Train2Game News: Rugby Nations 13

Rugby Nations 13The biggest rugby game for smart phones and tablets is back and aims to grow its existing 2.5m fans with new features including professional commentary and improved rugby simulation.

Distinctive Games launches the fourth instalment of the biggest rugby title for the smart phone and tablet, Rugby Nations 13. The series has gone from strength-to-strength since its creation in 2009, new features include: Commentary from Sky Sports’ Bill Leslie, improved visuals and animations with guidance from ex-professional rugby player James Waterhouse and increased accuracy and realism of the rugby simulation, directly requested by players of previous games in the franchise.

Powered by the Phoenix engine, the astonishing visuals and incredibly fluid game play of Rugby Nations 13, propel your rugby experience to new heights. Charge into the action with all-new set play mechanics, offload passing and strategically increase your scoring potential using the in-game team management to ensure only the fittest make the pack.

Rugby Nations is one of Distinctive Games major franchises, to date it has released four games in the series that have been played by over 2.5m players. Rugby Nations 13 will the 5th in the series and will be released accompanied by Rugby Kicks 2, a free rugby flicking game which will be available a few weeks after Rugby Nations 13 is released. Rugby Nations 13 will be launched exclusively on iOS with plans for release on additional formats later in the year.

The Distinctive Games team have a huge amount of experience in creating sports games, having previously worked with the biggest sports IPs in gaming and now with over 30 million people playing their sports titles. The franchise has achieved over 2.5m downloads, is the #1 rugby game for smartphones/tablets and has featured in the top 10 sports games on Appstores, with Rugby Nations 2011 reaching #1 within two days of release.

Distinctive games have also recently employed Tarnya Smith, a Train2Game student who worked on this years Rugby Nations game. We will catch up with her soon to find out about her experiences with Distinctive Games.

Nick Dent, Creative Director, Distinctive Games, said: “We’re all huge fans of sports and sporting games at Distinctive Games, so it’s great to bring the latest version of Rugby Nations to our enthusiastic and passionate fan base. We’ve taken a lot of time to look over reviews of the previous titles by the players and improve aspects of the game they have specified. We’ve also been continuing to work with ex-professional rugby player James Waterhouse to improve the realism of the game. With professional commentary by Bill Leslie this is the biggest and best Rugby Nations to date.”

Distinctive Games recently won the Windows 8 “Power Up” gaming App competition. To find out more visit the Distinctive Games website at www.distinctivegames.com.

Train2Game News: Details for Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers

Magic 2014Wizards of the Coast have announced two exciting new features coming to Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers!

Sealed Play and a new take on the popular Slivers creature type will both make their debut in the Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise with Magic 2014.

The addition of Sealed Play will allow players to open booster packs and build decks to play against the AI and other players. Each sealed pool is comprised of 84 cards, mimicking paper TCG booster packs. The PvE experience includes a six-deck ladder where players take on mono-colored Sealed decks each corresponding with a particular Planeswalker, and finally facing a ‘boss’ Sealed deck.

Another feature debuting in Magic 2014 is a new take on the popular Slivers creature type. A fan-favorite, new playable Slivers in Magic 2014 decks. For the Magic fans who know the cards, the decks will include:

−     Sliver Construct

−     Predatory Sliver

−     Groundshaker Sliver

−     Megantic Sliver

−     Blur Sliver

−     Striking Sliver

−     Thorncaster Sliver

−     Battle Sliver

−     Sentinel Sliver

−     Bonescythe Sliver

In addition, Hive Stirrings, a sorcery that creates Sliver tokens, will also be included in Magic 2014.

The Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers video game will be available for PC, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, iPad, and Android tablet for the first time when it launches this summer. The Magic 2014 product line-up also includes the Magic 2014 – Core Set for the paper trading card game and Magic Online.

You can enjoy a gallery of shots from the upcoming game below.

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Train2Game News: Assassin’s Creed community program

Assassin's Creed 4: Black FlagUbisoft have revealed its first VIP program, THE WATCH, dedicated to the Assassin’s Creed community, now available for all players who pre-order Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag via retail, online stores or Uplay in EMEA territories.

THE WATCH will allow members to delve deeper into the Assassin’s Creed Universe and enjoy exclusive tailored content, as well as early access to the latest information, ensuring the community are the first to know about upcoming events, shows, talks and releases on the brand.

THE WATCH will bring the community closer to Assassin’s Creed than ever before via regular in-depth features exploring a variety of different themes, including the characters, setting, places, cultural inspirations and other game related elements.

