Tag Archives: mobile gaming

Train2Game news: Activision plot ‘methodical’ entry into social & mobile gaming

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Train2Game students will be aware that many game developers are moving into digital, social and mobile gaming.

Indeed, as reported by the Train2Game blog, one of the biggest games industry publishers in the form of EA is massively committed to a digital push.

Their biggest rivals however, Activision, have been less keen to embrace digital. The Train2Game blog has previously reported that Activision CEO still sees a big future for traditional bricks and mortar retail rather than an all digital future.

And while Activision have yet to buy into social or mobile gaming in a significant way, their eventual entry will be ‘methodical’ Gamasutra report CFO Thomas Tippl told the Citi 2011 Tech Conference in New York City

We’re methodically investing in social and mobile gaming projects,” he said.

“While our goal is always to be number one in anything we do, even if we only get to half of our fair share in mobile and social over the next three years, it will still represent a significant upside, given that the mobile and social gaming markets have finally reached critical mass. And I expect it to grow at a double-digit clip for the foreseeable future.”

“We are certainly expanding the reach of our franchises through the platforms that are emerging,” the Activision CFO added.

Activision are starting to tip toe into the world of social media with their Call of Duty Elite service which will connect fans of the game with each other via mobile among other things.

As reported by the Train2Game blog, Elite will offer the chance for community game modes to become part of the official game.

And while Activision’s social media and mobile strategy is currently tied to their high profile brands.

“To date, we’ve mostly [explored social and mobile] around our existing franchises” said Tippl

“In the future you will see more activity on our part to broaden our social and mobile parts of the portfolio,” he added.

Of course, Activision isn’t totally foreign to digital markets, with 12 million – including some Train2Game students – people paying a monthly subscription for World of Warcraft.

What are your thoughts on Activisions digital and social strategy? Do they risk falling behind? Or are they wise to play the long game?

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

[Source: Gamasutra]

Train2Game students have never had a better chance to compete with big companies

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In what will be music to Train2Game students ears, there’s never been a better time for small developers to be successful.

That’s according to Kristian Segerstrale, the boss of Playfish. As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, Playfish social games are played by 55 million people a month.

“Never before has there been a time where as a small company you have such an unbelievable opportunity to challenge the big giants in any sector.” Segerstrale said while speaking at an event in London.

“And nowhere is there such an opportunity as in mobile.”

As Train2Game students will know, the rise of mobile gaming has made it much simpler for aspiring developers to get their work out there. Indeed, Train2Game student Georgij Cernysiov from the North East of England has released his own iPhone game, Euro Destruction.

And Segerstrale believes the number of smartphone owners could rise from 1.5 billion to 4 billion over the next five years, thanks to the world’s emerging economies.

“There’s an opportunity that big companies can’t do: it’s hard to focus on this platform when you’re big. People are migrating from desktops to mobiles, and big companies won’t do it, you guys will,” said the Playfish boss.

“It is horrible today to be a big company and want to do something new and innovative and different.”

And as reported by the Train2Game blog, UK developer Ninja Theory appear to agree with Segerstrale in that they believe it’s easier to be creative for a mobile or digital device.

Train2Game students can get an insight into life as an indie developer from the Train2Game blog interview with Liverpool based micro studio Hogrocket. The ex-Bizarre team recently released their first iPhone title, Tiny Invaders.

What are your thoughts on Segerstrale’s comments? Does the emergence of mobile really mean that small developers can compete with the established giants? Would you prefer to develop for mobile?

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

[Source: Develop]

Train2Game news: The main threat to consoles is “actually Apple”

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The Train2Game blog has previously reported on cloud gaming, and how some believe it’s the future of the games industry.

However, owner of cloud gaming service Gaikai Dave Perry – who has previously been quoted by the Train2Game blog – doesn’t believe cloud is a threat to consoles. He think the threat to those comes from somewhere else.

“We don’t think we’re a threat to console. I think the threat to consoles is actually Apple” Perry told GamesIndustry.biz

“I think the concern there is that they’re generating hardware so quickly now. If you’re creating and shipping new hardware every 12 months, and during that 12 months you’re also giving pretty impressive upgrades, the features that people want, and you’re giving them those every six months and hardware every 12 months, I think the idea that you would have five to seven years on hardware refreshes is becoming a technical problem.”

And while Perry believes games consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 could survive thanks to their ability for use as multimedia entertainment devices, he’s not so sure about traditional handhelds.

“I think the handhelds are getting challenged very aggressively by the mobile phones,” he said. “I find myself spending a lot of money on iPhone, and if you look at a handheld today, the ones that people keep making, they still make them as a gaming machine.”

“Kids today… don’t want to carry anything that just does one thing. They carry their phone and it does everything. And so if you make single function devices, then you’ve got a problem. That’s my concern for handhelds, is this single function side of it”

Perry’s comments echo those the Train2Game blog reported Capcom made at the beginning of this year. They argued that smartphones including the iPhone are dragging consumers away from traditional handheld consoles.

And as reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this year,  Apple could ‘own’ the games industry, at least according to Former PlayStation executive Vice President Phil Harrison.

