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Train2Game News: PlayStation 4 UK release date and price announced

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PS4 ControllerExciting news for all Train2Game students who are looking forward to Sony’s PlayStation 4. The UK release date and price has been announced.

The Sun news paper announced that the next gen console will be released later this year in October, this follows what Sony said when they announced the console last month.

Even better news is the price. The Sony PS4 will cost you £300. This is much cheaper than when the PS3 was released in 2007, costing £425. This new cheaper price makes it a much more viable option for most gamers and, in my opinion, there should be close competition with the next gen Xbox.

The cheaper price for the new Sony console is probably due to Android consoles like the Ouya and Game Stick being released for £99. The next gen consoles will also have the mobile and free-to-play markets to compete with so I can see a lot of surprises being pulled out from Sony and Microsoft.

The PlayStation 4 console it’s self still hasn’t been seen by public eyes. A good guess would be that both the next generation Xbox and the PlayStation 4 will be revealed at E3 in June in an attempt to compete with one another further.

Train2Game News: Young Peoples Views on game age ratings

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Baseline Team and MembersChimpact, a newly released Windows game which has a PEGI 3 rating, taken to Bromley youth group to hear their perspective in the on-going debate: Which video games are suitable for children?

Videogames are often in the news for all the wrong reasons, with claims games containing inappropriate content are getting into the hands of children and people accrediting acts of anti-social behaviour to things they have experienced in games, but is this the full story?

Read the document below to find out more about what the youth themselves think.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/133793700/Young-People-Give-Their-Views-on-Games

Train2Game News: UK Top 20 Games – 03.04.13

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Bioshock InfiniteThe game charts have been released a little later this week because of the bank holiday. BioShock Infinite has made its debut at number 1 and in my opinion, rightly so. Look out for my review of the game coming soon. Luigi’s Mansion came in at number 5 just ahead of other new comer, Army of Two: The Devils Cartel. The final two new additions to the chart are Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 which came in at number 8 and Lego City Undercover which came in at number 12.

All formats

Week ending 30 March 2013

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 BIOSHOCK INFINITE 2K GAMES –
2 – TOMB RAIDER SQUARE ENIX 2
3 GEARS OF WAR: JUDGMENT MICROSOFT 1
4 – FIFA 13 EA SPORTS 4
5 LUIGI’S MANSION 2 NINTENDO –
6 ARMY OF TWO: THE DEVIL’S CARTEL EA GAMES –
7 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II ACTIVISION 10
8 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 14 EA SPORTS –
9 ASSASSIN’S CREED III UBISOFT 13
10 CRYSIS 3 EA GAMES 12
11 FAR CRY 3 UBISOFT 9
12 LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER NINTENDO –
13 SNIPER: GHOST WARRIOR 2 CITY INTERACTIVE 5
14 THE WALKING DEAD: SURVIVAL INSTINCT ACTIVISION 3
15 SKYLANDERS GIANTS SKYLANDERS 14
16 SIMCITY EA GAMES 8
17 NEED FOR SPEED MOST WANTED EA GAMES 15
18 HALO 4 MICROSOFT –
19 LEGO BATMAN 2: DC SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 20
20 GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 6

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2013 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: Injustice: Gods Among us final contestants announced

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BatmanWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment reveal the two iconic characters headed to the ultimate finals of the Injustice Battle Arena. The semi-final rounds kicked off last week, advancing legendary powerhouse characters to the final showdown.

The speed and agility of The Flash was pitted against quick-witted skill and gadgetry of Batman, while in the second match-up, Green Lantern harnessed the power of his ring against Superman himself, a clear fan favourite throughout the Battle Arena.

The thousands of fan votes have been tabulated, and the victors have been chosen.
Fighting their way through four weeks of preliminaries, the quarter-final and semi-final rounds, to now face off in the Finals – the Battle Arena will come down to a final match between Batman and Superman, kicking off April 8th.

You can view the videos of the contenders below that ultimately sealed their fates.

In addition, the demo for Injustice: Gods Among Us will be released on Xbox360 and PlayStation 3 on April 3. The Injustice: Gods Among Us demo features Batman, Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor – three playable characters pulled from the game’s robust DC Comics roster.  Set in the Gotham City arena, fans can get a taste of the included characters’ unique super powers and individual move-sets as they destroy elements of the world and fight through the multi-tiered arena.

Train2Game News: Accountant makes game using Excel

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Arena.XlsmA young accountant from Canada has created a game using just Microsoft Excel. This shows that anyone can make a game with the right knowledge and imagination.

The game was created using Macros which are designed to make using the programme easier in an accountants every day job. Chartered accountant Cary Walkin built the game during the spare time he had while studying for an MBA in Toronto.

The game, called Arena.Xlsm, is a turn-based fantasy game in which players fight monsters and gather loot to make their character more powerful. Much of Arena is regenerated every time the game is played to lend variety to the way it is completed.

