Tag Archives: iOS

Train2Game News: Dungeon Defenders 2 announced

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Dungeon DefendersDungeon Defenders 2 has been announced by Trendy Entertainment. The game will be free-to-play and features a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena.

The free-to-play tower defence role-playing game features a cooperative and competitive mode. The co-op mode is described as the true sequel to Dungeon Defenders, and features an expanded story and a 24-player overworld.

The competitive mode is a League of Legends-style Multiplayer Online Battle Arena experience set in the Dungeon Defenders universe. In this mode, five players defend their towers against the opposing team in classic MOBA style, potentially adding hours to the replayability.

The original Dungeon Defenders sold millions of copies with its popularity due to the combination of Tower Defense and RPG style game play.

Developer, Trendy Entertainment, said “Dungeon Defenders 2 is more fast-paced and the MOBA aims for a shorter learning curve and a more rpg-esque take on the genre.

“During the development of Dungeon Defenders we constantly tried different multiplayer modes. Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, you name it. None of them really fit. When planning the sequel, we couldn’t drop the idea that a MOBA in the Dungeon Defenders universe would rock. Maybe it was all the after hour games of League we played in the office. We don’t know. But it fit well into the storyline and achieved a core goal of helping Dungeon Defenders players meet new players, so we went all in.

“Our take on the MOBA genre is more rpg-esque, with more hero customization, persistent hero leveling, loot and a town square where players can socialize, manage their heroes, shop, trade, and queue for matches. We’ve drastically simplified the item system, to reduce the learning curve for new players and are aiming for shorter total match times. We’re also experimenting with some other unique twists that you might find out about later (if they work!).”

Dungeon Defenders 2 is in development for the PC, Mac, iOS, Android and the web. It’s releasing in two parts. Trendy said its focus is to release Dungeon Defenders 2 on platforms that allow consistent updates and cross-platform play and so won’t consider current generation consoles.

The co-op mode goes into beta late 2013 or early 2014. The competitive mode is in closed beta now. You can put your name down for an invite on the official website.

You can enjoy the trailer for the upcoming game below:

Train2Game News: Jonathan Ross’s game coming to Android

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Catcha Catcha AliensThe wait for the Android version of Jonathan Ross’s critically acclaimed “Catcha Catcha Aliens!” is over as it will be released on Google Play for Android on March 7. The game will be free to play and the iOS version will follow suit the same day.

Alien catchers who have already purchased the iOS App will be credited with 20,000 Zhillings, the virtual currency of the game, if they have the initial version installed on the device when they update their game.

“Catcha Catcha Aliens!” was originally released on December 3 for iOS and is the first title from Hotsauce interactive, a new development studio set up by TV personality, Jonathan Ross.

The game, which is a mission based catching game, has received plaudits for its high quality distinctive graphics, quirky humour, level based mini-challenges, original sound-track as well as its take on a popular genre. It has also been voiced by Stephen Fry and Jonathan himself.

Commenting on the Android launch and iOS update Jonathan Ross said “We’re quietly pleased with how our first game turned out. An Android version was always in the works but having made the decision to go free to play on iOS devices we decided to wait until we could launch both together.

To ensure that everyone who has already purchased the App won’t lose out, we are giving free in-game money to everyone who has already bought Catcha Catcha. Two new levels are nearly finished, and we are working on more characters as well as more games. Being involved in this process is even more exciting than I imagined it to be, and I hope that at least some of this excitement comes across in the finished game”.

For further information on “Catcha Catcha Aliens!” you can log on to http://hotsauceinteractive.co.uk/ follow on twitter @HotsauceTV or visit http://www.facebook.com/HotsauceInteractive

Train2Game News: Apple paying compensation over in-app purchases

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Apple LogoApple have proposed to pay compensation to several parents for not making some of it’s in-app purchases more secure after minors had charged costs to their parents accounts. A judge will consider the proposal on 1 March.

The legal action dates back to April 2011 and allegations made by a California-based man that his youngest daughter had racked up a series of charges without his knowledge. Garen Meguerian said his nine-year-old’s actions had cost him approximately $200 after she bought game currencies within apps including Zombie Cafe, Treasury Story and City Story.

His lawyer noted that some titles in Apple’s store allowed children to buy more than $100 worth of items in a single click without entering a password. Apple took a cut of each in-app sale. The case was later combined with other parents making similar claims.

The issue has since been address with Apple now ensuring that a password is entered before each and every in-app purchase.

Apple acknowledged it would need to tell more than 23 million iTunes account holders they might qualify. Affected users would receive an email offering at least $5 (£3.20) in credit if they confirmed a minor had charged their account without permission, and that they had not already had the fee deleted after making a complaint.

