Tag Archives: Game Jam

Train2Game & Epic Game Jam student interview: Andrew Small

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Train2Game & Epic Games gave Train2Game student teams the opportunity to win one of four places at The Gadget Show Live 2012 and compete for the chance to walk away with a fully licence Unreal Development Kit.  

Train2Game student Andrew Small was one of those Train2Game students taking part. We had a quick chat with him during the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam to see how he was finding it.

Read it here, on Scribd,  or listen via Train2Game radio

Find out more the about Train2Game & Epic Game Jam over at Unreal Insider.

We’re here at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam on the final day, in the final stretch now, hows it all been going for you?

Yeah, pretty good. It’s been a bit of an up and down ride, we’ve hit so many walls and broke our way through, but we’ve not lost the original concept that we’ve got, and it’s great that we’re slowly getting there together and it’s the first time we’ve got to deal with something like this.

The theme of the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam is Guy Fawkes, what were your thoughts on that when it was announced? And how did you deal with coming up with the game?

Everyone just went silent. We thought ‘What do we do?’ It does give you a lot of creativity, but you’ve just got to think outside box and I think that was the hardest thing, getting past the explosives and getting something innovative out of there.

What’s been the biggest challenge so far? Has it been the lack of sleep or something else?

Oh it’s definitely not the lack of sleep! The biggest challenge is making sure everything stays on track, because you’ve got so many components, everything is working on something different, everybody keeps going and it’s all got to come together at the end. One little problem stops the whole process so it’s just being organised I think.

The winners of the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam get to ‘Make Something Unreal Live’ at The Gadget Show next year, if you won that, what would that mean to you.

It’d just be incredible. In this industry just getting yourself out there and noticed is the biggest bonus you can get, so that would be the dream come true.

Do you think being at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam has helped you improved your chances of getting into the industry anyway?

Yeah, definitely. For most of us working from home, this is the first chance we’ve got to have a real test of our skills. Getting into that sort of environment, none of us have got any experience of it, so it’s been an amazing thing. You just get the hang of everything, you get used to the flow and you kind of get used to it is just a massive learning curve.

How positive has it been to be part of a team with other Train2Game students?

It’s been the best. We might have been lucky, we’ve got an amazing team, no one is negative about constructive criticism. It’s the biggest bonus, having your own idea and running with it, but you’ve got so many people with ideas, you’ve got to compromise, it brings the whole experience together.

So you’d recommend taking part in a Train2Game game jam to anyone?

Definitely. It was something that I wanted to do but wasn’t sure whether it would be right more me…but yeah, definitely. It’s a perfect example of the stuff you can do. You learn your character flaws, your weaknesses, your strengths, it’s such a development process, it’s brilliant.  

Thanks for your time.

For more information, go to www.train2game.com

Train2Game & Epic Game Jam interview: Train2Game Course Director Tony Bickley

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 Train2Game & Epic Games gave Train2Game student teams the opportunity to win one of four places at The Gadget Show Live 2012 and compete for the chance to walk away with a fully licence Unreal Development Kit.  

Train2Game course leader Tony Bickley organised the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, and we spoke to him just after the event closed. He tells us how he feels it all went, the meaning of the prize for Train2Game students, and what it meant to have Epic on board.

Read the interview here, on the Train2Game Scribd page, or listen on the Train2Game Audioboo site.

We’re here at the end of the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, how has it all gone?

Fantastic, a little tiring, but absolutely fantastic. We’ have about 160 people turn up for the Game Jam, the team sizes were 10 teams of 10 and it’s been a pretty good event, I’m very proud of what the students have managed to achieve and even more proud of their dedication and passion driving through.

Tell us what the winners here have won in going onto The Gadget Show Live

We’re putting forward four teams of finalists moving through to The Gadget Show Live. The final prize at The Gadget Show Live is going to be the iOS version of Unreal Engine, as well as personal development plans and tutoring going forward. We believe this’ll put them in very good stead to increase their employability, as well as setting them off to producing their own titles in future.

So it’s a massive opportunity for these Train2Game students?

Absolutely. The most important thing for people trying to get into the industry at the moment is not just proof of understanding but rather proof of ability. With this level of support they’ll be able to work as a solid team on a product, working on one of the best engines in the world. With the tutoring as they go forward, this will really, really enhance their skillsets.

As you say, UDK is one of the best engines in the world, what does it mean for Train2Game to have Epic on board with this?

Fantastic. With the support that Epic have given us in terms of tutorage and support staff, as well as co-sponsoring The Gadget Show with us, it’s absolutely brilliant and has been really, really, appreciated by the students.

