Train2Game blog modding news: GTV IV Vice City mods in the works

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

While the reports of a leaked casting called for Grand Theft Auto V has sparked some interest on the Train2Game forum, the news that not one but two remakes of the classic Grand Theft Auto Vice City are on the way in the form of mods may be of more interest to some.

You see, not only was the game highly enjoyable when first released in 2002, but the remakes are yet another reminder to Train2Game students how popular mods can potentially become. In turn this means modding could potentially provide a skilled Train2Game student with a way to get a product they’ve produced out there and do it for free. The Grand Theft Audo mods are being produced using the Open IV mod tools.

It’s a reminder of how the PC and modding could provide and excellent platform for Train2Game students to produce work.

Interested readers can also see an older Train2Game blog post from January about the benefits of modding and community Game Design.

And while the two Grand Theft Auto IV mods – Vice City Rage and Vice IV are far from complete, there are still plenty of excited comments about the first glimpses of footage on YouTube. You can see the two trailers below here on the Train2Game blog. (‘In game’ footage of Vice IV begins about 9 minutes in)

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on bringing Vice City back to life through modding? Would you play the game? What game would you like to bring back through building a mod?

Comments can be left here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun)

Interview with Train2Game Game Jam organiser Dave Sharp during the event

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

The Train2Game 48 hour Game Jam took place from March 25^th through to March 27^THDuring the event the Train2Game blog caught up with both students and crew. The following is an interview with Train2Game Jam organiser Dave Sharp which took place half way through the event. The interview is also available to listen to at www.audioboo.fm/train2game

View this document on Scribd

A useful insight for Train2Game students into game development from Killzone 3 dev Guerilla Games

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

There are no doubt some Train2Game students are looking forward to the release Killzone 3 this week, with reports suggesting that it’s the best ever looking game on the PlayStation 3.

You can see how the game looks for yourself on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

It’s led to some speculation as to whether the PlayStation 3 is capable of much more, but Killzone 3 Game Developers, Guerrilla Games, think there is a lot more to come from the Sony console.

“At the end of every project, we say, ‘we’ve maxed it out.’ I made that mistake at the end of Killzone 2,” Guerrilla Games Co-Founder Hermen Hulst told IndustryGamers. “We felt that we’d pushed it absolutely to the max. We now know from experience there’s always more mileage in the tech. You can always find new techniques.”

Hulst also mentioned that Guerrilla Games work with other Sony in-house developers – including LittleBigPlanet 2 Game Developers Media Molecule – to help push each other along, while each studio also produces their own tech.

“The guys that created LittleBigPlanet, I don’t think they would have been able to create a game that looks as great on someone else’s tech and that’s the same with us” said Hulst

“For example, in Killzone 2, we introduced anti-aliasing to get rid of the jagged edges. We’re using that, but an improved version that is much more efficient, so we actually leave space for more detail, bigger environments and more polygons. Compared to Killzone 2, Killzone 3’s polygon count is three times as high, so we’ve been able to find new space, probably averaging out to 40 percent.”

The Guerrilla Game Co-Founder also discussed how Game Designers and Game Developers work together in the studio.

“We’ve had one dedicated programmer on it and a number of designers that attend play test sessions and process the feedback. 3-D is here to stay. It’s like going from mono to stereo sound. You don’t necessarily change the tune or the lyrics, but still the effect can have a profound impact, and from a tech perspective, it’s not that expensive to put into a TV.”

So, along with some information about how a large Game Development studio works, what can Train2Game students take away from Hulst’s comments? Well, it’s that being creative is very important in the games industry and this creativity can help the PlayStation 3 – and other games consoles – stay current for a few years yet!

Hulst has recently been speaking about which games influenced the making of Killzone 3, you can find out which ones they are here on the Train2Game blog.

Killzone 3 is released this week; will it knock Call of Duty: Black Ops from the top of the UK Charts?

