Tag Archives: mobile gaming

Train2Game News: Train2Game student gets big chance

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James Valaitis, a Train2Game student taking part in the Game Jam was rewarded with an apprenticeship at 22Cans following his hard work at The Gadget Show Live earlier this year.

James, 19, lives in Essex and has been a student on the developer course from Train2Game for just over 2 years. He has been involved in every Game Jam that Train2Game have hosted and his hard work is now paying off.

At last years Game Jam he was a part of Team Gandalf which went on to become Digital Mage. The team would go on to be one of the winning teams that year. Winning that Game Jam meant James and his team had 6 months to design and develop a game based on the Fighting Fantasy game books written by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. The end goal was to display the games at The Gadget Show Live at the Birmingham NEC to several industry icons. It was here that James met Peter Molyneux, CEO of 22Cans.

James was the presenter for Digital Mage, as well as one of the developers. He would show the game to an audience and a games industry icon. Mr Molyneux was one of these icons. James did an incredible job of presenting to him and Mr Molyneux immediately saw his potential.

James said “Without Train2Game I would of never been in an opportunity where I got to meet so many legends at last years game jam.

“Going to the studio was an experience I’ll never forget and I think the best decision I have ever made is signing up for Train2Game.”

22Cans are soon to release there first product, the social experiment app, Curiosity – What’s in the cube?.

Good Luck to James in everything he does. I have no doubts that he will go very far indeed.

Train2Game News: Students sleepless thoughts so far

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This is a round up of some of the thoughts, messages and quotes from the students at Train2Game Game Jam. As sleep deprivation sets in, anything could be said.

For example as I started writing this I heard an interesting conversation from Team 14 questioning “how a dinosaur can scratch himself if he has an itch.”

Neil Gorman of Team 33 said “The team is really jelling well for only meeting yesterday and they haven’t stopped laughing yet”

Chris Ledger of Team 3 said “The theme was a bit of a shocker. Its been a good laugh to work with though. I haven’t had much sleep but I am proud of myself as I did some good work in Blend and Visual Studios, being a designer that’s not my speciality. Getting texts from my friends, family and girlfriend is a massive support and keeps me going through the sleepless nights.”

Dan Rutter also of Team 3 said “We had a lot of ideas using the Pride Of London theme. Ideas such as Boris Johnson being a secret agent protecting the crown jewels were thrown around early on. Compared to last years Game Jam using UDK it is a bit of a challenge. This is the first 2D game I have ever worked on.”

Matty Wyett-Simmonds of Team 1 said in a very sleep deprived fashion “It’s been a good weekend. It’s been fun meeting new people to work with. The Microsoft lecture was interesting as we got to ask plenty of questions I am pretty sure my future assassin is here somewhere” It seems lack of sleep is definitely setting.

Dimitri Michael also of Team 1 said “Our game kicks ass!” He went on to solidify the point repeating how kick ass it was. It is probably worth mentioning he has only had a few hours sleep.

Craig Moore of Team 32 said “I have had a really good team. There have been a few stumbling blocks along the way. We are banking on some little bugs being fixed and we should have a really good game. There was a massive learning curve, but thanks to the help Train2Game have given us we were able to hit the floor running! Thanks Train2Game!”

Train2Game News: Windows 8 sees the light and goes to the Cloud

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Microsoft has joined forces with, Any Games Any Where Instantly (Agawi) to bring Cloud gaming to Windows 8.

The company Agawi, formerly known as iSwifter, has just released version 2.0 which allows streaming of everything from social games to triple A titles on to current supported devices is now bringing its services to Windows 8.

Some big name titles will be available for instant play on Windows 8 devices with no additional work from developers and Agawi encourages more companies to contact them about having their game ported to the cloud.

Microsoft VP Walid Abu-Hadba said “Game developers want to focus on building great games, not worrying about back-end issues like scalability and platform management

“With Windows Azure, Agawi 2.0 enables developers to make high-performance games easily accessible across devices with the high-quality graphics and virtually instant game downloads. For gamers, Windows 8 delivers a fast, fluid and no-compromise experience that opens the door to exciting new form factors.”

Agawi demoed their Windows 8 service at Cloud Gaming USA in San Francisco on Tuesday and Wednesday.

With the Games Jam tomorrow, knowing that Windows 8 is using the Cloud, the games that are released could have a wider audience.

Train2Game News: Shiller’s ‘beautiful’ pledge to iPhone gamers

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Apple’s new iPhone 5 is available to pre order from tomorrow. Details were announced in San Francisco yesterday.

Apple’s Phil Schiller announced it as “the most beautiful product we have ever made.”

The new iPhone is thinner and lighter than its predecessors but has a bigger 4 inch screen which will be good for gamers. It uses a 16:9 screen ratio, letting you get the most out of your screen. The device also improves on touch sensitivity with a sharper response, further improving gaming inputs.