How difficult was it to pick out winners from the fantastic games on offer by Train2Game students?

Very tough actually, very, very tough. I’ve been very proud of the students as they’ve come into this, we’re only just moving into using UDK within the teaching materials of Train2Game, so the students, up until a couple of months ago, were not very experienced on it. They’ve had to bring their skill sets up very, very quickly and then on Friday night we assigned the teams for them so there weren’t even pre-formed teams, they’ve had to understand the team dynamics and then work with the UDK engine and they’ve created some fantastic products. The standards were very, very high, we looked for creative input, we looked for graphics, we looked for variations, we looked for innovation, creativity, and it was of a very high standard. 48 hours is not a lot of time and it’s even less time if you want to try and work with an engine of that magnitude. The work that they produced was great.

What next now for the winning teams with the four different genres of games they have to produce?

Apart from going home and sleeping, I will be contacting them with the start of a six month productivity plan for them where they can be milestoned with what they should be looking to learn, and improved the skillsets that they’ve learned here [At the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam] in the last 48 hours, and then starting to prepare them for what they’ll need to do at The Gadget Show Live. It’s going to be 4 days of live development at The Gadget Show, where they finalise a new product using the UDK engine and help present that to the world.

Anything else you’d like to add about this Train2Game & Epic Game Jam?

It’s been a fantastic experience, it’s been very tiring, we’ve all made new friends here, certainly learned a lot and it actually makes me very proud to help train the next generation of computer game developers.

And has it been so successful there will be more Train2Game Game Jams in future?

Absolutely! One of the things one of the students asked me on the way out, even though his eyes were closing, was ‘When is the next game jam?’ Well, give me week to sleep and recover and then we’ll start planning it. We certainly intend to do another one, we certainly intend to make it bigger and better than this one.

Great, thanks for your time

Thanks very much.

For more information go to www.train2game.com

Train2Game & Epic Game Jam Interview: Craig Moore, leader of winning team ‘Team Gandalf’’

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Train2Game & Epic Games gave Train2Game student teams the opportunity to win one of four places at The Gadget Show Live and compete for the chance to walk away with a fully licence Unreal Development Kit.  

Train2Game Game Designer Craig Moore was part of ‘Team Gandalf’ one of the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam teams that’ll be heading to ‘Make Something Unreal Live’ at The Gadget Show. Train2Game caught up with him right after the winners were revealed to find out how it felt to win, how the game jam went, and if he’d recommend taking part in one.

Read the interview here,on the Train2Game Scribd page, or listen on the Train2Game Audioboo site. Leave your comments here on the blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Congratulations Craig, Team Gandalf are one of the winners of the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, as team leader, how do you feel?

A bit dumbstruck but absolutely over the moon! We had such a fantastic team, they did such an amazing job. It almost felt as if it was going too well, we’ve had a brilliant weekend, just brilliant.

And what does it mean to you to be one of the four teams going to The Gadget Show Live to Make Something Unreal Live next year?

It’s a fantastic opportunity, we couldn’t have asked for anything better. It’s such a hard thing to get into, but this should really help us get into careers and with everything really.

Tell us a bit about your Guy Fawkes themed game

What we were aiming for was almost a Medieval Portal style game and we had a fantasy theme with puzzle rooms. Basically, you’re the guy who dobbed in the whole Gunpowder plot scheme and you’re being chased by the ghost of Guy Fawkes and it’s very psychological, we went for dark rooms and an almost horror like game.

So how did your team find the whole Train2Game & Epic Game Jam experience?

A lot of learning went on, we had such a range of skills in our team. You could tell as we were getting towards the end of the jam the levels were getting better, our knowledge was getting much, much better and it was just flowing really well and we felt like such a good team together.

And how did you deal with the tiredness that took place during the game jam, because 48 hours is obviously a long time to work. It was an experience, right?

Oh, complete experience! Thankfully because it was going so well people were just planning out their time and jobs we had between us and just sleeping when they needed to. It just went really, really well.

And how are you looking forward to making a game over the coming months for The Gadget Show Live?

This is the dream for all of us, it’s working towards the main goal, the main prize, that’s going to be the driving force for everyone. It’s going to be a hard six months but should be a fantastic time as well.

And what would it mean to you if you won the big prize, the fully licensed UDK iOS development kit.

I couldn’t even explain what that’d mean to me, it’d just be incredible. It’s obviously the dream and it’s because of Train2Game that we’ve managed to get there. We’re going to go for it and it should be a really good fight.

