Tag Archives: PlayStation Move

LittleBigPlanet 2 beta videos arrive online, can Train2Game students produce better?

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The beta testing period of LittleBigPlanet 2 is in full swing, which means videos of what the lucky community members have been up to are starting to appear online. These videos show that the LittleBigPlanet 2 community has already been extremely creative and cements the idea that LittleBigPlanet 2 could be the Train2Game students dream ticket.

In this video, a LittleBigPlanet 2 beta tester has created a beat up, based around Guile’s Street Fighter II stage. The level includes the plane and a crowd of on looks that not only perform their own actions, but can also be unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of attacks from Sackboy versions of Guile, Ken and Zangeif.


Another LittleBigPlanet 2 beta video that shows just how flexible the creation tools in the game can be is ‘Vietnam: First Person Shooter’ So this LittleBigPlanet 2 custom level doesn’t have the constant threat of death that you’d find in a Call of Duty: Black Ops’ or Medal of Honor, but it does look like a lot of fun. You have to admire the detail that’s gone into creating a LittleBigPlanet 2 played from a first person perspective; you can even see stitches in Sackboys hand!

LittleBigPlanet 2 is scheduled for release in the United States on November 16th, so hopefully we’ll have it in Europe at around the same time. The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to wait until mid-November to get your hands on LittleBigPlanet 2.  Media Molecule demonstrating a playable version of LittleBigPlanet 2 at Eurogamer between October 1st and October 3rd.

Train2Game are also going to be at Eurogamer, and will be giving away the new PlayStation Move controller with a PlayStation 3 320GB slim at Eurogamer 2010.

To enter the prize draw pick up a entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

So, what are your thoughts about the new LittleBigPlanet 2 videos? Do you think you’ll be using the creation tools to make your own levels and games? If so, what plans do you have?

You can leave your thoughts about LittleBigPlanet 2 here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Codemasters ship 2 million copies of F1 2010 and release launch trailer

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Codemasters has shipped two million copies of F1 2010 worldwide ahead of the Formula 1 racers much anticipated release this week.  F1 2010 represents Codemasters biggest release to date and is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and on the PC.

F1 2010 features all of the official drivers, cars and circuits from this years Formula 1 World Championship, which has arguably one of the most exciting in the history of the sport. Fans will have the chance to compete for the Formula 1 World Championship themselves in F1 2010’s career mode.

Races in F1 2010 include features including dynamic weather systems, night racing and fully motion captured crew to perform your pit stops.

To celebrate the release of F1 2010, Chief Designer Stephen Hood has made a huge post about its development on the Codemasters forum, which could be of particular interest to Train2Game students.

Codemasters have also released a fantastic looking F1 2010 launch trailer with demonstrates that F1 2010 hasn’t received very positive review scores for nothing.


F1 2010 is released in the UK on Friday. I have my copy pre-ordered.  Do you?

If you’re yet to be convinced by F1 2010, you’ll be able see it for yourself at the Eurogamer Expo in just ten days time.  Codemasters are just one of many developers attending Eurogamer in just under two weeks, and Train2Game will have a stand at Earls Court too!

Train2Game will be giving away the new Playstation Move controller with a Playstation 3 320GB slim at Eurogamer 2010. To enter the prize draw pick up a entry form at Stand 12 in the Career fair. We look forward to seeing you there.

You can leave your thoughts on F1 2010, or indeed Eurogamer, here or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Chart: Halo: Reach is Number 1 – No one is suprised.

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Halo: ReachHalo: Reach has inevitably claimed the top spot in the GfK Chart-Track All Formats chart following a hugely successful first week on sale. Halo: Reach has given Microsoft their biggest ever launch week and the fifth biggest ever game launch in the UK.

Over 300,000 copies of the Xbox 360 exclusive Halo: Reach were sold in the Microsoft title’s debut week. The only games to have more successful launches in the UK are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the PlayStation 2, and Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360. A combination of impressive review scores and heavy marketing has therefore paid off for Microsoft and Halo: Reach.

It’s another new entry at Number two with PlayStation Move title Sports Champions claiming the position after the motion controllers release last Friday.

The combined success of Halo: Reach and PlayStation Move Sports Champions has bumped 2K’s Mafia II down to third. The mob shooter had previously been top of the pile for three weeks following its release towards the end of August.

Toy Story 3 is once again a non-mover, remaining in fourth for the third week in a row, while Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands jumps four places up to fifth.  Prince of Persia has overtaken a fellow Ubisoft title on its way up the chart, passing Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X 2 which drops from second to sixth.