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Hulst’s comments about Game Development? Do you believe being creative with technology is the future of making video games look even better? Or are you now already waiting for the PlayStation 4?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. You can also Tweet us on the Train2Game Twitter account.

[Source: Industry Gamers]

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see the official Train2Game Game Jam website or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

Peter Molyneux to receive prestigious BAFTA Fellowship

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

He’s a veteran Game Designer that is well known by Train2Game forum users, and now he’s set to receive the prestigious BAFTA Fellowship Award. Peter Molyneux will be presented with the prize at the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards.

The Academy Fellowship is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image. Last year the fellowship for the video games industry was awarded to Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto.

It’s set to be a good year for Peter Molyneux, with the legendary Games Designer also set to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards.

On being invited to receive the Fellowship, Peter Molyneux said:

“I remember back in 1967 watching the first BAFTA awards on television with my family and seeing them being so excited about those accolades.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think it would be possible for me to accept one of the greatest honours the entertainment industry has to offer.

My first thought on learning that I was awarded an Academy Fellowship was that to be in the company of some of the greatest talents the entertainment industry has ever seen is truly humbling and secondly that this is an award not just for myself, but for all the people I’ve ever worked with”.

Molyneux is the latest in a prestigious line of Fellowship award winners, which includes Will Wright and Atari founder Nolan Bushnell. Train2Game students may dream of following in their footsteps in the future.

Train2Game blog readers will know Molyneux not only as the man to arguably created the ‘God Genre’ with Populous, but is also the brains behind titles including Theme Park, Dungeon Keeper and the Fable series.

You can see an in depth look at Fable III on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

The GAME British Academy Video Games Awards will take place on Wednesday 16 March at the London Hilton on Park Lane, and Train2Game students can find out how to vote for their favourite to win the GAME Award of 2010 here.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Peter Molyneux being awarded a BAFTA Fellowship? Do you believe it’s good for the future of the games industry as a whole? And have you voted for your GAME Award of 2010 preference yet?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. You can also Tweet us on the Train2Game Twitter account.

[Source: BAFTA]

Game Development student Mykolas Mankevicius speaks to the Train2Game blog

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

The Train2Game blog recently spoke to Game Development student Mykolas Mankevicius (Also known as neophen on the Train2Game forum) You can listen to the interview here on Audioboo, or on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog. You can also read the interview via the Scribd document below!

View this document on Scribd

As usual, you can leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively you can let us know your thoughts via the Train2Game Facebook page, or the Train2Game Twitter account.

Media Molecule to release community created LittleBigPlanet 2 campaign

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

It’s another example of how creating community content forLittleBigPlanet 2 could potentially help a Train2Game student find their way into the games industry.

Game Developers Media Molecule challenged a team of LittleBigPlanet 2 community modders to produce a new single player campaign, using only the creation tools in the game. The result is a rather nice looking mini-story mode called ‘Hansel & Gretelbot’

There’s no word on how Hansel & Gretelbot will be released as of yet, but Media Molecule incidate that it’ll be free.

Train2Game blog readers can see the rather nice looking trailer below.

There’s probably plenty of Train2Game Game Developers who’d love the opportunity to have their content released to as wide an audience as the LittleBigPlanet 2 community. A first step towards this could very well be creating their own LittleBigPlanet 2 levels, with Media Molecule previously stating they’ve employed several community developers.

There’s certainly a lot of potential to be extremely creative with LittleBigPlanet 2 as well, as seen in examples of community created levels based on Portal, Flower, Wolvenstein and Dogfight.

LittleBigPlanet 2 last released last month and took No. 1 in the UK Charts in its first week. It’s still in the top ten now, but only just, having dropped to No. 10. The game got very good reviews, with plenty of 9s and 10s from the gaming press.

Of course, LittleBigPlanet 2 isn’t the only game that allows users to create there own content. Another prominent example is Team Fortress 2, where some of the best modders seeing their content being sold by Valve, and making a profit from it too!

Meanwhile, last month saw a Starcraft II modder was offered a job at a Game Development studio.

