Tag Archives: Train2Game News

Train2Game News Microsoft reveal DirectX 12

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DirectX 12Microsoft has revealed the latest version of its DirectX API at GDC. The new version has been designed to work across across multiple platforms including PC, Xbox One, tablets and smartphones.

It was claimed the API reduces CPU overhead significantly compared to DirectX 11 and was designed from scratch to take full advantage of advanced GPU hardware features on next-gen systems.

DirectX 12 was shown off on stage with a tech demo of Forza 5 running on a PC powered by an Nvidia Geforce Titan Black by Microsoft DirectX development manager Anuj Gosalia.

Nvidia, which worked with Microsoft on developing the API, will support the latest upgrade on all DirectX 11-class GPUs it has shipped in the Fermi, Kepler and Maxwell architectural families.

“DX12’s focus is on enabling a dramatic increase in visual richness through a significant decrease in API-related CPU overhead,” said Nvidia engineer Henry Moreton.

“Historically, drivers and OS software have managed memory, state, and synchronisation on behalf of developers. However, inefficiencies result from the imperfect understanding of an application’s needs. DX12 gives the application the ability to directly manage resources and state, and perform necessary synchronisation. As a result, developers of advanced applications can efficiently control the GPU, taking advantage of their intimate knowledge of the game’s behaviour.”

While initial details have covered the form of the graphics API, Moreton said future Direct3D releases would include new rendering features.

No release date has been set for DirectX 12.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 24.03.14

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inFamousSecondSon-1Sony has a good week in the charts this week with inFamous Second Son taking the number one spot. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes makes it’s debut at number two this week with Final Fantasy X and X-2 arriving at number four.

All formats
Week ending 22 March 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 INFAMOUS: SECOND SON SONY COMPUTER ENT. –
2 METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES KONAMI –
3 TITANFALL EA GAMES 1
4 FINAL FANTASY X/X-2 HD REMASTER SQUARE ENIX –
5 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT 3
6 – FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 6
7 DARK SOULS II BANDAI NAMCO GAMES 2
8 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 4
9 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 7
10 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 9
11 THIEF SQUARE ENIX 5
12 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 8
13 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 10
14 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 11
15 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 13
16 YOSHI’S NEW ISLAND NINTENDO 12
17 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 14
18 ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES SEGA 15
19 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS EA GAMES 18
20 RAYMAN LEGENDS UBISOFT 16
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.

Train2Game News Unreal Engine 4 available

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Unreal Engine 4At the 2014 Game Developers Conference, Epic Games opened Unreal Engine 4 to the world, releasing all of its leading-edge tools, features and complete C++ source code to the development community through a new subscription model. Developers can sign up for UE4 for PC, Mac, iOS and Android by paying $19 per month, plus 5% of gross revenue resulting from any commercial products built using UE4.

“This is our complete engine, with everything Epic provides to leading game developers, priced accessibly for teams of all sizes, budgets and aspirations,” said Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games.

With the release of UE4, Epic is moving to a community-centric model built around forums, a Wiki and AnswerHub Q&A, with GitHub hosting the complete C++ source so developers can utilize its robust collaboration functionality for experimentation and sharing.

“This is smart. It’s an enlightened way for developers to create great games and easily bring them to Steam,” said Gabe Newell of Valve.

“Now is a great time to be an independent developer,” said Sweeney. “There are amazing platforms and distribution opportunities available, and with this release we hope the Unreal Engine can help developers build cool new things.”

– Unreal Engine 4 engine and game code are developed in C++, using Microsoft Visual Studio (a free version is available), and Apple’s Xcode.

– Unreal Engine 4 provides a rich suite of tools for content developers including the Blueprint visual scripting system, giving designers and artists unprecedented power to construct gameplay logic without programming; a visual material editor; the Persona animation system; and Matinee timeline-based machinima and cinematics system.

– In addition to the new subscription model, Unreal Engine 4 can be licensed via custom-negotiated terms, for companies that wish to form a closer support relationship with Epic, or to reduce or eliminate the 5% royalty in exchange for up-front payment.

Visit www.unrealengine.com for access to Unreal Engine 4.

You can check out the power of Unreal Engine 4 in the video below

Train2Game News Sony VR Headset announced

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project_morpheusSony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida revealed the PS4 virtual reality headset, codenamed ‘Project Morpheus’, during an industry presentation late on Tuesday at GDC.

Sony aired short video clips of a prototype version of the headset – which appeared to consist of Sony’s current HMZ head mounted display with a Move controller attached to the side – being used to play a first-person version of God of War 3. The corporation also showed a video of downloadable title Datura being tested with the device. Sony has been working on the VR headset for three years

“Virtual reality is the next innovation from from PlayStation that may well shape the future of games.” Yoshida announced.

Morpheus will seamlessly integrate with the PS4 Move controllers and the unit also can mirror its display on a TV, allowing others to spectacle gameplay. The headset also adopts 3D audio technology uniquely developed by SCE. In addition to sounds coming from front, behind, left and right, Morpheus recreates stereoscopic sounds heard from below and above the players, such as footsteps climbing up stairs below them, or engine noises of helicopters flying overhead.