Meanwhile, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days drops four places to seventh, Just Dance re-enters the top ten in eighth, while PlayStation Move support helps Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 climb from 17th to ninth. Red Dead Redemption is a non-mover, remaining just inside the top ten in tenth spot.

R.U.S.E and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions both drop out of the top ten following their debuts.

The full the GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the the week ending September 18th 2010 is as follows:
1. Halo Reach (Microsoft)
2. Sports Champions (Sony)
3. Mafia II (2K Games)
4. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
5. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Ubisoft)
6. HAWX 2 (Ubisoft)
7. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (Square Enix)
8. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (EA)
10. Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar)

So Train2Game, no one is surprised that Halo: Reach has dominated the chart right? Will it remain at Number 1 for the foreseeable future? Or do you think one of this weeks big new releases – Dead Rising 2, Formula 1 2010, or Civilization V – will mount a significant challenge to Halo: Reach?

You can leave your thoughts on the UK chart or Halo: Reach here on the new look Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

PlayStation Move is out! But where can you get it cheapest?

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PlayStation MoveThe PlayStation Move is available to buy here in the UK!  Some of you have already told us using the Train2Game Twitter account that you’ve already got your PlayStation Move. No doubt some of you who do want the PlayStation Move didn’t pre-order because you cunningly foresaw that retailers would be trying to undercut each other.

The good news for you – if not for Sony and PlayStation Move is that  they have, so we at Train2Game are going to give you a rundown of the cheapest places to get yourself a PlayStation Move pack.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, supermarket giant Tesco are undercutting the rest of the market selling the PlayStation Move starter pack for just £39.70.

Other retailers selling the PlayStation Move at a reasonably low price are Simply Games who are selling the PlayStation Move starter pack for £41.85, and ShopTo selling it at £42.85.  The Game Collection have the PlayStation Move starter pack for sale at £43.99

The big games retailers, Game and GameStation, both price PlayStation Move at £44.99.

Of course, you could always purchase PlayStation Move from your local independent game shop and get a warm fuzzy feeling inside for helping an independent retailer.

Not convinced by PlayStation Move? Well, you’re not the only one, but perhaps this Kevin Butler advert will help you make a decision.

So Train2Game, if you pre-ordered PlayStation Move, have you tried it out yet? If so what are your initial impressions? Id you’re a PlayStation owner, will you be buying Move in the near future? Or are you going to wait and see how things go?

You can leave your thoughts on PlayStation Move here on the Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

The new Kevin Butler PlayStation Move advert is awesome

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Sony have released another new Kevin Butler ad ahead of next weeks much anticipated release of PlayStation Move.

This time Kevin Butler is the Sony VP of Family Funterventions (with his very own awesome looking PlayStation VP-ehicle) and he’s promoting what the PlayStation Move can do – which in a dig at Microsoft Kinect includes ‘sitting gaming.’

Oh, and Kevin Butler also announces that he’s moving in with the family featured in the PlayStation Move ad…not that they’re keen on it. Hopefully our favourite PlayStation Exec won’t be starting anymore fires…

You can watch the new Kevin Butler PlayStation Move ad – Kevin Butler Moves In- below.


The video release comes after Sony say they’ve ‘adapted a more international perspective’ with their gaming marketing strategy than they have in the past. President and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Computer Entertainment Kaz Hirai said:

“This is a very much overseas market driven organisation. So our new perspective is very important.”

However, The PlayStation Move is likely to have slower but more sustained sales than a traditional gaming property, according to an expert Christopher Dring, Deputy Editor at trade publication MCV.

The PlayStation Move motion controller is released on September 15th in Europe then September 17th in North America.

So Train2Game, what do you think of the new Kevin Butler ad? Will you be buying a PlayStation Move? If so is it a day one purchase, or are you going to be biding your time?

You can leave your thoughts on the Kevin Butler ad, or the PlayStation Move here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

250 GB Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle confirmed

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250 Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle Microsoft has announced a 250 GB Xbox bundle, complete with their new motion controller Kinect, will be released on November 10th.  That’s means the 250 GB Xbox bundle will be the released the same day Microsoft Kinect is released in Europe, and…say it through gritted teeth… just in time for Christmas.

The 250GB Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle – complete with game Kinect Adventures – will cost £299.99. The bundle of course contains a camera for the 250GB Xbox 360 slim that you’ll get with it too.

Microsoft say the 250GB Xbox 360 Slim and Kinect bundle will be limted edition, so if any Train2Game students want to get their hands on one, well you may have to be quick about it.

Of course, if you already own an Xbox 360 or an Xbox 360 slim, you’ll be able to buy Kinect hands free motion controller for £130 in the UK.