Apple’s proposal suggests affected parties can:

  • Email in their details to qualify for a $5 iTunes credit
  •  Request the $5 in cash if they no longer have an iTunes account
  • Provide full details of each in-app purchase to be reimbursed in full in credit or cash, for totals of at least $30

Apple indicates it will give claimants 180 days to submit their requests and will also award Mr Meguerian and four other named plaintiffs an additional $1,500 service award.

The plaintiffs have accepted the proposal and it is now set to be signed off by a judge in San Jose’s courthouse on Friday.

Apple declined to comment when asked whether it might consider offering a similar deal to users outside the US.

Train2Game News: Make Something Unreal Live winners game comes to app store

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Warlock of Firetop MountainTrain2Game Student studio and Make Something Unreal Live 2012 winners, Commando Kiwi, have released their first game on to the app store.

The game, Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Lost Chapters, was created by the students in their spare time for last years Make Something Unreal Live contest, held by Epic. The game was created using the UDK software and is based on the very first Fighting Fantasy novel, Warlock of Firetop Mountain which was written by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson.

The studio, which consists of Cat Forsyth, Martyn Whittel, Tom Chipchase, Jonny Robinson, Ashley Taylor, Adam Sherratt, Aaron Reeve, Andrew Smallwood, Tom Constable and Ezekiel Morris, have been working on the game since the beginning of 2012.

The students won the competition after demonstrating their game to a number of industry professionals, including Peter Molyneux, Cliff Bleszinski and Jon Hare. The final descision was that of Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson who decided Commando Kiwi’s game best captured the essence of Fighting Fantasy.

The game is a third person action game which puts you in the shoes of the adventurer who is travelling through the deadly Firetop Mountain in search of the fabled treasure of the all-powerful Warlock. The game features enemies and locations from the classic book with a battle system based on the system from the book its self. The unique combat system based uses skill and luck combinations made famous by the series of novels in an intuitive Active Time Battle System.

The game is available for free to download now from the app store.

You can re-live the Commando Kiwi story in the video below:

Train2Game News: Smart device games outselling handheld

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Smart devicesGames on smart devices are outselling games on Nintendo and Sony handheld consoles. This is excellent news for Train2Game students looking to break in to the industry.

The final quarter of the year’s sales are normally the best for devices such as the 3DS and VITA, thanks to all the package deals around Christmas time. This time however iOS and Android games completely eclipsed the games sales of the consoles.

A breakdown of the data also indicates that iOS games made three-and-a-half times more money than Android ones over the period but Android games are growing at a faster rate.

The data covers global sales between October and December 2012 and comes despite the fact that games for the PlayStation Vita and 3DS typically cost more than their smartphone equivalents. In-game ad revenues were excluded.

Despite the findings, the researchers said they believed the Japanese firms would release further handhelds.

The Portable Gaming Report by IDC and App Annie is the first of its kind produced by the companies. It helps build on NPD’s influential monthly study of US games sales which does not include smartphone and tablet games.

IDC’s Lewis Ward said “If you rewind the clock a year you will find the dedicated handhelds were clearly ahead, and this year they are more or less tied with an edge going to Android and iOS games.

“If we fast forward to the end of 2013 we should see a decisive edge for smartphone and tablet gaming.

“I think a further version of the Vita could be the last dedicated handheld from Sony, but I suspect Nintendo will continue for a while. They are three to four times as large as Sony in this business and I think they have a much more defensible niche.”

All this data is good news for Train2Game students as the mobile market is much easier to develop for than the console market and with the mobile market growing to even bigger and better heights there should be more chance of developing a financially successful game.

Train2Game News: Pokémon TV app for mobile devices

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Pokémon TV appToday Train2Game brings more great news for Pokémon fans around the globe! You can now watch Pokémon episodes on your iOS or Android device.

The Pokémon Company International launched the official Pokémon TV application earlier this week, it is available now for free on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch—and Android devices. The Pokémon TV app helps fans follow the many adventures of Ash, Pikachu, and their friends in fan-favourite episodes from the animated television series that will be updated weekly from a library of more than 700 episodes spanning fifteen seasons. In addition, Pokémon fans can catch special features, trailers, and Pokémon movie events using the Pokémon TV app.

Also, Pokémon fans can catch the debut of the animated short Meloetta’s Moonlight Serenade on February 15—available only through the Pokémon TV app and on www.pokemon.co.uk. This special event will be the first time Meloetta’s Moonlight Serenade is shown in English, and fans who watch can expect a sneak peek at the magic of Meloetta’s Pirouette Forme! Stay tuned—further exciting Meloetta news for video game fans will follow shortly!