Overall then, would you recommend taking part in a Game Jam to anyone else?

Without a doubt, if you’ve got the opportunity, go for it, go to a game jam. It’s an amazing chance not only to get a feel for making games, but also being in a team, working with people you don’t necessarily know, it’s a brilliant personality building opportunity as well.

Going into a game jam you’ve just got to keep a level head, try not to be too enthusiastic, within the engine you’re using, work out what you can and can’t do, work out with your team what their skills are and just plan.

Thanks for your time

For more information go to www.train2game.com

Train2Game & Epic Game Jam Interview: Nick Stones, leader of winning team ‘Nova Eye’

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Train2Game & Epic Games gave Train2Game student teams the opportunity to win one of four places at The Gadget Show Live and compete for the chance to walk away with a fully licence Unreal Development Kit.  

Train2Game Game Designer Nick Stones was part of ‘Nova Eye’ one of the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam teams that’ll be heading to ‘Make Something Unreal Live’ at The Gadget Show. Train2Game caught up with him right after the winners were revealed to find out how it felt to win, how the game jam went, and if he’d recommend taking part in one.

Read the interview her, the Train2Game Scribd page, or listen on the Train2Game Audioboo site.

 Nova Eye are one of four winning teams at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam with the opportunity to Make Something Unreal Live at The Gadget Show Live next year, what does that mean to you?

It’s such a fantastic opportunity and we’re definitely going to make every effort to make 100% of that. I’m over the moon at the moment. I came here, this is my first game jam, I didn’t know what to expect and it’s gone all in our favour. I was delivered a great team and I’ve been able to manage that very well and it’s shown and that’s it at the end of the day. I’m really excited to know that we’ve done our job and it’s gone well. I’m very anxious to know what we can do now for the future.

Was it difficult to contain your excitement when the winners were announced?

Since we’ve been doing this for 48 hours I was quite fine, but overall I was still shocked because I’d only just done my presentation to the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam judges. That was a gruelling experience in itself because I was quite nervous so it’s all still going through my head really.

How big an opportunity for you do you think it is for you to go to The Gadget Show Live and potentially walk away with a fully licensed UDK development kit?

We’ve been given this opportunity, we can put this on our CVs, this is a landmark for us. Everyone who has participated in the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, we can always say we have won a game jam and there’s nothing that can change that. Overall, it’s amazing and I’m really happy to know that this is possible.

 Tell us a bit about the game Nova Eye has produced here at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, based on the theme of Guy Fawkes.

Our Guy Fawkes theme was quite wacky. We basically wanted to break the fourth wall. Our game was about Guy Fawkes and his production levels for Bonfire night. Fireworks weren’t selling, they were being outsold by Halloween and Christmas. So basically, Guy Fawkes is attempting to make sure that Christmas is knocked out of the sale so his markets would increase. What he ends up doing is going to the North Pole and using his custom rocket launcher that shoots fireworks to blow up anything that’s in Santa’s workshop.  That idea is completely crazy, I know that but it’s worked and I think it’s very refreshing.

How did you come up with that idea?

It was actually just a spur of the moment thing. We were talking about how Halloween and Bonfire night, and somebody just went ‘It’s crazy to see all this Christmas stuff before Halloween’ and it went from there. What if, thinking of it from a market side, Guy Fawkes is angry about that and he wants to change it. So there it was, it was a catalyst out of nothing really, just a spur of the moment thought that happened through socialising. So, don’t think you have to go out of the way to make these fantastic ideas, they can come from anything.

So you’d recommend taking part in a Train2Game Game Jam to others?

Yes, I would definitely recommend it. The experience that you get is unlike anything else. You get thrown in at the deep end but it’s not as bad as it sounds. You get to work with some fantastic people, don’t feel unconfident in your own skills, believe in yourself, make sure you’re happy with yourself to come down. Everyone didn’t know what they were doing so don’t worry about it, just come down and get in the moment really! That’s all I can say, get in the moment.

And the team will have to go through the process of designing a game with the genre you’ve picked out for The Gadget Show live. Tell us about the genre, and what your initial thoughts on it are.

We were given Action Adventure.  Our game that we won with was an Action Adventure so it’s something we can already work with depending on the construction of the brief. But since we’ve already done Action Adventure I feel that our confidence level is just that little bit higher than anyone elses’ because we’ve already got something that we’ve worked with already and have previous experience with. I’m over the moon with it. It’s got broad environments so I can work with it and I know my team will be able to do just as well.