“At this trajectory, if you extrapolate the market-share gains that they are making, forward for ten years – if they carry on unrestrained in their growth, then there’s a pretty good chance that Apple will be the games industry,” Harrison told Edge

As Train2Game students will know, the iTunes App store could potentially provide a Train2Game student with a large audience for the games they produce.

So Train2Game, is Apple the biggest threat to the rest of the games industry? Should it be considered a threat at all?

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

[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]

Train2Game News, Smurfs’ Village ‘changing the market’ for mobile games

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It’s very likely that many Train2Game students are aware that Angry Birds is a hugely popular game. Indeed, it wasn’t so long ago that the Train2Game blog reported that it’s been downloaded over 200 million times.

The CEO of one developer however, believes that it isn’t Angry Birds that’s the most important mobile game, but Smurfs’ Village.

Unsurprisingly, the man singing its praises is Remi Racine, CEO of Smurfs’ Village developer Behaviour Interactive.

“Everybody is talking about Angry Birds, but the game, to me, that is changing the market is Smurfs’ Village,” he told GamesIndustry.biz “Smurfs’ Village is outstanding.”

“I’d be curious to see who is making the most money between Angry Birds and Smurfs’ Village.”

When you look at the charts it’s always among the top three of four grossing games of the last seven or eight months. It’s always there. Angry Birds is in the top ten, but Smurf is in the top three. It’s amazing.”

“About 30 or 40 percent of the top grossing games are freemium based,” Racine added. “It’s the new way.”

Smurfs’ Village is free to download, but allows players to increase progress by downloading the in-game Smurfberry currency, with real money in various sized bundles that cost between £2.99 and £59.99.

For more information about Smurf’s Village, and how free-to-play could be the way to go for Train2Game students, see the Train2Game blog.

And as reported by the Train2Game blog just last week, EA believe free-to-play titles can be as profitable as console games.

So Train2Game, do you agree that Smurfs’ Village is the most important mobile game? Is free-to-play a model a smurfy way of developing games?

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

[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]

Apple could ‘own’ the games industry

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Train2Game students will be highly aware of how Apple has revolutionised the way we play games, but that could just be the start according to one respected industry figure.

Former PlayStation executive Vice President Phil Harrison believes that in 10 years, Apple will own the entire game industry.

“At this trajectory, if you extrapolate the market-share gains that they are making, forward for ten years – if they carry on unrestrained in their growth, then there’s a pretty good chance that Apple will be the games industry,” Harrison told Edge

“When asked to clarify his point, Harrison said: “[I mean in terms of] the proliferation of devices – you’ve got iPhones, iPads, iPods, which are all part of the same ecosystem; the speed at which Apple sold 15 million iPads is phenomenal. And the number one activity on an iPad, according to some reports, is games, and I think that will only continue.”

Earlier this year, The Train2Game blog reported that gaming is the number one activity on tablet computers such as  the iPad.

“The fact that the consumer purchase and discovery mechanism is so well integrated – you see something on the App Store, you click a button, the product delivers to your device. That end-to-end shopping experience, if you want to call it that, has been so elegantly built by Apple and they will continue to refine it” Harrison added.

Earlier this month, the Train2Game reported that OnLive plan to bring Triple A titles to tablet computers thanks to their cloud gaming system.

Meanwhile, Train2Game students know the benefits of producing mobile games, with some having even worked on DR Studios Bug Wings while on a Train2Game work placement.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the claims? Could Apple dominate gaming? Or will there always be competition? Or is the whole thing farfetched?

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

[Source: Edge]

Partially Train2Game student developed game Bug Wings updated

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Bug Wings for iPhone and iPad, developed with the help of Train2Game students on work placement at DR Studios, has received its first official update.

Bug Wings Version 1.1 adds the following features:

★ Bug selection and level loading UI improvements
★ Support for both device orientations
★ Reduced default sensitivity for new players

Bug Wings, which has Train2Game student names in the credits, has received favourable reviews online, including a 4/5 review on 148apps.com. Bug Wings also currently has a user rating of 5 stars on the official iTunes app store page.

For more information about Bug Wings from DR Studios, see the launch post on the Train2Game blog, or the official Bug Wings website.

You can support your fellow Train2Game students through buying Bug Wings from the iTunes store.

Do you like Bug Wings? Does it inspire you into mobile game development?

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

Former Rockstar Game Designer founds indie studio

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In a move that’ll remind Train2Game students of the ever growing appeal of mobile games, a former Rockstar Game Designer has founded a new studio for producing them.

Anthony Gowland’s micro-studio Mainly About Games will concentrate on developing web an mobile games, with the first coming in the form of Tealy & Orangey, a web-based puzzle platformer

“With the varied distribution opportunities now available to developers, it felt like the perfect time to move away from AAA development,” explained Gowland”

And in similar comments made by games industry veteran Jon Hare during the Third Official Train2Game webinar in October last year, the former Rockstar Game Designer believes small teams can make very successful games.

“It’s totally viable for a small team, or even a single dedicated guy, to create and market a successful game independently. My passion is in creating small titles that have solid gameplay hooks and big budget polish.”