Standard data charges will apply when using the Pokémon TV app. The Pokémon TV app is available in countries outside of Asia and can be downloaded from the App Store here:
https://itunes.apple.com/uk/app/pokemon-tv/id594261405?mt=8

Or from the Google Play Store here:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pokemontv&hl=en_GB
.
Be sure to visit Pokemon.co.uk, Like the official Pokémon Facebook page at Facebook.com/Pokemon, and follow Pokémon on Twitter @Pokemon to receive the latest Pokémon news.

Train2Game News: Mid-week round up – 30.01.13

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It’s time for another Train2Game mid-week round up!

As the Kickstarter draws to a close for the Gamestick console, images of the android gaming machine have been released. You can visit the Kickstarter site to view the console and add to the cause if it takes your interest. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/872297630/gamestick-the-most-portable-tv-games-console-ever

In previous Bioshock games, the moral decisions have been to choose whether the Little Sisters lived or died. In Bioshock Infinite, the decisions you have to make are more powerful and less commonplace. BioShock Infinite will still present plenty of moral quandaries, but these are not tied to a specific system that in turn determines what ending you’ll get.

Google is to provide UK schools with 15,000 free Raspberry Pi Model B computers. Qualifications awarding body OCR will also create free teaching and learning packs to go with each Raspberry Pi. Responding to the news, games industry veteran Ian Livingstone said: “Putting Raspberry Pis into the hands of children on this scale is potentially the most positive initiative to spur digital creativity since the advent of the BBC Micro in the 1980s.”

Lifetime Xbox 360 sales look certain to overtake those of current-gen leader Nintendo Wii in the UK. Microsoft’s console was less than 200,000 sales behind Wii at the end of December, having sold over four times more units than Wii in 2012. Nintendo UK confirmed before Christmas that around 8 million Wii consoles had been sold in the UK. Despite a reported 33% decline in video game console sales last year, Xbox 360 is said to have outsold its current-gen rivals by a “significant margin” in Britain during 2012. Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2 remain the UK’s first and second best selling games consoles respectively, with Wii and Xbox 360 currently in third and fourth spots.

Temple Run 2 has been released for iOS and now Android. The sequel to the hit game has hit 20,000 downloads on iOS alone. Developed by Imangi Studios, the app rushed to the top of the free App charts on iOS in just eight hours, and also hit number three in the Top Grossing chart. In its first week on sale, Temple Run 2 racked up 210 million sessions and 1,775 years of gameplay.

Train2Game News: Exciting iOS beta test for T2G students

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ImpPairedTrain2Game students invited to work with developers of puzzle title Imp Paired

Take part in the Train2Game exclusive beta, plus a chance to become part of professional development team

Casual puzzle title Imp Paired is offering Train2Game students exclusive access to a specially determined period of its beta test. In exchange for their time and expertise, students will receive a host of supporting and background information and the opportunity to engage the developers in conversation about the beta test from a developer’s point-of-view. As well as helping to test the game for bugs as part of the beta team, the Imp Paired developers are also looking for assistance with on-going development and managers to interact with the Imp Paired community. There is a genuine opportunity that the students who excel in this stage of Imp Paired’s development could continue to contribute to the ongoing development of this title and future releases from the studio.

Sign up for the Beta by emailing: nicholas@imppaired.com

Beta testers

The Imp Paired beta test is aimed at bringing the game up to release quality over the next few months. Testers will be given a copy of Imp Paired to install on their iOS devices and will be asked to give their feedback on new builds as they arrive throughout the test period.

The first builds are bound to be a little rough around the edges, but the developers behind Imp Paired are looking for the sort of people who like finding out where rough edges lie because it will be their feedback that drives the development process during the beta period.

As a beta tester you will be instrumental to the development process and you will be able to add the experience to your CV and portfolio.

Community managers

Community managers will be asked to field questions from and join in with the growing community through the Imp Paired website and social media channels, relaying information and questions between developer and audience. As part of the community team students will manage hubs like the Imp Paired Facebook page, contributing posts that offer opportunities for engagement.

Imp Paired

This puzzle title is best described as a cross between Pairs and Tetris. Where in traditional Pairs games you start with a full board and attempt to empty it, in Imp Paired you start with a half empty board and attempt to prevent it from filling. The task the player is presented with is to keep on top of their workload on a package sorting production line by revealing and matching pairs and sets of patterns on the packages’ reverse sides. New packages keep arriving all the time and the player must prevent their board from filling up or it’s game over.

