Tag Archives: Games design

Train2Game News Gamers make best drivers

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Marmalade, the leading specialist in learner and young drivers’ insurance, has revealed that contrary to public perception, gamers are in fact amongst the safest young drivers in the UK.
To ascertain whether hobbies and interests have an impact on how young people drive, Marmalade also surveyed a group of customers. It analysed their driving behaviour, using telematics data from their recent journeys, to identify which interests are most likely to make a driver safer or more reckless.

Marmalade’s own telematics data analysis of its customers concluded that gamers were amongst the safest drivers on UK roads, with many customers gaining higher than average safety scores of over 90% in an average journey.

These findings were then measured against a YouGov survey* commissioned by the insurance company to understand the general public’s perceptions of drivers and what makes a safe driver.

The survey asked the public which hobbies were most generally indicative of reckless driving. 52% of YouGov survey respondents who identified a hobby as indicative of reckless driving, said that those who liked computer gaming are more likely to be a careless driver, significantly more than any other hobby listed. Other options included reading, computer gaming, listening to music, socialising and watching TV/films.

Marmalade wanted to investigate correlations between lifestyle choices and driving style to work with its young customers to help improve driver safety.

Guy Knight, Director of Marmalade, says: “Our ethos has always been to support our drivers by offering second-to-none customer service alongside fantastic products that suit them and their lifestyles. We’re thrilled that our data confirms whatever hobby you choose you can still be a safe driver.”

In support of Marmalade’s findings, research from the University of Rochester, USA,  shows that video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them, and this benefit doesn’t just make them better at playing video games, but improves everyday activities like driving.

Jim Knight, a 20-year-old Ambassador for Marmalade, says: “I do enjoy gaming and I feel I’m a good and safe driver –it might even impact positively on my driving. I believe that my hobbies have no impact on my driving, so please don’t stereotype us!”

With this insight, Marmalade has developed a quiz game and competition for young drivers to take part and discover what type of driver they are. Entrants will also be in with a chance to win a Vauxhall Corsa, 1.4 litre SRI: www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/stereotypes .

Train2Game News Batman Telltale Series Episode One now available

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Leading and award-winning developer and publisher of digital entertainment Telltale Games, in partnership with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, today released the season premiere episode of the highly anticipated  BATMAN – The Telltale Series, now available for download.
BATMAN – The Telltale Series Episode One: Realm of Shadows makes its worldwide debut digitally today on PC from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services; on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 4; and on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox One®. The premiere episode will also be available later this week on Mac from the Telltale Online Store, Steam, and other digital distribution services; later this month on the PlayStation®Network for PlayStation 3, and on the Xbox Games Store for Xbox 360®; and the week of Sept. 13 for compatible iOS devices via the App Store, and for compatible Android-based devices via Google Play and the Amazon Appstore. 

The series will also be available to purchase at retailers for a MSRP of $29.99 USD or equivalent starting Sept. 13 in North America as a special “Season Pass Disc,” which will include the first of five episodes in the season, and will grant access to the subsequent four episodes as they become available for download via online updates. The series will then be available to purchase at retailers across Europe beginning Sept. 16.

“Creating an entirely original story surrounding the man behind the mask and challenging players to take on the role of Bruce Wayne just as much as the mythic Batman has resulted in one of our most sophisticated Telltale series yet,” said Kevin Bruner, CEO, Co-Founder of Telltale Games. “Our game will explore all aspects of Bruce’s life, from his tense encounters in public with Gotham City’s most notorious criminals by day, to his thrilling chases across the rooftops at night, players will think twice about their choices and consequences in a city that’s always watching the actions of its most famous billionaire.”

“Telltale Games is renowned for its unique style of interactive storytelling, which is a great match for the incredibly iconic character of Batman,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We are excited to further expand our partnership with Telltale to bring fans an entirely new way to experience the many layers of Bruce Wayne’s story.”

The series also marks the first ever unique, local multiplayer options for a Telltale game with the all-new  Crowd Play feature. Revealed at the game’s sneak preview during San Diego Comic-Con,  Crowd Play allows game owners to invite a group of players to vote on story decisions and give feedback from their mobile devices using any web browser connected online when following along with the lead player on a main screen. The feature is designed to allow 2-24 or more players to enjoy episodes together in their living rooms, and will also accommodate much larger crowds and audiences of over 1,000 at special upcoming live events in theaters organized by Telltale.  Crowd Play will allow for a new and instantly accessible way for players to enjoy Telltale entertainment together as a group, creating an experience that continues to break new ground in the space between games and interactive cinematic storytelling. 