Train2Game students may therefore find modding and community creation provides a useful step into the games industry.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Hansel & Gretelbot? Do you think it looks as good as the original game? Perhaps even better? And have you created any of your own levels for LittleBigPlanet 2?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively, you can let us know what you think via the Train2Game Twitter and Facebook pages.

[Source: PlayStation EU Blog]

A great opportunity for Train2Game students to meet EA Game Developers

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Train2Game students have a fantastic chance to meet some of the biggest Game Developers in the world this Saturday, in the first in a serious of Guardian Gamesblog live events.

The first one gives attendees the opportunity to speak to those at the heart of some of EA Games’ most anticipated upcoming titles.

Crysis 2 Executive Producer Nathan Camarillo, Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed Lead Designer Andy Tudor and Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 Lead Designer Mike Laidlaw will all be talking about the games industry. They’ll be covering the following areas:

Nathan Camarillo: Creating stunning graphics and expanding into the multiplayer universe.

Andy Tudor: Creating realism and simulation in Games

Mike Laidlaw: The importance of narrative and storytelling in gaming

Attending Guardian Gamesblog Live will also allow you to play Dragon Age 2, Shift 2 Unleashed and Crysis 2 before they’re released.

“The aim of the Gamesblog Live events is to give our readers the chance to meet the most talented developers in the world and find out how modern video games are created.

It’s the perfect chance for gamers, and people interested in getting into the games industry, to meet the experts without having to be crushed to death at big US events like E3 or GDC.” Writes Guardian video games correspondent Keith Stuart.

Of course, people interested in getting into the games industry naturally includes Train2Game students!

The first Guardian Gamesblog Live event takes place on Saturday 19^th February at The Guardian offices in London and costs £12. You can find out more information and book your tickets here.

It really is something any Train2Game student who can easily get to it should attend!

However, if you’re not able to make the event, you can see Mike Laidlaw talk about Dragon Age 2 in this very interesting developer diary, as featured on the Train2Game blog last month.

So Train2Game, will you be attending Guardian Gamesblog Live? Do you think meeting high profile Game Developers could help you in the long run? Have you attempted to contact developers for advice before? And if you could ask for advice on getting into the games industry from anyone, who would it be?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively, tell us what you think via the Train2Game Twitter and Facebook pages.

‘Most’ FPS games will be played with motion control in a few years says Killzone 3 developer

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Plenty of Train2Game students now own motion controllers, and according one Killzone 3 Game Developer, they’ll become the most common way for controlling First Person Shooters.

Tommy de Roos is the principal programmer at Guerrilla Games and headed the development of PlayStation Move compatibility with Killzone 3.

“I think they’re opening up to it,” he told CVG when asked how hardcore FPS gamers were perceiving Move.

“At the beginning there was a lot of reluctance but I know that a few of them picked it up, they tried it and they were actually quite surprised at how well it worked and the extra dimension it gives you.

“You lose some of the accuracy when rotating, that becomes more difficult,” He admitted.

“But you make up for that by being able to point anywhere on the screen and send your bullets flying there. So it’s a trade-off and a lot of hardcore gamers are seeing that and actually some of them are starting to prefer playing with the Move.”

The Games Developer then suggested that the change in controller type for the FPS genre could happen in just a few years.

“These are just the initial stages. Nintendo did a lot of research there, we did some research there now and it’s slowly progressing.

“I think, as this develops, in a few years most of the first-person-shooters will be played like this. I really think so. Maybe not the Move specifically but a pointing controller like this.”

Perhaps Train2Game students would be encouraged to use Move to play Killzone 3 with the Sharpshooter attachment that makes it look like a gun. Meanwhile, as reported on the Train2Game blog back in November, Sony said the PlayStation Move had greatly exceeded their expectations.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the potential of motion controllers to play First Person Shooters? Do you think it’ll work, or is it a gimmick? Will you try it out when Killzone 3 is released later this month?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively you can tweet your comments at the Train2Game Twitter account.

