Tag Archives: UDK

Train2Game & Epic Game Jam tips from Train2Game student Fee Stewart

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Train2Game students are gearing up for the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam which begins tomorrow. Train2Game student Fee Stewart, who’s previously told the Train2Game blog about her experience with game jams, has posted some tips for those new to Game Jamming on the Train2Game forum. She’s kindly allowed the Train2Game blog to repost her advice in full. (You can find out more about Fee in her interview with the Train2Game blog)

1.Take with you wash stuff (no one likes BO!) a pillow if you can, a light weight fleece cover, one change of clothes or two and some money for food ( which is cheap at the uni)… Optional…some monster or Relentless or a drink of some sorts .. you seriously do not need any more then this! You have no access to showers unless you book a hotel that you really won’t have time to go to, so it is a bit of a waste of money.

2. When you find out what the theme is or what you are meant to produce spend a good few hours brainstorming with your team. Don’t rush into your 1st idea as it is quite often the 3rd or 4th idea that makes the most sense.

3. Allocate a team leader! This person is GOD! If they say go get some sleep GO! This is a team event and there are certain crucial points in the 48hours that you need to have your game at a certain stage of development if you hope to have at least 3 working levels (which is what you should be aiming for) by the end of the 48hrs. It is therefore imperative that people have some sleep in shifts and not leave it till 40 hours into the dev before you go regardless of how you feel at the time go get some sleep so you are there for when your team needs you! Do expect to only get 2 to 4hrs per 24hrs.

4. Set out what you are doing and stick to it as much as possible but do NOT be over ambitious if you have time to add extras at the end then do it but leave things like splash screens, credits, music even till AFTER you have 3 working levels. The MOST important thing is for your team to have a working game!

5. Have team breakfasts! This is important!!…. Take an hour out to ALL go get some food and a walk away from the labs for a while.

6. Allocate a good speaker in your team! This person should be responsible for talking to the judges and getting over as much information about your game in the short time you have… have team member two playing the game at the time so the speaker can explain and the judges can also see the game and offer for them to play it if they want to.

7. There should be a lead artist and programmer! This person makes sure everything is to style, allocates who does what in the art team/program team and talks to the other leads. Remember this is not an I AM event this is a team event there is no room for egos. You pick the best person for each role and you work as a team to produce some amazing stuff!

8. Have fun! Remember this is an incredible learning experience 48 hours does go VERY fast! Remember why you are there and try not to fall out with your team members.Sleep deprivation can do some weird things again why it is good to have a team leader who makes sure everyone gets some sleep at appropriate times.

9. Remember you will have been up probably over 50 hours with only a few hours sleep in that time. PLEASE do NOT drive home after the event.. book a cheap hotel or go home via public transport or something.

And finally GOOD LUCK! I am really going to miss you all this time!



For more information about the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam, see the official website.  And remember, the will appear at the Gadget Show Live 2012 as part of ‘Make Something Unreal Live’


Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


 


 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game and Epic Games to Host ‘Make Something Unreal Live’ at Gadget Show Live

			
						

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Train2Game and Epic Games have announced Make Something Unreal Live, an unprecedented event that’ll take place over six months and conclude at Gadget Show Live 2012.


The winner of Make Something Unreal Live will receive a commercial Unreal Engine 3 license for iOS.


Winners of the Train2Game and Epic Game Jam, happening November 4-6 at the University of Bedfordshire, will compete in the event next April. In both competitions, all games will be developed for iOS devices using Epic’s Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of Unreal Engine 3 which has been installed on more than 1 million unique machines.


Following this week’s game jam, development teams will benefit from a six-month incubation period in which a range of senior industry veterans will nurture projects by reviewing key milestones, providing guidance and shaping scope. During this time, talent will prepare for the final showdown at the Gadget Show Live, where more than 100,000 attendees will watch them bring to life Unreal Engine 3-powered creations in real time.


“We are looking forward to working with Epic Games and Train2Game to bring a completely new element into the Games Zone at GSL 2012,” said Gadget Show Live Event Director Matt Hodgins.


“A huge number of our visitors are into gaming, and will undoubtedly be excited to see how new games are developed and brought to life at the event.”