In the game, players take on a series of increasingly tough enemies in an arena drawn using only the basic characters and punctuation marks available in Excel. Defeating enemies such as anacondas, black widow spiders and hyenas bestows fame points. As a player builds up fame points they go up levels and get points to spend to boost the fighting abilities of their character.

The story framing the game is presented to the player in a series of letters. The ending for each game is chosen randomly from four potential conclusions.

Mr Walkin said “It took about four months to create the game which has about 2,000 possible enemies, eight tough encounters with bosses and lots of different items players can gather to boost their fighting or defensive abilities.”

The game is designed to work with Excel 2007, 2010 and 2013. It does not work on Mac versions of the spreadsheet program.

You can download the game here http://carywalkin.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/arena-xlsm-released/

Train2Game News: Games Industry News – 29.03.13

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Pokemon It is the end of the week so it is time for the Train2Game games industry news round up!

In exciting news for Pokémon video game players across Europe, The Pokémon Company International announced the long-awaited dates and locations for the Pokémon European Video Game Championships. The English competition will be held in Birmingham on June 2. Players will battle for the chance to earn a Travel Award to the 2013 Pokémon World Championships in Vancouver, Canada, this August. Visit www.pokemon.co.uk for more information.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Infinite Crisis, an all-new multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed by Turbine, the award winning studio behind free-to-play online games including The Lord of the Rings Online. Infinite Crisis is a free-to-play game that features a deep roster of DC Comics characters and is scheduled for release in 2013 for the PC.

In further news from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, they announced two of its biggest mobile games, Batman: Arkham City Lockdown and Scribblenauts Remix, are coming to Android, exclusively in the Amazon Appstore for Android. Expanded to and completely optimized for the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD offers gamers with new ways to connect to their favorite franchises.

Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network have started their Spring Sales. Xbox Live’s sale runs from March 26 – April 2, and includes such titles as Dead Rising 2, Walking Dead, LA Noire, Max Payne 3, Resident Evil 6 and some of their movie offerings. The PSN kicked off its spring sale yesterday and it is running until April 9. In addition to the sale, it’s going to have a number of limited time offers, the first of which is Killzone HD, available till the April 29. Some of its games up for sale are Rayman 3 and Trine 2.

Electronic Arts, Sega, Sony, Codemasters and more have pledged support for the first Game QA & Localisation forum, taking place June 25-26 in London. The event will focus on best practices for test plans, QA budgeting and strategy with a mix of keynotes, sessions, panels and workgroups. Paradox, Outplay, Ganz, Plarium and Abertay University are also involved with the event. Full details can be found at the official site.

Train2Game News: Double Fine Kickstarter game named

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Broken AgeFor any Train2Game student who backed Double Fine, the impressively funded Kickstarter game by Double Fine now has an official title. The world also got its first look at the game.

Late last year a Kickstarter campaign by Tim Schafers company, Double Fine, brought attention to the funding service when it reached its goal of $400,000 in mere hours. The campaign went on to raise $3.3 million, astounding everyone.

The game that was funded, previously known as Double Fine Adventure, has been named as Broken Age. It is a point and click adventure which follows the stories of a young girl and boy leading parallel lives.

The game’s website explains “The girl has been chosen by her village to be sacrificed to a terrible monster, but she decides to fight back.

“Meanwhile, a boy on a spaceship is living a solitary life under the care of a motherly computer, but he wants to break free to lead adventures and do good in the world. Adventures ensue.”

The company announced the game at the PAX event in America last weekend.

New backers can still submit funds via Double Fine’s website, with $30 gaining access to the final game via Steam, a video documentary series, PC and Mac beta access and more.

You can enjoy the trailer and the first look at the game below:

Train2Game News: Unity game engine developers working with Facebook

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unity-logoUnity technologies is working with Facebook to improve the games on the social media site. This is good news for Train2Game students who are using the engine to develop games.

Unity Technologies, provider of the Unity multi-platform engine and development tools, have announced its collaboration with Facebook to launch an improved Unity experience on the social platform. The collaboration will improve the user experience of Unity games, continue to drive core games that build on the Unity Web Player, and make it easy for developers to build amazing cross-platform experiences.

With over 200 million global installs, the Unity Web Player is the best solution for core games and AAA visuals on the web, making the collaboration with Facebook a natural fit. Unity’s construction of a new social network API in the Unity Web Player has enabled Facebook to improve the “full screen” and the “full canvas” experience of Unity games by eliminating the need to leave full screen for social interaction, and to make it easier for developer to integrate tightly with Facebook’s social graph. Over 75m active Facebook users have installed the Unity Web Player to enjoy popular Unity games such as Offensive Combat, Robot Rising, Wizard of Oz, Uberstrike, Kings Bounty and I AM Playr. The new integrations will help make these existing experiences better while laying the foundation for further Unity Web Player adoption and feature expansion.

