Tag Archives: GamesCom

Train2Game News World Cyber Arena brings eSports to Europe

Posted on by

image

The World Cyber Arena, an international organizer of eSports tournaments, today announces their entry into the European market aiming to strengthen eSports as a global industry.

Aside from the European qualifier, the WCA tournament is also holding qualifiers in the United States and China, with the finals held in the Chinese city of Yinchuan.

Top European teams and pro gamers will compete in Heroes of the Storm, Warcraft III, Hearthstone, Dota 2, and Crossfire to fight for an overall prize money of sixteen million US Dollars.

The players will kick-off the tournament on July 21 in the online Pro Qualifiers to land a spot in the next tournament phase at this year’s gamescom in Cologne. At gamescom they will not only fight for the European prize money but also for their invitation to the finals in China.

The European Pro Qualifiers in Dota 2 and Crossfire will be held after gamescom. All matches of the EU qualifier phase will be broadcasted live from the Berlin-based studios of Freaks 4U Gaming.

Prominent commentators and analysts for all games, including Thomas “Khaldor” Kilian, Jökull “Kaldi” Jóhannsson, and Jannes “Neo” Tjarks will be part of the production.

Gamers and fans can follow the matches on their home screens via Twitch TV or in person at the official gamescom WCA booth in hall 5.2, booth A-019.

Train2Game News: Years of board game history available with DICE+

Posted on by

DICE+Game Technologies Brings the Social Back to Digital Gaming with Revolutionary Board Game Controller.

Developed in Poland by Game Technologies, DICE+, the universal board game controller that brings real-world social interaction back to digital gaming, launched at Gamescom 2013. DICE+ can be purchased for £34.99 via http://dicepl.us.

The revolutionary DICE+ controller interacts with Bluetooth-enabled smart devices and combines the physical touch and feel of a game die with the potential for unlimited digital game and toy ideas. DICE+ has the power to make board games appealing to a new generation of players: “Powered board games” will enable you to get together with friends around the same device and experience a wealth of new gaming opportunities that combine the power and visual excitement of tablet gaming with the joy of playing games in a group.

From digital renditions of classic board games to new gaming experiences that leverage the built-in gyroscopic motion control, DICE+ comes with a host of free games to show off its capabilities. Also coming 2013 and early 2014 are a wide range of titles based on popular franchises, including family-friendly fare, top-quality edutainment titles and intense classics that are sure to please even the most hardened board game aficionado. Developers can also unleash their creativity with the DICE+ development kit, dreaming up new ways to utilize this versatile controller for a wide range of games.

You can learn more about Game Technologies and its exceptional new product at http://www.game-technologies.com.

Train2Game News: Microsoft allowing self publishing on Xbox One

Posted on by

Xbox OneMicrosoft have announced they will allow self publishing for indie titles on the Xbox One. This is excellent news for Train2Game students.

Microsoft have also announced that each console can be used as a development kit, much like the way that Apple devices can be used as such.

Here’s the official statement from Xbox corporate VP, Marc Whitten:

“Our vision is that every person can be a creator. That every Xbox One can be used for development. That every game and experience can take advantage of all of the features of Xbox One and Xbox LIVE. This means self-publishing. This means Kinect, the cloud, achievements. This means great discoverability on Xbox LIVE. We’ll have more details on the program and the timeline at Gamescom in August.”

Whitten also told Kotaku that dev kit functionality will not be available at launch, but will be added ‘at a later date’.

This dispells all concerns of the accessibility and exposure of indie game on Xbox One, Whitten promises they will live on the Xbox Live Marketplace with the major titles.

Whitten explains “Of course there will be different pivots inside of that. There will be everything from what are we curating, kind of like spotlight content, to the normal discoverability stuff like recommendations, what’s trending, what’s got a lot of engagement on the platform. But you shouldn’t think of it as there’s an indie area and a non-indie area.”

With this announcement it opens up an entirely new indie market for Train2Game students and Student Studios with all the features of the Xbox One, allowing you to get creative with features such as Kinect and the Cloud.

Train2Game’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier interview with Ubisoft

Posted on by
Reply

Train2Game was at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from 17th August to 21st August. While there, we spoke to three members of the Ubisoft Ghost Recon: Future Soldier team. They were Game Director Eric Couzian, Lead Game Designer Roman Campos Oriola and Associate Producer Thomas Leroux-Hugon.

In an in-depth interview with Train2Game they discuss new game design features for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, taking co-op into account during game development and adding Kinect motion controls to the game.

They also reveal how they got into the games industry and suggest how Train2Game students can follow in their footsteps.

Read the Train2Game Ghost Recon: Future Soldier interview below,  here on the Train2Game blog.

Train2Game news: Adding Kinect motion control ”not really difficult’ say Ghost Recon developers

Posted on by
Reply

Train2Game students may be split over the potential of Kinect, but developing for the motion controller isn’t difficult…so long you know how you want to use it.

That’s according to the developers of the upcoming Ghost Recon: Future solider. The upcoming tactical squad shooter features Kinect compatibility in its Gunsmith mode, which as reported by the Train2Game blog was first revealed at E3.

