Tag Archives: Games Developer

Train2Game News MMO Game Engine on Steam

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Neojac Entertainment, a Calgary-based game development company, today launched their Atavism game engine on Steam.

Atavism opens up the development of 3D virtual online worlds and Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) to everyone regardless of programming knowledge or artistic ability. Integrated with the Unity engine as the client, developers now have direct access to one of the highest anticipated MMORPG engines on the market.

“Atavism allows game designers to focus on making their game and to not worry about programming,” said Neojac CEO Jacques Rossouw. “In fact many of our clients have been able to have a prototype within a matter of weeks. You don’t need to have a million dollar budget any more to develop an MMO game. Our team, along with Unity, has already done most of the heavy lifting with pre-designed plugins for every system. All you need to do is setup what stats you want to use with them.”

The Atavism engine received it’s greenlight from Steam late last year. It is available for $70 and can be accessed via Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/app/335930/. You can get a discount of 15% in the first two weeks on Steam.

Many games are already in development using the engine, including Neojac’s own Neo’s Land, a high fantasy MMORPG that allows players to literally build the game world by creating their own dungeons, houses and other structures via the game’s unique building editor and through round table discussions with the development team. Early access to the game is available at www.neojac.com.

Several other game studios are already using the Atavism engine with successful results. “We’ve used other multiplayer engines made for Unity, but nothing compared to Atavism,” said Terrence Thompson, CEO of Space Dwarves Entertainment and the creators of Bionic Marine Commander Online. “Atavism provides an ease of use and level of support that is excellent. We’ve taken our game much further in the four months using Atavism than we have in years using the other engines.” Early access for the game is available at http://bionicmarinecommand.com.

Atavism also provides support for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets. You can learn more about Atavism at www.atavismonline.com.

Train2Game News Top 10 PlayStation Icons

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Official PlayStation Magazine have asked the top hardcore gamers, their readers, who have voted in their tens of thousands to crown their favourite PlayStation Icon.

The magazine presents the top 20 PlayStation Icons of all time in the February issue, and Crash Bandicoot was voted top of the poll.

Speaking about the winner, Official PlayStation Magazine Editor Matthew Pellett said; “Despite being absent from our screens since 2008, the original PlayStation Icon remains in the hearts of modern gamers. Our readers have spoken loud and clear: even though Naughty Dog has moved on to blockbusters such as the Uncharted series and The Last Of Us, the developer’s PS1 marsupial still casts a shadow over all other gaming characters. Thousands of people voted Crash Bandicoot into the number one spot and calls for his return to PlayStation grow louder every single month.”

The top 10 are:

10 Batman
9 Cloud Strife
8 Pyramid Head
7 Big Boss
6 Lara Croft
5 Scorpion/Sub-Zero (joint placement)
4 Nathan Drake
3 Kratos
2 Solid Snake
1 Crash Bandicoot

To see the full list, purchase a copy of Official PlayStation Magazine now. Available on newsstands until 12 February 2015.

Train2Game News Future of Telltale

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Episodic story wranglers Telltale have a new CEO, and he’s revealed some interesting information in his inaugural statement.

Not content with their current series The Wolf Among Us, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Tales from the Borderlands and soon Minecraft: Story Mode, new CEO Kevin Bruner has announced big things in the companies future.

In a statement to Gamesindustry.biz Mr Bruner said “We’re thrilled to continue our growth and bring our unique style of scripted entertainment to the next generation of digital media, and do that across thousands of different devices. Our top priority is to continue fostering an environment where the most talented and creative storytellers in the industry are working side by side with the world’s biggest creative partners. We’re already working on some of the biggest franchises in entertainment, and when you add our unannounced partnerships and upcoming original IP, it’s clear the most exciting time to be at Telltale is now, and there will continue to be more and more opportunity to innovate ahead of us.”

Telltale are fast becoming one of the staple companies in the games industry with their fantastic story telling and moral dilemmas

I for one am incredibly excited to see where this company is going next and what there own IP will entail.

Train2Game News Free Assassin’s Creed Unity DLC

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Today, Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed Unity – Dead Kings is now available, free of charge, for all Assassin’s Creed Unity players on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC, and will be released tomorrow January 14th on PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system in the UK.

After the events of Assassin’s Creed Unity, Arno’s quest for redemption leads him to the town of Saint-Denis, then known as Franciade. There he is sent on a mission that will take him to the depths of the city, an intricate network of catacombs and deep caves that hold the remains and best-kept secrets of past French kings.

To uncover the dark mysteries that lie beneath the Basilica, Arno is equipped with a lantern to guide his way and will gain access to the Guillotine Gun, a powerful weapon made for both long-range destruction and deadly close-quarter combat.

In Assassin’s Creed Unity – Dead Kings, players will encounter familiar faces including Napoleon and the Marquis de Sade, as well as a new enemy faction, the Raiders, merciless foes desecrating the catacombs. Players will also be able to embark on additional side quests including new Murder Mysteries, enigmas, and co-operative missions, where players can join forces for a heist mission and a special Brotherhood mission.