It will support the new 4g, meaning faster speeds. The WiFi connection gives 2.4ghz and 5ghz on 802.11n. Theoretically with these higher speeds it is possible to get 100mbps downloads.

Inside the new handset will be Apple’s new A6 processor which is smaller and quicker than the A5 that is used in the 4s and iPad2.

Apple has said that the battery life will be better which means you can game for longer without worrying. The charging connection has been updated to a slimmer plug but an adapter priced at £25 from Apple will be available so you can still use older docks and chargers.

The handset is said to have console quality graphics. This was proven by a demonstration of Real Racing 3 – released later this year – which had impressive real time reflections in the rear view mirrors of the in-game cars. Game Centre was shown to have improved as well, now incorporating time-shifted multiplayer.

This new device opens up a whole new possibility of gaming potential on mobile devices.

It will be sold with either 16 gigabytes, 32GB or 64GB of storage. The basic model will be sold for £529 and is available for pre order from Friday.

Train2Game News: Gaming potential. Apple iPhone 5 almost here

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The Apple iPhone 5 is expected to be released next wednesday.

For gaming and games development this means a more powerful platform to work with.

The invitation to the launch event in San Francisco was a bit special – it had a twelve casting the shadow of a five and the words “its almost here”.

The new iPhone release is the first big advance by Apple since the death of Steve Jobs and it seems to be a big step forward from the 4S.

Leaked photos from some of Apples Chinese manufacturers show the device to have a bigger 4.2 inch screen and a slimmer body. It is expected to support the awaited 4G high speed wireless broadband. The mobile network Orange hopes to set up 4G for the UK the day before the launch of the iPhone 5, according to Ofcom.

4G gives the added bonus of downloading the games you want faster.

Phil Schiller, head of marketing for Apple, testified in court during the legal battle with Samsung, said: “Each new generation of iPhone sold approximately equal to all previous generations combined.”

If this keeps up it means that the market for games on iOS will rise to even greater heights.

Of course the most exciting thing coming next week is the Train2Game Game Jam which starts on the 14th. If you do get an iPhone 5 on release day there is just enough time to get it charged and ready before the weekends fun begins.

Train2Game news: EA’s Peter Moore sees all digital future

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Train2Game students have seen the games industry change a lot over the last few years, in part thanks to the rise of mobile and cloud based gaming, and according to EA COO Peter Moore, games companies will need to keep changing methods of operating in order to survive.

“Transitions are hard because revenue slows down and costs speed up. You’re getting ready to develop for new platforms, whether they be hardware platforms or software, and it’s getting to be even more complex now,” Moore told Industry Gamers in the latest of their ‘Better know’ interviews.

Interestingly, as previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Moore has previously stated that Nintendo’s Wii U is not a transitional platform.

But he believes that developers and publishers to stick to traditional business models will find that they eventually disappear.

The companies that have prepared themselves and have diversified their offerings to chase the consumer wherever they want to play games are the companies that will succeed and thrive and flourish. Companies that continue to rely on the old model as the model changes before our eyes, unless they change their ways and invest in the future those companies eventually will die off. No two ways about it,” said Moore.

And the EA COO believes that, while physical copies of games remain strong for now, eventually we’ll be in an entirely digital industry.

“The packaged goods business, while still flourishing and strong, eventually – as we’ve seen in music and movies – will go to the cloud. It will go digital and we’ll be delivering games from the cloud and delivering games directly to hard drives and we’re still going to sell a lot of discs for the foreseeable future.”

But eventually, physical media will diminish as the core part of how gamers get their content. And we’re ready for that, but we’re also still ready to be the number one packaged goods publisher in the world.” said Moore.

“If you want to be a publisher that’s still going to be viable for the consumer 3-4 years from now, you better be ready to deliver your content anytime, anywhere and to everyone.” he added

Peter Moore has previously questioned the role of handheld consoles thanks to the rise of smartphone gaming.

So Train2Game, what do you make of Moore’s comments? Will the future be digital?

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

(Source: Industry Gamers)

Train2Game news: Bioware gets new specialist social studio

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Mass Effect 3 will have Kinect supportTrain2Game students will of course know Bioware as developers of the Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchises, as well as the upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. Now the Bioware group also has a specialised social games studio thanks to EA’s acquisition of casual developer KlickNation.

KlickNation has been renamed Bioware social and will specialise in developing RPGs for social networks such as Facebook.

“KlickNation’s expertise in building innovative and compelling RPGs for social platforms makes them a seamless tuck-in with the BioWare team at EA,” Bioware co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka, who along with fellow co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk, recently spoke to the Train2Game blog.