The Assassin’s Creed universe also lives through the fans’ voice and creations, so THE WATCH also allows members to follow Assassin’s Creed related social media and discussions, discover and ‘like’ other member’s content and upload their own, and compare their skills and achievements! Key members of the community will also be chosen to update a special “Experts” section to share their deep knowledge on the universe.

THE WATCH will also introduce unique member quests to compete in, unlocking specific missions, special rewards and bonuses. These timed missions will only be available through THE WATCH and participants will be able to track themselves and other members through global leaderboards.

In addition to its desktop version, THE WATCH is optimized for tablets and smartphones. For more information, you can visit: http://www.assassinscreed.com/thewatch

You can enjoy a trailer for THE WATCH below

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 26.04.13

THQ logoIt is the end of the week which means it is time for the Train2Game industry news round up!

Nordic Games announced earlier this week that it was one of the successful bidders in THQ´s auction process, which ended on April 15. Nordic Games will acquire more than 150 intellectual properties for a purchasing price of USD 4.9 million spanned across PC, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony platforms. The company has acquired the rights to Darksiders, Red Faction, MX vs. ATV, Titan Quest, Supreme Commander, Frontlines, Stuntman, Juiced, Full Spectrum Warrior, Destroy All Humans and much more. I look forward to seeing what the developer does with their new products.

Annelid aficionados Mastertronic announced Worms Revolution Collection, the latest in anarchic action, will explode into stores on May 3rd for Xbox 360. Worms Revolution Collection, contains the latest OTT outing in the best-selling turn-based series, plus all three DLC packs and, as an added bonus, Worms 2 Armageddon and all five DLC packs all wrapped up in a mystery crate and sealed with a loving poke! You can enjoy the trailer, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPNMoUFw3_0&feature=youtu.be

Another game collection. You will be able to experience the complete Skyrim collection with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition, arriving in retail stores throughout Europe and Australia on June 7, 2013. The Legendary Edition will be available on Xbox 360 and PS3 for £39.99. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Legendary Edition includes the original critically-acclaimed game, official add-ons – Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn – and added features like combat cameras, mounted combat, Legendary difficulty mode for hardcore players, and Legendary skills – enabling you to master every perk and level up your skills infinitely.

Independent developer Wired Productions has confirmed plans to bring popular music creation software eJay to the touchscreen generation – despite not reaching its initial Kickstarter campaign target. As the campaign closed this morning, over £50,000 had been pledged – short of the hoped £150,000, but enough support to make Wired Productions more determined than ever to revive the program which inspired a generation of DJs. “It has been a hell of a ride,” explains Leo Zullo, managing director, Wired Productions, “but ultimately we fell short of our initial target. That said, it’s been an invaluable process. We’ve learnt loads about what the community wants and feel able to continue our journey towards a revived eJay with renewed confidence.

Finally, a bit of news for you Bat-fans, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games announced the release of LEGO Batman: DC Super Heroes for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, available now on the App Store. Delivering action-adventure gameplay to touchscreen devices, this latest caper is based on LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, the game which released to critical acclaim in June 2012 and was one of the best-selling videogames of the year.

Train2Game News: Mobile Talisman board game

TalismanMobile games publisher, Thumbstar Games, is excited to announce the release of Games Workshop’s fantastic Talsiman Prologue from Nomad Games scheduled for 25th April for iOS and Android.

Enter the Mythical World of Talisman’s Dragons and Sorcery!

Talisman Prologue is the first in a series of games based on the seminal Talisman board game.

For those unfamiliar with this classic world of fantasy adventure, Talisman is a game like no other – indeed, it is no ordinary game but a fantastic quest in a world of magic and monsters.

As you play, a story unfolds from turn to turn: a heroic epic of brave deeds, daring encounters, treasures and magic, of battles won and lost, but always a tale that enthrals!

In Talisman Prologue, you take the role of 10 characters on a series of epic quests. Fight your way through hordes of monstrous creatures and cast powerful magic spells along the way.

Using the rules of the board game, Talisman Prologue is a single-player strategy role-playing game.

The key features of the game include:

· 10 classic characters from the board game
· 50 quests to play through
· Original sountrack
· Endless replayability

You can enjoy the trailer below:

To keep up on the latest news from Thumbstar Game and Talisman, you can using the links below:

Website: http://www.thumbstar.com/games/TALISMAN

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thumbstargames

Twitter: @thumbstar

 

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 12.04.13

Dishonored Knife of DunwallIt is the end of the week which means its time for the Train2Game news round up. There are many trailers for you this week!

