Tag Archives: train

Train2Game News Celebrating 10 Years of Angry Birds at IMGA

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In 2018 the mobile games industry reached the legal age of 21 years.

Growing from zero to 53 Billion US$, according to Newzoo, mobile games popularity is a worldwide phenomenon.

One of the industry’s most spectacular success stories is Angry Birds, which is set to celebrate its official 10th birthday in December.

Today Rovio Entertainment and the International Mobile Games Awards (IMGA) announce that they will toast a decade of Angry Birds and the 15th anniversary of the IMGA.

In San Francisco, on 19th March, at an invitation-only event, the IMGA will announce the winners of the 15th IMGA. The ceremony will be followed by the After Party, themed around a 10th anniversary celebration of Angry Birds.

“10 years ago I played an early build of Angry Birds, a game which was immediately nominated for one of the Awards. I feel fortunate that we were one of the first to play the game before it became a worldwide success. Today I am proud that Rovio will celebrate the 10 years of their success with us.” Says Maarten Noyons, founder of the IMGA.

“For Rovio, this year is about celebrating an incredible decade while simultaneously looking toward a bright future,” says Ville Heijari, CMO of Rovio Entertainment. “We look forward to celebrating the state of the mobile games market with IMGA and raise a toast to its continuing growth.”

For more information visit http://www.imgawards.com/

Train2Game News Casual Connect 2019

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After a successful event in 2018, Casual Connect is coming back to The Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London, UK on May 28-30, 2019.

At Casual Connect Europe 2019, all attendees get access to three days of lectures, official networking parties, and 90 of the world’s best indie games with developers.

Organized in part by CGA and Greenlit Content, the venue will also feature a large expo area where you can talk one-on-one with industry-leading companies.

Casual Connect brings together the most talented and knowledgeable experts in the gaming field to further the industry with the best learning and networking opportunities for gaming professionals since 2005 four times every year in USA, Asia, Western Europe and Eastern Europe.

Additionally, all attendees have unlimited access to our meeting and scheduling app to network with games industry professionals like yourself.

INDIE PRIZE SUBMISSION DEADLINE

More than 1,500 developers apply to Indie Prize during the year and judges from throughout the games industry select the most promising games to participate at international Indie Prize showcases during Casual Connect conferences. Submit your game for the international Indie Prize London 2019 scholarship program before March 20 with more details can be found in the submission form.

You can also join industry leaders as an established developer with the Developer showcase.

For more information visit Casual Connect.

Train2Game News Crash Merch

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Feeling nostalgic?

Can’t wait to get your grubby little paws on Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled this summer?

It’s time to party like it’s 1996 with a new line of Crash Bandicoot products, ranging from mugs to character lights – and more!

It’s a blast from the past with Merchoid’s latest line of Crash-centric products.

Kick off a new collection featuring everyone’s favorite PlayStation mascot with some home décor: character lights! Crash is frozen in a wacky pose in this Crash Bandicoot: Totally Fly Icon Light, so drop him wherever you think you need a little extra oomph in your home or car.
The Crash Bandicoot: Prime Specimen Bell Jar Light is a micro USB-powered light is an easy way to add a little Crash panache to any room. You can’t leave him without his witch doctor spirit companion Aku Aku, though – so pick up the AA battery-powered Crash Bandicoot: Illuminating Invincibility Aku Aku Icon Light to give him another chance at life should he fall to the floor. The plastic might shatter, but Aku Aku can totally save Crash’s life, right?

Are villains more your speed? Fine then – grab the Crash Bandicoot: Nefarious Nightlight Dr. Neo Cortex Icon Light to make a little mischief.

When you’re done placing all your awesome new lights, take a breather and enjoy a tasty beverage with the Crash Bandicoot: Secret Warp Room Heat Change Mug, which will be the envy of everyone at the breakfast table. As you pour your coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or other beverage, an image of the iconic mascot character will appear – like magic! Dr. Neo Cortex is shook – if only it were this easy to defeat that pesky bandicoot.

Jumpstart your morning with an explosive cup of coffee or hot tea with the Crash Bandicoot: Don’t Tread On Me Nitro Crate Mug or the Crash Bandicoot: Begin The Countdown TNT Crate Mug. Based on the iconic TNT and nitro crates seen throughout Crash’s greatest hits, these square mugs are constructed of durable dolomite and are perfect for display, too!

Got something you need extra nefarious power to accomplish? Fuel up by drinking out of the voodoo mask spirit Uka Uka’s menacing head with the Crash Bandicoot: Ultimate Power Is Mine Uka Uka Mug.

Just don’t complain when it imbues you with evil.

