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Train2Game News VRTGO 2016 Announced

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The organisers of VRTGO have announced the return of their popular future-gazing VR conference and expo.
Entering its successful third year, VRTGO is one of the most established industry VR conferences in the world. This year, VRTGO is going BIG.

This event will see an array of exciting demos that will show the power of VR for business as well as entertainment. In addition, the people who are creating the best hardware and content for this emerging frontier will all be showing their latest and greatest.  Attend and learn about the future potential of virtual, augmented and mixed reality.

Sign up for the early bird all access pass today – click HERE.

The conference will welcome talks from Framestore, Hammerhead, Epic Games, Rewind Studio, ARM and many more.

“VR is pushing the boundaries of interactive experiences to a level only dreamt of in sci-fi, we are constantly developing magical new ways for people to be immersed in new worlds.  An example includes our award winning “Field Trip to Mars”, where school children were taken to Mars in a school bus.  We will be attending VRTGO to share our projects and meet other VR specialists”, said Karl Woolley, Head of VR Studio, London, Framestore.

Steve Jelley, Joint MD of Hammerhead VR said, “we pick and choose our events carefully and we’re excited to be exhibiting at VRTGO this year as they always have an engaged audience, and speakers that bring lots of insights into our rapidly expanding industry.”

Carri Cunliffe, conference director said, “We are excited to have so many great companies involved and we will be announcing more very shortly.  As always, we will have provocative panel discussions, outstanding speakers and amazing demos. This year, social VR will be a main theme as its emergence is changing the worlds of business and pleasure alike.”

See www.vrtgo.co.uk to buy tickets and see more information.

Train2Game News Batman Unmasked

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With only a few days left before the debut of BATMAN – The Telltale Series, Telltale are excited to share with you the first episode of their all-new video series Batman: Unmasked!
Hosted by kindafunny.com’s Greg Miller, Batman: Unmasked is a series of after-show discussions on all things pertaining to the The Caped Crusader’s upcoming action-packed interactive narrative adventure. With special guests that include comic book industry experts, community legends, cast and crew, Batman: Unmasked delves into what makes Bruce Wayne tick, as well as in-depth dissections of each episode of the Telltale series as they release.

In this inaugural episode, Greg talks with ComicVine’s Tony Guerrero, Telltale’s CEO Kevin Bruner, and the game’s Executive Producer, Sean O’Connor. Join them as they discuss the origins of the game, as well as what you can expect in this new five part series.

Be sure to let Telltale know what you think of this first in a series of episodic discussion shows on  Twitter,  Facebook, or the community forums!

BATMAN – The Telltale Series Episode 1: ‘Realm of Shadows’ premieres digitally worldwide August 2nd on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC/Mac. It will also arrive digitally on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 later in August. Season Pass Discs for PS4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will become available September 13th along with mobile versions for iOS and Android devices.

You can enjoy the first episode of Batman: Unmasked, here.

Train2Game News Retro-Bit Generations

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​This past June, Innex Inc®., an exclusive distributor of  Retro-Bit® unveiled the brand’s newest product at the 2016 E3 Expo –  Retro-Bit Generations, a plug and play console loaded with more than 100 classic retro games estimated to be available in the Fall of 2016 for $59.99.
Unlike the previous Retro-Bit consoles, which ran and read gaming cartridges, Retro-Bit collaborated with world-renowned gaming developers like Capcom, Data East TM, Jaleco LTD., IREM and more to provide a full-fledged roster of titles easily recognized and admired by the retro-gaming community such as, Ghosts’N Goblins™, Gun.Smoke™, Kid Niki Radical Ninja, Kung-Fu, Captain Commando™, Kickle Cubicle, Rival Turf, Super R-Type, The Super Bases Loaded Series, Knights of the Round, Brawl Brothers, Ring King and more! 

Along with a catalog of popular gaming titles, the Retro-Bit Generations is accompanied with two USB retro-style six button controllers and designed with a sleek user-friendly interface and AV and HDMI ports.  The console also includes an SD card slot allowing users to save or transfer archived game progress to other consoles.

“Retro-Bit has been known to make products for the hardcore retro gaming crowd, and we are thrilled that Retro-Bit created a product that is aimed at a wider audience. We believe that the Retro-Bit Generations is a fantastic introduction for beginners into the world of retro gaming, however, it includes a lot of titles that resonate with experienced gamers.” Said Ron Pang, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Innex Inc. 

With the success of Retro-Bit’s previous consoles (Super Retro-Trio® and the Retro-Duo®), which operates on gaming cartridges, the Retro-Bit Generations opens retro gaming to new patrons of all ages.  Retro-Bit continues to make great strides to bridge the gap of between gamers past and present.