Some launch titles for Kinect for Xbox 360 include Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures, Kinectimals and Kinect Joy Ride.

Microsoft will be hoping the Xbox 360 250 GB console and Kinect bundle will prove successful enough to catch up to PlayStation Move sales, with the Sony motion controller being released on September 15th. Reviews for PlayStation Move have generally been positive.

So Train2Game, are any of you buying Kinect when it’s released on November 10th? Could the 250GB Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle tempt you? Perhaps you’re planning to buy PlayStation Move instead?

Or are just not interested in any type of motion controller at all, be it for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3? Would you rather get your hands one of the recently announced new Xbox 360 controllers?

You can leave your thoughts on the 250 GB Xbox 360 & Kinect bundle, or motion controllers in general here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Gran Turismo 5 & New PlayStation 3 models release dates revealed by Sony at GamesCom

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Sony have revealed the release date of Gran Turismo 5 and announced new 160GB and 320GB PlayStation models during their GamesCom 2010 Press Conference. We also got a surprise Resistance 3 announcement among plenty of other PlayStation 3 related reveals.

The long awaited Gran Turismo 5 will finally be released in the UK and Europe on November 3rd. Gran Turismo 5 will feature over 1,000 fully licensed cars and over 70 racing circuits – including the Top Gear  test track! The release date of November 3rd means Gran Turismo 5 will be released in the UK and Europe one day after it’s available in the United States.

The US release date of Gran Turismo 5 was announced earlier this year at E3, where we also found out that Gran Turismo 5 would also be fully 3D compatable.

The November release date of Gran Turismo 5 means that the much anticipated racing title will be out shortly after the new 160GB and 320GB PlayStation 3 models which have been revealed during the Sony GamesCom presentation.  The massive 320GB PlayStation 3 will be available in Europe from September 15th at a price of £284.99 which will include a PlayStation Move starter pack. The 160GB PlayStation 3 will be available in October for £249.99.

The question has to be asked, why would you buy the 160GB model when you can have a 320GB PlayStation with double the hard drive space AND a PlayStation Move starter pack for just £35 extra!

In other news, Resistance 3 has been revealed thanks to a trailer during the Sony Press Conference. Unfortunately, the live action footage doesn’t really tell us anything except that Resistance 3 is currently in development. Other game trailers revealed by Sony included big titles in the form of  Infamous 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, and Killzone 3.

We were also treated to other announcements including a new four player cooperative Ratchet & Clank game and the fact that MAG will be PlayStation Move compatible.

So Train2Game, what are your highlights of the Sony GamesCom press conference? Is it Gran Turismo 5 finally getting a release date? The new 160GB and 320GB PlayStation 3 models? Resistance 3 perhaps? Or maybe it’s something completely different?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum

Microsoft defends Kinect price

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The Kinect motion controller is ‘very competitively priced.’ That’s according Microsoft UK Marketing Manager Brett Siddons who also says out that Xbox 360 device offers a full multiplayer experience when compared to its rivals.

Speaking at the Kinect stand at an Amazon event, Siddons told Techradar:

“The price thing itself depends on how you look at it, its £129.99 RRP but it comes with a game within that price – so Adventures will be packed in with the camera.”

“If you buy it with the console which normally costs £149.99, [the package price is] £249.99 with the Kinect and the games – another 100 pound on top.

“The camera tracks six people – with two active gamers – you don’t have to buy anything else.

“I’ll let you do the maths but when you say Nintendo Wii or PlayStation Move you buy this and this, even for a two player games.

“What do you need and what do actually have to spend for a two player game for this device versus that device. You actually find that [Kinect] is very competitively priced.”

TechRadar helpfully do ‘the maths.’  They point out that while a basic PlayStation Move pack consisting of a controller and a PlayStation Eye costs just £49.99, buying another motion sensor controller and two sets of navigation controllers for multiplayer games brings the PlayStation Move price up to £150. Of course, Sony could still announce other packages before Move is released.

It appears Mr Siddons wasn’t asked why Kinect costs more in the UK than in the United States. If the price was directly converted from the $150 US price, Kinect would cost £95. It’s very unlikely that VAT on its own adds the additional £35.

So, Train2Game universe, do you agree with the Microsoft UK Marketing manager that Kinect is competitively priced. Or do you think the PlayStation Move, or indeed, Nintendo Wii offers more value for money? And what do you think of the difference between the UK and US prices?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

The future of gaming, according to Stan Lee

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Video games are not only one of the greatest forms of entertainment, but will in future, become a key part of a single system – That’s the opinion of Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee.