“Once they’re out there in the real world, our students will flourish based on their ability to create fantastic experiences under pressure,” said Train2Game Course Director, Tony Bickley,


“This is one of the best opportunities they’ve had so far to prove themselves and create something they can be proud of that will springboard their burgeoning careers in gaming.”


“In a mere five days, these developers will kickstart their careers in an intense competition that will ultimately result in one team walking away a professional studio, with a full source Unreal Engine 3 license for iOS in hand,” said Mike Gamble, European territory manager, Epic Games.


Epic Games is known for its legendary Make Something Unreal Contest game development competitions, which utilize the Unreal Engine 3 toolset and reward grand prize winners with a commercial license granting full access to Epic’s high-end game engine technology. The $1 Million Intel Make Something Unreal Contest concluded in 2010, with multiple teams going on to release commercial games based on projects made for the competition.  Developed by grand prize-winning team KTX Software and published by THQ, “ The Haunted: Hells Reach” was released for PC on October 24.


Tickets for The Gadget Show Live are now on sale at  www.gadgetshowlive.net. For more information about this weekend’s Train2Game and Epic Game Jam, see the official website.


Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game news: Unreal Engine 4 to be made public ‘sooner’

			
						

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Train2Game students are preparing for the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam where they’ll have 48 hours build games using Epic’s Unreal Engine.


But despite Epic first introducing the Unreal Development Kit to studios as far back as 2005, it only became available to Indies and modders in 2009. But as the Train2Game blog has previously reported, since the free-to-use UDK has been downloaded almost a million times.


The success of this seems to have encouraged Epic to make their next engine, Unreal Engine 4, available to the public much sooner than the current UDK was.


“What we’re doing with Unreal Engine now is a lot different to what we were doing about seven years ago when we first started using the tech,” Epic President Mike Capps told Develop.


“There was no Unreal Development Kit even four years ago, and I think it’s been real successful in getting people used to our technology. Should we have done that from day one with UE3? Yeah, maybe,” he added.


Capps said that they don’t have any specific plans for distribution of Unreal Engine 4, which is “probably” going to be released in 2014.


“I’m not sure if we’re going to do it straight away with Unreal Engine 4, but if you look at what we do now with UE3 – y’know, push a button and your game is built for mobiles – we could have done that before and we didn’t spend much time on it. How much that will figure into Unreal Engine 4 is up to us.”


He added that indie studios using UDK has helped Epic learn how their tech works on different platforms.


“In the past few years I think we’ve learned a lot about our technology and how it works for indie studios. How our tech works for iPhone games, for high-end triple-A studios and for a couple of guys who make a cool UDK game over the summer,”


“We’re going to apply all these lessons we’ve learned with Unreal Engine 4, and I think you’re going to see a lot of difference with UE3 within the first six months from launch.”


The Train2Game blog previously reported that Epic believe game visuals will match those of films within a decade. Train2Game blog readers may have seen a taste of this with Epic’s ‘Samaritan’ tech demo earlier this year. 


If you’re going to be getting your hands on UDK at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam next week, why not add your name to the official Facebook event page?


So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Epic making their next engine available to the public closer to the time it’s released to studios? Have you been practicing with the current UDK ahead of the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam?


Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


[Source: Develop]

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game Announces bluegfx as Key Game Jam partner

			
						

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 Train2Game has partnered with bluegfx, a leading European Autodesk Gold Partner and supplier of Autodesk products, IT services, support and training, to provide resources for the upcoming Train2Game and Epic Game Jam on Friday 4th November. The company will be responsible for supporting all Autodesk products and associated plugins involved on the day, ensuring these vital content-creation tools run smoothly for competing teams.


Train2Game’s 48-hour video game creation marathon will bring together an estimated 150 games enthusiasts at the University of Bedfordshire, where they will go head-to-head to create innovative video games using Epic Games’ Unreal Development Kit (UDK), the free edition of the award winning Unreal Engine 3.


