Microsoft Ventures Andy McCartney was interviewed at the recent Game Jam that Train2Game held.
Andy is CEO of the Microsoft Ventures intiative which gives independent games development studios the help and support they need throughout the course of developing an app.
You can enjoy the video interview with Andy below and found out more about Microsoft Ventures at https://www.microsoftventures.com/
This year, for the first time, the Develop in Brighton Conference will devote a whole day in one room to a teardown of a single game – Rare’s Kinect Sports Rivals.
This highly interactive and innovative strand will reveal how each aspect of the game was achieved – and how each aspect’s progress was interrelated and coordinated.
Rare’s Kinect Sports Rivals is one of the studio’s most ambitious titles to date. Designed with unique motion control and avatar generation systems, the game presented unparalleled technical, artistic and production challenges and made huge demands on every creative discipline.
The teardown sessions will provide an unprecedented insight into the full working practices of one of the world’s greatest developers.
“Because of the usual time pressures, and the need to cover so many topics, it can be difficult to dive too deep for any length of time on a single issue. This year that’s changed with our first teardown strand that will get right under the skin of a single game and analyse in detail the ideas and processes that brought Rare’s Kinect Sports Rivals to life,” commented Ali Fearnley, Conference Director at Tandem Events.
Session 1 – Design: A walkthrough the two-year design and incubation process that Rare undertook to devise a game to take motion gaming to the next level. How can this experience help you make better games?
Session 2 – Art: Lifting the lid on Rare’s new high-fidelity character art style, the reimagining of Xbox LIVE Avatars, and meshing player likenesses with the in-game world of Kinect Sports Rivals.
Session 3 – Production: How do you take cutting-edge technology out of the lab and into a game for a platform that is still being finalised? How do you ensure design, art, and the latest in machine vision technology comes together in a game people want to play – on-time and on-target?
Session 4 – Programming: Like all slickly coded products gamers should never know it, but Kinect Sports Rivals is doing a bunch of clever stuff under the hood. Learn how Rare’s programmers rose to meet the challenges set by the game’s designers and art department.
The teardown session will take place in Room 3 and start at 12.15 on Thursday 10th July.
Develop in Brighton includes the following:
Tuesday 8 July Evolve Conference
Wednesday 9 July Develop Conference, Develop Expo, Indie Showcase and Boot Camp
Thursday 10 July Develop Conference, Develop Expo, Indie Dev Day and Showcase, Audio track
Registration is open now at www.developconference.com and Super Early Bird rates are available until midnight on Wednesday 7 May, saving up to £170 off a three day pass.
The Amazing Spider-man 2 has swung into number one this week in the game charts pushing Titanfall down to number two. Further down the chart just breaching the top ten Ubisofts Child of Light has debuted at number nine.
All formats
Week ending 3 May 2014
| POS. | TITLE | PUBLISHER | LAST WEEK |
|
| 1 | THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 | ACTIVISION | – | |
| 2 |  |
TITANFALL | EA GAMES | 1 |
| 3 |  |
FIFA 14 | EA SPORTS | 4 |
| 4 | |
2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL | EA SPORTS | 2 |
| 5 | |
CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | ACTIVISION | 3 |
| 6 | – | MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION | MICROSOFT | 6 |
| 7 | |
LEGO THE HOBBIT | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 5 |
| 8 | – | THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 8 |
| 9 | CHILD OF LIGHT | UBISOFT | – | |
| 10 | – | BATTLEFIELD 4 | EA GAMES | 10 |
| 11 | |
LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 12 |
| 12 | |
SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH | UBISOFT | 7 |
| 13 | |
PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE | EA GAMES | 9 |
| 14 | |
DARK SOULS II | BANDAI NAMCO GAMES | 18 |
| 15 | |
METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES | KONAMI | 16 |
| 16 | |
INFAMOUS: SECOND SON | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | 15 |
| 17 | |
ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | UBISOFT | 11 |
| 18 | |
GRAND THEFT AUTO V | ROCKSTAR | 13 |
| 19 | |
TRIALS FUSION | UBISOFT | 14 |
| 20 | – | BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 20 |
| < 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.
A new trailer for the next Call of Duty has been revealed starring Hollywood A Lister, Kevin Spacey.
In the last 20 years, global combat has seen a steady shift towards the use of private military corporations, or PMCs. What happens when the highest bidder becomes the world’s next superpower?
This is the question that is faced in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare developed by Sledgehammer Games and Activions.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare envisions battlegrounds of the future, where both technology and tactic have evolved to usher in a new era of combat for the franchise. Power changes everything on 4th November, 2014.
You can enjoy the reveal trailer for the game below:
Following in the high octane tracks of last year’s hugely successful event, the nation’s army of gamers, puzzle pros and arcade gurus will descend on Manchester’s EventCity 11-12 October as the most action packed and utterly immersive gaming expo bursts into multi-player life.