Speaking to a BBC reporter at Activision’s impressive E3 event, the veteran comics publisher spoke very positively of video games.

“I love games, I’m no good at them myself, but I love to watch people play them and I love to watch people play the games.

And I think it’s one of the greatest methods of entertainment, and I think it’s only at the beginning now, it’s burgeoning, growing.

….There was a survey and it said the average age of game players now is mid 20s to mid 30s, it’s no longer just a kids thing and it’s a wonderful form of entertainment.

Because you’re seeing the story, but you’re participating in the story and what can be better than that?”

Stan Lee is certainly right about the growth of the games industry. It’s amazing to think how far it’s come in such a relatively short space of time – just compare how Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Nintendo Wii looks compared to the first ever Super Mario Bros, released on the NES just over 20 years ago!

And with new innovations in recent years like motion controllers – including PlayStation Move and Microsoft’s Kinect –  and 3D gaming, in addition to ever  more photo-realistic graphics, who knows where the games industry will be in another 20 years time! The big name Games Designers, Games Developers, and Games Artist and Animators of the future – who could very well be current Train2Game students – could be revealing absolutely mind blowing new innovations at E3 2030! (In case you’ve somehow managed to miss the key events from the current E3 2010, you can catch up with developments here)

When asked about the future of video games by BBC reporter Daniel Emery, Stan Lee only sees great things:

“I think they’ll get better and better. I think the whole of entertainment is coming together, sort of homogenising.

You’re going to have comic books, you’re going to have cartoons, movies, television, video games and music.

They’re all becoming one thing and you’ll be able to watch it on your little telephone screen when you’re travelling, then everybody’s going to want the biggest TV set, bigger than his neighbour.

It’s incredible. Everybody wants the biggest TV set and the smallest little thing to watch it on, but everything will be on one screen eventually, including video games and everything else.”

If Stan Lee’s predictions do come to pass, it’s entirely possible that Train2Game course graduates could be designing games that will be accessible to anyone through a single multi-purpose entertainment system.  Are the first steps towards this already happening? Possibly, with OnLive going live tomorrow (Thursday 17th June) we could be seeing the future of gaming, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Of course, smart phones such as the iPhone already provide people with multiple forms of entertainment – including games – in one place, and as we’ve discussed previously on the Train2Game blog, the iPhone could give a Train2Game student their big break.

The video games industry has a very bright future, and as a Train2Game graduate, you could very well be a part of it. Do you think you could end up developing games for a home entertainment hub? As usual let us know here on this blog, or on the Train2Game Forum.

Sony E3 Press Conference – The key announcements

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Like  Microsoft’s presentation before it, Sony’s press conference not only saw key titles get release dates, but also full details on their own motion controller – the PlayStation Move.

In surprising – but welcome on this side of the Atlantic – twist, the PlayStation Move will be available in Europe on September 15th this year, four days before it’s released in the United States. The motion controller and PlayStation eye will be available in a bundle for €59.99 – a price in pounds sterling is yet to be revealed, but it’ll be much lower in cost than Microsoft’s Kinect.

Speaking at the E3 press conference, Sony President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America Jack Tretton, added that 40 developers are currently working on Move titles. Hopefully some of these will be innovative games, and the type that Train2Game students – be they a Games Designer, Games Developer, or Games Artist & Animator – would be proud to work on.

In non-Move related news, several of the PlayStation 3’s flag ship titles we’re given release dates including the long awaited – and long delayed lest we forget! – Gran Turismo 5. The racer will be available in the USA from Novemer 2nd with a trailer revealing the Top Gear test track as one of the circuits. Jack Tretton also revealed that the game will be fully 3D compatible.

In other PlayStation 3 games news, Killzone 3 will be released in February 2011 – slightly earlier than thought, while it was announced there will be PS3 exclusive content for Assassin’s Creed’s Brotherhood, Medal of Honour and Dead Space 2. There were also new details about the much anticipated Little Big Planet 2.

However, perhaps the biggest surprise of the show so far, was that Valve’s Gabe Newell himself appeared on stage to announce that Portal 2 will be coming to the PlayStation 3. It’ll be connected to Valve’s powerful Steamworks service with the PlayStation 3 being the only system doing so. It represents a huge turnaround for Gabe Newell – previously one of Sony’s consoles biggest critics. While on stage he joked “I’d like to thank everyone at Sony for their hospitality and not repeatedly punching me in the face.”

So, that’s a quick round up of Sony’s E3 Press Conference? Are you impressed? If so what are you looking forward to? As usual, leave your comments here or on the Train2Game forum.