Tag Archives: UK Games Industry

Train2Game News Women in game jobs new CEO

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Jenny Richards StewartWomen in Games Jobs (WIGJ) is delighted to announce that Jenny Richards- Stewart is to join the not for profit organisation as CEO.

Jenny has had a long and impressive career in the games and education sectors. She was joint CEO of Gremlin Group PLC and presided over its sale to Infogrames/Atari in 1999. She was the Chair of the Board of Governors at the GamesAid sponsored, Paddington Academy for six years and she has worked for a number of diverse companies including digital mobile marketing agencies as a non-Executive director. Throughout her working life she has been a passionate advocate for encouraging women to maximise their potential.

David Smith, Founder of WIGJ commented, “The WIGJ network continues to grow. It now has nearly 5000 supporters globally and this year’s annual conference was again a sell-out. The level of awareness of the gender imbalance in the games sector has increased significantly since WIGJ was founded but there is much more to do to encourage the recruitment and retention of a more diverse games industry workforce.

We think Jenny will help bring WIGJ to the next level of becoming a professional membership organisation capable of working with government, trade bodies, employers, those already working in games and job seekers to campaign for a more inclusive games sector for the benefit of the games industry as a whole.”

Jenny Richards- Stewart responded “I have attended several WIGJ events and fully support their aims and aspirations. I feel that there is need for an organisation within the games industry which promotes equality and encourages new talent to join this exciting industry.

I think WIGJ has done some great work in this arena and has the potential to become even more influential. I want to take WIGJ forward to the next stage by developing closer ties with key organisations and raising its profile in the games industry.”

There will be the opportunity to meet Jenny at the next WIGJ London Meetup on Wednesday 12th November.

You can find out more about WIGJ by visiting http://www.womeningamesjobs.com/

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 03.11.14

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Fifa 15FIFA 15 is still top of the table with Sunset Overdrive gearing in to second. Further down the chart WWE 2k15 slams its way in to number five and Lords of the Fallen battles to number eleven. The question now is will Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare blast FIFA off that prime position?

All formats

Week ending 1 November 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 – FIFA 15 EA SPORTS 1
2 SUNSET OVERDRIVE MICROSOFT –
3 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 2
4 THE EVIL WITHIN BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 3
5 WWE 2K15 2K SPORTS –
6 DESTINY ACTIVISION 4
7 FORZA HORIZON 2 MICROSOFT 8
8 MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 5
9 SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM SKYLANDERS 10
10 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 12
11 LORDS OF THE FALLEN SQUARE ENIX –
12 DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 DISNEY INFINITY 13
13 ALIEN: ISOLATION SEGA 9
14 WATCH DOGS UBISOFT 17
15 BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL! 2K GAMES 6
16 DRIVECLUB SONY COMPUTER ENT. 11
17 SUPER SMASH BROS. NINTENDO 14
18 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 20
19 – JUST DANCE 2015 UBISOFT 19
20 LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE –
< 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 Eurogamer 2014 Video

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Train2GameTrain2Game was at Eurogamer last month and we have put together a video from some of our students who were in attendance about there thoughts on the Train2Game course. Enjoy the video below

Train2Game News Commando Kiwi Update

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Commando KiwiTrain2Game Student Studio, Commando Kiwi, the winners of the 2012 Make Something Unreal Live competition are back and under new management!

Train2Game Student Adam Sherratt is now the head of Commando Kiwi and they have been working hard since we last heard from them.

After deciding that the project they had started following the Make Something Unreal Live contest was slightly more ambitious than they first anticipated they made the executive decision to start a new IP using the framework they had already created for there winning game at MSUL.

However, with life getting in the way, a few of the original Commando Kiwi members left on to new ventures which left the team struggling until Adam came up with a plan to revitalise the studio. Several of the team volunteered to be mentors at the recent Train2Game Game Jam which put them in excellent position to scout for new team members.

The studio was back up to eight members and ready to get to work on their next game.

When asked about the studios new project Adam said “The game is a 3rd person action adventure RPG style game with cinematic combat sequences that play very similarly to battles in final fantasy 7, 8 and 10. Our aim is to bring a console quality gaming experience to mobile. By using the unreal engine 3 we will be able to offer incredible visuals, a strong sound track and a great story to produce a truly immersive game world on mobile. Initially the game would be released on iOS for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch but if things go well we will port it over to Android too. If you follow Commando Kiwi on Facebook you will see we have just started to leak information and concept art and we have a new company logo.”

