Tag Archives: UK Games Industry

Train2Game News Gods Will Fall Available To Preorder

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Deep Silver is pleased to announce pre-orders are live for Gods Will Fall with the exclusive Hunter’s Head Gear to be bestowed upon those who pre-order the game ahead of its launch on Jan. 29.

The Hunter’s Head Gear is assigned at random in each new game playthrough. The thrill of the hunt runs through the blood of the clan and it is ritual for the trophies seized to be worn proudly and displayed for all to take notice. The hides of five exclusive beasts – a wolf, bear, boar, fox, and badger -are fit to be worn by any warrior and shall act as an emblazoned warning to the gods that the hunt is indeed on.

In addition to the standard edition of Gods Will Fall, fans can also pre-order the Valiant Edition, to receive the Hunter’s Head Gear and Valley of the Dormant Gods DLC.

Details on the Valiant Edition below:

Developed by Manchester-based Clever Beans, Gods Will Fall is a high stakes, dark fantasy action game about the few remaining Celtic warriors of a destroyed army on their way to overthrow the diabolical gods. Gods Will Fall will launch on Jan. 29, 2021 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Google Stadia.

In Gods Will Fall:

You are the last hope for humanity. The gods’ torturous rule over humanity has lasted for millennia. Bent on cruelty and suffering they demand to be served with blind worship through an oath of fealty pledged from every man, woman and child. To those who don’t submit to the will of the gods, a slow and merciless death awaits.   

Experience the brutal trials of a venturous band of warriors in their desperate plight to sever the gods’ callous grip on humanity. Every man and woman who can muster a blade, having suffered the brutality of the gods’ reign for too long, will be called upon to form your clan of eight Celtic survivors to rise up and take on the legions of horrific beasts and minions that dwell in each of the gods’ hellish realms.     

  • Three New Gods – Enter and battle your way through three new infernal god realms. Each of these uncharted hellscapes, inhabited by abominable swarms of minions, will be a grueling test to your mettle.
  • New Weapon Classes – Play as two new barbarous warrior types, each with their own unique death-dealing style of combat.
  • New Items – A windfall of new gear and provisions to aid your clan in battle and turn the tides of war.
  • New Skills – New methods of melee to further expand your warrior’s combat system and ensure the apt champion is chosen for the battle that lies ahead.
  • Overworld Extras – As you traverse the tranquil overworld, keep your eyes peeled and unearth the hidden secrets now spread across the serene landscape.
  • Warriors Garb – Suit up your clan in the finest battle-ready attire and headgear for extra swagger as they enter the fray.

A personal tale emerges with every decision made. Succeed and see legends born. Fail, and watch lives turn to dust.
Features:

  • Iconic Gods & Realms –Unravel the dark secrets of each ancient god as you venture into their elaborate and perilous lairs. Crawling with minions who will stop at nothing to defend their deities, each location will be deadlier than the last.
  • Celtic Warrior Clan –With eight different warriors of every size, each equipped with their own exclusive weapon type, choose your next hero wisely. Success is hard earned and brings unique skills, weapons, and items, but failure will see the challenger imprisoned and screaming for salvation. 
  • Navigate a World of Duality –Savor the calming sights as you explore the stunning and lush terrain of the Overworld. But beyond each ancient doorway lies a god’s realm. Brimming with foul creatures, stalking a world built from human suffering. Each path you tread and each door you open will be different from the last ensuring a brand new tale unfolds every time.
  • A Lesson in Brutality – With a pick up and play combat style that is easy to learn but hard to master, a massive challenge awaits all who venture within. Strengthen your warrior by entering the fray and embracing the berserker within. Defeat is always moments away as the gods await their challenger.

For more information about Gods Will Fall, please visit one of the following official sites:

Website: GodsWillFall.com Twitter: Twitter.com/Gods_Will_Fall Facebook: Facebook.com/GodsWillFallGame Instagram: Instagram.com/GodsWillFallGame

Train2Game News UK’s First VR Venue

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Atmos VR has announced plans to open a new multiplayer ‘free roaming’ interactive game which has been developed with post-COVID audiences in mind and will offer restricted numbers of players in socially-distanced entertainment across the one-hour shows.