Train2Game News Life is Strange digital series

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​Legendary Digital Studios and Square Enix will join forces on the development of a digital series based on the critically acclaimed, multi award-winning video game, Life Is Strange™, it was announced today by Greg Siegel, Senior Vice President of Development and Production for Legendary Digital Studios.
The project will be developed and produced in conjunction with Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons of dj2 Entertainment who recently produced the upcoming film Sonic the Hedgehog for Sony Pictures. Life is Strange™ was brought into Legendary by Cory Lanier who will oversee the project with Siegel.

Life Is Strange™ follows the story of photography enthusiast Max Caulfield, a high-school senior who discovers she can rewind time while saving her best friend Chloe Price. The pair soon find themselves investigating the mysterious disappearance of fellow student Rachel Amber, which uncovers a dark side to life in Arcadia Bay. In addition to winning the BAFTA for Best Story, the Peabody Award, the Golden Joystick’s Performance of the Year and The Game Awards’ Games for Impact Award, Life Is Strange™ has garnered over 75 Game of the Year awards and listings.

“Life is Strange™ is one of those rare properties that combines incredibly developed characters and storylines with deeply engaging gameplay,” said Siegel. “It lends itself perfectly to live-action imaginings. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Square Enix, DONTNOD Entertainment and dj2 to bring the world of Arcadia Bay to life in an exciting new way.”

“We’re proud and excited to be working alongside Legendary to realise a new version of Arcadia Bay and Blackwell Academy complete with our rich cast of realistic, believable characters and memorable events,” said Jon Brooke, VP Brand and European Marketing at Square Enix. “Now that the first episode of the Life is Strange™ game is free to download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac and PC, there’s never been a better time to play or to introduce a friend to the beautiful world of Arcadia Bay”.

To celebrate, there’s a brand new trailer showing Max and Chloe in action available now. Check it out here.

Legendary Digital Studios, Square Enix and dj2 are currently meeting with potential writers for the series adaptation.

Train2Game News OneSpecialDay raises over 90k

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Over 30 gaming industry companies raised over £90,000 for SpecialEffect in the charity’s inaugural One Special Day event on 15 July. The total may well rise further over the next few weeks.
The majority of the companies donated sales revenue from some or all of their games on 15 July. Others ran a dedicated activity or promotion. 

The initiative, now to be an annual event, aims to promote the gaming industry as unified and proud in helping to level the playing field for gamers with disabilities.

The charity were hoping the event would raise £25,000. Dr Mick Donegan, Founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, said “The generosity of the companies supporting this initiative has been overwhelming, and to utterly smash our £25k target in the first year is phenomenal. It’s a real boost when the games industry themselves, our natural partners, say ‘Yes, we see the difference you’re making – how can we help?’”

“What’s especially great is that companies of all sizes have been part of an event that’s promoted the industry as a real force for good. We look forward to welcoming them and others again for One Special Day 2017.”

A wide spectrum of companies were involved, including: First Touch Games, The Chinese Room, New Star Games, Ripstone, Nomad Games, Green Man Gaming, Curve Digital, nDreams, Devolver, Game Swing, Payload Studios, Magic Notion, Tammeka Games, Bossa Studios, Barog Game Labs, We Love Dragons, Deconstructeam, Vagabond Dog, Terri Vellmann, Acid Nerve, Free Lives, Roll 7, Tundra Games, Insert Coin, Escape Technology, Revolution Games, Red Kite Games, Edgecase Games, Chillingo, Media Molecule, Ukie and Plethora Project.

Phil Gaskell, Co-Founder and Creative Director at Ripstone, said “Ripstone are very happy to have been part of a historic day for the games industry that will make a life-changing difference to the gamers SpecialEffect help. We know our fundraising livestream on the day, the donation of 100% of our profits across platforms and the auction of our Ironcast jet pack(!) will all help SpecialEffect provide many more magic moments.”

Jessica Curry, Co-Founder of The Chinese Room added, “The Chinese Room were delighted to be part of the first ever One Special Day and it was great for our team to meet Dr Mick on the day itself. We saw the life-changing difference that One Special Day will make to bring the magic of games to people with disabilities, and we would urge more developers to get involved in 2017!”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie and VP of SpecialEffect said, “This is a fantastic result for SpecialEffect and their One Special Day initiative. It is a great example of the collective power of games companies and players and what can be achieved together for a cause that Ukie is really proud to support. The money raised will increase SpecialEffect’s important work making the entertainment, inclusion and joy of playing games accessible to everyone. This is a truly special result for a truly special day.”

Next year’s One Special Day will be on Friday 22 September 2017 during the week of the charity’s tenth anniversary.

