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Train2Game News PlayApartTogether Reactivate

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Today, leaders from the global games industry who participated in #PlayApartTogether committed to reactivate the initiative launched one year ago, which encourages gamers everywhere to follow World Health Organization (WHO) health advice on COVID-19 prevention.

As part of #PlayApartTogether, a large number of gaming companies agreed to disseminate evidence-based health messages from WHO to help slow the spread of COVID-19. To promote these messages, hundreds of game industry leaders in the interactive entertainment space have encouraged their vast network of users to follow the WHO’s health guidelines—including on physical distancing, masks, hand and respiratory hygiene, avoiding crowds and how to keep rooms well ventilated.

Since the initial kickoff of the campaign, #PlayApartTogether has been adopted by platforms and organizations across the breadth of the digital entertainment space, including mobile, console and PC gamemakers, hardware, platforms, eSports, streamers, universities, non-profits and consumer advocacy groups. The hashtag has been seen by gamers around the world, during the pandemic, in countries including Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, the Netherlands, Russia, UK and the USA.

WHO has served as the leading international health agency spearheading the global response to the coronavirus outbreak and has prioritized keeping people informed through equitable access to trusted information. As information on the virus, as well as diagnostics, treatments and vaccines are developed and used around the world, WHO continues to provide essential guidance and public health recommendations to governments, communities and individuals everywhere, including through new and wide-reaching communication channels.

By bringing special events, exclusives, activities, rewards and inspiration to some of the most popular games in the world, #PlayApartTogether encourages users to adopt best practices of protection from COVID-19 transmission for the sake of their own health and that of their families and communities. By incorporating COVID-19 prevention messages into games, people everywhere are told: “Wherever you are, whatever game you play, you can make a difference.”

Follow the hashtag #PlayApartTogether on social media for ongoing updates and details.

Train2Game News Reign Gaming Laptop

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Announcing its move to the mobile gaming market last week, Reign Gaming by Novatech Ltd. have launched their first ever line-up of gaming laptops, featuring NVIDIA’s new RTX 30-series graphics cards.

Slim, sleek and lightweight machines, the appropriately named Reign Nomad currently has two variants on offer, giving gamers a choice between the high-end performance of NVIDIA’s RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 Max-Q GPUs.

The Max-Q models offer an improved mobile gaming experience, giving the laptops a healthy increase to battery life while keeping the system cooler, quieter and more power efficient than their non-Max-Q counterparts.

Both featuring the Intel Core i7-10875H and 16GB of DDR4 RAM, the 17.3” gaming laptops have plenty of processing power on offer, with lightning-fast clock speeds to match.

Those high clock speeds will come in handy too, since both versions of the Reign Nomad are sporting 240Hz 1080p WVA (also known as IPS) displays, meaning both the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 will be able to take full advantage of ultra-high refresh rates. So for those looking to keep their frame rates high in popular titles like Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, and even Minecraft, it really doesn’t get much better than this.

The gaming laptops also feature fantastic connectivity options, with several USB 3.2 ports, a MicroSD card reader, and a Mini Displayport connector. They even include a Thunderbolt 3 port too. That means these laptops can hook up to an external monitor for some fantastic 1440p or even 4K gaming, without limiting the refresh rate to 60Hz.

When it comes to storage, the Reign Nomads certainly don’t disappoint here either. With 1TB of NVMe M.2 storage from Western Digital, and room for an additional M.2 drive to be installed if more space is required, these gaming laptops will have no issues holding multiple AAA games and many, many save files.

Jerry Hughes, Digital Marketing Manager at Novatech, commented on the company’s enthusiasm for the launch, saying, “We’ve been designing and building our own range of home and office laptops for several years now. But when it came to gaming, we always kept to desktops. With how successful our Reign Gaming brand has been over the last few years, it was well and truly time for us to officially expand the range into the mobile gaming space. It’s a really exciting development and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Train2Game News Gaming Championship Awards Celebrating Good Deeds With Gaming

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New gaming awards have been launched today to celebrate the achievements and contributions of video game enthusiasts around the world.

