Tag Archives: PC gaming

Train2Game News: WWE 13 Review

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WWE 13 came out earlier this month and I got to play it for the very first review on Train2Game News.

The first thing I dived into was the career mode. If you have played WWE games before then you know it is normally a Road To Wrestlemania involving current day superstars. This time however it’s different

You get to play through the famous 90’s Attitude Era.

The career takes you from the Rise of DX seeing the meeting of Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who would go on to be known as Triple H, and the Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michales, up to Wrestlemania 15 with all the excitement in between.

As someone who never got to experience the Attitude Era of Wrestling as I am a recent fan it is a brilliant career mode for me. Playing through some of the iconic matches like the Calgary screw-job where Vince screwed Bret Hart and seeing the Big Show, still then known as Paul White, rip through the ring during the steel cage match between Vince McMahon and the Rattlesnake Stone Cold Steve Austin, you can really enjoy the Attitude Era.

As for the rest of the game it is very much the same as previous WWE games with some added extras and improved graphics.

You still get the WWE Universe mode with this games sizeable roster and the same match types as before with the addition of an I Quit match. You can now also perform “OMG Moments” which are an enjoyable feature where you can use your finisher to perform exciting moments like smashing your opponent through the crowd barriers.

Single player game play is fairly smooth with the occasional hiccup here and there but the multiplayer is still quite clunky. Troubles with targeting players and clear visual bugs still occurring, at one stage as Edge stood up his arm seemed to fall through his body leaving him quite contorted.

Over all the game is as always one for Wrestling fans, it certainly won’t be drawing in a new audience with the game. If you are a Wrestling fan though I would highly suggest this game as I feel it is the best one so far, purely for the great enjoyment I got from the Attitude Era.

If you are a fan of WWE then live the revolution!

 

Train2Game News: UK Top 20 – 12.11.12

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Halo 4 has shot straight to number one which I think most people expected. The other new entries this week are New Super Mario Bros 2 in at a slightly disappointing eighteen and it is followed up by Forza Motorsport 4 at nineteen.

Week ending 10 November 2012

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1   HALO 4 MICROSOFT –
2 ASSASSIN’S CREED III UBISOFT 1
3 FIFA 13 EA SPORTS 2
4 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED EA GAMES 5
5 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2013 SEGA 4
6 SKYLANDERS GIANTS SKYLANDERS 8
7 WWE ’13 THQ 3
8 BORDERLANDS 2 2K GAMES 19
9 –  JUST DANCE 4 UBISOFT 9
10 MEDAL OF HONOR: WARFIGHTER EA GAMES 6
11 FORZA HORIZON MICROSOFT 7
12 –  MOSHI MONSTERS: MOSHLINGS THEME PARK MIND CANDY 12
13 –  RESIDENT EVIL 6 CAPCOM 13
14 DISHONORED BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 10
15 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 16
16 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE MIRACLE MASK NINTENDO 11
17 –  F1 2012 CODEMASTERS 17
18   NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. 2 NINTENDO –
19   FORZA MOTORSPORT 4 MICROSOFT –
20 –  LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 20

 

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2012 UKIE Ltd

Train2Game News: Fee Stewart talks to BBC Radio Leeds

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Train2Game Student Fiona Stewart, or Fee The Giraffe on the Train2Game forums, was interviewd by BBC Radio Leeds yesterday.

She discusses her move from traditional art to 3D Modelling and how her dislike of the smell of paint came about. She also explains how she got funding from Microsoft for FormerDroid LTD where she is the Managing Director.

You can listen to the interview by clicking on the picture below

Train2Game News: Forsaken Competition

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Forsaken Studios, who employ a few Train2Game students, has announced a new competition. This is the second competition from the studio.

The Embers of Caerus: Frozen Hell’s Crossing competition is very simple. Train2Game student and Forsaken tester Ollie Smith crossed the in game continent of Aaldnarech, he ran from Thaal on the western shore all the way to Nev on the eastern shore. We timed how long it took Ollie to run across the continent.

To win the competition, all you have to do is guess how long it took him in actual running time. The closest guess wins.

The winner will receive a Crucial 256GB M4, 2.5 inch Internal Solid State Drive. You can increase your chance of winning the hard drive by keeping a close eye on the Embers of Caerus social media pages on Facebook and Twitter, for this competition use the Twitter hashtag: #eocfrozenhell. You might get some hints towards the answer.