If this throwback to 1996’s craziest platforming game has you nostalgic for all things PlayStation, they’ve got something to help you embrace that, too: The PlayStation: Console 3D Mug is an adorable, square version of the classic PS1 you grew up enjoying all your Crash adventures with. From Crash Bandicoot to Crash Bandicoot: Warped, it’ll all come back to you. Ahhh, DualShocks and memory cards.

Yep, this is the stuff, alright – but if you want in, you’d better hurry and lock yours in before this bandicoot’s overstayed his welcome. You never know when it’s time for him to be lost to time again…

The full range of Crash Bandicoot products is available here: https://www.merchoid.com/?s=crash&post_type=product

Train2Game News Method Dominating WoW eSports

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Powerhouse esports organization Method have officially achieved their 11th World First victory live from the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, defeating all nine bosses in the newest WoW raid before any other guild.

The Race to World First for Battle of Dazar’alor began last Thursday (31/01/19) and Method defeated the final boss, Mythic Jaina Proudmore, live in front of fans on Twitch on Tuesday (05/02/19).

Method were the first guild to ever broadcast a Race to World First when they defeated Battle for Azeroth’s opening raid, Uldir, in record time from the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in September last year.

Sco, Gingi, Narcolies, Chrispotter, Perfecto, Deepshades and Cayna, part of the 20 man Method raid guild, battled it out tirelessly to become the first guild in the world to take down Mythic Jaina. The Race to World First saw over 230k views across the Method Twitch channels, with Method’s official channel and guild master Scott “Sco” McMillan’s channel combined seeing 4.49M hours watched last week alone (28/01/19 – 03/02/19.)

“We’re incredibly proud to have achieved another World First. To see such amazing success in terms of viewership a second time around confirms that we’re onto something special by sharing our progress with the community,” said Scott ‘Sco’ McMillan, Co-Founder, Method. “The Red Bull Gaming Sphere has become the perfect base for us to attempt World Firsts. We’ve spent over 96 hours in the space during this raid alone, and having a comfortable environment that’s purpose built to support gaming definitely gave us a competitive edge. Not to mention the unlimited Red Bull to keep us alert and focused throughout.”

Method were the first organisation to recognise the viewership potential of a Race to World First in September when they live streamed their defeat of mythic G’huun, the final boss in Battle for Azeroth’s first raid from the Red Bull Gaming Sphere. Both of Method’s Race to World First streams have seen fantastic viewership and represent an exciting new direction for the esports scene, spearheaded by a world renowned esports organisation in Method.

Train2Game News Box Joining GameBlast19

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Committed video gamers from Birmingham technology giant Box are gearing up to burn the midnight gaming oil to raise money for people with disabilities.

Around 20 staff at the Minworth-based business will be playing video games continuously for 24 hours as part of GameBlast19, the UK’s largest gaming marathon weekend.

This will be the fourth year Box has taken part in the event, having previously raised more than £2,000 for the charity SpecialEffect, which uses technology to help people with disabilities enjoy video games.

Box is asking people to help them reach their £1,000 target by donating money via www.justgiving.com/boxgameblast19

The game-a-thon takes place February 23-24.

Rodney Critchlow, store manager at Box, said: “We’re really excited to be taking part in GameBlast19. A lot of us are keen gamers, but playing for 24 hours is still a big challenge.

“We’ll have a schedule of games to play throughout the event, and people will be able to watch via our Twitch channel, www.twitch.tv/boxuk

“SpecialEffect is a fantastic charity which uses things like modified joypads and eye-control technology to enable disabled people to play games. It means they don’t have to just sit there and watch their friend or sibling having fun.

“We’re hoping to raise at least £1,000.”

Box.co.uk sells an extensive range of technology and computing products through its specialist website and retail shop, including laptops, desktop PCs, phones and tablets, components, monitors and printers.

The business was founded by Mark Jordan in 1996 and today is the UK’s leading technology e-commerce business, employing over 100 people and turning over £42 million.

Train2Game News LEGO Marvel Collection

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO Group and Marvel Entertainment today announced the LEGO® Marvel Collection, bringing the top-selling videogames LEGO® Marvel™ Super Heroes, LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 2 and LEGO® Marvel’s Avengers together in one package.

This colossal Marvel adventure also includes previously released DLC packs for the games, including Black Panther and Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War character and level packs for LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 inspired by Marvel Studios’ hit films.

In LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, players take on the role of their favorite Marvel characters Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Thor, Captain America and the Hulk, as they assemble in a completely original story. Players will battle against some of the most menacing Marvel Super Villains, including dastardly Doctor Octopus, the ghastly Green Goblin, the ruthless Red Skull, the vicious Venom, Thor’s vexing brother, Loki, as well as the Devourer of Worlds, Galactus.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 picks up directly where LEGO Marvel Super Heroes left off featuring a completely original branching storyline co-written by award-winning comic writer Kurt Busiek. This story brings together a diverse roster of iconic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from different time periods and realities including Ant-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Cosmo the Spacedog, Cowboy Captain America, Doctor Octopus, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider, Green Goblin, Groot, Gwenpool, Hawkeye, Howard the Duck, Hulk, Iron Man, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, Rocket Raccoon, She-Hulk, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man, Star-Lord, Thor, and many more. Players can roam and explore 18 different Marvel locations within the incredible Open Hub World of Chronopolis, from the vibrant jungle of Wakanda to the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, along with Asgard, Attilan, Knowhere, the Coliseum, Hala, Hydra Empire, Kang’s Citadel, K’un-Lun, Lemuria, Manhattan, Medieval England, Noir New York, 2099 Nueva York, Old West, The Swamp, and Xandar.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers features storylines from the critically-acclaimed film Marvel’s The Avengers and its sequel Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and players can unlock more than 200 characters, including Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye, Hulk, Thor and Iron Man. The game features a unique take on open world gameplay, with eight different environments to explore within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the expansive streets of Marvel’s New York, as well as Asgard, Barton’s Farm, Malibu, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base Exterior, Sokovia, South Africa and Washington, D.C. Players can freely roam around these open world locations in any way they’d like, such as super jumping off skyscrapers with Hulk, speed running over water with Quicksilver or even play as giant characters, like the menacing Fing Fang Foom, who can grow to the size of tall buildings.

The three-game compilation will be available March 12, 2019 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and the Xbox One family of devices.

Train2Game News Lunar New Year Sale

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Gamers are being urged to ‘pig out’ on some of the hottest Steam games around in the highly-anticipated Lunar New Year Sale from leading digital retailer Fanatical.

Over 1,000 games have launched on the Fanatical Store. Ranging from top AAAs to entertaining and retro Indies, with up to 91% off. Plus, gamers can also save an additional 8% off selected Steam games by using the LUNAR8 coupon code.

Take on the role of hit assassin Agent 47 in diverse sandbox locations filled with opportunities to take out your target with HITMAN 2 (-37%) – or enhance your stealth action experience with two additional expansions and the Executive Pack DLC with HITMAN 2 Gold Edition (-37%). See DC Comics’ famous superheroes and villains engage in close-quarter combat and decide the fate of the world in arcade-style fighter Injustice 2 – Legendary Edition (-60%), including all released DLC with 10 additional characters and five Premiere Skins.

Grab your friends and family for a night of laughs, trivia and team spirit (sometimes) with The Jackbox Party Quadpack (-40%) which includes four Jackbox Games party packs with 20 game modes available, as well as streaming capabilities to share your comedy moments with millions of gamers worldwide.

Plus, for the next 48 hours gamers can get The Jackbox Party Pack 5 at the best ever price (-50%) featuring five party-saving new games to enjoy as part of Fanatical’s latest Star Deal.

Lead your clan of Viking warriors into unknown territory and build settlements to withstand the elements and foes in simulation strategy Northgard (-33%); witness a gripping narrative that flows into a live action show based on your in-game decisions with third-person shooter Quantum Break (-75%); and visit galaxies with over 50,000 planets, moons and asteroids as you embark on a journey to build an intergalactic empire in turn-based strategy Distant Worlds: Universe (-75%).

Take on one of the most challenging, yet addictive society survival Steam games in deadly arctic conditions with Frostpunk (-40%); run and gun your way through classic animated environments with a flurry of enemies in Cuphead (-20%); and tend to your duties as a shopkeeper while travelling through portals to slay monsters in the dungeon-crawling, action-adventure Moonlighter (-40%).

Fanatical always stay true to supporting the hard-working developers and publishers featured on their store by only stocking officially licensed Steam keys, which means that your purchases benefit the people who create these amazing games.

The Fanatical Lunar New Year Sale ends on February 11th 2019 at 11:59pm (GMT).

Please note: Some games included in the Lunar New Year Sale may be region locked. The coupon code is not available to use on Star Deals, bundles and pre-orders.

Train2Game News Controller Support for Fortnite Mobile

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Gamevice announced today that its low latency, direct connect controller is now compatible with Fortnite mobile – well timed with Fortnite’s 60 frames per second update that recently launched for iOS and now some Android devices.