Now the next stage for Commando Kiwi is they will be displaying their game at Appsworld and Platform Expo this year to spread the word and receive feedback from the public to make the game as best as it can be. So if you are attending either event go and say hello and give them your support!

The studio is intending to start a Kickstarter campaign in the future as currently everything they are doing is having to come out of their own pockets and they want this game to be the best that it can be.

You can follow Commando Kiwi on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/comkiwi

Train2Game News Insomnia 53

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InsomniaMultiplay, hosts of the UK’s biggest gaming festival is pleased to announce Insomnia53, taking place November 21st – 23rd at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena and set to feature tons of brilliant, focused activities suitable for gamers of all ages and backgrounds.

Everything you’ve come to expect from the Insomnia Gaming Festival will be in abundance; there will be special guests from the world of YouTube and Twitch including SkyDoesMinecraft, TheDiamondMinecart and The Sidemen (featuring KSI, Vikkstar and more).

Also featured are Minecraft-orientated activities, high-level open esports tournaments, a packed exhibition hall featuring playable games galore and of course the UK’s biggest 24hr LAN gaming network featuring thousands of switched-on gamers.

The fun doesn’t end at 6pm though, with activities and parties going on well into the early hours putting the ‘insomnia’ into Insomnia.

Returning for its second year are the Insomnia Awards; a bespoke community-driven ceremony celebrating the last year in gaming, all wrapped up in a night of action and entertainment.

Anyone attending the event can nominate and vote on their selected winners and be in with a chance of winning a copy of the Insomnia Awards Game of the Year.

“Each year, we’re humbled by the passion of our community and their commitment for the Insomnia Gaming Festival,” said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay. “This festive gaming show encapsulates another 12 months of incredible growth, driving us to do more, to do better, and to continue to make Insomnia the best weekend of awesome videogame-related fun you can find in the UK.”

With so much more to be announced, this year’s final Insomnia event will be one to remember, so head online now to book your tickets: http://insomniagamingfestival.com/tickets/

Insomnia53 takes place from November 21s – 23rd at Coventry’s Rich Arena in England.

For more information and to buy tickets for Insomnia53 visit http://insomniagamingfestival.com with more announcements to be made in the coming weeks.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 Games – 27.10.14

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Fifa 15FIFA 15 remains in the number one spot for another week andBayonetta 2 makes its debut at number seven. Towards the bottom of the top twenty, the Borderlands Collection has come in at number sixteen, Civilation: Beyond Earth is number eighteen and Just Dance 2015 is number nineteen.

All formats

Week ending 25 October 2014

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 – FIFA 15 EA SPORTS 1
2 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 9
3 THE EVIL WITHIN BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 2
4 DESTINY ACTIVISION 7
5 MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 4
6 BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL! 2K GAMES 3
7 BAYONETTA 2 NINTENDO –
8 FORZA HORIZON 2 MICROSOFT 5
9 ALIEN: ISOLATION SEGA 6
10 SKYLANDERS TRAP TEAM SKYLANDERS 11
11 DRIVECLUB SONY COMPUTER ENT. 8
12 MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 13
13 DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 DISNEY INFINITY 15
14 SUPER SMASH BROS. NINTENDO 12
15 F1 2014 CODEMASTERS 10
16 THE BORDERLANDS COLLECTION (1 & 2) XBOX 360 CLASSICS –
17 WATCH DOGS UBISOFT 11
18 CIVILIZATION: BEYOND EARTH 2K GAMES –
19 JUST DANCE 2015 UBISOFT –
20 PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE EA GAMES 17
< 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 Marmalade Event

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Marmalade#include is a cosy, informal winter meetup in London for indie developers to share in the magic of mobile game development.

Marmalade have pulled together an interesting lineup of speakers who want to share their knowledge and experience with you, helping you make your projects better and your games fly.

#include is split into 2 parts – Making Games and Selling Games. The event will be taking a close look at what makes games successful, from tech to toolkits to platforms, analytics, services, and discovery on stores. Confirmed so far are speakers from Amazon, Microsoft, Nomad Games, Lemon Moose Games, GameSparks, Ukie, Develop Magazine, and many more to come.

Attend #include for a great day of listening, learning and knowledge sharing with the indie dev community. Win great prizes in the #include challenge (theme ‘Bah! Humbug!’), enjoy a free lunchshare and then some beers at the end of the day!

Sign up here: http://bit.ly/10mJnU0 Tickets are £10 which is fully refunded at the event.