“The Unity Web Player is an incredible browser based platform for core games”, said Sean Ryan, Director of Games Partnerships, Facebook, “People on Facebook are looking for the type of immersive games that have traditionally existed on consoles and desktop PCs. This collaboration will drive discovery of the Unity Web Player for Facebook users, make it easier for Unity games to integrate with Facebook, improve the full-screen experience on our games platform, and make it easier for these developers to build cross platform games across desktop and mobile.”

“The experience of playing a Unity game in Facebook is vastly improved in Unity 4, and working with Facebook makes it even better,” said David Helgason, CEO of Unity Technologies. “We are already seeing an amazing crop of quality games coming to Facebook, and can’t wait to see how developers make use of this new opportunity.”

As an addition to the recently released Unity 4.1 update, Unity 4.1.1 includes the new social network API. Unity 4.1 includes a complete overhaul of the Memory Profiler, updates to the Mecanim Animation system, Apple AirPlay support, and new shader features. To download the latest product cycle release for Unity 4 visit http://unity3d.com/unity/download/.

Train2Game News: Audio editing Kickstarter

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eJayThere is a new interesting Kickstarter to support for an audio editing kit that you can use on your mobile phone.

This Kickstarter project is a perfect example of how Kickstarter can be utilised to get your project out to the masses and offer special rewards to those who invest. If you are thinking of using Kickstarter to fund your own game this is certainly a good template to work from.

The software, eJay Pure, is being developed by Wired Productions and it will be free for everyone to download and create your music, using preloaded samples. You can be a DJ from your own mobile.

You will get the full eJay experience from the first moment. If you enjoy what you create, you will be able to further your experience by purchasing additional features and buying many thousands of samples which will be constantly created.

eJay Pure is being developed from the ground up for touch screens so that the user interface is intuitive and the experience is fast and seamless.

Wired have been working on eJay Pure for 9 months, and have completed pre-production, technology tests, R&D, and have even started making some of the cutting edge samples that defined the eJay experience.

The reason the company has chosen Kickstarter is because they have spent months working on this project and are now moving to the final push.

The software could also be very helpful to Train2Game students who are looking to making music for their own games whilst on the move. This can be done on the train with headphones giving you more time to work on getting the core mechanics of the game when at a PC.

If you are thinking of using Kickstarter to fund your game then get in touch with the Train2Game PR Team through the Train2Game forum. You will be advised the best way to display your game on Kickstarter to get the most from the service.

If you want to find out more about this project and support the Kickstarter go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wiredproductions/ejay-pure

Train2Game News: Games Industry Jobs – 27.03.13

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The Train2Game jobs this week is another Aardvark Swift special!

C++ Developer

Manchester

£Competitive

Our client is looking for a C++ Developer. This is an exciting opportunity that has arisen for a market-focused game software developer. This role is key to the production of a continuous pipeline of quality games to our networked digital estates. The successful developers will need to quickly understand the markets and territories in which we operate and adapt their methods accordingly.

The candidate will develop games content for video slot machines in a variety of markets including the UK, Italy and Latin America. Content is written using C++ so creating new content using simple, modular coding style and good C++ practices is essential.

Responsibilities:

• Writing high quality, maintainable, game content software.
• Diagnosing and problem solving discovered issues
• Communicating and working with the design, art and test departments.
• Producing and analysing game data to prove stability and fairness.
• Inputting into game design where appropriate
• Adhering to agreed designs
• Follow source control processes to ensure stability and security of work
• Rigorously adhere to deadlines agreed with line manager
• Following processes and procedures as defined to successful task conclusion
• Deciding what and when to escalate to the manager
• Adhering to the procedures and work instructions of Inspired where they relate to the job.
• Working effectively as a member of an individual team as well as Inspired as a whole.
• Ensuring you report for work on time and are prepared to work.
• Assisting with mentoring of new and/or less experienced staff as required.

Requirements:

• Highly proficient knowledge of C++
• Experienced in Visual Studio 2010
• Be able to apply themselves to a wide and unpredictable range of software tasks.
• Be able to manage and switch between several concurrently active jobs.
• A good understanding of Subversion.
• Relevant degree e.g. Computer software, programming.
• An understanding of DirectX
• Must be a highly motivated individual.
• Must be able to perform well under strict deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Be able to pioneer new techniques

Further details are available by contacting Mark Hope at: Mark@aswift.com

Apply now

 

C++ Programmer All Levels

Bristol and Dublin

£Excellent + Benefits

C++ programmers – Bristol and Dublin

Our Client is part of a Global companies R&D team creating the technology game developers use to make great video games. They have created the programming tools used to develop on some of the world’s most popular gaming platforms. The company has built a reputation for understanding and meeting the needs of game developers, by creating innovative software and providing first-class support.