The Train2Game and Epic Game Jam is open to aspiring games developers, includingTrain2Game students and hobbyist games developers. On Friday 4th November, registered competitors will convene at the University of Bedfordshire’s new development lab to form teams and build games around a secret theme, which will be announced on the first evening of the event. The jam concludes on Sunday 6th November, when three teams will be selected as winners by industry A listers from some of the UK’s hottest development houses, as well as Epic Games.


Neil Parmer, Co-Founder and Company Director of bluegfx, sees this as a natural extension of the work his company does all year round: “When asked if we could help with the Game Jam, we leapt at the opportunity. Keeping customers running and helping them understand what’s possible with Autodesk tools is what we do on a daily basis, we’re delighted to be able to offer our services to the next generation with this competition.”


Myra Smallman, Head of Teaching at Train2Game said: “Just as we stand by Train2Game students throughout their studies, we’re glad to be working with bluegfx to make sure nothing will interrupt competitors hard work during the Game Jam. Experience with tools like Epic’s UDK is an essential part of students becoming the calibre of candidate that the games industry needs today.”


For further informatio about the Train2Game and Epic Game Jam please visit http://train2game-jam2.com/, existing students can login into www.train2game-online.com.

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game news: Volition Design Director on how game designers can stand out

			
						

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Train2Game Game Designers, this is a must read blog post for you, as it contains some excellent advice on how to stand out as you try to break into the game industry.


The tips come from Volition Design Director Jameson Durall in an #altdevblogaday post titled ‘How Can Entry Level Game Designers Stand Out?’


If the name seems familiar to Train2Game blog readers, it might be because he spoke to us earlier this year about Red Faction: Armageddon, game design and getting into the industry.


Writing about what he likes to see when hiring a game designer, and as he previously told the Train2Game blog, being able to use editing tools is essential.


“While someone focusing on Game Design may not have a background in programming…scripting gameplay in an Editor like UDK or Unity is a must in my opinion.”


Of Course, Train2Game students have the opportunity to create games using UDK at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam next month.


The Volition Design Director states that experience with UDK or another engine provides evidence of not only creating ideas, but also being able to create the actual product itself.


“I want to see that they have the ability to get in and do meaningful work to create content instead of just planning gameplay and expecting others to develop it.  Show me examples of gameplay situations that you designed and created and be ready to talk about why they are fun.”


Durall added that doing this is also a great way for aspiring game designers to practice their skills.


“This skill set also helps them prototype ideas early in development and create crude gameplay spaces to help get their gameplay ideas across.” he said.


The post makes excellent reading for Train2Game Game Design students, and contains plenty of helpful information on what a top game designer wants when looking to hire someone in an entry level position.


You can read Jameson Durall’s full post ‘How can entry level game designers stand out?’ on #altdevblogaday.


Of course, this isn’t the first time the Train2Game blog has reported on a game designer suggesting that using a development kit is a great way to get into the industry.


Valve’s Chet Faliszek told the Train2Game blog that modding is a great way to get noticed in the games industry, while in an interview at Gamescom, id Software Creative Director Tim Willits also told the Train2Game blog that modding is a “great way to get into the industry”


What are your thoughts on Durall’s advice on how to get an entry level game design role? Is it something you do already? Do you believe the upcoming Train2Game Game Jam could help this?


Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


[Source: Altdevblogaday]

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game news: Unreal Engine 3 comes to Flash

			
						

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Train2Game should find this very impressive; Unreal Engine 3 can now run in Flash.


The move was unveiled by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeny with a demonstration of Unreal Tournament III running in flash during a keynote address at Adobe’s MAX 2011 event.


Unreal Tournament III was released in 2008 for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. What it means for Train2Game students is they’ll be able to play games with current generation graphics in web browers, TV’s with internet connections and social networks.


With UE3 and Flash, games built for high-end consoles can now run on the web or as Facebook apps, reaching an enormous userbase,” said Sweeny.


“This totally changes the playing field for developers who want to widely deploy and monetise their games.”


Indeed, Unreal’s move to Flash provides another avenue for Train2Game students to potentially develop games for.


“We’re excited that Epic Games is tapping into the latest capabilities in Adobe Flash Player 11 to power its Unreal Engine 3.” added, group product manager at Adobe Gaming Solutions Emmy Huang.