 

For more information go to www.train2game.com

 

Train2Game students, a timely reminder for you on the benefits of game jamming

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The Train2Game & Epic Game Jam begins today and gives the Train2Game students in attendance a great opportunity to build a complete, working game in just 48 hours.

Before the previous Train2Game Game Jam earlier this year, the Train2Game blog spoke to Mediatonic Director of Games Paul Croft about the benefits of game jams. Mediatonic themselves use them internally to create ideas for new games.

“I think it’s really good as it shows that you’re passionate and want to go beyond, and you’re actually genuinely enthusiastic and enjoy what you’re doing.” said Croft on the subject of Train2Game students participating in Game Jams.

“ It shows that it’s more than a job for you and you do it to have fun, you do it because you like it and that’s really the best indication that someone is going to good at their job is if they like it, so I’d say it can definitely help you from that regard. They might not be great portfolio pieces, because they’re kind of hacked together, but I guess with a 48 hour Game Jam you can get something pretty decent together in that time.”

He added that taking part in a Game Jam is also just a lot of fun.

“I encourage people to do Game Jams, I think it’s a great way to – of you’re in the industry or not in the industry – to break out, have fun. I personally like to do Game Jams because I get to do programming again. Just get involved and do it!”

Read the full interview with Mediatonic Director of Games Paul Croft here on the Train2Game blog.

The Train2Game & Epic Game Jam starts today and runs through until Sunday. The winners will get the opportunity to ‘Make Something Unreal Live’ at The Gadget Show Live.

Those Train2Game students attending the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam should check out advice from Train2Game student Fiona Stewart.

Stay tuned to the Train2Game blog for updates throughout the weekend.

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

Train2Game & Epic Game Jam tips from Train2Game student Fee Stewart

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Train2Game students are gearing up for the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam which begins tomorrow. Train2Game student Fee Stewart, who’s previously told the Train2Game blog about her experience with game jams, has posted some tips for those new to Game Jamming on the Train2Game forum. She’s kindly allowed the Train2Game blog to repost her advice in full. (You can find out more about Fee in her interview with the Train2Game blog)

1.Take with you wash stuff (no one likes BO!) a pillow if you can, a light weight fleece cover, one change of clothes or two and some money for food ( which is cheap at the uni)… Optional…some monster or Relentless or a drink of some sorts .. you seriously do not need any more then this! You have no access to showers unless you book a hotel that you really won’t have time to go to, so it is a bit of a waste of money.

2. When you find out what the theme is or what you are meant to produce spend a good few hours brainstorming with your team. Don’t rush into your 1st idea as it is quite often the 3rd or 4th idea that makes the most sense.

3. Allocate a team leader! This person is GOD! If they say go get some sleep GO! This is a team event and there are certain crucial points in the 48hours that you need to have your game at a certain stage of development if you hope to have at least 3 working levels (which is what you should be aiming for) by the end of the 48hrs. It is therefore imperative that people have some sleep in shifts and not leave it till 40 hours into the dev before you go regardless of how you feel at the time go get some sleep so you are there for when your team needs you! Do expect to only get 2 to 4hrs per 24hrs.

4. Set out what you are doing and stick to it as much as possible but do NOT be over ambitious if you have time to add extras at the end then do it but leave things like splash screens, credits, music even till AFTER you have 3 working levels. The MOST important thing is for your team to have a working game!

5. Have team breakfasts! This is important!!…. Take an hour out to ALL go get some food and a walk away from the labs for a while.

6. Allocate a good speaker in your team! This person should be responsible for talking to the judges and getting over as much information about your game in the short time you have… have team member two playing the game at the time so the speaker can explain and the judges can also see the game and offer for them to play it if they want to.

7. There should be a lead artist and programmer! This person makes sure everything is to style, allocates who does what in the art team/program team and talks to the other leads. Remember this is not an I AM event this is a team event there is no room for egos. You pick the best person for each role and you work as a team to produce some amazing stuff!

8. Have fun! Remember this is an incredible learning experience 48 hours does go VERY fast! Remember why you are there and try not to fall out with your team members.Sleep deprivation can do some weird things again why it is good to have a team leader who makes sure everyone gets some sleep at appropriate times.

9. Remember you will have been up probably over 50 hours with only a few hours sleep in that time. PLEASE do NOT drive home after the event.. book a cheap hotel or go home via public transport or something.

And finally GOOD LUCK! I am really going to miss you all this time!



For more information about the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, see the official website.  And remember, the will appear at the Gadget Show Live 2012 as part of ‘Make Something Unreal Live’


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


 


 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game and Epic Games to Host UK’s Biggest Game Jam

			
						

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Train2Game, has joined forces with Epic Games, developers of cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology, to host the UK’s biggest game jam from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th November 2011.