Forsaken studios is based in Texas, USA and was founded in 2011. It is responsible for the MMO Embers of Caerus.

Send your entry to competition@forsakenstudios.com and have a shot at winning this amazing solid state drive.

 
The competition is open as of now and remains open until 12pm GMT on Saturday the 10th of November 2012. The winner will be announced Sunday 11th of November 2012.

For more information and Terms & Conditions you can visit the site here.

Train2Game News: UK Top 20 – 5.11.12

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Assassin’s Creed 3 has entered the charts right up at number 1 with last weeks number 1, Medal Of Honor: Warfighter dropping down to 6th. WWE ’13 has come in at an impressive number 3. The highest a WWE game has been for a while. My review of WWE ’13 is coming soon. The other new entrants to the charts this week are Football Manager 2013 at number 3 and Need For Speed Most Wanted at number 5.

 

Week ending 3 November 2012

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1   ASSASSIN’S CREED III UBISOFT –
2 –  FIFA 13 EA SPORTS 2
3   WWE ’13 THQ –
4   FOOTBALL MANAGER 2013 SEGA –
5   NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED EA GAMES –
6 MEDAL OF HONOR: WARFIGHTER EA GAMES 1
7 FORZA HORIZON MICROSOFT 3
8 SKYLANDERS GIANTS SKYLANDERS 4
9 JUST DANCE 4 UBISOFT 6
10 DISHONORED BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 5
11 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE MIRACLE MASK NINTENDO 7
12 MOSHI MONSTERS: MOSHLINGS THEME PARK MIND CANDY 8
13 RESIDENT EVIL 6 CAPCOM 10
14   ASSASSIN’S CREED III LIBERATION UBISOFT –
15 POKEMON BLACK VERSION 2 NINTENDO 12
16 THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 13
17 F1 2012 CODEMASTERS 15
18 DOOM 3: BFG EDITION BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 9
19 BORDERLANDS 2 2K GAMES 11
20 LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 19

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2012 UKIE Ltd

 

Train2Game News: Train2Game Radio talks to Chloe Martin

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You can hear the interview here:

http://audioboo.fm/boos/1037414-train2game-students-chloe-talks-to-mark-on-t2g-radio

or read the transcript below:

Hello, could you tell me your name please?

Hi my names Chloe Martin

 

What course are you taking?

I’m currently studying Game Art & Animation

 

How did you find the experience of the world record winning game jam and how did it feel to win?

I found the experience unforgettable and it has really made an impact on me, rubbing shoulders with a wealth of knowledge. Being thrown into the deep end with people I had never met before and creating a team and a playable game was just overwhelming let alone winning the competition.

 

After finding out the theme, how did you get the idea for your game, Royal Rush?

We chucked around lots of ideas, mainly focusing on the theme but kept it as simple as possible, taking into account what the platform was and how to make it easy as possible to make within the time we got. We chose the final idea from working out which mechanics would be easy to develop, considering we only had one programmer, and making it as fun as possible. The idea came from an old-school game called Frogger. Trying to avoid traffic with a sense of urgency which gets players really excited.

 

Some people may know we worked together at The Gadget Show Live after winning the 2011 Game Jam. What do you think makes a winning game?

I think the limited time the Game Jam has, it needs to be as simple as possible but flexible enough to expand if you have time. Make sure the game is easy as possible to understand. However I think the enjoyment is a major factor, you need to grab the players attention, make them excited when playing so they want to come back to it again and again. Let’s not forget having a great time behind the scenes!

 

Who inspires your art work?

I love fantasy and technical design work. I don’t have a favourite at any one time. I get a lot of my inspiration from fellow students on the Train2Game course.

 

What is the most dramatic or exciting thing you have done in your life?

I would say probably the Game Jams run by Train2Game. Everyone of these events I have been to has been a great experience and I have learnt so much and met some great people.

 

What is your reason for getting into the gaming industry and how will the gaming industry change your life?

I just love games, being part of making ideas come to life for people to get enjoyment from the experience in games just gives me such a buzz. It has already changed my life being part of this course, it has opened up so many experiences; meeting people who inspire me, creating games from scratch and seeing people play your game and enjoying it is a great satisfaction that I want to take to the top.

 

What is your greatest ambition?

My greatest ambition is to inspire people with my work and to be part of the future of gaming.

 

What’s next for you and your career?

Well I am determined to find a job in the gaming industry in 2013.Successfully finish my course and work on improving the game Royal Rush ready for Windows 8 Marketplace.