Officially launched today and set to be the largest multi-sensory video gaming event in the North of England, Play Expo is a high tech-meets-retro-extravaganza set across five fantastic zones. The two day event will also pit amateur gamers against the best in the country as the Classic Gaming Championship finals reach their nail biting conclusion in a duel to the death on the main stage. Final heats will take place on Saturday with the Grand Final scheduled for Sunday, where the UK’s greatest retro gamer will be crowned.
Meanwhile, visitors can delve deep into the world of their favourite TV and film franchises, take the driving seat with exclusive sneak previews or be amongst the first in the country to sit at the controls of some of the UK’s hottest under the radar indie games titles.
“The all-encompassing Play Expo is unlike any other gaming event on the planet,” said Andy Brown, show co-organiser. “Whether reliving childhood favourites with the Expo’s unique haul of arcade collectables, getting up close and personal with authentic film props or taking to the main stage in a movie-worthy crafted costume, Play Expo is totally unique.
“Now in our fifth year, we have developed five huge zones which we know hardcore gamers and enthusiastic amateurs alike will love and we have some truly outstanding concepts. Exclusive hardware, game launches, cult actors and characters from the best of TV and film franchises – think Doctor Who and Star Wars and then take it to a whole new level.”
Gamers can expect to immerse themselves in a clutch of no holds barred experiences at the show which was nominated for an MCV award earlier this year.
You can buy tickets and find out more at http://www.playexpo.net/
Multiplay, hosts of the UK’s biggest gaming festival has reason to celebrate following its biggest ever spring Insomnia event. Insomnia51, Multiplay’s first event at the Ricoh Arena, saw an unprecedented footfall of over 20,000 across the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.
Thousands of gamers from a variety of backgrounds gathered to enjoy a schedule packed full of engaging content, with Main Festival Stage presenting from We’ve Got Game Founders, Matt Littler and Darren Jefferies. The festival’s activities spanned the range of modern gaming culture, from high level Esports tournaments to a thriving exhibition hall including Minecraft, Indie, Tabletop Gaming, and Retro zones. There were also panel talks in a 650-seat dedicated auditorium, and of course the UK’s biggest LAN gaming halls.
Following on from the success of Insomnia49 last summer, Insomnia51 featured appearances from special guests from across the globe. Providing fans with the chance to meet them in person, Insomnia51 enabled YouTube stars to connect with their communities through Meet & Greet sessions, panel talk sessions, and main stage shows.
As the first Insomnia Gaming Festival of 2014, Insomnia51 saw increased entries for not only Esports tournaments on PC, but also on console. As part of their pledge to help grow the console tournament scene at Insomnia events, Multiplay delivered the Console Esports Arena, an area wholly dedicated to console Esports including tournament stations, a spectating zone, and an area for press.
Last year the Insomnia Gaming Festivals hit several milestones, with both its largest ever event and it’s fiftieth outing. 2013’s rapid growth and increased attendance inspired a change of venue, and the UK’s biggest gaming festival found a new home at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena resulting in the highest attendance for an Easter event in Multiplay’s 17-year history.
“There is no equivalent to the Insomnia Gaming Festival in the UK. There’s no single event that combines the LAN halls, the tournaments, the exhibition, the special guests, the stage activities, all into a single weekend-long gaming-focused festival experience,” said Craig Fletcher, CEO & Founder of Multiplay. “With each passing year Insomnia grows bigger and better, in no small part due to our incredible community and the fantastic partners we work with. With our summer plans for Insomnia52, 2014 is shaping up to be an unstoppable year for Multiplay events.”
To view all photos from Insomnia 51, please visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mpuk/collections/72157644032424851/
For more information on Insomnia52 visit http://insomniagamingfestival.com. More announcements will be made in the coming months.
Microsoft has announced no less than 12 original TV shows or features for Xbox Live, all of which “will offer interactive capabilities, as well as unique interactive features customized on a per-show basis, making it a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience you won’t find anywhere else.”
Created or overseen by the recently founded Xbox Entertainment Studios, the pickings include the previously announced Halo TV series, plus a Halo “digital feature” executive produced by Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner. There’s also a reality TV show about up-and-coming football players, a couple of shows based on famous tabletop games, and a 2015-bound Channel 4 series about machines that look like humans. It’s a bit of a spread.
In the words of Jordan Levin, executive vice president of Xbox Entertainment Studios, “creating original TV content is a logical next step in our evolution”. This echoes comments to OXM from various bigwigs on the subject last year. According to Microsoft Soho’s Rob Stevens, for example, “game developers are realising there is a big appetite for more immersive interactive content, which we have decades of invaluable experience in making with games – creating this type of content for TV gives us the ability to reach a hugely diverse array of new audiences.”