Arkane studios has just released a new gameplay trailer for Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall, the second add-on pack for Arkane Studios’ critically-acclaimed first-person action game. In The Knife of Dunwall you take on the role of Daud, the legendary assassin who killed the Empress, and access his weapons, gadgets, allies and supernatural abilities. After assassinating the Empress, and forever changing the fate of Dunwall, you embark on a search for redemption. You can enjoy the trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHV4R3cseVE

Independent developers and wannabe videogame musicians will be able to quickly and easily create authentic chiptunes when eJay Pure hits iOS and Android later this year –with your help. The 1,000 strong sample pack will mark the first time the eJay series has catered for this booming genre – and illustrates the breadth that Wired Productions is bringing to the core eJay experience. You can support the release of eJay by giving to their Kickstarter at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wiredproductions/ejay-pure

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y launches worldwide in October. Today, the mysteries of the newest Pokémon titles continue to grow with the unveiling of a Pokémon that is strangely familiar to Legendary Pokémon Mewtwo! What is this new Pokémon? How will you encounter it in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y? When will you know more? So many questions! You can see this new Pokémon in the following video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-k1E83_nnU

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment released an all-new trailer for the upcoming DC Comics fighter Injustice: Gods Among Us – set to launch next week on 19th April – which focuses on the Green Lantern’s role within the game’s story and his struggle to defeat his ultimate foe. A sworn intergalactic defender of the innocent, within the story of Injustice: Gods Among Us, Hal Jordan is forced to clash with a carbon copy of himself. As he summarizes in the trailer, “My oath says that no evil shall escape my sight. So what happens when that evil is me?” You can enjoy the footage of GL here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6jrq2I8OKc

Having just released the amusingly fun BattleBlock Theater, The Behemoth revealed that they’re already working on their fourth game creatively titled Game 4. The studio are also talking about whether or not they would make sequels to any of their games such as Castle Crashers. While there are no details regarding Game 4, Behemoth expressed interest in making fighting and MOBA games. They also have “no problem” making another game similar to CC if “we feel we can make a beat-em-up that’ll take the genre somewhere else,” said Behemoth’s co-founder and art director Dan Paladin.

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 05.04.13

lucasartsIt is Friday so it is time for another Train2Game game industry news round up.

The saddest bit of news this week was that the new owners of LucasArts, Disney, has shut down the company. LucasArts were responsible for making many of the Star Wars licensed games as well as other games such as Monkey Island. A LucasFilm representative suggested that properties such as 1313 and Star Wars: First Assault could still find a home via a third party.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment announced that the Injustice: Gods Among Us game is now available on the App Store. Developed from the ground up by award-winning NetherRealm Studios, this free-to-play mobile game delivers stunning graphics and a completely unique fighting gameplay experience. The mobile game features a collectible card mechanic and engages players in 3-on-3 tag team combat that pits many of DC Comics most popular icons such as Batman, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Aquaman and more against one another. Fans who also own the forthcoming Xbox 360 and PlayStation3 versions will be able to unlock content in the console versions that will be available in the mobile game, and vice versa, by registering for a Warner Bros. ID (WBID) account and playing the game.

Perfect World Entertainment Inc. and Cryptic Studios are pleased to announce that on April 30, 2013, the free-to-play action MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter is heading into Open Beta, allowing millions of players unrestricted access to the game world. Neverwinter is Cryptic and Perfect World’s proof that Western free-to-play games, when built from the ground up, can compete with even the biggest boxed subscription titles. On April 30, the companies invite all gamers to put that claim to the test. There will be no character wipes or restricted access after the start of Open Beta. Players can still become Founders through Neverwinter’s Founder’s Pack Program. Benefits include exclusive access to Beta Weekend 4, permanent in-game items that are unique to Founders, early access to Open Beta, and VIP perks. To take advantage of these benefits and to gain exclusive access to Neverwinter’s Beta Weekend 4, players may visit: http://nw.perfectworld.com/founderspack/

The latest set of downloadable content for Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II has been confirmed for an April 16th launch on Xbox Live. The pack will include four new maps as well as a new zombie mode, available for 1200 Microsoft points or free to existing season pass holders. The four new maps are: Magma, a modern Japanese village featuring volcanic eruptions; Encore, taking place in the aftermath of a London music festival; Vertigo, a futuristic high rise building in India and Studio, a Hollywood movie back lot which describes itself as a “contemporary remake of Firing Range” which was found in the original Black Ops. By far the most intriguing addition to the newest DLC is the new Mob of the Dead mode, which sounds interesting enough to breathe life into the unspectacular collection of zombie content available currently. In it you play as a prohibition-era mobster locked up in Alcatraz whose attempts to escape are “foiled by the rise of the undead.”