The player is taken through the game by a pair of imp characters who pop-up between levels to instruct, encourage, insult and infuriate the player. The imps seem to be in charge, but as the player gains mastery of the increasing challenge the relationship between the player and the imps begins to unfold.

Imp Paired has both single and multiplayer modes and a range of difficulties. It sits together as a smart, humorous and fun experience, which lets newcomers and experts alike enjoy an exciting and challenging puzzle game.

To find out more about Imp Paired go to:

Website: imppaired.com

Facebook: facebook.com/imppaired

Twitter: twitter.com/imppaired (@imppaired)

YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvNFTGwmKf3nhX_aluHatJA

Imp Paired will be released for iOS in 2013, with a planned release for Android at a later stage.

To sign up for the Imp Paired beta or to join as a community manager email the team at the contact email address below.

nicholas@imppaired.com

Train2Game students invited to take part in Tamarex Beta

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TamarexStudents studying with Train2Game are invited to troubleshoot title created by student studio Icey Monty.

Remember the Tamagotchi? Well Train2Game student studio Icey Monty are inviting you to try there take on the classic virtual pet, only this time the pet isn’t so cute and cuddly. On this title which is soon to be available on iOS, you take care of a hungry T-Rex; feeding, playing and also cleaning up after it, as it grows! Train2Game students will be the first to play the game in an online version which will be available to all students who register an interest and are kind enough to give the team feedback on what they think.

The Beta

The Beta testing stage will be the final step towards releasing the game on to iOS and will be open to students for around two weeks. Those who sign up for the Beta will be asked to create their own pet dinosaur and reply to the Icey Monty team with their feedback over the period.

This is a great chance to see what students on the course are producing and also to take part in a closed preview where you can contribute to a game soon to hit the market.

To sign up to the Beta, contact: beta@iceymonty.com

Tamarex

  • Tamarex is a fresh new take on the Tamagotchi games, combining enticing 3D environments with an engaging and unique pet dinosaur.
  • Bring your Tamarex to life through feeding, various forms of play, and even cleaning up after it!
  • Customisation options! Choose the name, and unique colour of your Tamarex.
  • Your Tamarex lives persistently, even while you are offline.

Icey Monty

The team is made up of three Train2Game students: Lee Sainsbury, Nick Walker and John Esslemont.

To find out more about Tamarex go to:

Website: www.iceymonty.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iceymonty

Tamarex will be released for iOS early in 2013

Train2Game News: Mid-week round up – 16.01.13

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Valve logoIt is that time of week for the Train2Game mid-week round up!

Valve has announced plans to to discuss a port of Team Fortress 2 to virtual reality goggles. The first talk will be programmer Joe Ludwig’s ‘What We Learned Porting Team Fortress 2 to Virtual Reality’ and it will explore the efforts of several employees over the last year to get the game to run in virtual reality goggles. In addition, Valve’s Michael Abrash will discuss the hardware challenges that lie ahead and possible solutions for virtual and augmented reality in ‘Why Virtual Reality is Hard (And Where it Might be Going).’

Square Enix have launched a new website to tease all fans of an upcoming iOS game. More information is to be released on January 17. The site has an image of what looks like a front end menu for the game which is called, Final Fantasy: All The Bravest. You can check out the website for yourself here: http://www.jp.square-enix.com/ff_atb/

Since Activision brought out Skylanders it has done very well and now Disney has seen it’s potential. They are now doing their own version with the announcement of Disney Infinity. Infinity will work in the same way as Skylanders, needing action figures and a “toy box” base to give players access to different worlds. Disney fans will recognize plenty of familiar faces, like Captain Jack Sparrow, the cast of the Incredibles, and Sully from Monsters Inc.

Surreal game creator Suda51 has revealed details of his next game, Killer is Dead. The game stars Mondo Zappa, a 35 year old American executioner that abides by a strict suit-and-tie policy and his left hand is a gun that can also transform into a drill and is used primarily to absorb an enemy’s blood for an “Adrenalin Burst” attack. The game’s antagonist is Victor, who can manipulate emotions through song. He’s appropriately styled to look like classic composer, except has a green face and glowing eyes.

Online and mobile are spearheading the game industry’s growth to a potential total valuation of $83 billion by 2016, according to new research. Conducted by Digi-Capital, the global games investment review states that online and mobile could have a revenue share of $48 billion in 2016, 55 per cent of the entire game industry. The biggest driver in mobile and tablet app revenue meanwhile will be free-to-play, which could deliver 55 per cent of revenue in the sector and account for 93 per cent of app downloads by 2016.