Only a single VR headset will be connectible to a PS4 console at a time.

Release date and pricing were left undisclosed, with Sony only willing to say that it would be released “as soon as possible and for as low as possible”.

The tech specs released for Project Morpheus are below:

  • LCD panel size: 5 inches
  • Panel Resolution: 1920×RGB×1080 (960×RGB×1080 per eye)
  • 1000Hz head tracking
  • Field of View: 90 degrees
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope
  • Connection interface: HDMI + USB
  • 3D audio support
  • ‘Social Screen feature’ mirrors experience onto TV (Allows for unique asymmetric gameplay)
  • 3 meter working volume
  • Supports ‘forward prediction’
  • DualShock 4 and PS Move compatible
  • Highly adjustable unit
  • Direct on-board audio jack for headphones
  • No weight placed on nose or cheeks

 

Train2Game News Unreal Engine 4 helping dementia

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Unreal Engine 4The Forest Project is an upcoming serious game that provides therapeutic benefits to people living with dementia through the use of virtual environments. Created with Unreal Engine 4, The Forest Project is an initiative of Alzheimer’s Australia Vic and developer, Opaque Multimedia.

“The objective of The Forest Project is to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia by escaping from the monotony of their living spaces,” said Opaque Multimedia Co-Founder Norman Wang. “Future expansions will include more locations, interactions and preferences. Our eventual goal is to put The Forest Project in every aged care facility in Australia, and similar facilities all over the world.”

The Forest Project, which is currently seeking crowdfunding support, uses virtual reality as a form of sensory therapy for people living with dementia by allowing them to enter a more visually stimulating and interactive environment. Research has shown that a person’s sensory abilities remain intact even in the late stages of dementia.

Opaque Multimedia’s previous work, the Virtual Dementia Experience (VDE), utilizes motion-sensing to immerse participants in the role of a person living with dementia. By helping to raise empathy among elder-care workers and families, the VDE showcases the real-life impacts possible by serious games.

Epic Games VP Jay Wilbur said, “The work that Opaque Multimedia is doing is very exciting, and we are proud that Unreal Engine 4 has been able to help the team see its vision realized. We have worked hard to give Unreal Engine 4 the unparalleled versatility needed to bring any concept to life, and projects like the VDE and The Forest Project make those efforts worthwhile.”

Serious games face unique demands and challenges in an industry dominated by traditional concepts of gameplay mechanics. Citing Blueprint visual scripting and the Material Editor as two standout features, Wang said that using Unreal Engine 4 provided Opaque Multimedia with the flexibility of tools needed to break the boundaries of expectation.

“Game engines that specialize too specifically towards a certain type of game limit the developer’s options, and can doom a serious game project before it even starts. In our experience with Unreal Engine 4, we have found that it has versatility and flexibility, and is clearly designed with the end user in mind.”

Learn more about Opaque Multimedia’s efforts to improve the lives of people living with dementia, visit http://opaquemultimedia.com.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 games – 17.03.14

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TitanfallThis weeks charts have a few new entries including a new number one, Respawn Entertainment’s highly anticipated big mech shooter Titanfall. Bandai Namco’s Dark Souls 2 in its debut week has reached number two just above last weeks number one South Park: Stick Of Truth. Further down the charts Nintendo’s Yoshi’s New Island comes in at number twelve and Pac-man and the ghostly adventures enters at number nineteen.

All formats
Week ending 15 March 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 TITANFALL EA GAMES –
2 DARK SOULS II BANDAI NAMCO GAMES –
3 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT 1
4 – THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 4
5 THIEF SQUARE ENIX 2
6 FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 5
7 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 3
8 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 6
9 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 7
10 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 8
11 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 10
12 YOSHI’S NEW ISLAND NINTENDO –
13 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 9
14 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 12
15 ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES SEGA 14
16 RAYMAN LEGENDS UBISOFT 11
17 FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 MICROSOFT 16
18 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS EA GAMES 13
19 PAC-MAN AND THE GHOSTLY ADVENTURES BANDAI NAMCO GAMES –
20 – KILLZONE: SHADOW FALL SONY COMPUTER ENT. 20
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.

Train2Game News AppEngage Network

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image

To prove the value of an engaged user, Midverse Studios is offering developers who implement the AppEngage Network up to 100,000 installs for free.

The offer is available to all Android developers (Google Play and Amazon) who implement the AppEngage SDK within the next 30 days.

With the AppEngage Network, Midverse is pioneering a Cost Per Quality Engagement (CPE+) model, leaving behind the increasingly expensive and decreasingly effective Cost Per Install (CPI) model. The mobile platform provides incremental in-game rewards to users based on players successfully completing tasks across a number of in-network games. Through these cross-game incentives, the AppEngage Network keeps players involved across multiple apps, creating a reason to try new titles and to continue playing them well after the first play session.