Finally, creators of the hit game Castle Crashers, have released a new game. Blocks, Cats, Hats, Betrayal! This is how The Behemoth have described their new game, Battleblock Theatre. This newly released game, that is currently only for XBLA, is all about platforming, a “story of geometric proportions”, several modes of online gameplay and a massive amount of replayability. It has over 450 levels, hundreds of unlockables to find, over 300 prisoners to free and The Behemoth is calling it their largest game to date. The Behemoth said they are considering future ports, just like they did with Castle Crashers, but since they are a small studio it would take them quite some time to port if they do decide to bring the game to PC or PS3.

Train2Game News: Audio editing Kickstarter

eJayThere is a new interesting Kickstarter to support for an audio editing kit that you can use on your mobile phone.

This Kickstarter project is a perfect example of how Kickstarter can be utilised to get your project out to the masses and offer special rewards to those who invest. If you are thinking of using Kickstarter to fund your own game this is certainly a good template to work from.

The software, eJay Pure, is being developed by Wired Productions and it will be free for everyone to download and create your music, using preloaded samples. You can be a DJ from your own mobile.

You will get the full eJay experience from the first moment. If you enjoy what you create, you will be able to further your experience by purchasing additional features and buying many thousands of samples which will be constantly created.

eJay Pure is being developed from the ground up for touch screens so that the user interface is intuitive and the experience is fast and seamless.

Wired have been working on eJay Pure for 9 months, and have completed pre-production, technology tests, R&D, and have even started making some of the cutting edge samples that defined the eJay experience.

The reason the company has chosen Kickstarter is because they have spent months working on this project and are now moving to the final push.

The software could also be very helpful to Train2Game students who are looking to making music for their own games whilst on the move. This can be done on the train with headphones giving you more time to work on getting the core mechanics of the game when at a PC.

If you are thinking of using Kickstarter to fund your game then get in touch with the Train2Game PR Team through the Train2Game forum. You will be advised the best way to display your game on Kickstarter to get the most from the service.

If you want to find out more about this project and support the Kickstarter go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wiredproductions/ejay-pure

Train2Game News: BOOMBA! launches like a three pronged bazooka with the help of Train2Game

Boomba LogoTrain2Game helps to achieve national and international coverage for student’s studio’s title with the support of Train2Game’s PR team.

Student Fee Stewart has been working with Train2Game internal PR team to deliver worldwide coverage for Radiation Burn’s latest title Boomba! Fee, who is an Artist and Project manager at the studio, took advantage of the additional support Train2Game offer and coordinated withTrain2Game’s PR team to draft and distribute a press release on behalf of the studio.

Coverage was achieved on sites in the US, Spain, France and of course the UK. Highlights include Nintendo Everything and Develop Online

Nintendo EverythingDevelopThis support is available to all students commercially releasing games, whether they be independent student studios or working at organisations outside of Train2Game. Train2Game love to support the successes of its students and the student body love to hear about them, so make sure to keep us informed of everything you are working on.

You can see some of the international articles in the links below, including sites from Spain, France and Brazil.

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Well done Fee!

Train2Game News: Train2Game student releasing Boomba!

Boomba LogoTrain2Game Student, Fee Stewart, has been working with Radiation Burn LTD to create a new exciting game called, Boomba!

In the game you get to play as punks, rockers, emos, soldiers, cops and many more characters in an exciting and enjoyable turn based strategy game that is based described as Angry Birds meets Worms.

This turn based physics shooter is completely unique and plays like no other. There are over 50 different teams to choose from, with more to follow. Aimed at aged 7+ casual to medium game players, this title really is open to everyone. The accuracy of your shooting is combined with a range of exciting weaponry to be victorious; use chainsaw missiles, boxing glove bazookas and metal anvils to defeat your opponents.

Boomba

Boomba will be available on: Nintendo 3DS, iOS, Windows 8 and Windows Phone, Kindle, Blackberry, Andoid, PC and Mac next month.

RadiationBurn Ltd. strives to provide fun and original IP for your enjoyment. The studio, founded in Middlesbrough 2010, creates fun and original titles of all sizes. The company was founded through winning the Microsoft Dream.Build.Play Challenge, Old Spice competition. A worldwide competition in which RadiationBurn Ltd. were voted winners, by a panel of judges and the gaming public.

Fee joined the company in October 2011 after finishing a Train2Game student placement at the company.

When asked her opinion of the game she said “Boomba! is something I thought I would be doing only once. It soon became a daily habit to both create the game and play it!”

You can find out more about the game by going to www.boombagame.com