[Source: CVG]

Uncharted 3 produced like ‘a Hollywood film’ Is it the way forward Train2Game?

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Train2Game students may be very interested in this! Naughty Dog have been telling the PlayStation blog about the latest game development techniques they’re using to produce Uncharted 3, and they’ve compared it to producing a Hollywood film.

Not only that but Naughty Dog are keen to further blur the realms of game development and movie production techniques.

“We have two motion capture spaces – a smaller one in the studio that lets us pick up smaller pieces, like idols, and then we have a dedicated stage at Sony Studios, and that’s where we get both the motion capture and the audio – because we do all of the dialogue at the same time – for both gameplay and cinematics.” Naughty Dog Community Strategist Arne Meyer told the PlayStation blog.

“It’s big enough for us to set up and perform everything from rehearsals to the final performances, and that approach, which is basically the same as producing a major motion picture, is what makes the performances so fluid and realistic in our games. When we’re in full swing, we’re doing new motion capture every week.”

Meyer also praised Naughty Dog’s relationship with the cast of the Uncharted series.

“We truly feel that they are part of the studio and they come down a lot on their own. Between working with them solidly for such a long period of time, and giving them input into what their characters are and should be, it’s collaborative and totally in the spirit of how Naughty Dog operates.

They feel invested in Uncharted, and it’s really appreciated when they take the time out to come along with us to events. They’re popular around the studio and we generally just like having them around.”

He went onto speak positively about the studio’s efforts producing fire effects for Uncharted 3

“We’re always on the lookout for new technical challenges and we’re really happy with what we’re achieving with our fire effects. It’s not just a static asset – the fire deteriorates the wood realistically and there are blowback effects, like you would expect. The smoke is looking much better this time around.”

“You could sit down and watch the chateau burn around you, if you sit there long enough.”

Train2Game blog readers can see the new fire effects in the video below.

Uncharted 3 was second in the Train2Game blog most anticipated games of 2011, and is scheduled for release on November 4^th 2011.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the techniques used by Naughty Dog to produce Uncharted 3? Do you think it’s a method that all future blockbusters will use? And what do you think about the new fire effects? Is there any specific game mechanic you’d specifically like to work on in future?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. You can also let us know what you think the Train2Game Twitter.

[Source: PlayStation blog]

Crowd sourcing website funds first game, good news for Train2Game students?

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team

You may have seen this story on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog last week about the introduction of crowd source funding for indie games.

Now just days later, Expedition: TheNewWorld has become the first game to be fully funded by 8-Bit Funding. While the game has reached beyond its $700 funding goal, the project remains open for 56 more days in order to acquire the most funding possible.

It’s encouraging news for Train2Game students who may consider using the website in future.

“ I would like to thank all the supporters and to the guys at 8-Bit Funding!” says creator of Expedition: The New World Santiago Zapata.

“With your help I will continue developing Expedition and make it even more fun and interesting. Expect a new version with “port cities” and “strategic resources” in the map before the end of the deadline. Also, if you haven’t contributed yet, please feel free to do it and claim our contribution prizes.”

In addition to Expedition: The New World, another project has far exceeded initial predictions. Having only been created 10 days ago, project CardinalQuest has acquired the most funds at $2,936 in total contributions thus far, just $64 shy of the “Grace Period.”.

“Our experience with Cardinal Quest on 8-Bit Funding has exceeded all expectations,” says Ido Yehieli, lead designer for Cardinal Quest,

“In only a week we have received almost three thousand dollars! I think that proves that there has been a gap in the market for an indie-games related crowd funding service and that 8BF came in to fill it not a moment too soon. I also think it is important for us to have our own site that focuses on indie gaming, since more general-use sites tend to push games to the side compared to other types of work and their community does not particularly care about indie-games.”

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the early success of 8-Bit Funding? Will it be a long term success? Do you think you’ll turn to it in order to help you develop games?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. Alternatively, you can let us know what you think via Twitter.

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

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Tag Archives: Game Development