Tag Archives: Love

Train2Game News: A game proposal like no other

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divinity-original-sinWhen Daniel learned that one of his girlfriend’s favorite game developers produced a game in which you can create your own stories to play with friends, he hatched a brilliant plan to win her heart…

You can imagine that at Larian Studios they never expected to become a wedding agency when they started developing Divinity: Original Sin, but requests to use the game for marriage proposals began pouring in when the studio offered players a chance to create their own cooperative dialogs during the Kickstarter campaign.

Daniel, for instance, wanted to create a dialog of his own in which he’d ask his girlfriend, Dolores, to marry him. ‘Sure,’ was the studios reply, expecting to ship the game in plenty of time for those planning imminent proposals to enjoy.

With the delay of the game’s release, however, Daniel had to act: He contacted them directly, asking what arrangements could be made to facilitate an in-game proposal. This was a man utterly tired of being unengaged to his Dolores, it seemed, and the delay simply wouldn’t do.

Working together with the team’s writers and designers, Daniel made not one, but two stories: one to get an unsuspecting Dolores over to Larian Studios and one to set up a proposal in the game.

The first was an outright fib: Daniel and Dolores, as it went, had won a fan contest to come and test-play the game at Larian Studios. So they did, but as she explored the game world, Dolores soon found a mysterious ring on the beach near Cyseal, engraved with a message. ‘Bring me to the statue of the lady’, it said, ‘and her spirit will be revealed to you.’

Later on, as they explored the game world, they located a statue in a forgotten corner. The magic ring was employed, and lo and behold, a ghost rose from the ground, bathing the area in golden light. ‘I am the spirit of Love’, she spoke, ‘so say what has been in your heart for so long!’

‘Will you marry me, Dolores?’, Daniel asked. ‘I will!’ the shocked Dolores answered. The rest is history.

Soon, however, proposal arrangements will be out of Larian’s hands: Divinity: Original Sin will release this Spring with a game editor, and you may see what creative custom campaigns other hopeful lovers will make to impress their beloveds.

You can enjoy the video of Daniels in game proposal below:

Train2Game News: Game Jam creativity blossoms in to something more

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The Game Jam is not only a time of creativity but it can also be a time of love. This was the case for two people last year.

Lloyd Knott, 28, from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, met Joyce Webb, 25, from Hampshire, at the 2011 Game Jam. Joyce is a student with Train2Game and Lloyd was an advisor for the event. The two just celebrated their six month anniversary at last weekends world record beating Game Jam.

Being an advisor Lloyd could wander around, giving him an excuse to spend time with Joyce, talking to her and getting to know her. Following on from that Game Jam, Joyce and her winning team, Indigo Jam, went on to be part of Make Something Unreal Live.

After 6 months of developing and creating, Joyce got to go to The Gadget Show Live as part of the competition. Lloyd was assigned to Indigo Jam to help them get bits done and got to spend more time with Joyce.

Leading up to the Gadget Show the teams had monthly meetings at the University of Bedfordshire in Luton. It was at the last of these the two got together.

Joyce said “Well, it all started when one of the guys on the team, yes I’m putting this firmly on Dan Rutter’s shoulder, started saying he thought Lloyd liked me. Being a generally oblivious person, I thought he was just winding me up. When Lloyd was eventually assigned to our team to help get things ready for the Gadget Show, I noticed he was behaving a little oddly from the last few times I’d spoken to him. However it wasn’t until he asked if I’d like to go and see a film after the final meet up in Luton that I realised than Dan was right all along”

Lloyd said “Well I first met her at the last game jam where I was told to look after their team before helping out the other teams, but nothing really happened till after I was put on their team to help them get stuff ready for the gadget show. We got talking on their team speak server and kinda hit it off.”

After going to see The Raven, the biopic of Edgar Allen Poe, the two realised they had a lot in common and decided to become a couple.

Lloyd has just left Lionhead to begin working at Microsoft and Joyce is a Train2Game student who works at Odeon Cinemas in Andover.

Not only are Game Jams great for being creative and a good thing to put on your CV, you might even find someone to fall in love with. I wish the very best of luck to both Lloyd and Joyce in everything they do.