Tag Archives: Game Development

‘Stagnating’ handheld consoles losing market to smartphones

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Angry Birds Android Train2Game blog

Yet more evidence has emerged that shows Train2Game designers, developers and artists would do well to work on mobile games in the future.

A report from market research firm Interpret shows that consumers playing games on their phone has increased dramatically, while gamers appear to be abandoning their DS and PSP devices.

“The proliferation of highly multifunctional smartphones and messaging phones is a very real threat to the dominance by the DS and PSP of the handheld gaming market,” said Interpret research and analysis manager Courtney Johnson

The report, which is based on a survey of 9000 people, says that 43.8% of the phone, Nintendo DS and DS PSP gaming market plays games on phones—a significant 53.2% increase over the past year—while the proportion of those who play on the DS or PSP has fallen by 13%. In fact 27% of people who own both a smart phone and a PSP or Nintendo DS, say that they don’t even use their handheld console anymore, preferring to play games on their smartphones.

The ever increasing library of mobile games for both iPhone and Android means that there’s more and more choice when it comes to choosing a game to play on the go. It also means that there’s a chance that Train2Game students could help develop a mobile game that could eventually fall into the hands of millions of people.

Evidence of this can be seen in a post on the Train2Game blog last month which shows that over three million people have downloaded Cut the Rope from the iPhone App store since it was released at the beginning of October. Of course, the increase in mobile gaming isn’t just limited to the iPhone, with plenty being available for Google’s Android phones.

Google recently revealed Android 2.3 which they say will take mobile gaming to the next level. Interested Train2Game students – especially game developers who’d like to produce games for the OS nicknamed gingerbread – can find out more about Android 2.3 in this post on the Train2Game blog, which comes complete with video.

Gaming giants Nintendo and Sony will be hoping new developments with their handhelds can help them fend off the increasing popularity of mobile gaming.  The Nintendo 3DS is set for release early next year, with a large number of exclusive games being developed in 3D as you can see in this Train2Game blog post from earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Sony will be hoping to attract consumers to the PSP with Square Enix bringing four exclusive games to the handheld console next year. Of course, if you’ve read the Thoughts of Train2Game blog recently, you’ll know that there are increasing rumours of a PlayStation phone which could encourage PlayStation fans to ditch their iPhones.

Any Train2Game students interested in the full report can see it here.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the increasing number of people playing games on their smartphones? Is it really that big a threat to the PSP and the Nintendo DS? What systems do you use for handheld games?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Android 2.3 ‘optimised for game development’

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Android 2.3

Google has revealed how its latest smartphone operating system, Android 2.3 , has been optimised for game development. It’s therefore something that many Train2Game students – who will be looking to develop mobile games in future – will be interested in.

The new Android OS, nicknamed Gingerbread, has been produced with “optimised tools and performance for game development.” Explaining the new features Android Technical Lead David Turner said:

“In Android 2.3 we’re taking gaming to the next level. Game developers always want the best performance so we’ve given them what they’ve asked for in Android 2.3”

New features that Train2Game game developers will be interested in include Concurrent Garbage Collection, which minimises application pauses, smoothes animations and provides increased responsiveness.

Turner also said that the new OS has received tweaked input processing which lowers CPU processing and therefore allows game developers to produce higher performing games for smartphones running the OS.

Google has also “broadened the native APIs exposed by the platform, meaning developers now have direct access to audio, input and sensor events, assets and the OpenGL ES API” according to the Technical Lead in the video.

Android 2.3 will launch with the Samsung Galaxy S in 2011 and it’s rumoured to be the operating system of the rumoured PlayStation Phone.  (If you check out the Thoughts of Train2Game blog, you can see videos that show the PlayStation phone in action.

Train2Game students can see the new features of Android 2.3, and how it could benefit game development, in the video below.


Train2Game students will no doubt be extremely aware of how important games on smartphones are becoming and how developing a great one can provide massive success for even a small team of game developers. Last month we reported on the Train2Game blog that game Cut the Rope has been downloaded from the App store over three million times, which has most likely brought developers Zeptolab a healthy little income.

Meanwhile earlier today, it was revealed that iPhone game Game Dev Story has been named one of the biggest gaming surprises of 2010. You can join in the discussion about your top surprise games of the year on the Train2Game forum.

If any Train2Game blog readers want more of an indication of how important the mobile gaming market is becoming to game developers, check out the Train2Game interview with games industry consultant Nicholas Lovell.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the new Android operating system? Could it tempt you away from an iPhone? And do you see yourself using the skills you’ve developed with Train2Game to make games for the Google smartphone OS?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood named biggest gaming surprised of 2010. What’s yours Train2Game?

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Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has topped a poll of 20,000 gamers by IGN UK to be named the ‘biggest gaming surprise’ of 2010.

Train2Game students who’ve read the previous Train2Game blog coverage of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – a game that reached Number 2 in the UK Charts – may not see as a surprise hit but it’s what IGN readers voted for out of the choices available.

UK Editor–in-Chief of IGN, Alex Simmons, explained the process:

“After the IGN UK team picked their ten biggest surprises of 2010, our readers wanted to have their say, and voted in their thousands.  With so many games, formats and ways to play, it’s increasingly easy to miss some potentially classic titles, eclipsed by hyped games with massive marketing budgets.

“Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has taken both IGN’s experts and our readers by surprise.  We all shared a concern about its rapid development period, but it’s expertly honed and refined, with a fantastic multiplayer option.  This is an exceptionally crafted package, which deserves to feature highly on 2010 Christmas lists.”

So rest assured Train2Game students, people haven’t voted for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood as a surprise in itself, but more about the impressively short time in which the game was developed following Assassin’s Creed 2.