The mode allows players to put together and take apart weapons using Kinect hand gestures, while motion control can also be used to test the weapons on an in-game firing range.

And developers Ubisoft say adding these features to Ghost Recon: Future soldier was relatively simple

“I think adding the motion control of Kinect to a game it’s not really difficult when you know what you want to do with it, when you know to add it into the game” Lead Game Designer Roman Campos Oriola told Train2Game at Gamescom.

“So for us Kinect for the gunsmith is there to enact the fantasy that you are really manipulating your weapons and customising them.”

Associate Producer Thomas Leroux-Hugon added that while Gunsmith mode was originally designed with a control pad in mind, its context meant adding Kinect compatibility made things simpler.

“In the very specific context of the gunsmith mode the design existed already as a pad driven design but Kinect added something that made things simpler in a way” said Lerouz-Hugon

“It’s always easier for us to work from a good ground and then something closer to the actual act of manipulating stuff.”

And Ubisoft are convinced they’ve found the right use for the motion controller, without having to think about it too much

“It could be like ‘we need to put some motion control in, what feature will do? Maybe we could have that?’ No. The case was we had a really clear mind about what we wanted to do with It.” added Oriola.

The full interview Ghost Recon: Future Soldier interview with Ubisoft will be published shortly.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Kinect in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier? Have Ubisoft found the right use? Do you have any ideas about how you’d like to use Kinect in games.

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

Train2Game interview with Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Jason Vandenberghe

Posted on by
Reply

Train2Game was at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from 17th August to 21st August. While there, we spoke with Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Jason Vandenberghe.

In an in-depth interview, he discussed what his role involves, the game design process behind an open world title, creating believable characters and much more.

He also reveals how he got into the games industry and gives Train2Game students advice on how to follow in his footsteps.

Read the interview below here on the Train2Game blog, or listen via Train2Game Radio.

Far Cry 3 Narrative Director: Using actors and performance capture improves game design

Posted on by
Reply

The use of actors and performance capture is the future of game design. That’s according to Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Jason Vandenberghe, who argues that it improves games making characters more believable, something he believes the industry needs to do more of.

It could be a technology that Train2Game students could use in their future careers.

“I think we’ve been putting up with poor performances and poor writing for too long in the industry” Vandenberghe told Train2Game in a soon to be published interview.

“There’s a lot of people who’ve kind of accepted that it’s just a game so you don’t need to have a good story or don’t need to have good believable characters. Why not? We should have good, believable, strong characters every time.”

The Far Cry 3 Narrative Director believes that as the performance capture technology becomes more readily available, more game developers should take advantage of it.

“We have examples of that, there have been great characters in gaming and we should continue with that, we should expect that” said Vandenberghe.

“I believe that now that the technology for performance capture is becoming more and more available, and we’re learning more about it, I expect the quality bar to rise and I hope you guys (gamers) should be demanding better characters out of your games.”

“What I’m trying to do with this game is raise the audiences’ expectations” he added.

Stay tuned to the Train2Game blog for the full interview with Far Cry 3 Narrative Director Jason Vandenberghe. The title from Ubisoft is set for release next year.

Other games that use motion capture include L.A. Noire and its impressive facial animations, and the Uncharted series which takes input of actors very seriously.

And last month the Train2Game blog reported that Assassin’s Creed: Revelations will also use motion technology.

So Train2Game, is Vandenberg right? Is performance capture and the user of actors the future of the industry? Will it help game designers produce better games?

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

Train2Game at Gamescom: Interview with Halo: Anniversary developers 343

Posted on by
Reply

 

Train2Game were at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from 17th August to 21st August. While there, we spoke with 343 Executive Producer Dan Ayoub and Producer Dennis Ries about the upcoming and Halo: Anniversary.

In a wide ranging interview they discussed what elements of game design make Halo such a successful franchise, new features including 3D and classic mode, and offer Train2Game students advice on how to get into the games industry. 

Read the interview here on the Train2Game blog, then leave your comments here or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game at Gamescom: Interview with F1 2011 Chief Game Designer Steve Hood

Posted on by

 

Train2Game was at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from 17th August to 21st August. While there, we spoke with F1 2011 Chief Game Designer Steve Hood of Codemasters in a wide ranging interview.

Subjects included new Game Design features, how building for multiplayer differs to single player, adapting to the sports new rules and F1 2011’s art.

Hood revealed how he started in the games industry and gave Train2Game students advice on how to get in. Read the full interview below, or listen to it on Train2Game Radio.  Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game at Gamescom: Interview with RAGE Creative Director Tim Willits

Posted on by
Reply

 

Train2Game  attended Gamescom from 17th August to 21st August.  During our time in Cologne we were fortunate enough to get hands on time with RAGE and speak to Creative Director Tim Willits.  

During our interview he discussed the ideas, design and development process behind RAGE. Willits also reveals how he got into the industry through modding, and suggests Train2Game students should do the same if they want to follow in his footsteps.

Read the interview with RAGE Creative Director Tim Willits below, or listen to it on via Train2Game Radio.

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