Both single-player and cooperative modes enable players to unlock new weapons, gear, and outfits that carry over between Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed Unity – Dead Kings.

Ubisoft promised it would give out Dead Kings for free to anyone who bought Unity, as a way of apologising for the game’s bug filled launch.

Train2Game News Yogscast 2014 Christmas Charity

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Yogscast, the UK’s most watched family of YouTube channels announces today that its latest Christmas drive has raised $1,104,882.09 – just over £725,000 – for a mixture of international charities.

The incredible haul for the ‘Yogscast Jingle Jam’ beats last year’s total and brings the overall amount raised to over $2.6m since the Christmas events began in 2011.

Talent from across the Yogscast family of YouTube channels – plus some special guests – appeared on Twitch.tv every night during December playing games, taking on challenges and having fun.

The money will be shared between five charities: Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders/MSF, Fauna & Flora International, Special Effect, and End Polio Now.

Those who donated more than $25 got an amazing bundle of games and in-game items, including Thomas Was Alone, Magicka and Call of Juarez – delivered digitally via Humble Bundle and kindly supplied by generous game developers.

Those who gave more than $5 were able to leave messages for the livestreamers and received a unique accessory item in Team Fortress 2.

The month of donations clocked in at a total of $930,097 – with the other $175,000 being raised by the Yogscast directly, through a mixture of initiatives including the Christmas song ‘Does Santa Claus Visit Zombie Pig-men Kids in the Nether in Minecraft (At Christmas Time)?’ and from limited edition Christmas jumpers.

Yogscast co-founder Lewis Brindley said, “It blows our mind every year just how incredibly generous people are – I want to thank each and every person who donated to make the Jingle Jam so successful.”

“Once again we’ve had fantastic support from the UK and international video games industry supplying the games and items,” said Yogscast CEO Mark Turpin.

“We also have to thank the Yogscast family and other YouTubers who gave up their nights throughout December to broadcast live and raise so much money,” Turpin added.

Train2Game News GEEK 2015

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Multiplay, hosts of the UK’s biggest gaming festival Insomnia, is delighted to announce a new partnership with GEEK, a festival that is the place to Meet, Make and Play.

GEEK is a growing festival of play and games, held each year in the seaside town of Margate, Kent. A place for families and friends to come together to help create and play whilst having large amounts of fun, GEEK offers digital and analogue activities for both casual and dedicated gamers.

As a result of the partnership, Multiplay will be curating multiple parts of GEEK2015 which takes place from 20th – 22nd February next year.

GEEK has something for all the family. So whether you want to play and compete, relax, learn new skills or get an idea of how to get your dream job using games and technology, GEEK is the place to be.

“We have big plans for GEEK so it is really exciting to be working with Multiplay on GEEK2015. Multiplay has an unrivalled reputation, and their success on a national and international scale with global partners is a result of their outstanding passion for gaming and commitment to excellence,” said Kate Kneale, Director Marine Studios. “Together we can create a really innovative showcase for games, old and new, popular and obscure, innovative and just plain crazy.”

“The undertaking with GEEK is one we are ecstatic to be part of, showcasing the continually rising popularity of gaming events.  We are delighted to once again be working with GEEK for the second consecutive year, and this is just the start of an array of fantastic projects we will be involved with throughout 2015,” said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay.  “It’s been yet another fantastic year and we are delighted to now be actively involved with almost every single show in the gaming events calendar, with GEEK2015 at the forefront.”

More information on GEEK2015 will be revealed on the GEEK website www.geek-play.com

Train2Game News Student film maker creating student team

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London based Train2Game student who directed one minute version of Bladerunner is now creating a student team.

Copy Editor, Film Director and Train2Game student; Richard Cosgrove is searching for students to socialise, start a development group and work on portfolio projects.

Experienced storyteller and games enthusiast Richard Cosgrove is reaching out to London based and online Train2Gamers to work on exciting projects and portfolio pieces.  Richard has experience in writing, having worked as a Copy Editor. He is also an experienced story teller, having created his own film and theatre projects. Some of these exciting narrative ideas must have come from his interesting childhood; in the cadets, training in jujitsu and also being an active member of the dramatics society.

New to Train2Game, Richard spent  15 years in magazine production. Richard wants a fresh start in a creative career. He has always played videogames – gradually having less time to do so, and getting pickier with every year. He’s decided game design seems a good way to mix his professional skills, with his creative skills. Richard has a Degree in media production from the University of Luton and has completed numerous training courses related to filmmaking and magazine production.

Interestingly Richard remade the film Bladerunner for a short-film competition, where the entire film is edited to one minute long. If you’d like to take a look, there’s a links to the one-minute version for the competition http://youtu.be/-VJNYaL9Sy8”

Richard Cosgrove, Train2Game Student, said of creating a team and working in games development: “Games design offers a great scope to be creative, tell long-running immersive stories – something I’d enjoy very much – without being limited in scope by the practicalities of reality. Game design is a growth industry worldwide, which seems to have plenty of opportunity for employment across the world. I would prefer to stick to the development and design of games, rather than run my own company. If I did own my own company, I’d need someone doing the business side..”