Other titles that made the list of biggest gaming surprises of 2010 include Vanquish and Joe Danger – which was released digitally by independent developers Hello Games. An iPhone game that every Train2Game student should really play was also named as one the biggest surprises of the year, with Game Dev Story making the top ten.

Of course, Train2Game students are already aware of how important iPhone games can be, and developing and publishing a game on Apple’s platform was discussed in the Train2Game interview with games industry consultant Nicholas Lovell.

So that’s IGN’s biggest surprises of the year, but how about yours? What games do Train2Game students believe are the best surprise games of the year? Which game impressed you when you really had no idea that it would?

Train2Game forum users are also voting in their own poll to decide the best games of 2010. You can find out how to get involved here.

You can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Turbulenz funding programme could be perfect launch pad for Train2Game students

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Turbulenz Launch Pad Funding Programme

Technology company Turbulenz are providing an opportunity that is too good for any Train2Game student to ignore.

They’ve created a Launch Pad Funding Programme which will “will subsidise and promote the development of up to ten games created with Turbulenz. Awards of €10,000 to €50,000 per game are available for products that help push the social gaming revolution.”

The good news is that anyone can apply to get involved, and that of course includes Train2Game students.

The idea of the Turbulez Launch Pad Funding Programme is to help ambitious developers to build unique, new browser based games.  There’s funding for up to ten teams, to help cover salaries of the people building the games. This game doesn’t even have to have been started yet, which means this is a great opportunity for Train2Game students to pitch their original ideas to Turbulenz.

Turbulez are looking for games that take full advantage of their game engine and online platform, and they are therefore looking at four key criteria, as listed on the Launch Pad Funding Programme website.

  • Mass appeal. Games that have mass market appeal online. The more inclusive a game can be, the better. Think about something that captures everyone’s imagination and creativity. Make sure you think about boys and girls, and especially all the mums and dads. Everyone is playing games online now.
  • Online payment. Games that naturally suit the payment models which are becoming successful online. People don’t want to pay 50 bucks anymore. So how is your game going to entice people to play and ultimately pay
  • Iterative development. Games that can evolve over time. Just look at how all the Flash games have developed. They start small and light, and gradually ramp up, developing new features in response to their playing community. It’s great to have a vision, but try and pull it back to something that can grow step by step.
  • Something new. Games that can take browser games to the next level. The web gives us the opportunity to blend everything it has to offer into our new games. Social gaming is only in its infancy and we fully expect a new generation of games to blow everyone away.

The deadline for Launch Pad Funding Programme submissions is Friday 14th January.  Turbulenz say they’ll start looking at applications as soon as they receive them, so the earlier your application gets in the better chance you’ll have!

All the information required for any Train2Game student that wishes to submit an idea to Turbulenz can be found on the Launch Pad Funding Programme website.

As usual, you can discuss this here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

The rise and rise of social media gaming

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Farmville: Helping to cultivate a predicted 1.5 billion big ones.

2014 may not bring us hover cars or jet packs but it’ll apparently be a good year for the social games market. Why? Well, a new report from media consultants Screen Digest suggests it’ll be worth $1.5 billion in four years time. Yes, $1.5 billion.

It really is a staggering amount of money to get your head around! Especially so when you consider that in 2008 social media games were worth just $76 million. Not that $76 is a small amount of money at all, but in 2009 that increased to $639 million thanks to 500 million active monthly users. The Screen Digest report predicts this growth will continue over the next four years with social media games becoming more and more popular.

I doubt anyone will be surprised as to what has caused such a massive increase in the social games market, with the Screen Digest report stating:

“The market remains dominated by the distribution power and massive userbase of Facebook”

Yes, Facebook. The reason for this massive upsurge in casual social games is titles like Farmville and Mafia Wars. Both of these games are produced by market leader Zynga who last year are thought to have got annual revenue of around $100 million.

It’s not exactly to see surprising with the massive advertising campaign behind the games. According to a Facebook ad I’m looking at right now, ‘Everyone plays Mafia Wars’ Well 25 million players might not be everyone, but that number suggests Zygna must be doing something right. Then of course there’s Farmville which just seems to have become an entity unto itself…the spellchecker I’m using to write this blog even recognises Farmville as a word!

So, with social games set to become even more successful, we used the Train2Game Facebook page (Appropriate, right?) to ask Train2Game students if they’d like to use their skills to help produce a successful social media title. The responses were….somewhat interesting! They included:

“Games like Farmville are easy to make, I would rather a challenge with the more hardcore games, however that being said I would like to give the lower level games a go also.

As far as Farmville go’s I would rather shoot my self head, but everyone has to start some where, and a small game like that could get you the experience it take to work much bigger projects.”

“Yes, you have to start somewhere… But not Farmville…I would feel like a total sell-out if I made a game like Farmville.”

And…

“Farmville is such a badly built game. I couldn’t believe the amount of corners they cut, honestly, I don’t think it cost them more than 2k to build the actual game. Mafia Wars was probably the same.”

So while it seems that the Train2Game students that responded aren’t exactly too keen to produce the next Farmville, it appears the majority feel that working on such a title would provide that all important first step into their chosen career – be it Games Design, Games Development or Games Art & Animator. While many people dislike the concept of social gaming, it’s difficult to ignore how successful it has become. Remember, that big old $1.5 million that’s just over the horizon.

So now it’s over to you, Train2Game blog readers. Do you think the social games market will really be worth $1.5 billion in four years time? What do you think has made it so successful? And how would you feel about developing a social media title?

As usual, leave your comments here, or on the Train2Game forum. Or why not join the discussion on the Train2Game Facebook page?