Train2Game News Micro Machines Returns… Sort of

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Toybox TurbosCodemasters have announced Toybox Turbos will bring a new world of retro table top racing to Windows PC from Steam on 12th November priced at £11.99 and will be coming soon to the Xbox Games Store for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft and to the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system from the online store.

Featuring gameplay that reflects Codemasters’ fondly remembered miniature racing titles of the ‘90s, Toybox Turbos delivers a pick-up-and-play arcade racing extravaganza as gamers take a nostalgic tour of 18 obstacle and short-cut filled circuits inspired by childhood locations. Players will speed past spilt sticky jam on the kitchen table, dodge flaming Bunsen burners as they take their opponents back to school and zip past the runaway train in races around a railway set and more.

Bursting with classic retro racing fun, Toybox Turbos includes four-player local and online multiplayer options, perfect for turning friends into foes with one-more-go gaming sessions that race into the night. Whether playing locally or online, or with a mix, Toybox Turbos brings alive the glory days of multiplayer score-settling competition with rapid-fire rounds designed for all-action racing.

Toybox Turbos features 35 vehicles to collect and customise, ranging from sports cars and dragsters to emergency vehicles, taxis, ice cream vans, construction vehicles, milk float, moon buggies and more!

Each can be raced in six super-charged game modes; players sprint for the line in Classic Races, set their best time in Time Trial, pass as many turbocharged toys as possible in Overtake, avoid getting wiped out by the tide in Escape, beat the clock in Countdown and take down bosses in Elimination mode. To gain the advantage, gamers can collect and use a range of power-ups spread liberally around each circuit, including, but not limited to, machine guns, mines, electronic pulses and, of course, giant hammers!

Gamers can find out more about Toybox Turbos and keep up with all the latest updates straight from the studio, by speeding over to www.toyboxturbos.com and www.facebook.com/toyboxturbos or by following the team at www.twitter.com/toyboxtu

You can enjoy the trailer for Toybox Turbos below

Train2Game News Video Game Mentoring Network Scheme

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UKIE LogoAfter the success of the first cohort of the Video Game Mentoring Network scheme, which saw eight games businesses start the programme earlier this year, Ukie have once again partnered with Nesta to match businesses with experienced games industry mentors.

The scheme aims to advise and nurture games businesses with an appetite for growth and mentoring will officially start in December. Businesses who join the Games Mentoring Network will receive:

· One-to-one business mentoring in the form of 10 two-hour sessions over a 6-12 month period

· An induction workshop at the start of the programme to get the most out of your mentoring sessions

· Workshops and events designed to meet other members of the wider creative Network

· Coaching support – in addition to mentoring

Ukie and Nesta want businesses of all sizes to apply to be mentored, from start-ups who have been established for less than two years, to established and high growth potential business who are looking to scale. The minimum criteria for applying are simply that you must be a registered business that:

· Has made or sold a game in the UK in the last 12 months or have a game ready to bring to market in the next six months.

· Or you can also be a business that has launched a product or service in the UK that supports the creation and selling of games within the last 12 months.

· Being a Ukie member automatically qualifies you to apply.

Ukie CEO, Dr Jo Twist said: “Building on the success of the first wave of games mentoring, our partnership with Nesta will give even more games businesses an amazing opportunity to get first hand expert advice from people with proven track records in the games industry. Mentoring is invaluable for both mentees and for mentors and they learn a great deal from each other throughout the process.”

Ukie and Nesta are inviting games businesses to apply for mentoring by contacting mentoring@ukie.org.uk.

Train2Game News GameCity 9

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GameCity 9GameCity is throwing a giant housewarming party at its main festival venue in the middle of Nottingham town this coming Saturday 25 October to celebrate moving in and taking it over for the week.

Located at 24-32 Carlton Street, just one minute from the Lace Market tram stop, the GameCity venue covers five floors, has three galleries of brilliant stuff and will be full of like-minded video game fans.

For the whole of the opening weekend, the GameCity venue will be the place to be to make and play games in the Open Arcade, eat cake, make a tribute to your favourite game character to be displayed on the Wall of Game, build a cardboard arcade machine and generally have a brilliant time. Did we mention eating cake?

Most of all, this is an opportunity to put yourself into GameCity. Bring along something to stick on the walls – an old game magazine, manual, or your own artwork – and help us turn it into a colourful world of relentless brilliance.

Be there at 10am on Saturday 25 October and you can literally start a festival. To find out more go to http://gamecity.org/festival/gauntletsignup/