Visit telltale.com/crowdplay/support for more information on the feature.

BATMAN – The Telltale Series is an episodic game series licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and based on DC’s iconic character. Rendered to look like a living, breathing comic book, Telltale’s vision of Batman features an award-winning cast of talent, including Troy Baker in the role of  Bruce Wayne, Travis Willingham as  Harvey Dent, Erin Yvette as  Vicki Vale, Enn Reitel as  Alfred Pennyworth, Murphy Guyer as  Lieutenant James Gordon, Richard McGonagle as Carmine Falcone, and Laura Bailey as  Selina Kyle. Additional cast and characters will be revealed as the season progresses.

Train2Game News Ubisoft announce The Division film

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Today, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, the film and television studio of Ubisoft®, announced a new project, “The Division” with Academy Award® nominees Jessica Chastain (The Martian, Interstellar, The Help, Zero Dark Thirty) and Jake Gyllenhaal (End of Watch, Nightcrawler, Southpaw) attached.
“We are excited to collaborate with Jessica and Jake, two of Hollywood’s most talented actors  and perfect creative collaborators to help bring Tom Clancy’s The Division™ to the big screen,” said Gerard Guillemot, Chief Executive Officer, Ubisoft Motion Pictures. “Attaching Jake and Jessica is part of our development philosophy of working closely with top talent from the earliest stages to collaborate on a high quality film,” added Matt Phelps, Vice President, Ubisoft Motion Pictures.

Ubisoft Motion Pictures will develop the project with Gyllenhaal’s and Riva Marker’s (Beasts of No Nation) Nine Stories Productions, and Chastain’s Freckle Films. The announcement comes after the critically-acclaimed Tom Clancy’s The Division™ video game, developed by Ubisoft’s Massive Entertainment studio, sold more copies in its first 24 hours of availability than any previous title in Ubisoft’s history and recorded the biggest first week ever for a new video game franchise.

Gyllenhaal can next be seen starring opposite Amy Adams in Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals, scheduled to open November 18th 2016.  He recently completed filming on Bong Joon Ho’s Okja and begins filming on Daniel Espinosa’s Life this week.  Through Nine Stories, Gyllenhaal produced David Gordon Green’s upcoming Stronger, in which he also stars.

Chastain will next be seen in John Madden’s political thriller Miss Sloane, and Niki Caro’s adaptation of Diane Ackerman’s novel The Zookeeper’s Wife, opposite Daniel Bruhl. She is also set to star in Aaron Sorkin’s film adaptation of Molly Bloom’s memoir Molly’s Game alongside Idris Elba and Susanna White’s period drama Woman Walks Ahead.

Ubisoft Motion Pictures and New Regency’s Assassin’s Creed®, starring Academy Award® nominee Michael Fassbender, has recently completed principal photography. Assassin’s Creed will be released by 20th Century Fox on December 21st 2016. Other Ubisoft Motion Pictures projects currently in development include: Splinter Cell at New Regency with Tom Hardy attached, Ghost Recon with Warner Brothers, Watch Dogs with Sony Pictures Entertainment and New Regency, as well as Rabbids with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Train2Game News VRTGO 2016 Announced

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The organisers of VRTGO have announced the return of their popular future-gazing VR conference and expo.
Entering its successful third year, VRTGO is one of the most established industry VR conferences in the world. This year, VRTGO is going BIG.

This event will see an array of exciting demos that will show the power of VR for business as well as entertainment. In addition, the people who are creating the best hardware and content for this emerging frontier will all be showing their latest and greatest.  Attend and learn about the future potential of virtual, augmented and mixed reality.

Sign up for the early bird all access pass today – click HERE.

The conference will welcome talks from Framestore, Hammerhead, Epic Games, Rewind Studio, ARM and many more.

“VR is pushing the boundaries of interactive experiences to a level only dreamt of in sci-fi, we are constantly developing magical new ways for people to be immersed in new worlds.  An example includes our award winning “Field Trip to Mars”, where school children were taken to Mars in a school bus.  We will be attending VRTGO to share our projects and meet other VR specialists”, said Karl Woolley, Head of VR Studio, London, Framestore.

Steve Jelley, Joint MD of Hammerhead VR said, “we pick and choose our events carefully and we’re excited to be exhibiting at VRTGO this year as they always have an engaged audience, and speakers that bring lots of insights into our rapidly expanding industry.”