Bravery, quick thinking, and teamwork are among the skills many gamers develop through play. Those who put these skills to use in the real world will get the chance to get the recognition they deserve at the Gaming Champions Awards.
 

The story of a young boy who used his gaming experience from World of Warcraft to save his sister from a moose attack is the first one worth noting, with more winners to be announced over the next months.
 

The Gaming Champions Awards are aimed at highlighting those who bring their passion for gaming into real life, demonstrating extraordinary empathy and skills that help find new solutions to life’s challenges, while at the same time contributing to a better community for gamers and the world in general. The widespread popularity and accessibility of games makes it possible for anyone – regardless of their demographics – to be the champion that sparks a positive change.
 

How World of Warcraft helped this boy save his sister from a moose attack
 

Back in 2007, the then 12-year-old Hans and his 10-year-old sister got attacked by a wild moose while on their way to school.

Hans’ quick thinking and gaming knowledge saved their lives that day. His actions and what inspired them are explained in a new way by Hans in his Gaming Champions video.

This is just one of many stories that led to establishing the Gaming Champions Awards, with Hans as the title’s first recipient. As a testament to what he achieved thanks to the knowledge he picked up from World of Warcraft, Hans was honored with the award alongside a PC worthy of a true gamer (with RTX 3070 & Ryzen 5 5600X on board), and a hoodie that is a clear statement of who he is – a true Gaming Champion.
 

Bartosz Skwarczek, the CEO of G2A and founder of the initiative, said: “The growing number of gamers around the world are forming a skilled and confident community that can help solve real world issues, contributing to a more collaborative tomorrow. Hans’ story is just one of many examples that we believe unveil the real power of gaming. That’s what the Gaming Champions Awards are about – rewarding those who use gaming to make a difference in the real world.”
 

Hans is the first to be awarded, with more Gaming Champions due to be unveiled over the next months.

What exactly is Gaming Champions?
 

Gaming Champions’ goal is to show the society that games can have an incredibly positive impact on our daily lives. They are not only entertainment, but also a tool for telling stories, building empathy, learning or creating memorable experiences.
 

In order to distinguish as many people and stories as possible, we have singled out four categories of winners and we have already identified plenty of people to be awarded in each category. Yet, we feel there is more to the GC initiative. We believe it can grow beyond our initial idea and include even more unique examples of gamer empowerment.

  • Life-saving – the people we award in this category distinguished themselves by saving someone in real life using the knowledge they picked up from games, or helped someone survive through the use of a game itself.
  • Accessibility – the nominees in this category have used video games to help people with disabilities, or worked on tools such as interactive entertainment to support the disabled in their daily lives.
  • Community – such an award is for those who value human community as the highest form of organization and use video games to create bonds and bring people together.
  • Education – this one is for the gamers who use video games for teaching and scientific purposes, or to make others more sensitive to certain social phenomena.

You can submit your candidates for the Gaming Champions awards here. You can also suggest them using the #GamingChampions hashtag on social media. We will research and verify each case, as well as consult it with our Advisory Board that consists of gaming-related figures and professionals.
 

For more information on the Gaming Champions awards, please go to www.gamingchampions.gg.

Train2Game News Republic Commando Available Now

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The Squad is your weapon!

Aspyr and Lucasfilm Games today announced that Star Wars Republic Commando is now available for digital purchase on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 for $14.99. The classic, first-person tactical shooter is back, now as a single player experience for today’s modern consoles.

  Check out the new Star Wars™ Republic Commando™ launch trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9R0aRZmi0

Star Wars™ Republic Commando™

Chaos has erupted throughout the galaxy. As leader of an elite squad of Republic Commandos, your mission is to infiltrate, dominate, and ultimately, annihilate the enemy.

Boss, Fixer, Scorch, and Sev, better known as Delta Squad, are back!

Your squad will follow your orders and your lead, working together as a team – instinctively, intelligently, instantly. Relive the legendary campaign.