If you are interested in getting in touch with Richard, please contact the T2G blog or message Mark on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game News Suikoden coming to PSN

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Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. has responded to a huge online campaign to bring back its popular Suikoden role-playing series, and will re-release the ever-popular Suikoden and Suikoden II titles digitally via PlayStation Network in January 2015.

Both games are regarded as some of the best role-playing titles for home systems, with Suikoden originally released for PlayStation® in 1997 and Suikoden II was released across Europe for the same format in 2000. They form the first two installments of the six-game series, With Suikoden following an unlikely hero as he attempts to locate the 108 Stars of Destiny that are needed to free his homeland.

Suikoden’s hero, who can be named by the player, is the son of the Great General, Teo McDohl. With his Father summoned to the front in Northlands, the player begins the game undergoing guard training in Gregminster. Via an old friend, the player is charged with protectingthe Rune of Life and Death; one of the 27 runes that govern the world, and which lead the hero to flee the capital. He duly encounters a rebel organization and embarks on a mission to find the Stars of Destiny – comrades needed to restore peace to the land, and to save the home they love.

Suikoden II centres on an orphan called Hero, his friend Jowy and his orphan sister, Nanami. This unlikely trio find themselves in the middle of a war between the Highland Kingdom and the City States. Thus, the three heroes embark on a journey that will question their preconceptions of life, society and war as they gather the famed 108 Stars of Destiny, initially introduced in the first game.

Together, the friends will face potentially life-and-death decisions that force the player to make tough choices, while the game’s celebrated story takes twists and turns and develops based on the decisions made. The trio will also be forced to go into battle as they progress, with combat consisting of a dynamic battle style where multiple team members or enemies can attack simultaneously. Suikoden II also offers players a unique magic rune and skills system that encourages players to perform combat moves with strategy in mind.

Some 18 years after the first game’s launch, Suikoden and Suikoden II are still regarded as two of the greatest role-playing games for home formats. Both will be released via the new PSOne Classic games collection in January for PlayStation 3. Release date and price will be announced soon.

“It is a testament to the content and quality of the Suikoden series that fans still talk about it, some 18 years later,” commented Shinji Hirano, President of Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. “We have received countless requests to revisit the series, so are delighted to be able to satiate its fans with these digital editions of the first two games. We hope people enjoy returning to the world of Suikoden, and that maybe its clever mechanics and engrossing story wins it a new fanbase.”

Train2Game News Queen of Code Funding

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Female game developers and creators from across England have launched individual Crowdfunder projects to gain funding to make their great ideas a reality as part of Creative England’s Queen of Code campaign.

Jaspal Sohal, Head of Games & Digital at Creative England, said: “England’s creative industries are some of the best in the world, and we work to nurture this exciting home grown talent. Our partnership with Crowdfunder reflects this with initiatives such as Queen of Code taking centre stage.

“A widely reported 49% of gamers in the UK are women but only 12% of people making games are female. With this partnership we aim to put the spotlight on the creative talent of the female counterpart of the industry.

“We are incredibly impressed with the breadth of expertise shown by the Queen of Code campaigns, and this is really exciting for the games industry as a whole.”

Phil Geraghty, MD of Crowdfunder said: “We are delighted with the response Queen Of Code has received and the wealth of talent that has emerged from female game developers in England.

“Creative England has shown real innovation by embracing crowdfunding to distribute funds and reach out to new audiences. Queen of Code is a great example of how Crowdfunder is revolutionising fund allocation across the UK.”

The five projects to gain the most pledges and backers via their Crowdfunder campaigns will each receive £3k match funding from Creative England, a not-for-profit organisation investing and nurturing the country’s richly diverse games, TV, film and digital media industries.

It’s excellent to see deserving games designers get the recognition they deserve.

Train2Game News OlliOlli being ported

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Notorious street thugs Curve Digital and the pushers of intense digital experiences over at Roll7 are pleased to announce a collaboration that sends finger-skate-em-up OlliOlli kick-flipping over gamers’ couches and grinding all up on their Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS consoles in early 2015!

For the seriously out-of-touch, OlliOlli is a 2D side-scrolling skateboard game crafted by Roll7 from a solid block of pure raditude. This ain’t your grandpa’s skating game  – OlliOlli throws you feet first into high-risk, high-reward skate lines where ‘just one more trick’ can mean the difference between pulling off a gnarly combo and becoming just a smear on the concrete.

Fresh from its critically acclaimed debut on the PC and PlayStation consoles, players will be tearing up over 250 challenges across 100 levels, utilizing the 120+ tricks at their disposal as they compete for the highest score amongst their peers and other skater strangers.

All of the wild features return in full for the new versions, such as all four game modes, including the nails-hard RAD mode and the Daily Grind, which sees players worldwide competing on the same line for the highest score possible.

The game’s release is scheduled for early 2015, when you can finally pop shove-it into your console of preference.