 

What’s your story, what are the past experiences that have shaped your life?

I think the main reason is being brought up with the games consoles and the satisfaction of learning how to play a game and how the game makes you feel when you’re consumed in it. To this day I still think back on the games that made my childhood amazing. Before this I never thought games was a career I guess. I studied and enjoyed art through most of my education and one day just put my love of games and my talent together. It has opened up this path for me. My passion for games has driven me to what I want to become in the future.

 

Thank you very much Chloe. Good luck with everything you do in the future.

Thank you for having me.

The game Royal Rush will be available on all Windows 8 devices.

Train2Game News: Minecraft meets guns

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Jagex, the team behind RuneScape, have developed a new free-to-play first person shooter that has been described as Minecraft meets Team Fortress.

Jagex, Europe’s largest independent games studio, today formally unveiled details of its previously unannounced innovative shooter, Ace of Spades. Ace of Spades is the latest title from the multi-awarding UK studio behind the leading free-to-play browser MMO RuneScape.

Ace of Spades is a retro-looking intelligent creative shooter that gives players complete strategic freedom over a battlefield they can evolve and built on throughout a game session.  Featuring up to 32 players, Ace of Spades destructible environments are only limited by the imagination of the players creating them. The game provides players with all the ‘world-building’ freedom of a voxel-based sandbox, but with the addition of competitive, team-based multiplayer FPS gunplay.

Creativity is key to succeeding in Ace of Spades as the game gives players the freedom to construct anything from simple bunkers to elaborate fortresses and tunnel networks. This adds a new and innovative component to the game giving players unrestricted freedom to plan their own battles, construct purpose-built defences, and adapt the environment in real-time, changing the course of the battle.

Jagex CMO David Solari said, “If you’re tired of the same old first person shooters, coming out year after year with a fresh lick of paint and a hefty price tag, then Ace of Spades will tick all the boxes for you, offering an all action multiplayer featuring up to 32 player FPS combat and a fully customisable environment which will continuously develop throughout your battle.

“Despite keeping this game under the radar during development, it has still proved to be hugely viral with more than two and half a million players entering the prototype phase. Ace of Spades is set to take FPS to the next level, adding evolving tactics and strategy to twitch FPS gameplay. We have blended the artistic style of voxel-based sandbox games, such as Minecraft, with the class based combat of titles like Team Fortress, and added an extra dimension with real-time evolving battlefields to create a game which we firmly believe will appeal to FPS gamers looking for a bigger challenge.”

The game, which has been developed by Jagex and a small team of talented independent developers, has been running a massively successful prototype since April last year which has been downloaded in excess of 2.5 million times and currently has 550,000 active monthly users.

The full version Ace of Spades featuring an improved graphics engine and an armoury of new weapons will be available to download from Steam in December 2012 for a small one off fee.

You can watch the trailer for the game below:

 

 

Train2Game News: Mid-week round up – 31.10.11

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Possibly the biggest news this week is that Disney has purchased LucasArts for $4.05 billion. In doing so Disney now has the rights to everything in the Star Wars vaults. The plan is to release Star Wars episode VII in a couple of years time. LucasArts also makes some of the games in the Star Wars universe so this could mean changes in future games from the company. We will have to wait and see.

Grand Theft Auto V has finally had a release date confirmed. The highly anticipated fifth part of the saga will be coming to PS3 and Xbox360 in Spring 2013. There has been no mention of a PC release as of yet but it is common for Rockstar to release their PC versions several months later.

Another release date has been announced this time for Peter Molyneux’s Curiosity: What’s inside the cube. The release date has been given as November 7 for iOS and Android. The app will be free to download and play.

One of my most favourite games of this year is Borderlands 2 and it has just surpassed five million sales. The sales include retail and digital sales. Take-Two said it has become “one of the most successful releases in [subsidiary] 2K’s history”. In addition Borderlands Legends has been released for iOS today.

The Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 trailer hit the world on Monday. The trailer was directed by Guy Ritchie and has a cameo from Robert Downey Jr. You can watch the trailer here.

Kickstarter, the most popular vehicle for crowdfunding games development projects, is now available in the UK. Previously UK-based developers could only pledge, but not create projects, now they can seek funding on the platform.