If you join as a new graduate you will initially spend time developing tests to ensure you get to know our products and code base. This is a great entry point for starting your career as a developer, working alongside talented, experienced engineers.
If you join us with some experience you will primarily spend your time developing new features and maintaining the current product range.

In addition you will be required to:
• Provide estimates for tasks
• Develop and deliver work to schedule
• Provide input to technical writers working for product documentation
• Work with support engineers on customer issues
• Participate in code and documentation reviews

Occasionally there are opportunities to attend conferences in the US/Europe and to visit customers to demonstrate products. Some travel between SN Systems’ offices is also likely.

Qualifications and experience:
• Computer Science related degree or similar.
• Graduates will need to demonstrate strong C++ ability gained through their studies or similar.
• Experienced candidates will be required to demonstrate 2-5 years C++ experience in a commercial environment.

Skills required:
All candidates will be required to demonstrate an understanding of SN Systems products, and a genuine desire to work on them.

Experienced candidates will be required to demonstrate the following skills:
Essential
• Strong C++ and STL development skills.
• Demonstrable OO (Object Orientated) design skills.
• MFC 9.0 (VS C++ 2008) and practical experience of developing Microsoft Windows applications with graphical user interfaces (for example GDI).

Desirable
Knowledge and experience of:
• Visual C++ frameworks including ATL/WTL.
• Debugger internals.
• Debugging file formats.
• Developing debuggers.
• MIPS, PowerPC or ARM architectures.
• Multi-threaded experience.
• Presentation skills.
• Team leadership/mentoring experience.
• Knowledge of MSBuild.

If you are interested in this position and would like to apply, please contact Mark Hope: mark@aswift.com or 01709 834 777

Apply now

 

Tools Programmer and Graduate Tools Programmer

North West, UK

£Neg + Bonus

Our client has been making games for more than 15 years. They now employ more than 150 people and have released games on major platforms like PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS. They also work with some Great IP’s and a variety of game types.

They are seeking a Tools Programmer or Graduate Tools Programmer to join their team developing technology at the core of all their productions, from AAA games on every major console and handheld device (over 100 million units sold to date), to their award-winning TV shows, broadcast around the world.

If successful, you will play a significant part in shaping the way art, animation and designs are produced across new projects, as well as keeping our technology up to date with the state of the art in the industry.

They are looking for candidates with:

• A good degree in Computer Science, Maths or Physics or related subject (2.i or above)
• Fluent in C++ and object oriented programming
• Experience of Direct X, OpenGL or similar graphics APIs Experience of writing user interfaces using one or more common UI libraries (Win32 GDI/wxWindows/Qt/…)
• Ability to interact with non-technical disciplines (such as artists and designers), understand their needs, deliver solutions they find intuitive and helpful
• A real desire to make users’ day-to-day work easier, simpler and more productive

A strong candidate will also have one or more of the following:

• Experience of writing plugins for common 3D and 2D packages (Autodesk Maya and Adobe Photoshop preferably)
• A confident grasp of the mathematics involved in CG rendering and animation
• The ability to analyse and optimise algorithms for efficiency
• Experience developing products for one or more non-PC gaming devices

For more information or to apply for the role, please contact Mark Hope at Aardvark Swift on +44 (0) 1709 834777 or e-mail mark@aswift.com

Apply now

 

Game Programmer

South East

£Excellent + Benefits

My client is an energetic and enthusiastic company of experienced video game developers with offices based in Brighton, UK.
They are a growing company working on projects with small team sizes. They are looking for a Game programmer that is happy to work in whatever area is required of them – this could change on a daily basis!

*Junior/Graduate Programmers with relevant demos and a positive attitude are encouraged to apply!*

Required
• 2.1 degree in Maths, Physics, Computer Science or related, or equivalent industry experience
• Excellent knowledge of C# or C++
• Excellent knowledge of algorithms and data structures
• Experience of creating games on desktop or mobile platforms
• Desire to make great games
• Great communication skills (verbal and written)
• Happy to work as part of a team
• Demonstrable love for some area of game technology
• A passion for playing games and solving problems
• Flexible and keen to learn new skills

Desired
• Knowledge of two or more other programming languages (for example Java, Python, PHP, Clojure)
• 1 or more years of games industry experience
• 1 or more shipped titles on console, desktop or mobile platforms
• Strong knowledge of console, desktop and mobile architectures
• Knowledge of asynchronous engineering techniques
• Experience of Unity, Unreal or XNA
• SQL
• Experience using digital content creation tools (for example Max, Maya, Photoshop)

In return the company offer an excellent Salary and Benefits.

More details are available by contacting Mark Hope at Aardvark Swift via email: mark@aswift.com

Apply now