“As the console of the web, Flash is delivering immersive gaming experiences across screens and we’re thrilled to have Epic Games using Flash Player to deliver its blockbuster, premier 3D games on the web.”


As reported by the Train2Game blog, the Unreal Development Kit has received only one million downloads since its release.


Train2Game students will also get the opportunity to work with UDK at the Train2Game & Epic Game Jam next month. For more information, see the official Train2Game & Epic Game Jam website.


So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Unreal running in Flash? Is it an area you’d be tempted to work in? See Unreal running in Falsh for yourself below.



Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or here on the Train2Game forum.


[Source: Edge]

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game students can get behind the scenes at Epic with ‘Unreal Insider’

			
						

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Train2Game students on all courses should be interested in this; Epic Games has set up a new blog that’ll give readers a behind the scenes look at the work that goes on at the studio.


The first ‘Unreal Insider’ blog post sees Vice President Mark Rein writing about their success with Gears of War 3 and a milestone number of Epic’s Unreal Development Kit.


“The Unreal Development Kit has been installed on over 1,000,000 unique machines. Yes, that’s ONE MILLION unique installs,” he said.


As reported by the Train2Game blog, it was only in June that the UDK passed 800,000 downloads.


“This isn’t a download count nor does it count users who installed a new version of UDK over an old version, or reinstalls” Rein continues. “This means there are more than one million different computers on to which the UDK has been installed”


“With this massive install base there are countless stories to tell about what those developers are doing with the technology.” the Epic Vice President added.


Of course, Train2Game students will get a chance to use the Unreal engine to create new stories at the Train2 Game & Epic Game Jam next month. For more information, see the official Train2Game & Epic Game Jam website.


Regular Train2Game blog readers will also be aware of the benefits of modding, perhaps using UDK, could bring.


At Eurogamer, Valve’s Chet Faliszek told the Train2Game blog that modding was a great way to get noticed, while  at Gamescom,  id Software’s Tim Willits also praised modding as a good way to get into the games industry.


Could Train2Game students find useful information on getting into the games industry on Epic’s blog in future? It’s a possibility…


So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on this move by Epic? Will you be reading their blog?


Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


[Source: Unreal Insider] 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Train2Game students get option to use Epic’s UDK on Mac OS

			
						

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Train2Game students will be able to use Epic’s Unreal Development Kit on the Mac OS.


The new, completely free update, allows modders to use UDK to create game builds that can be released on both Apple and Windows systems. The latest update also includes support for Apple’s ios platform for smartphones and will be available this month.


According to Epic, using UDK for Mac is “virtually identical” to the Windows system. “Every UDK game’s potential user base has increased dramatically yet again.” the engine provider added.


However, those with ideas of only using UDK for Mac will be disappointed, the platform is only available to those who also have a Windows system.


As reported by the Train2Game blog earlier this year, Epic’s free UDK has been downloaded over 800,000 times and provides excellent game building and modding opportunities.


Of course, Train2Game students will have the opportunity to test their skills with UDK at the Train2Game and Epic Game Jam from 4th-6th November. To find out more visit the official Train2Game and Epic Game Jam website.


What are your thoughts on Epic’s UDK coming to Apple? Have you used the UDK? If so, how have you found it?


Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


[Source: Train2Game]

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Opportunity for Train2Game students to learn from Epic devs at ‘Unreal University’ event

			
						

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Train2Game students have an opportunity to learn about game development from some of the best in the business when Epic brings ‘Unreal University’ to the UK next month.


Earlier this month, the Train2Game blog reported that the Epic’s free Unreal Development Kit has passed 800,000 downloads.


The free two day event will be run by senior members of the Epic team and some of the best UE3 instructors.


The second day of Unreal University will be of the most interest to Train2Game students, as it’ll feature hands on guidance for those looking to get started with UDK, with advice on level design, mobile game development and much more.


The first day of the Unreal University event is for those already using UDK.


The free Unreal University event takes place on July 13th-14th and Train2Game students can register to attend here. Places for the London based event are limited, so any interested Train2Game students need to be quick!


So Train2Game, will you attend Unreal University? If so, what will you want to find out?


Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


[Source: Develop]