And in news that could theoretically benefit Train2Game student run game development teams, Mainly About Games will also offer consultation services.

“Each year there are a lot of games that are very good, when they could have been great. Playing through them you often get the impression that it’s the little details that are missing or have been overlooked.” said Gowland.

“I think there’s a real benefit to having an outsider with a proven track record play through your game with a fresh pair of eyes.”

Anthony Gowland previously worked as a Game Designer on titles including Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Red Dead Redemption. For an interesting look behind the scenes of Red Dead Redemption, see the Train2Game blog.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the move? What does a Game Designer with Triple A experience moving into mobile say about the industry right now?

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

[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]

Future of games industry “is here” says EA’s John Riccitiello

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With the reveal of the Wii U at Nintendo’s E3 press conference, as reported by the Train2Game blog, you can’t help but wonder when the next generation of consoles will arrive.

However, according to EA CEO John Riccitiello new hardware isn’t needed to keep the games industry moving forward.

“There’s never ‘enough’ innovation and we should always be setting the bar higher,” he told told Industry Gamers. “What I don’t agree with is the implication that we’re waiting for the hardware guys to transition to help us realize the innovation.”

“I think the greatest innovation in the history of gaming is occurring right now. It is happening in the cross-platform arena — where Publishers are linking the best IP from console to PC to mobile to social”

“This is hard to do, but it will change the way gamers interact with our IP.”

As reported by the Train2Game blog, mobile gaming is becoming a huge phenomenon.

Riccitiello believes the key to innovation lies in interconnectivity.

“The future is here, and centres on creating a 24/7/365 experience and community behind the games you love,”

“Big game franchises have evolved from the ‘one and done’ model that released a new 15 hour experience ever 12-24 months. Games have evolved from a thing that you buy, to a place you go.

” … Anytime, anyplace – you can play, track your scores and see what your friends are doing. That’s the future of gaming.”

So Train2Game, what do you think is the future of gaming? Where is the innovation going to come from? Or are you ready to leap to the next generation of consoles already?

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

[Source: Industry Gamers]

Train2Game E3 news: OnLive brings Triple A to tablets and smartphones

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OnLive tablets

In a mobile gaming development that could very much be of interest to Train2Game students, OnLive has launched an Android and Apple app that brings cloud gaming to the mobile market.

As previously reported by the Train2Game blog, OnLive allows streaming of Triple A titles to computers or other system that wouldn’t be advanced enough to run them. This process is done via running the games on computers on OnLive servers then transferring the visuals to the users monitor via the internet.

The certainly adds something to the mobile gaming market, something Train2Game students will know is fast growing industry.

And OnLive Founder and CEO Steve Perlman belives cloud gaming is the future of the industry.

“The power of the cloud is definitely the theme this week, displacing what had been assumed to be platforms that could never be displaced,” he said as the App was launched at E3.

“The OnLive Player App for iPad and Android shows how with the power of the cloud, the question is not whether cloud gaming will be able to catch up to consoles, it will be whether consoles will be able to catch up to cloud gaming.”

The Onlive App reportedly works with most games already available on the service, and both smartphones and tablets will be able to become advanced gaming devices. A control will also become available to play games in the more ‘traditional’ way.

OnLive is expected to launch in the UK later this year.

Smartphones and tablets aren’t just for playing games anymore, with the Train2Game blog reporting earlier this week that one new app allows game developers to produce games using the iPad.

Regular Train2Game blog readers are also well aware of how valuable developing mobile games can be for an aspiring game developer. Indeed, Train2Game students on work placement at DR Studios helped develop newly releases iPhone and iPad title Bug Wings.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the OnLive app? Can smartphones and tablet computers compete with consoles? Is the future of gaming cloud based?

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

[Source: PCR-Online]

Train2Game course providers DR Studios release Bug Wings

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Bug Wings – the game which Train2Game students on work placement at DR Studios helped develop – is now available for iPhone and iPad. You can support the work of fellow Train2Game students by buying it from the iTunes App store for just £1.19!

Taking control of your colourful bug, you must glide and guide your tiny winged steed across the skies above the Great Pond locating the missing pollen, trying to land safely on the flowers and lily pads with your precious cargo intact and not end up in the water! Accumulate the big points by collecting as much pollen as possible while aiming at the stars which multiply your landing tally for those ultimate high scores.

Unlock new levels and bonuses as you progress and then return to previous levels to try and beat your high scores. With both single player story mode and multiplayer mode for up to four players, Bug Wings is a game with bugs in that you’ll love!

For more information on Bug Wings visit the official website at www.bugwings.net or follow the game on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BugWings

FEATURES

·         24 exciting levels across 4 unique Ponds, with more coming soon

·         Simple, intuitive touch&tilt game controls

·         Solo or Party modes with up to 4 players

·         Rich, colourful game world and lovable characters

·         Hundreds of points, stars and power-ups to collect

·         Addictively fun game play and scoring

·         Risky flying rewarded with high scores

You can leave your comments about Bug Wings here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.