Train2Game News Rise of the Tomb Raider Xbox One Exclusive

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Rise of the Tomb Raider won’t be available on either PS4 or PC, following Microsoft’s deal to sign the game exclusively for Xbox One.

Following a bad reaction from PlayStation and PC users on the Crystal Dynamics forums, head of studio Darrell Gallagher has explained what he presents as the motivation behind the news.

“We consider all of you to be the lifeblood of Tomb Raider and the work we do at Crystal,” he said. “I’d like to give you some insight into this decision, and why we feel this is the very best thing for the Tomb Raider sequel we’re creating at the studio.

“Tomb Raider in 2013 was a success due in large part to your continued support. Our goal has always been to deliver something truly special with Rise of the Tomb Raider. Today’s announcement with Microsoft is one step to help us put Tomb Raider on top of action adventure gaming.

“Our friends at Microsoft have always seen huge potential in Tomb Raider and have believed in our vision since our first unveil with them on their stage at E3 2011. We know they will get behind this game more than any support we have had from them in the past – we believe this will be a step to really forging the Tomb Raider brand as one of the biggest in gaming, with the help, belief and backing of a major partner like Microsoft.”

Gallagher goes on to say that the team is working to make this the biggest and most ambitious Tomb Raider to date.

Train2Game News Mobile Gaming Stats

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Onebip by Neomobile, the global mobile payments service, has published a detailed global analysis of its partners’ customer buying behaviour in the online gaming sector.

Based on the analysis of millions of transactions across 65 countries over the course of a full year, Onebip has uncovered the spending habits of the world’s online gamers.

Gamers are increasingly choosing to pay for their online gaming experiences through the convenience of their mobile phone bill via carrier billing over the more traditional payment methods such as credit cards or PayPal. Onebip’s analysis is able to paint a picture of the spending habits of gamers around the world and the increasing growth in the adoption of mobile carrier billing.

Globally, online gamers spend an average of €4.73 per single transaction. Gamers in the UK spend nearly double this with an average transaction value of €8.94, making the UK the 3rd biggest spender in the world by transaction value.

The average spend per transaction in Switzerland tops the global list at €15.09. This is mainly due to carriers in the country offering gaming companies the option to charge much higher price points to online gamers that pay via carrier billing compared to all other countries. In fact, Onebip’s data found that there was a direct correlation between countries offering higher price points as an option and an increase in the average transaction value i.e. consumers are embracing the use of carrier billing to pay for higher priced items such as larger “bundles” of virtual currency. In bigger gaming markets compared to Switzerland such as Turkey that recently increased the price points available for payment via carrier billing, gaming companies saw an increase in revenue (gross transaction volume) and average transaction value.

In line with common industry trends, the winter holiday period is the busiest time for online gaming spend, with 11% of global spend taking place during the month of December. However, after December, gamers spend more money during the summer period than any other point in the year. The summer months of June, July and August account for 30% of global spend. In contrast April and May are the quietest months with just 4% of annual spend in each month respectively.

Looking at the UK specifically, the most gaming transactions happen in the evening from 18.00 – 23.59 (GMT/UT) with 38% of daily transactions happening during this time. Reinforcing the view that the UK prefers to game into the evening, the UK alone sees an unusual spike in activity during the hour starting at 22.00 GMT where 13% of all daily transactions take place (this is a sharp increase from the hours before and after – 21.00 and 23.00 where only 3% and 5% of daily transactions take place respectively).

While it is true that more transactions take place on Saturday than on any other day in the week, the spike is not statistically very significant, with between 1-2% more transactions on Saturday over on any other day. Clearly gamers are finding time to play all week, or at the least, they don’t feel the need to wait until the weekend to spend their money.

Train2Game News GameMaker games to Xbox One

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

YoYo Games have announced GameMaker: Studio support for Xbox One, enhanced support for current Microsoft platforms including Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1, as well as support for future operating system releases.

The GameMaker: Studio export for Xbox One will be available in the fourth quarter of 2014 to members of Microsoft’s licensed Xbox developer programs, including ID@Xbox.

“This is a great day for GameMaker: Studio developers,” said Sandy Duncan, Chief Executive Officer at YoYo Games. “We’re absolutely thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Microsoft and to give our community the ability to publish to Xbox One for the first time. We’re especially excited that this agreement will bring continued and future support for all Microsoft platforms.”

“We’re thrilled that the Xbox developer community now has the ability to use GameMaker,” said Ryan Lowdermilk, Marketing Manager at Microsoft. “With GameMaker already available for Windows Phone and Windows, it gives developers another great way to create games across multiple Microsoft platforms.”