Carri Cunliffe, conference director said, “We are excited to have so many great companies involved and we will be announcing more very shortly.  As always, we will have provocative panel discussions, outstanding speakers and amazing demos. This year, social VR will be a main theme as its emergence is changing the worlds of business and pleasure alike.”

See www.vrtgo.co.uk to buy tickets and see more information.

Train2Game News Batman Unmasked

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With only a few days left before the debut of BATMAN – The Telltale Series, Telltale are excited to share with you the first episode of their all-new video series Batman: Unmasked!
Hosted by kindafunny.com’s Greg Miller, Batman: Unmasked is a series of after-show discussions on all things pertaining to the The Caped Crusader’s upcoming action-packed interactive narrative adventure. With special guests that include comic book industry experts, community legends, cast and crew, Batman: Unmasked delves into what makes Bruce Wayne tick, as well as in-depth dissections of each episode of the Telltale series as they release.

In this inaugural episode, Greg talks with ComicVine’s Tony Guerrero, Telltale’s CEO Kevin Bruner, and the game’s Executive Producer, Sean O’Connor. Join them as they discuss the origins of the game, as well as what you can expect in this new five part series.

Be sure to let Telltale know what you think of this first in a series of episodic discussion shows on  Twitter,  Facebook, or the community forums!

BATMAN – The Telltale Series Episode 1: ‘Realm of Shadows’ premieres digitally worldwide August 2nd on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC/Mac. It will also arrive digitally on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 later in August. Season Pass Discs for PS4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will become available September 13th along with mobile versions for iOS and Android devices.

You can enjoy the first episode of Batman: Unmasked, here.

Train2Game News Retro-Bit Generations

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​This past June, Innex Inc®., an exclusive distributor of  Retro-Bit® unveiled the brand’s newest product at the 2016 E3 Expo –  Retro-Bit Generations, a plug and play console loaded with more than 100 classic retro games estimated to be available in the Fall of 2016 for $59.99.
Unlike the previous Retro-Bit consoles, which ran and read gaming cartridges, Retro-Bit collaborated with world-renowned gaming developers like Capcom, Data East TM, Jaleco LTD., IREM and more to provide a full-fledged roster of titles easily recognized and admired by the retro-gaming community such as, Ghosts’N Goblins™, Gun.Smoke™, Kid Niki Radical Ninja, Kung-Fu, Captain Commando™, Kickle Cubicle, Rival Turf, Super R-Type, The Super Bases Loaded Series, Knights of the Round, Brawl Brothers, Ring King and more! 

Along with a catalog of popular gaming titles, the Retro-Bit Generations is accompanied with two USB retro-style six button controllers and designed with a sleek user-friendly interface and AV and HDMI ports.  The console also includes an SD card slot allowing users to save or transfer archived game progress to other consoles.

“Retro-Bit has been known to make products for the hardcore retro gaming crowd, and we are thrilled that Retro-Bit created a product that is aimed at a wider audience. We believe that the Retro-Bit Generations is a fantastic introduction for beginners into the world of retro gaming, however, it includes a lot of titles that resonate with experienced gamers.” Said Ron Pang, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Innex Inc. 

With the success of Retro-Bit’s previous consoles (Super Retro-Trio® and the Retro-Duo®), which operates on gaming cartridges, the Retro-Bit Generations opens retro gaming to new patrons of all ages.  Retro-Bit continues to make great strides to bridge the gap of between gamers past and present.

Train2Game News Life is Strange digital series

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​Legendary Digital Studios and Square Enix will join forces on the development of a digital series based on the critically acclaimed, multi award-winning video game, Life Is Strange™, it was announced today by Greg Siegel, Senior Vice President of Development and Production for Legendary Digital Studios.
The project will be developed and produced in conjunction with Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons of dj2 Entertainment who recently produced the upcoming film Sonic the Hedgehog for Sony Pictures. Life is Strange™ was brought into Legendary by Cory Lanier who will oversee the project with Siegel.

Life Is Strange™ follows the story of photography enthusiast Max Caulfield, a high-school senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price. The pair soon find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, which uncovers a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. In addition to winning the BAFTA for Best Story, the Peabody Award, the Golden Joystick’s Performance of the Year and The Game Awards’ Games for Impact Award, Life Is Strange™ has garnered over 75 Game of the Year awards and listings.

“Life is Strange™ is one of those rare properties that combines incredibly developed characters and storylines with deeply engaging gameplay,” said Siegel. “It lends itself perfectly to live-action imaginings. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Square Enix, DONTNOD Entertainment and dj2 to bring the world of Arcadia Bay to life in an exciting new way.”