“We share the same creative values. The new BioWare Social unit will bring BioWare and EA franchises to the growing audience of core gamers who are looking for high quality, rich gameplay experiences on social platforms.” Muzyka added.

KickNation has developed social games since 2009, with releases including SuperHero City and Six Gun Galaxy.

“While developing social RPG experiences, we held BioWare as a role model for storytelling and game design,” said Mark Otero GM of the new Bioware Social label.

“Joining with BioWare and EA is an opportunity to realize our vision for bringing high-quality RPG titles to the fast-growing, highly-engaged core gamers looking for deeper experiences on social platforms.”

The Train2Game blog previously reported that Bioware were exploring the ‘experimental’ mobile market.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on EA and Bioware’s continued moves into mobile gaming? Are you excited by the prospect of a Bioware RPG on Facebook?

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

[Source: GI.biz]

Train2Game news: Indie devs have “far more opportunities these days” say Team 17

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Train2Game students looking to form their own indie studios will certainly be buoyed by this; there are more opportunities than ever to break into the industry thanks to digital distribution.

That’s according to Yorkshire based Worms developer Team 17, who’ve been in the game development business for over 20 years.

“I actually think there are far more opportunities these days overall. If we were only talking about PSN, XBLA and Steam I’d tend to agree, but with the whole mobile and browser side thrown in, it’s bigger and better than the late ’80s.” Team 17 Managing Director Debbie Bestwick told The Guardian when asked if there are comparisons between today’s digital market and the bedroom coding days of the late 1980’s.

And Bestwick believes the rise of mobile gaming, on the iPhone in particular, means it’s actually easier for prospective game developers – such as Train2Game students – to enter the market.

“Digital distribution has removed manufacturing and physical distribution costs; hence the entry point is so much lower these days than back then” she said.

“If anything, the App Store reminds me more of the whole shareware scene in the ’80s, just shaken up and organised, and it is a great place to be.”

And in more good news for Train2Game students, the Team 17 Managing Director is optimistic about the future of the British game industry, “because right now we’ve got more platforms, bigger audiences, more direct to consumer sales channels and lower entry costs than ever before for all indie developers.”

“Our traditional market has changed forever with the introduction of smartphones, social gaming and digital store fronts” added Bestwick.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Bestwick’s comments? Do you believe it’s the best time there’s been to be an indie developer? Is self-publishing a model you can see yourself following?

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

[Source: The Guardian]

Train2Game news: BAFTA announces new award categories for debut, online gaming and performing talent

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Train2Game students will be aware of the increasing popularity of online brower based games, which has seen industry giants attempt to grab a piece of the action.

Now BAFTA are set to recognise the importance of browser based games from next year, with Online – Browser one of four new categories for the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards.

The other categories new for 2012 are Debut and Performer and Online – Multiplayer.  Debut will reward the best game from a new game development studio that releases its first title in 2011, with the idea of rewarding the work of new studios. Perhaps a Train2Game student could potentially win this one in future?

The Performer award will recognise “excellence in performance featured in a game,” which could include anything from voice work to motion capture.  Meanwhile, Online – Multiplayer will be awarded to “the best online multiplayer games experience,”

“BAFTA annually reviews its Awards categories to ensure they remain relevant and valued within the industry,” said Chairman of BAFTA’s Video Games Committee, Ray Maguire.

“Over the last year, we have witnessed the increased sophistication and popularity of online gaming, and so our two new Online categories will ensure the scope of creative work in this area is being properly recognised.”

“We are equally delighted to begin recognising the performance aspect within games, as we do for film and television, which further demonstrates the common ground between the industries.”

“Debut Game is another important addition this year, which reflects the changing game-development landscape and the rise of new, independent studios.” he added.

The GAME British Academy Video Games Awards will take place on Friday 16 March 2012. As reported by the Train2Game blog, Heavy Rain was the big winner at this year’s ceremony, taking three awards.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the new categories? And who do you think currently deserves to be nominated?

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

Train2Game news: Hogrocket’s Tiny Invaders available for free

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Train2Game blog readers may recall our interview with Ben Ward of Hogrocket about life as an indie iPhone game developer.

The studio got a pleasant surprise when their debut game, Tiny Invaders, featured in front of millions of people during Apple’s iPhone 4S announcement to help showcase the new notification features of iOS 5.

To celebrate, Tiny Invaders will be available for free for a limited period of time. Train2Game students can download it from the iTunes App store here. It’s a great example to Train2Game students of how to produce a great mobile game with just a small team of game developers.

To find out more about Hogrocket, the development of Tiny Invaders and how you can get into developing iPhone games, read the full interview with Hogrocket’s Ben Ward here on the Train2Game blog.

The insightful interview is also available to read on the official Train2Game website, or you can listen to it via Train2Game radio.

Have you played Tiny Invaders, if so what are your thoughts? Is it a good example of iPhone game development?

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