For more information about how to become a licensed Xbox One developer, please visit www.xbox.com/id. An Xbox One developer kit is required to take advantage of the GameMaker: Studio export for Xbox One.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 11.08.14

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

The game charts are back to their normal quiet selves this week as The Last Of Us: Remastered has remained at number one. The only new game to enter the charts this week is the PC version of Ultra Street Fighter IV which debuts at number fifteen.

All formats

Week ending 9 August 2014

POS.		TITLE	PUBLISHER	LAST WEEK
1	–	THE LAST OF US: REMASTERED	SONY COMPUTER ENT.	1
2	–	WATCH DOGS	UBISOFT	2
3	–	FIFA 14	EA SPORTS	3
4		GRAND THEFT AUTO V	ROCKSTAR	10
5	–	MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION	MICROSOFT	5
6		THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE	4
7		MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION 3 EDITION	SONY COMPUTER ENT.	6
8	–	CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS	ACTIVISION	8
9	–	BATTLEFIELD 4	EA GAMES	9
10		SNIPER ELITE 3	505 GAMES	7
11		TOMODACHI LIFE	NINTENDO	12
12		TITANFALL	EA GAMES	11
13	–	ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG	UBISOFT	13
14	–	LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES	WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE	14
15		ULTRA STREET FIGHTER IV	CAPCOM	–
16		PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE	EA GAMES	15
17		TERRARIA	XBOX 360 CLASSICS	19
18		WWE 2K14	2K SPORTS	–
19		WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER	BETHESDA SOFTWORKS	17
20		MARIO KART 8	NINTENDO	16

< previous week

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 Source 2 Engine released?

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Dota 2 users believe they have stumbled on the foundations of a brand new Source engine from Valve.

The firm has released a number of new workshop tools for the popular MOBA, and modder RoyAwesome claims their filenames suggest the game is being migrated to a new engine, according to VG247.

“Everything in this package is a new game,” he posted on Reddit. “It’s all the Dota assets and core ported over to Source 2. Valve just soft launched the entire Source 2 engine.”

He points to all the files that would usually share a name with Source, each of which now have a ‘2’ in the filename – examples including engine2.dll, vconsole2.exe. The game now also asks for .vmap files, referring to .vmf as “(Source 1.0)”.

In Valve’s release notes for the new workshop tools, the firm warned that they required powerful systems.

“This is a developer focused release and currently has high system requirements which means not everyone will be able to run the tools,” the firm wrote.

Source: Develop

Train2Game News Game partnering with Microsoft

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

GAME, the specialist video games retailer, is excited to announce that in a UK retail first, GAME will expand its digital gaming offering with a new partnership with Microsoft to bring the best of Xbox digital download content direct to gamers.

From the 15th of August, the process of purchasing new digital Microsoft content from GAME will be easier than ever for our customers. Although still able to purchase Microsoft digital currency, the new offering will allow gamers to directly purchase selected Xbox One and Xbox 360 digital only games and add-on content from GAME’s 320 UK stores, as well as through game.co.uk, enabling them to get gaming quicker.

The expanded offer will be available on both new and previously released Microsoft titles, including season passes for “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Halo 4” and “Gears of War: Judgment,” or digital games, such as “State of Decay” and “Max: The Curse of Brotherhood”. Prices start from £9.99, and customers who have downloaded the GAME app will be able to use their new GAME wallet currency to purchase all products in store, as well as receiving reward points on all transactions.

Charlotte Knight, Category Director at GAME commented: “We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Microsoft to bring a wide range of the best Xbox digital content directly to the UK gaming community. At GAME, our aim is to make digital content as accessible and simple as possible for all our customers, helping them to discover and enjoy the huge range of games available through GAME’s ever increasing digital offering.

“By purchasing through GAME, customers will also be able to earn Reward points on all their purchases, both in-store and online, as well as having the added benefit of paying through trading in, making it even easier for them to get gaming.”

Train2Game News Epic Studio opening in Guildford

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Epic Games announced today the formation of Epic Games UK, which sets up longtime collaborator and trusted partner Pitbull Studio as a fully integrated team driving Unreal Engine 4 development in the region.

“Pitbull has been essential in helping us develop the best tools and technology for building the next generation of games,” said Tim Sweeney, Epic’s founder and CEO. “They’ve been invested in UE4’s evolution since its early beginnings, and their dedication is unflinching.”

To date Pitbull’s staff have been primarily concentrated in Sunderland, with offices in Guildford and Leamington Spa. James Golding, Epic’s lead programmer who has been with the company for 12 years, recently relocated from Epic’s headquarters in Cary, NC to Guildford to expand that location’s footprint and headcount.