Fortnite for mobile is the exact same gameplay as Fortnite for console, and even allows you to play with your friends on other game systems – but mobile players were limited to only using a touchscreen. Now Fortnite mobile players can even the playing field against console rivals using Gamevice, with the precision of a low latency controller coupled with butter smooth 60 FPS on iOS. It’s the best way to compete against console counterparts!

Gamevice is the best Apple MFi partner with direct Lightning support, making it the most responsive controller on iOS devices. Read the full story on Gamevice’s recent blog post giving various details on technical aspects of iOS function, matchmaking and more.

Fortnite’s recent 7.3 update added full controller support for iOS and Android devices making Gamevice the key to getting the exact same experience as Fortnite for console. Now, mobile players don’t have to obscure their view by putting their greasy thumbs on the screen, they can simply snap on their Gamevice to experience unabated visuals and play at home or on the go.

The preferred controller of gamers everywhere, Gamevice creates a console experience on mobile devices to more than 1,000 video games including Street Fighter IV, Minecraft, NBA 2K19 and now Fortnite!

The controller has extended its critically-acclaimed functionality to users of smartphone-controlled devices including robots and drones like DJI’s Spark and Sphero’s SPRK+ robot. By providing precision control and an ergonomic design, Gamevice allows users to achieve a new level of usability and comfort over a mobile device’s touchpad interface, and offers the lowest latency of any mobile controller available.

With prices starting at £74.99, Gamevice provides lightning-fast control to video games and mobile controlled gadgets for popular iOS and Android smartphones or tablets on the market.

For more information on Gamevice, please visit gamevice.com.

Train2Game News Valentines Razer Line

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RazerTM, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today unveiled the latest high-performance gaming gear and accessories to be given the popular Quartz Pink treatment.

This includes:
• Razer Basilisk mouse
• Razer Goliathus Extended Chroma mouse mat
• Razer Huntsman keyboard
• Razer Kraken headset
• Razer Raiju Tournament Edition controller for PS4
• Razer Seiren X microphone
• Razer Base Station Chroma headset stand
• Quartz case for Razer Phone 2

Razer’s Quartz Pink colorway was first launched in 2018 to the delight of gamers, streamers and influencers worldwide.

With a humble lineup of 4 peripherals to choose from, it was the beginning of a ‘pink phenomenon’.

Fans on the quest for Quartz began to refresh their setups with bold color themes – balancing power in pink. We’ve paid attention. With more than double the gear available this year, one can enjoy a new series that lets you stand out even further from the crowd…in style.

“Our fans told us they could not get enough of our Quartz Pink editions,” said Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. “We listened and we have given the stunning pink treatment to our latest gaming gear, giving you the unfair advantage in both performance and looks.”

Discover the entire Quartz family here: https://www.razer.com/quartz.

Train2Game News Now Play This

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Ukie has become a major funder of this year’s Now Play This, part of the London Games Festival, to support more experimental game commissions and to help extend the exhibition’s run.

It comes as part of a new three-way partnership with Games London and Now Play This CIC.

This year, Now Play This will extend from four days to nine, bringing the latest in experimental game design from around the world to Somerset House for its biggest edition ever. Ukie’s funding will enable more commissions and content to exist for practitioners to showcase their work to the public. It will also fund more workshops and key industry talks on skills development as well as networking opportunities.

The commitment from Ukie reflects the significance of Now Play This and its role as part of the London Games Festival, which is a joint project between Film London and Ukie, supported by the Mayor of London. The exhibition is a popular, family friendly part of the Festival programme and extending the run will enable more people to get hands on with the games on display.

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment) said: “Now Play This is a true celebration of the culture, curiosity and creative breadth of games. We are delighted that this contribution from the sector means more creativity and artistry from the community. We’re also pleased that the funding will help Now Play This to have more original commissioned work and more opportunities for anyone interested in our powerful form of art.”

Jonathan Reekie CBE, Director of Somerset House Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to Ukie for their enhanced support of this year’s Now Play This at Somerset House. This has enabled us to double the length of the festival to nine days, with more games, talks and workshops for visitors of all ages. With Ukie’s support, Now Play This continues to offer a vital platform for talented artists and game developers and ensure that experimental game design often engaging in unexpected subjects is thriving.”

Now Play This is a festival of experimental game design which runs at Somerset House in London as part of London Games Festival. This year Now Play This will run over nine days from 6-14 April, featuring exciting hands-on gameplay for all ages to enjoy, from solo games to multiplayer collaborative experiences, from a host of multidisciplinary artists and creators. Visitors can also enjoy a range of free outdoor gaming installations, as well as a series of insightful talks, workshops and activities from the designers and makers taking part in the festival.