A sequel to the terrifying Amnesia: Dark Descent has been announced with a creepy trailer to get you in the Halloween spirit. Frictional games have always asked for fans to record screams, whimpers and blood curdling shrieks to be put in to the game. You can email your screams to piggies@thechineseroom.co.uk. The trailer can be seen here.

Lastly in more worrying news the terrible storm, Hurricane Sandy, that has hit the US has knocked out Activisions data centers and shut down online play for a number of games including Call Of Duty and Guitar Hero. My best wishes go out to all those affected by the storm.

Train2Game News: Eurogamer reports on Game Jam

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With the release of Windows 8 and the student games being published on the Store, Eurogamer has done a story on the World Record Game Jam.
You can read the article below

The Microsoft-sponsored game jam

Train2Game News: Train2Game Radio talks to Jonny Robinson

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You can listen to the interview at

http://audioboo.fm/boos/1030916-train2game-student-talks-to-mark-kingdon-on-t2g-student-radio

or read the transcript below:

 

Hello, I am here with Jonny Robinson from Milton Keynes, how you doing Jonny?

I’m doing very well thanks how is yourself?

I’m very good thank you, Could you tell me what course you’re on?

I’m on the Games designer course.

What is the most dramatic or exciting thing you have done in your life?

Winning the Gadget Show, that was quite cool, the Make Something Unreal Live 2012. Pretty exciting times with Epic!

What is your reason for getting in to the gaming industry and how will the gaming industry, change your life?

I wanted to get in the gaming industry when I was very young, it’s one of those things that I explain a lot to my friends that when I was young I used to put the gaming industry on a pedestal. You know you kind of worship it, you want it so bad but then you realise, I don’t know if I can do that so you kind of dismiss it for years. I then saw this course advertised in the news paper and I thought, you know what – I’ll give it a shot, it’s an online course I can do it in my own spare time and when I actually did the course I felt a lot more confident in myself. I felt I should share my experience with people so I did a lot of Train2Game promoting for the design course because it helped me a lot with my confidence and so really I would say it is one of the best decisions I have ever made so far.

After you earn your Train2Game diploma, what would be your greatest ambition in the industry?

Obviously get a full time job. I am also working with my team, the Commando Kiwi team, on a new project. I’ll chuck that out there as well, it’s the first time I’ve mentioned it. We are going to put something up on our Facebook very soon. We made a game for the Gadget Show which was “The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain” on the iOS and now we are taking a further step into the industry with the Unreal Engine, as that’s what we won at the Gadget Show. I can’t really say to much but we are on the fronts of making this new game.

What platform is the game going to be on?

At the moment we are going to stick to our current market and go with iOS but there has been hints with the team for Steam as well.

What genre is it going to be?

That’s stuff I am keeping reserved, I will let you know the scoop when I am ready to release the information.

What is your story, what are the past experiences that have shaped your life to who you are today?

Being where I am at the right time I suppose and just keep on striving for success, keep your head up and just keep going. I wouldn’t say anything has altered me, I would just say it’s the path I have been led on, you know, by destiny or whatever you want to call it but so far, if it is so called destiny, it has led me down a fine route, I have met some really interesting people.

I also know you have a blog to help fledgling designers get in to the industry, what inspired you to start that?

I have been doing video diaries for a long time and I know there are a lot of blogs out there like Gamasutra, they make some really incredible articles. I realised that there are not many from a student point of view that’s actually been in the industry and tasted that addiction as I like to call it. You know once your in the industry you kind of feel like an over whelming sense of adrenaline and I just feel like if I need to keep blurting my mind out there to people saying you need to get in this industry, it’s amazing! I’m doing whatever I can as it’s not programming or art its more design and it is a very niche market. I can guarantee you, you ask any designer and you say, what does it mean to be a game designer? What skill sets do you have? Every designer will tell you something completely different and that’s what I am trying to get across in my blogs. You have to be really open minded to be a designer and really blend your key skills to the actual studio themselves.

That leads me quite nicely on to my last point, what advice would you give to someone looking to get in to the games industry?

First of all, attend Game Jams, that’s the first one. I know Train2Game just did one with Microsoft and I attended one last year that was with Epic. The second I would recommend is trying to talk to people in the community, go on the Train2Game Forums and just generally create games. No one ever says in the industry who have you worked for, they say what experience have you got?

If people want to read more about it, where can people find your blog?

My website is www.ironcore1.wordpress,com

Thank you very much Jonny and keep us updated on all things Commando Kiwi

No problem, thank you very much for your time Mark, Ta-ra!