“We’re proud and excited to be working alongside Legendary to realise a new version of Arcadia Bay and Blackwell Academy complete with our rich cast of realistic, believable characters and memorable events,” said Jon Brooke, VP Brand and European Marketing at Square Enix. “Now that the first episode of the Life is Strange™ game is free to download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac and PC, there’s never been a better time to play or to introduce a friend to the beautiful world of Arcadia Bay”.

To celebrate, there’s a brand new trailer showing Max and Chloe in action available now. Check it out here.

Legendary Digital Studios, Square Enix and dj2 are currently meeting with potential writers for the series adaptation.

Train2Game News OneSpecialDay raises over 90k

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Over 30 gaming industry companies raised over £90,000 for SpecialEffect in the charity’s inaugural One Special Day event on 15 July. The total may well rise further over the next few weeks.
The majority of the companies donated sales revenue from some or all of their games on 15 July. Others ran a dedicated activity or promotion. 

The initiative, now to be an annual event, aims to promote the gaming industry as unified and proud in helping to level the playing field for gamers with disabilities.

The charity were hoping the event would raise £25,000. Dr Mick Donegan, Founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, said “The generosity of the companies supporting this initiative has been overwhelming, and to utterly smash our £25k target in the first year is phenomenal. It’s a real boost when the games industry themselves, our natural partners, say ‘Yes, we see the difference you’re making – how can we help?’”

“What’s especially great is that companies of all sizes have been part of an event that’s promoted the industry as a real force for good. We look forward to welcoming them and others again for One Special Day 2017.”

A wide spectrum of companies were involved, including: First Touch Games, The Chinese Room, New Star Games, Ripstone, Nomad Games, Green Man Gaming, Curve Digital, nDreams, Devolver, Game Swing, Payload Studios, Magic Notion, Tammeka Games, Bossa Studios, Barog Game Labs, We Love Dragons, Deconstructeam, Vagabond Dog, Terri Vellmann, Acid Nerve, Free Lives, Roll 7, Tundra Games, Insert Coin, Escape Technology, Revolution Games, Red Kite Games, Edgecase Games, Chillingo, Media Molecule, Ukie and Plethora Project.

Phil Gaskell, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Ripstone, said “Ripstone are very happy to have been part of a historic day for the games industry that will make a life-changing difference to the gamers SpecialEffect help. We know our fundraising livestream on the day, the donation of 100% of our profits across platforms and the auction of our Ironcast jet pack(!) will all help SpecialEffect provide many more magic moments.”

Jessica Curry, Co-Founder of The Chinese Room added, “The Chinese Room were delighted to be part of the first ever One Special Day and it was great for our team to meet Dr Mick on the day itself. We saw the life-changing difference that One Special Day will make to bring the magic of games to people with disabilities, and we would urge more developers to get involved in 2017!”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie and VP of SpecialEffect said, “This is a fantastic result for SpecialEffect and their One Special Day initiative. It is a great example of the collective power of games companies and players and what can be achieved together for a cause that Ukie is really proud to support. The money raised will increase SpecialEffect’s important work making the entertainment, inclusion and joy of playing games accessible to everyone. This is a truly special result for a truly special day.”

Next year’s One Special Day will be on Friday 22 September 2017 during the week of the charity’s tenth anniversary.

Train2Game News Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival

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Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival (EDEF) today announces a spectacular range of panel discussions and keynote speeches, covering Gaming, Virtual Reality + Future Technology and Next Generation in Arts & Entertainment. 
The iconic Assembly Rooms will host the inaugural festival from 4 to 28 August alongside the Fringe Festival. 

Event Cinema and Live Events

In the first major festival of its kind – EDEF will include: 24 days of event cinema, with screenings of world-renowned art exhibitions, theatre, opera and ballet performances as well as special events that bring the “live” experience into the cinema.  Transforming the Assembly Rooms’ iconic music hall into a state-of-the-art cinema, audiences can discover digital theatre screenings, from Benedict Cumberbatch in  Hamlet, to Matthew Bourne’s ground-breaking dance productions, plus art exhibition screenings including a portrait of Ai Wei Wei and the works of Vincent Van Gogh. Special events include sing-a-longs, the cult-hit  Dune with a live electronic sound mix and an interactive evening of gaming weirdness in  Rab’s Videogame Empty.