Train2Game News Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival

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Edinburgh Digital Entertainment Festival (EDEF) today announces a spectacular range of panel discussions and keynote speeches, covering Gaming, Virtual Reality + Future Technology and Next Generation in Arts & Entertainment. 
The iconic Assembly Rooms will host the inaugural festival from 4 to 28 August alongside the Fringe Festival. 

Event Cinema and Live Events

In the first major festival of its kind – EDEF will include: 24 days of event cinema, with screenings of world-renowned art exhibitions, theatre, opera and ballet performances as well as special events that bring the “live” experience into the cinema.  Transforming the Assembly Rooms’ iconic music hall into a state-of-the-art cinema, audiences can discover digital theatre screenings, from Benedict Cumberbatch in  Hamlet, to Matthew Bourne’s ground-breaking dance productions, plus art exhibition screenings including a portrait of Ai Wei Wei and the works of Vincent Van Gogh. Special events include sing-a-longs, the cult-hit  Dune with a live electronic sound mix and an interactive evening of gaming weirdness in  Rab’s Videogame Empty.

Virtual Reality, Gaming and New Technology

Audiences are invited to discover the immersive world of virtual reality and explore how technology is shaping the future for art, entertainment and creative minds.  The unique festival will host a Virtual Reality ’cinema’, an exhibition of new technology and interactive arts in the  Tech Hub from broadcasters to independent games, which will be open daily, alongside gaming and coding workshops for young people in partnership with Microsoft, Lego Education, Minecraft and BBC Micro:bit, curated by the Big Learning Company.

Discussions and In-Person Demonstrations

·    Gaming focus 8 and 9 August

·    Virtual Reality + Future Technology focus 15 and 16 August

·    Next Generation Arts & Entertainment on 22 August

The festival’s  Ideas Studio presents keynote speeches and panel discussions from industry leaders from gaming, virtual reality, and performing arts.

Speakers announced today include NASA-funded scientist Peggy Wu, who will discuss her cutting-edge work in using VR to help astronauts as they embark on deep space missions. 

Sol Rogers, CEO and Founder of REWIND:VR, who will introduce the possibilities of VR across different industries having recently worked with Björk, Lexus, Rolls Royce and BBC home. 

Joe Stevens, CEO of Whispering Gibbon, will explore the future of the 3D printing for virtual worlds, while Tanya Laird, Director at Digital Jam Ltd, convenes Scotland’s first ever VR Writers Room.  

Sarah Ellis (RSC) and Tawny Schlieski (Intel) give insight on their upcoming collaboration with The Imaginarium Studios for RSC’s November production of  The Tempest; 

Flo Buckeridge, General Manager at National Theatre Live, will discuss how the theatre industry is embracing digital innovation; and 

Will Saunders, Creative Director, Digital at BBC Studios presents  Thinking Outside the Box – exploring the battle for attention in an online world.  

William Burdett-Coutts, Festival Director EDEF, Assembly and CEO Riverside Studios said:

“Our ambition is to bring together the world of arts and entertainment with digital technology – to show the best of what is happening right now and provoke the conversation about what comes next. The festival offers a diverse range of activities, allowing audiences to explore the future of the entertainment industry in an ever-growing digital world.“ 

Outside the festival, Edinburgh’s George Street comes to life with food stalls, a bar and the innovative Picturehouse Travelling Cinema, hosting a classic film programme of science fiction, musicals, short films and a selection from the BBC Series, Play for Today.

For more information or to book tickets, please visit edef.co.uk or call 0131 623 3045.

Train2Game News Marmalade 2D Kit

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Marmalade Technologies releases latest version of Marmalade 2D Kit as part of Marmalade Platform 8.5
First introduced in Marmalade Platform 8.3 in March, Marmalade 2D Kit offers an advanced editor and runtime to make creation of engaging and dynamic 2D content both intuitive and fast.

“We have been working hard to improve the editor’s appearance, user experience and functionality, based on feedback from users,” says Adalberto Bruno, CTO at Marmalade Technologies. “With this latest release, our significant investment in this technology puts advanced capabilities in the hands of all Marmalade developers, offering a highly competitive feature set at no additional cost.”

Marmalade Technologies’ in-house game development team, Marmalade Game Studio, makes extensive use of Marmalade 2D Kit to power the entire UI on one of their latest titles, RIZE: Zombies, currently in soft launch.

“Having an editor focused on the specific needs of 2D content creation was a huge productivity boost, allowing rapid iteration and experimentation to fine-tune the UX in RIZE: Zombies,” says Laura Cheng, Producer at Marmalade Game Studio. “We are also seeing growing interest and uptake by other studios, helping us to continue to focus on the features that matter most to users,” adds Ryan Gilmour, Head of Product Management.