  • Welcome to the Clone Wars: Chaos has erupted throughout the galaxy. As leader of an elite squad of Republic Commandos, your mission is to infiltrate, dominate, and ultimately annihilate the enemy. 
  • Battle Relentless Enemies: Battle a variety of highly intelligent and deadly enemies—from brutal Trandoshan mercenaries to the flying insectoid warriors of Geonosis.
  • The Squad is Your Weapon: Your squad will follow your orders, performing complex commands and strategic maneuvers. You are their leader. They are your weapon.

Availability

Star Wars Republic Commando is now available for digital purchase on Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store for $14.99.

Train2Game News E3 All Virtual For 2021

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It’s “Game On.” for E3, as The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) officially unveils plans for a reimagined, all-virtual E3 2021 that will engage video game fans everywhere.

With early commitments from Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Konami, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, Koch Media, and more to come, E3 2021 will take place June 12 through June 15. 

Developers will be showcasing their latest news and games directly to fans around the world. The ESA will be working with media partners globally to help amplify and make this content available to everyone for free.

“For more than two decades, E3 has been the premier venue to showcase the best that the video game industry has to offer, while uniting the world through games,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of the ESA. “We are evolving this year’s E3 into a more inclusive event, but will still look to excite the fans with major reveals and insider opportunities that make this event the indispensable center stage for video games.”

While maintaining E3’s longstanding position as a central destination for industry networking — where new partnerships and connections between video game publishers, developers and media are made — the digital format for E3 2021 means more people than ever can participate.

The ESA looks forward to coming back together to celebrate E3 2022 in person, in the meantime see you online this June!

Train2Game Oddworld Soulstorm

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The wait for Oddworld: Soulstorm’s ends April 6th (digital version).

The original sequel to Abe’s Oddysee (later remade as New ‘n’ Tasty) was Abe’s Exoddus, but that was released in 1998 and it only took 9-months to make it.

It was not the game Lorne and Sherry McKenna had envisioned to be the true sequel. New ‘n” Tasty released in 2014. And now, the second game in Abe’s five-part quintology, Oddworld: Soulstorm will release April 6 on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, and Epic Games Store.  
 
As we wait a few more days, here are a few new details about Soulstorm.
 
FREE PATH-PS4 to PS5
The digital version of the game releases April 6th on PS5 and PS4. The PS5 digital version will be free forPS5 PS+ members during the month of April. If you purchase the PS4 version, we are offering a free path to the PS5 version. Because the game is free for PS5 PS+ owners in April, we will not be offering a free backward path from PS5 to PS4. The physical retail versions of the game will be in stores on July 6th. If you purchase the physical retailPS4 version, you will get the PS5 digital version at no cost.
 
PC SPECS
Minimum requirements are as follows: Windows 7 64 Bit, Intel Quad Core 1.7Ghz, nVidia GTX 670 or equivalent, 8GB RAM.
 
Recommended requirements are Windows 10 64 Bit, Intel Quad Core 2.3Ghz, nVidia GTX 970 or equivalent, 16GB RAM.
 
PLAYSTATION 5 GAME HELP
On the PS5, Soulstorm players can get hints, tips, and walkthrough videos, without needing to leave the game. These hints can be accessed for the specific area of the game they are playing (using the PS5’s Activity Cards), so they don’t have to spend time searching the internet or risk seeing spoilers. *Active PS Plus membership required.
 
NEW SHORT TRAILERS & NEW SCREENS
Looting & Crafting: https://youtu.be/132UOSXOB6A
Environments: https://youtu.be/vgKAK2GJ5po
Stealth: https://youtu.be/P6HReFlgd6Y
Followers: https://youtu.be/tUR0G1oYEyU
 
To stay in the know, you can follow them at @OddworldInc, @OfficialOddworld, TikTok, @oddworldinc, or YouTube

Train2Game News Fallout 2D20 Tabletop Game

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Modiphius Entertainment, the London-based tabletop game publisher of Fallout®: Wasteland Warfare and The Elder Scrolls®: Call to Arms miniatures games, today revealed key details about their pen and paper role-playing adaptation of the immensely popular Fallout series.