Virtual Reality, Gaming and New Technology

Audiences are invited to discover the immersive world of virtual reality and explore how technology is shaping the future for art, entertainment and creative minds.  The unique festival will host a Virtual Reality ’cinema’, an exhibition of new technology and interactive arts in the  Tech Hub from broadcasters to independent games, which will be open daily, alongside gaming and coding workshops for young people in partnership with Microsoft, Lego Education, Minecraft and BBC Micro:bit, curated by the Big Learning Company.

Discussions and In-Person Demonstrations

·    Gaming focus 8 and 9 August

·    Virtual Reality + Future Technology focus 15 and 16 August

·    Next Generation Arts & Entertainment on 22 August

The festival’s  Ideas Studio presents keynote speeches and panel discussions from industry leaders from gaming, virtual reality, and performing arts.

Speakers announced today include NASA-funded scientist Peggy Wu, who will discuss her cutting-edge work in using VR to help astronauts as they embark on deep space missions. 

Sol Rogers, CEO and Founder of REWIND:VR, who will introduce the possibilities of VR across different industries having recently worked with Björk, Lexus, Rolls Royce and BBC home. 

Joe Stevens, CEO of Whispering Gibbon, will explore the future of the 3D printing for virtual worlds, while Tanya Laird, Director at Digital Jam Ltd, convenes Scotland’s first ever VR Writers Room.  

Sarah Ellis (RSC) and Tawny Schlieski (Intel) give insight on their upcoming collaboration with The Imaginarium Studios for RSC’s November production of  The Tempest; 

Flo Buckeridge, General Manager at National Theatre Live, will discuss how the theatre industry is embracing digital innovation; and 

Will Saunders, Creative Director, Digital at BBC Studios presents  Thinking Outside the Box – exploring the battle for attention in an online world.  

William Burdett-Coutts, Festival Director EDEF, Assembly and CEO Riverside Studios said:

“Our ambition is to bring together the world of arts and entertainment with digital technology – to show the best of what is happening right now and provoke the conversation about what comes next. The festival offers a diverse range of activities, allowing audiences to explore the future of the entertainment industry in an ever-growing digital world.“ 

Outside the festival, Edinburgh’s George Street comes to life with food stalls, a bar and the innovative Picturehouse Travelling Cinema, hosting a classic film programme of science fiction, musicals, short films and a selection from the BBC Series, Play for Today.

For more information or to book tickets, please visit edef.co.uk or call 0131 623 3045.

Train2Game News Marmalade 2D Kit

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Marmalade Technologies releases latest version of Marmalade 2D Kit as part of Marmalade Platform 8.5
First introduced in Marmalade Platform 8.3 in March, Marmalade 2D Kit offers an advanced editor and runtime to make creation of engaging and dynamic 2D content both intuitive and fast.

“We have been working hard to improve the editor’s appearance, user experience and functionality, based on feedback from users,” says Adalberto Bruno, CTO at Marmalade Technologies. “With this latest release, our significant investment in this technology puts advanced capabilities in the hands of all Marmalade developers, offering a highly competitive feature set at no additional cost.”

Marmalade Technologies’ in-house game development team, Marmalade Game Studio, makes extensive use of Marmalade 2D Kit to power the entire UI on one of their latest titles, RIZE: Zombies, currently in soft launch.

“Having an editor focused on the specific needs of 2D content creation was a huge productivity boost, allowing rapid iteration and experimentation to fine-tune the UX in RIZE: Zombies,” says Laura Cheng, Producer at Marmalade Game Studio. “We are also seeing growing interest and uptake by other studios, helping us to continue to focus on the features that matter most to users,” adds Ryan Gilmour, Head of Product Management.

In addition to an all-new version of Marmalade 2D Kit, Marmalade Platform 8.5 also brings official support for OpenAL, opening up opportunities for developers to add immersive 3D sound to their apps using a simple, extensible model.

“OpenAL support continues to expand the number of out-of-the-box open source technologies available to our developers,” continues Ryan. “And by building on our platform abstraction we are able to offer this powerful middleware to all platforms simultaneously, including those not supported by alternative implementations of OpenAL.”

Rounding out Marmalade Platform 8.5, developers targeting Windows can now take full advantage of live tiles in their Marmalade apps and both new and existing Extension Development Kit users will benefit from enhanced documentation covering creating and debugging extensions.

Marmalade Platform 8.5, the latest version of the Marmalade Platform, complete with Marmalade 2D Kit, is available now from the Developer area of the Marmalade website.