The first shows are due to screen on Xbox Live this year – Microsoft has apparently looked at hundreds more concepts, more details on those will be announced at a later date.
The charts have been very quiet recently but this week there hasn’t been a single new game added to the top twenty. The only new additions are Batman Arkham Origins making a return due to the new DLC being released and Disney Infinity sneaking back up.
All formats
Week ending 26 April 2014
| POS. | TITLE | PUBLISHER | LAST WEEK |
|
| 1 | – | TITANFALL | EA GAMES | 1 |
| 2 | – | 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL | EA SPORTS | 2 |
| 3 | |
CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | ACTIVISION | 5 |
| 4 | – | FIFA 14 | EA SPORTS | 4 |
| 5 | |
LEGO THE HOBBIT | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 3 |
| 6 | |
MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION | MICROSOFT | 8 |
| 7 | |
SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH | UBISOFT | 6 |
| 8 | |
THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 9 |
| 9 | |
PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE | EA GAMES | 10 |
| 10 | |
BATTLEFIELD 4 | EA GAMES | 12 |
| 11 | – | ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | UBISOFT | 11 |
| 12 | |
LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 17 |
| 13 | |
GRAND THEFT AUTO V | ROCKSTAR | 14 |
| 14 | |
TRIALS FUSION | UBISOFT | 7 |
| 15 | – | INFAMOUS: SECOND SON | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | 15 |
| 16 | – | METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES | KONAMI | 16 |
| 17 | |
THIEF | SQUARE ENIX | 13 |
| 18 | – | DARK SOULS II | BANDAI NAMCO GAMES | 18 |
| 19 | DISNEY INFINITY | DISNEY INFINITY | – | |
| 20 | BATMAN: ARKHAM ORIGINS | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | – | |
| < 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.
This weeks Humble Bundle sale is supporting the great team at SpecialEffect to help advance the great work they do.
This sale is brought to you by Devolver Digital, purveyors of fine digital entertainment wares such as Broforce and Hotline Miami! Each title has been hand selected by the Devolver team as games outside of their roster, save for Dungeon Hearts and Foul Play, that they enjoy playing and want other folks to check out! Pay what you want to enjoy the fast-paced, strategic action-puzzler, Dungeon Hearts, the quirky Western action adventure game, The Real Texas, and a retro-inspired album of games, Cryptic Sea EP.
If you’re feeling generous, pay $6 or more to also receive side-scrolling brawler, Foul Play, get in on the randomly-generated, action RPG beat-’em-up, Legend of Dungeon, and the claustrophobic quick-reflex game, KRUNCH Digital Collector’s Edition. Paying $10 or more will get you all of the titles above plus fast-paced, “rogue-lite,” bullet-hell Tower of Guns.
These games seperately would cost you just under $100 but with the humble bundle paying $10 will get you the lot.
You can purchase the bundle by visiting https://www.humblebundle.com/weekly
The money raised will go to SpecialEffect to helping them with cases like Rob who you can view in the heart warming video below.
Yet another quiet week in the charts this week with Titanfall holding the top spot with new entry 2014 FIFA world cup Brazil. Further down the charts Ubisofts new Trials Fusion breaches the top ten at number seven.
All formats
Week ending 19 April 2014
| POS. | TITLE | PUBLISHER | LAST WEEK |
|
| 1 | – | TITANFALL | EA GAMES | 1 |
| 2 | 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL | EA SPORTS | – | |
| 3 | |
LEGO THE HOBBIT | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 2 |
| 4 | |
FIFA 14 | EA SPORTS | 3 |
| 5 | – | CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS | ACTIVISION | 5 |
| 6 | |
SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH | UBISOFT | 4 |
| 7 | TRIALS FUSION | UBISOFT | – | |
| 8 | |
MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION | MICROSOFT | 6 |
| 9 | |
THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 7 |
| 10 | |
PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE | EA GAMES | 8 |
| 11 | |
ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG | UBISOFT | 9 |
| 12 | – | BATTLEFIELD 4 | EA GAMES | 12 |
| 13 | |
THIEF | SQUARE ENIX | 11 |
| 14 | |
GRAND THEFT AUTO V | ROCKSTAR | 15 |
| 15 | |
INFAMOUS: SECOND SON | SONY COMPUTER ENT. | 13 |
| 16 | |
METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES | KONAMI | 10 |
| 17 | |
LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES | WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE | 16 |
| 18 | |
DARK SOULS II | BANDAI NAMCO GAMES | 17 |
| 19 | |
KINECT SPORTS: RIVALS | MICROSOFT | 14 |
| 20 | FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN | SQUARE ENIX | – | |
| < 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.
The Train2Game Blog 