In addition to an all-new version of Marmalade 2D Kit, Marmalade Platform 8.5 also brings official support for OpenAL, opening up opportunities for developers to add immersive 3D sound to their apps using a simple, extensible model.

“OpenAL support continues to expand the number of out-of-the-box open source technologies available to our developers,” continues Ryan. “And by building on our platform abstraction we are able to offer this powerful middleware to all platforms simultaneously, including those not supported by alternative implementations of OpenAL.”

Rounding out Marmalade Platform 8.5, developers targeting Windows can now take full advantage of live tiles in their Marmalade apps and both new and existing Extension Development Kit users will benefit from enhanced documentation covering creating and debugging extensions.

Marmalade Platform 8.5, the latest version of the Marmalade Platform, complete with Marmalade 2D Kit, is available now from the Developer area of the Marmalade website.

Train2Game News PlayStation VR at EGX

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Sony Computer Entertainment UK have announced that PlayStation®VR will be at EGX this September, giving fans the opportunity to experience the immersive world of Sony’s innovative virtual reality headset ahead of its 13th October launch.
Visitors to the PlayStation stand will have the opportunity to get hands on with a selection of highly anticipated PlayStation VR titles including RIGS Mechanized Combat League and PlayStation®VR Worlds with more to be announced in future.

To avoid disappointment, visitors can pre-book appointments for a PlayStation VR demo at EGX. Bookings will be made available on http://trypsvr.com/.

Taking place from the 22nd-25th September at the NEC in Birmingham, EGX attendees will also have the chance to play Gran Turismo Sport™ before it speeds onto PlayStation®4 for the first time this November.

All PlayStation VR demo participants will need to be in possession of a valid EGX ticket and be 12 or over. Further PlayStation VR demo slots will be available on http://trypsvr.com/ in the run up to EGX, with a limited number of walk-in demos available across the four days.

For further information on PlayStation®VR visit playstation.com/psvr or follow us @PlayStationUK.

Train2Game News RealityLab London

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A specialist gaming agency is to bring it’s technology and know-how to non-Latin industries, with the launch of a new start up called RealityLab: London.
The new venture between Maverick and leading games developers, is part of the growing trend for using gamification in non gaming industries.

The company believes it’s expertise can help transform the way things are done in sectors such as Advertising, Fintech and retail.

Will Jeffery, Managing Director & Founder of Maverick, and a co-founder of RealityLab: London gave some background to the announcement:

“We’ve had more than twenty years of working with the most amazing technology and talent within the games industry, and a couple of years ago we realised that there was huge untapped potential for this to go beyond games as the world moves into more connected and interactive ways of engaging with information and content. We think that the skills, technology and talent that can only be found in games development will have an increasing influence on shaping the day-to-day experiences around us, and RealityLab: London will be a major focal point in enabling this”

Seamus Masterson, Creative Director at Maverick and co-founder will take on the role of Executive Creative Director to work alongside the various developer talent.

“Partnering with developers allows us access to an amazing variety of skills and experience across multiple styles of content, and this is coupled with their hard-earned knowledge of having shipped multi-million selling games across more or less every platform there is. Having access to this places RealityLab: London in a great position to be able to respond to complex interactive briefs, and whether we are gamifying something for online, VR or a live installation, our aim is to deliver a level of technical quality, interaction and design that is akin to the best commercial games.”

Train2Game News AppGameKit Education Bundle

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The Game Creators today launched the AppGameKit Education Bundle. The special pack, specifically developed for the Education market, includes AppGameKit, Giant Asset Packs 1 & 2, Games Pack1 and a 3D Asset Pack.The free Educational Materials Pack, which compliments the Education Bundle, includes an ‘Instructors Guide’, written specifically for teachers and tutors, and enables them to develop AppGameKit courses and classes to teach programming and app development. The simple guide includes code exercises with commands, loops, variables, images and sprites.

Lee Bamber, CEO of The Game Creators, said, “Educational establishments considering which engine to use should give serious consideration to this specialist education pack. Whilst products like Unity and Unreal are free, they arrive with almost no game assets, requiring the schools, colleges and universities to purchase additional graphics and sound for their class. The AppGameKit Education Pack includes everything a teacher or lecturer could need with a discounted pricing structure to match the size of class being taught.”

AppGameKit’s Education Bundle is available at https://www.appgamekit.com/education.php and on steam on http://store.steampowered.com/sub/116032/

The Game Creators used AppGameKit to develop Driving Test Success Theory, Hazard Perception and Highway Code apps for UK publisher Focus Multimedia, deploying them onto the App Store, Google Play, Amazon, Mac Store and Blackberry World – all from AppGameKit’s executable code. These Driving Test Success apps are now one of the UK’s #1 ‘Learning to Drive’ apps.