The 48-hour video game creation marathon will bring together an estimated 150 games enthusiasts at the University of Bedfordshire, where they will go head-to-head to create innovative video games using Epic Games’ Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of the award-winning Unreal Engine 3.


The Train2Game and Epic Game Jam is open to aspiring games developers, including Train2Game students and hobbyist games developers. On Friday, November 4th, registered competitors will convene at the University of Bedfordshire’s new development lab to form teams and build games around a secret theme, which will be announced on the first evening of the event. The jam concludes on Sunday, November 6th, when three teams will be selected as winners by industry A-listers from some of the UK’s hottest development houses, as well as Epic Games.


Mike Head, marketing director at Train2Game said: “The Train2Game and Epic Game Jam is a great opportunity for students and amateur games developers to create content for their portfolio and rub shoulders with well known developers within the industry. Working with Epic Games also means that we have a unique opportunity to introduce participants to the cutting-edge UDK framework, which will allow them to really bring their games to life and showcase their talents.”


“This game jam offers a valuable creative outlet for anyone looking to make games,” said Mike Gamble, European territory manager of Epic Games. “Participants will have access to excellent tools, members of the Unreal Engine development community and industry veterans, plus there’s potential for the best games to gain additional exposure beyond the event itself.”


As well as creating cutting-edge content for their portfolio, and learning how to use the UDK, Train2Game and Epic Game Jam competitors will be eligible to win prizes for the most innovative new games developed over the weekend. Prizes will be announced closer to the event.


For further information, and to sign-up to the Train2Game and Epic Game Jam please visit http://train2game-jam2.com/, existing students can login intowww.train2game-online.com.

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game students should take the opportunity to game jam, here’s why…

			
						

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Train2Game recently announced that a second 48 hour Game Jam  will take place in early November, with full details  about it available to Train2Game students on the Train2Game forum.


Game Jams are an excellent way for any game developer to test their skills, and in an interesting #altdevblogpostaday article, PixoFactor’s Adam Rademacher explains why Game Jams are “best practice” for game developers.


He argues that Game Jams are a great place to improve your abilities thanks to the focused nature of the 48 hour development period.


“The entire weekend you’re thinking about game development” wrote Rademacher.  “Thinking about how to program new features, or how to speed up your art production.  Even if you don’t finish the game on time, it’s not hard to see how it can improve your skills”


“Even if you only learn to write one new function, or one new shader, you’ve improved upon your skillset, and now you have a (hopefully) cool prototype to continue building on.”


Rademacher adds that Game Jams are an excellent opportunity to develop prototypes of games, a practice that’s common in the industry. Indeed, an interview with the Train2Game blog earlier this year, Mediatonic Director Paul Croft revealed that they’re a good way of coming up with new games.


It’s also suggested that Game Jams are a great way of practicing creativity, and in an environment where if the idea doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter.


“It’s easy to set out on a project with all intention to create something innovative and new, then be completely distraught when it’s no fun, or unreasonable to try to finish, or just not as innovative as you thought it would be.  But that’s cool.  Because you’ve only spent a weekend on it.”


The #altdevblogaday piece is a great way for game developers to try out new technology, and learn cool new stuff. This is exactly what Train2Game students will have the opportunity to do at the second official Train2Game Game Jam, in which the Unreal Development Kit will be used to make games! It’s an engine that many Train2Game students won’t have used before.


The importance of Game Jams piece is available in full to read on #altdevblogaday. While full details about the Train2Game Game Jam are on the Train2Game forum.


What are your thoughts on the benefit of Game Jams?


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


[Source: Altdevblogaday] 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Interesting BBC article on Game Jams Train2Game students should read

			
						

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The Train2Game Game Jam took place at the end of March, with many of the Train2Game students involved finding it an enjoyable and very useful experience.


You can even download the games created at the Train2Game Game Jam from the official Train2Game website.


Why is the Train2Game blog mentioning a Game Jam now? Well, there’s an extremely interesting article on the BBC News website that looks at a Game Jam in New York


It’s an interesting read for Train2Game students, both those who did and didn’t attend the Train2Game Game Jam back in March.


For more about Game Jams, and how they can be useful for game developers, see the Train2Game blog interview with Scottish Game Jam organiser Romana Khan.


A Train2Game blog interview with Mediatonic Director Paul Croft also re-enforces how taking part in a Game Jam can be useful for game developers.


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


[Source: BBC]