Mike Gamble, European territory manager, has been running Epic’s engine licensing efforts across all of Europe from the UK since 2011. “Setting up a bespoke Epic presence here and fully utilizing the Pitbull team as part of that enables us to support Unreal Engine 4 developers across Europe on an entirely new level,” he said.

“Becoming Epic Games UK was the next logical step in our relationship with Epic,” said Robert Troughton, general manager. “We’re looking forward to expanding our amazing team here in the UK.”

Working alongside Epic Games on Unreal Engine 4, Pitbull’s programmers and artists have helped develop a wide variety of the engine’s features, including rendering, audio, physics, visual scripting, UI, documentation tools, platform support, localization tools and much more. As a contributor to Epic’s games over the years, along with their exhaustive work on Unreal Engine 4, Pitbull has become an indispensable Unreal Engine resource for Europe.

Epic is currently seeking exceptional talent to fill roles such as animation programmer, developer relations engineer, developer relations technical artist, engine community manager, engine programmer, support engineer and tools programmer.

For more information, please visit www.unrealengine.com and www.epicgames.com/careers.

Train2Game News Resident Evil remake again!

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Capcom today announced Resident Evil for PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft, Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

The hugely popular Resident Evil series, having sold over 61 million units to date, returns to its roots with a remastered version of the critically acclaimed masterpiece, Resident Evil. Originally released in 1996, Resident Evil was then “remade” in 2002 from the ground up with new visuals, gameplay elements, environments and story details while retaining the survival horror atmosphere the series had become synonymous for. Both fans of the franchise who want a trip down memory lane and those who have yet to experience the game that coined the term survival horror for the gaming world will appreciate this definitive re-visit of that iconic 2002 Resident Evil title.

Using the latest resolution enhancement and 3D model technology, game resolutions and textures have been significantly upgraded, including 1080p support on next-gen consoles, resulting in characters and backgrounds coming to life in greater detail than ever seen before in Resident Evil. Not only will the graphics impress but the tense sound effects have been fully remastered with 5.1 surround support for a greater gaming atmosphere. Players are now able to choose not only between experiencing the terror at the classic 4:3 ratio or a stunning 16:9 widescreen mode but also the type of control scheme they play with. The classic control scheme remains for fans of the original play style or there’s an alternative scheme where the character moves directly in the direction of the analogue stick, utilizing the standards of the current generation of gaming. Both the control scheme and the display options can be toggled between at any time during gameplay.

The intense horror fans first experienced with the release of the original Resident Evil is back. Taking place in the now notorious Raccoon City, players will choose to take on the role of either S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Service) team member Chris Redfield or Jill Valentine, who have been sent into the city to find the missing Bravo team. When the team is suddenly attacked by a ferocious group of mutated dogs, desperate for an escape they take shelter in the Mansion, but will they ever get out alive again? Players will need to be brave as they adventure through the dark, enclosed spaces searching out the horrors that await them. With limited ammo and survival items available gamers will need to keep their wits about them to survive the various traps and puzzles that greet them at every stage.

Resident Evil will be available to purchase digitally across North America and Europe in Early 2015.

Train2Game News BioShock coming to iOS

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Train2Game Blogger Team

Havok, a leading provider of 3D interactive game development technology, is providing its industry-leading Havok Physics and Havok Animation Studio technology to 2K Games’ groundbreaking narrative-driven action game, BioShock, which is launching later this summer on the App Store.

Developed by Irrational Games in 2007 with Unreal Engine 3, the original BioShock made extensive use of Havok’s Animation tools, which played an instrumental part in bringing fluidity to the disfigured denizens of Rapture. The game’s liberal use of Havok Physics also brought further immersion into the game world, even becoming a powerful weapon through the use of the in-game Telekinesis Plasmid. After its release, Bioshock quickly became one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time, garnering universal praise from press and proving to be a huge success with the gaming audience.

The 2K China team has brought this iconic gaming experience to iOS using Havok’s cross-platform toolset to achieve amazing parity between console and mobile versions, including the full dynamic gameplay and character interactions of the classic title from 2007. Seven years after its original implementation, the same robust Physics and Animation technologies ingrained in the original BioShock have seamlessly transitioned onto mobile platforms.

“It’s a true testament to the power and breadth of Havok Physics and Havok Animation Studio that these technologies have seamlessly transitioned from a AAA console title to an amazing mobile experience,” said Brian Waddle, Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Havok. “Just as BioShock redefined the scope of what a game could and should be, the 2K Games team has proven that mobile devices can go beyond simple apps and offer a wholly mature and complete gaming experience akin to those seen on high end gaming platforms.”

BioShock will be available soon via the App Store as a premium title for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 04.08.14