SoulsIntroducing one of the most challenging games to grace the Google Store; Two Souls. In the game you take control of two little androids on their journey through the stars. Although their goal is the same, their paths are very different. Using the analog sticks guide your two little soul mates towards the end zone of each level in the best time you can achieve!

  • 10 levels, each more challenging than the last
  • Challenge mode, a true test of dexterity!
  • Achievements; beat the challenges set by the developers and earn achievements via Swarm.
  • Leader- boards: Attain bragging rights and post high score on; Swarm, Facebook and social media. Show the world you have what it takes to be the best!
  • Beautifully composed soundtrack.

Two Souls is Train2Game student studio; Derp Studio’s, award winning game from the Swan PR competition. Derp Studios would like to thank all those who helped get Two Souls where it is and a very special thanks to Train2game for allowing it to use their iconic robot as the in game character.

Click here to visit Derp Studios. Download the game for free on Android devices here!

Found a bug or want to give your thoughts on the game? Contribute to the game’s development by taking part in QA here.

Train2Game News Video Games Live

Posted on by

Video Game LiveVideo Games Live (VGL) is set for a highly anticipated return to London in 2014, having last wowed audiences at the Royal Festival Hall in 2008.

Six years on, VGL’s arrival back in the capital marks a brand new Bonus Round show, featuring a whole new arrangement of visuals and music. The Bonus Round show includes music from games series such as Final Fantasy, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Mega Man, Street Fighter, Warcraft, Kingdom Hearts, Sonic the Hedgehog and many more, propelling the gaming experience beyond anything else before it with unprecedented variety and surprises.

“We’re thrilled and honoured to be bringing VGL back to the UK,” said Tommy Tallarico, creator and host of VGL. “VGL is a one of a kind entertainment experience so we’ve always strived to let as many people across the globe experience it. Not only do we get to come back to London but we’re very excited to be performing in Manchester for the very first time. We’ve always wanted VGL to perform more in the UK so this is definitely something we’re hoping we can expand and do more of in the future.”

VGL is an experience that combines video game music masterfully performed by a live orchestra and choir with the explosive energy of a rock concert, featuring exclusive synchronised video game footage, lighting and live action and unique interactive segments. Noted in the Guinness Book of Records as the Longest Running Video Game Series in the World, VGL is taking its audio-visual extravaganza to Manchester for the first time in its performing history on November 1st and in London on November 2nd.

Since its first performance in 2002, VGL is the first and most successful video game touring concert in the world having performed over 300 shows in 30 countries on five continents to an audience of over 1 million people. VGL has also been inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest game concert in the world for the performance in China which was attended by 100,000 fans.

The VGL concert includes a Pre-Show Festival and a Meet-n-Greet for all ticketholders. The Pre-Concert Events at 7pm includes a Guitar Hero competition, VGL costume contest and prize give-a-ways. In addition, there is the opportunity for prospective ultimate gamers to purchase a very special VIP experience, in which they will receive a very special tour detailing what goes on behind the scenes by VGL creator Tommy Tallarico.

For details on the show and to purchase tickets go to www.videogameslive.com