“CPI is broken, with developers paying a premium for users who are encouraged to install their apps by other ad networks, but then immediately delete or never even play their games,” said Rizwan Virk, co-founder and CEO of Midverse Studios.  “With the AppEngage Network, we’re delivering users who stick around long enough to get hooked and actually want to play your game.”

Developers currently using AppEngage have increased monetization by at least $.01 in average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU).  That means an app with 100,000 daily active users (DAU) will have a revenue increase of at least $1,000 per day.

Midverse’s 100,000 Free Users promotion will run for a limited time.  The number of free installs is based on the developer’s DAU and how many users their application shares with the Network. Complete terms and conditions for the offer are available at http://www.midversestudios.com/100kpromo_terms.

Train2Game News SpecialEffect helps gamer complete GTA V

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SpecialEffectWhen Lee lost the ability to play video games because of spinal muscular atrophy, he lost a major part of his life. But with the help of gamer’s charity SpecialEffect, he’s conquered Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V.

“I’ve played games all my life,” he said, “and I got quite depressed when I couldn’t play them. It was taking a big part of who I was away.”

SpecialEffect, who specialise in helping people with disabilities to experience the fun and inclusion of video games, worked with Lee to find a customised equipment setup that exactly suited his individual abilities.

The charity positioned microswitches to harness the small finger movements in his right hand, and mounted two joysticks that he can operate using his chin.

“I didn’t think I’d be able to play GTA because of my limitations, but there are no limitations anymore,” he said. “With games I can do the things I can’t do because of my disability,” he said. “I can play football with my brother by playing FIFA, or drive cars.”

“Disabilities are very frustrating and limiting – you’re basically imprisoned. This is the charity that could help change your life and bring something back that you thought you’d lost.”

Before his condition had advanced, Lee had found out about the charity through a clicking on the SpecialEffect pitchside advertising board in Sports Interactive’s Football Manager 13 game.

Nick Streeter, fundraiser at the charity, said “We’re absolute delighted to be able to help Lee. His physical abilities are changing over time, and we’ll keep visiting him to modify his equipment so that he can continue to play games as effectively as possible.”

“Games are an amazing medium through which people make friends, socialise and come together for a common cause. To be able to extend that medium to people that would otherwise not be involved is both an honour and a privilege.”

Lee’s story is featured in a short YouTube video, shown below, by the charity

http://youtu.be/5J2GWmoVl-k

Train2Game News Costume Quest 2 announced

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Costume Quest 2Midnight City, indie label of Majesco Entertainment Company, will publish Double Fine Productions’ first big sequel, Costume Quest 2, coming to PC and consoles.

In Double Fine’s triumphant return to Auburn Pines, our candy-crazed crusaders Wren and Reynold must once again protect Halloween from untold horrors, and grown-ups! Your favorite trick-or-treaters will come armed with a new batch of costumes they wear to transform into giant super powered fantasy Hallowarriors. Fans of the original can look forward to a sweet upgraded battle system and a story that is unmistakably Double Fine.

“For the last couple of years,” said Tim Schafer, Creative Director of Double Fine Productions, “Whenever Halloween came around, I felt like something was missing. No matter how many pumpkins I carved, apples I bobbed, or candy I ate, it just couldn’t fill the big spooky hole inside of me. But then I realized what was missing: I needed more Costume Quest. And also, I really wanted a T-Shirt with glowing skulls on it.”

“It’s not every day that you’re able to work with talent like Double Fine,” said Casey Lynch, VP of Publishing at Midnight City. “The opportunity to partner with one of the most beloved, well-established studios in the indie scene along with one of the most brilliant teams in development represents a sea change for games publishing. We’re moving into a brand new middle that’s taking shape in the widening gap between word of mouth indie and triple A.”

Costume Quest 2 join Midnight City’s growing roster of indie titles alongside handcrafted puzzler The Bridge, the infamous madness-inducing Slender: The Arrival, and innovative minimalist e-sport VIDEOBALL.

You can enjoy the crazy announcement trailer for Costume Quest 2 below:

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 10.03.14

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South Park The Stick of TruthThe truth this week is the top spot has been stolen from Thief by South Park: Stick of truth. The rest of the charts stay very quiet with Forza Motorsport 5 making a return in to the top twenty at number sixteen.

All formats

Week ending 8 March 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH UBISOFT –
2 THIEF SQUARE ENIX 1
3 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 4
4 THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 2
5 FIFA 14 EA SPORTS 3
6 CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS ACTIVISION 5
7 MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION MICROSOFT 8
8 BATTLEFIELD 4 EA GAMES 6
9 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 7
10 ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG UBISOFT 9
11 RAYMAN LEGENDS UBISOFT 12
12 GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 11
13 NEED FOR SPEED: RIVALS EA GAMES 14
14 ALIENS: COLONIAL MARINES SEGA 17
15 WWE 2K14 2K SPORTS 19
16 FORZA MOTORSPORT 5 MICROSOFT –
17 BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 18
18 – LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 18
19 TOMB RAIDER: DEFINITIVE EDITION SQUARE ENIX 15
20 GRAN TURISMO 6 SONY COMPUTER ENT. 15
< previous week
Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2014 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.