In Fallout 2D20, players will create their own survivors, super mutants, ghouls, and even Mister Handy robots, and immerse themselves in the iconic post-nuclear apocalyptic world while gamemasters guide their group through unique Fallout stories in a format made popular by games like Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, and Pathfinder. For tabletop RPG fans, this 2D20 edition of Fallout is as close to the bottlecap-bartering, wasteland wandering, super mutant battling excitement of Fallout you can get.

Available now for pre-order, the 400-page hardbound rulebook features a gorgeous cover design evoking the iconic Vault-Tec jumpsuit. Inside, players will find rules and lore for roleplaying in the Fallout world, as well as concept art from the Fallout videogames. Utilizing Modiphius’ celebrated 2D20 cinematic role-playing system, the Fallout RPG will take players on an exciting journey into the post-apocalypse! Also available is a bevy of post-apocalyptic-themed accessories including a custom dice set, a gamemaster’s toolkit, and even more supplements to come!

Thanks to the easy learning curve of Modiphius’ 2D20 system, newcomers to tabletop roleplaying will be able to learn as they play with a starter set designed just for them. The starter set includes pre-made characters, quick-start rules, a set of custom dice, and an original questline designed by Modiphius Entertainment — all presented in a handy softback booklet.

Eager vault dwellers can place their orders now, at Modiphius.net and participating retailers.

Train2Game News War Child 2021 RE-PLAY Celebration

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War Child UK today launches its week long 2021 celebration of retro gaming with RE-PLAY, a fundraising campaign that celebrates gaming favourites from childhood to help children impacted by conflict to regain theirs.

Various activities will take place from 31st March-6th April, from a speedrunning marathon to an arcade tournament, a retro-game sale and streamers going live on Twitch with gaming classics.

Kicking off the campaign today is the launch of the annual RE-PLAY Steam Sale where gamers can take advantage of the discounted games that transport you back to your childhood, with a percentage of revenue going straight to War Child’s charity appeal, including:
 

  • Two Tribes – Toki Tori, Toki Tori 2+, EDGE, RIVE, RUSH
  • Chucklefish – Wargroove 
  • Falcon Development – Cattails
  • Pixelatto – Reventure
  • Motion Twin – Dead Cells, Dead Cells: The Bad Seed
     

War Child UK has partnered with UKSM who will be hosting a full-throttle speedrunning marathon; streaming an illustrious range of retro games from 3rd-4th April, between 12pm and 10pm BST each day. Viewers will be encouraged to donate and proceeds will go directly to War Child. Tune in to watch the UK’s best speedrunners live on Twitch.

The line-up of activities also includes a partnership with Antstream Arcade who will be hosting an arcade tournament taking place throughout the week. Retro gamers can tune into the tournament directly on the Antstream Arcade platform, to watch the Bubble Bobble mayhem ensue! 

Across the week Streamers, will take part in RE-PLAY’s charity livestream playing the best in old-school classics. Donations can be made through Tiltify – for more information on the latest streaming times and to sign up to hosting a stream, head over to: https://tiltify.com/war-child-uk/re-play

The full list of streamers taking part include: 

War Child UK supports children whose lives have been torn apart by war – keeping them safe, helping them learn and cope with their experiences, and equipping them with skills for the future. The specialist gaming team has innovative fundraising partnerships across the PC, console and mobile industries, as well as through streaming and support from the gaming community, and to date has brought in a massive $5million through gaming. RE-PLAY aims to increase the amount of engagement and funds generated via retro gaming. You Play, So Every Child Can.

For more information on War Child UK, please visit the official War Child Gaming site.

Train2Game News Game Services Forum Bringing Industry Professionals Together

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Registration is now open for VIP studio and publisher executives and external services providers to attend the Game Services Forum.

  The Forum (www.gameservicesforum.com) is a highly focused event that brings senior games industry professionals together for matched one-to-one business meetings and educational seminars.

  Throughout this two-day event delegates will meet with trusted vendors who will be able to talk through projects, concerns and obstacles, offering the best advice as well cost-saving solutions.

  From Tools, External Development and QA to Analytics, Data and Ad Networks, the Game Services Forum has everything in one virtual place, saving studio professionals time, research, travel and money.

  Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend seminars hosted by industry thought-leaders.

  The Game Services Forum is brought to you by Forum Events & Media Group, a pioneer of the unique concept of face-to-face meetings events, based on matching the interests of procurement decision-makers with suppliers.

  The company boasts a portfolio of over 30 highly-focused events including the Smarter Payments Summit, Security IT Summit, Digital Marketing Solutions Summit and Contact Centre & Customer Experience Summit.

  The Game Services Forum is supported by MCV/Develop.

  For more information, visit www.gameservicesforum.com

Train2Game News Games Career Week Starts Today

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Today marks the launch of the first Annual Games Careers Week: a diverse programme of events dedicated to getting more people to explore careers and education in one of the UK’s highest growth and most exciting creative industries.

Running March 26th- 2nd April 2021, over 75 event partners – including video games studios, nonprofit organisations, and educational institutions – will come together for this free online festival to provide exhibitions, interactive workshops and panel discussions, with the aim to encourage students, parents, career advisers, and teachers, to explore the potential of and many pathways into video games careers.

The week will provide a comprehensive guide for anyone interested in a career in video games. Participants of all ages and backgrounds can benefit from the experience and advice of some of the UK’s top industry leaders – from how games are made, useful subjects and skills to study, to portfolio building, networking and how to break into the industry, and more.

Key themes and insight into games careers from social, political, cultural, and economic perspectives will include:

  • Highlighting the need for greater access to education and advice on games careers  to people from all backgrounds
  • Tackling industry stereotypes and misconceptions
  • Improving diversity and inclusion in video games by showcasing the diverse talents, viewpoints, and experiences behind critically acclaimed bodies of work
  • Unconscious bias in parental perceptions of careers for their children

As part of the event’s focus on diversity in video games, the event organisers have recruited a very diverse range of spokespeople from the sector. They also called for an industry-wide sourcing of diverse images of studios, makers, and the people behind the games, to create a royalty-free image bank for games careers. The aim is for would-be game designers, programmers, artists, producers and anyone from diverse backgrounds to be able to see people like themselves already in the industry, showing that it’s a career option available to all, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, neurodiversity, or having a disability.

Games Careers week is a non-profit event funded and organised byThe BGI, Grads in Games, and Into Games. It has amassed the support of over 75 partners, all recognising the necessity for educating the public about an industry with a global sales value of over £100 billion in 2020 (Nielsen) – and the fact that many of the world’s top games development studios are UK based.   

Rick Gibson, one of the founders of Games Careers Week, commented “We want to help diverse young people, their parents, and their educators to learn more about why creative technology are so important for their futures. The games industry should be a poster-child for the UK’s export-driven knowledge economy. Most parents don’t know the UK supports over 25,000 stable, exciting and well paid jobs, which number grew by over 12% in 2020 right through the pandemic. We recognise there are education and knowledge gaps about games careers, especially amongst women and underrepresented communities, and we think the best way to build a more diverse workforce is to provide the tools, advice, and information to encourage a range of diverse new talent to explore their digital skills and career potential.”

Games Career Week has also received support from UK Minister for Employment Mims Davies: “Gaming can traditionally be a rather challenging sector to break into, so it’s great to see the industry giving such exciting opportunities to young people this Games Careers Week.

“Many companies in the gaming world have already signed up to the DWP Kickstart Scheme to help our next generation of workers into brilliant new roles as part of our Plan for Jobs, and I encourage other employers to get involved across the sector as we push to build back better from the pandemic.”

A full schedule of the Festival’s events, news, as well as a permanent information resource on games careers can be found at https://gamescareersweek.org/