The new venue in the West Midlands, will be the first of eight planned to be rolled-out across the country over the next five years. As a UK first, the venue will offer free-roaming four-dimensional experiences with senses enhanced on every level. This could include: moving floors, the ability to feel things around you, pick up and touch virtual objects in the game and smell the atmosphere.

Founder, and event technology strategist, Kevin Blair, brings long-term military and commercial expertise in the VR space that he has spent the last three years developing the concept.

Kevin Blair, explains “Atmos VR’s aim is to bring creative content to life using the latest immersive technology, constantly evolving VR and beyond and pushing the experiential boundaries of immersive experiences. According to a recent study, three-quarters (76%) of immersive entertainment companies successfully have attendance up to 10,000 per year, meaning we can provide immersive experiences aimed at smaller audiences who are already seeking a more personal setting. 

The immersive entertainment industry was valued in 2018 at more than $4.5 billion globally. Currently there are around 5,700 locations worldwide where consumers can experience VR outside of their home. This number is expected to rise to 45,700 by the end of 2022.

Bob Clarke, CEO, Samahoma Media Advisors, who negotiated the £1m investment from Insight Media Fund explains: “As part of the Fund’s focus on media investments for a post-COVID world, bringing back live events is very much on its agenda and free-roaming VR provides a genuine antidote to the reasonable lingering fears people may have of being part of an uncontrolled large audience crowd. Atmos VR has developed a cutting-edge proposition with plenty of hooks for repeat visits – with the Fund’s support we believe it can be scaled for a UK-wide rollout and international franchise opportunities.”

There are five million people living in the West Midlands providing a focused audience during Tiered restrictions and Birmingham has been named the most entrepreneurial UK city outside of London with more than 14,500 business start-ups in 2019. Contracts have been finalised for a 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse at the Custard Factory in the Digbeth Canal Corridor regeneration zone. Once the first LBE (location based entertainment) venue has been established, Atmos VR will be looking to expand across the country with locations in Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire, Merseyside, Glasgow, Cardiff and the South East being considered.

Atmos VR is set to join the largest regional tech and digital cluster outside of London, with the West Midlands Combined Authority area now home to 66,300 people employed across 12,500 tech and digital companies. The West Midlands Region economy is worth more than £141.4 billion.

Spending in the recreation sector was £10.5 billion in the UK in 2018.  Whilst investment in the public entertainment sector has tended to focus on the heritage and family offering, there is enormous scope within the commercial sector to develop innovative and targeted high tech experiences for gamers and other younger audiences . 

The Fund hopes to help unlock opportunities in this sector.

Train2Game News London Game Fest 2021

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The 2021 London Games Festival will showcase a range of unreleased titles from around the world, explore how games have aided players’ lives under COVID-19, and connect creators with global investors when it returns next year – running from Friday 19 March to Sunday 28 March. 

Next year professionals and players alike have a wealth of activity to enjoy, the majority of it from home. This includes a brand new showcase of new games, some of which will be playable at home for free, broadcasts and streams from iconic London locations and a must-attend business track.

A select number of outdoor elements are also planned for LGF and will be fully unveiled in early 2021. These include a public exhibition celebrating Ensemble, the festival’s showcase of Black, Asian and marginalised ethnicity UK video games talent, plus events run by Now Play This, which returns to Somerset House at the end of March.

London Games Festival is backed by the Mayor of London and seeks to make London the games capital of the world.  It is delivered by Games London, an initiative from Film London, the capital’s screen industries agency, and video games trade body Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment).

Highlights for London Games Festival 2021 include: 

  • For the first time in its six years, LGF will curate an Official Selection of titles across key themes such as narrative excellence and diverse creators while offering enhanced ways for players to experience these games, from developer sessions through to streaming gameplay
  • Ensemble, Games London’s acclaimed exhibition of Black, Asian and marginalised ethnicity UK video games talent, returns with an outdoor exhibition in partnership with the City of London Corporation, showing in Aldgate Square and Guildhall Yard across March, April and May 
  • Games Finance Market, running across 22 March to 25 March, which will connect 60 major investors with games businesses for private online pitch meetings curated by Games London
  • BAFTA Games Awards, the games industry’s most prestigious accolades, broadcast on the night of 25 March
  • Plus another head-turning collaboration with Now Play This. Now Play This runs 25 March to 28 March and is set to feature experimental gaming installations and activities at Somerset House
  • All content will be underpinned with daily broadcasts from London. This includes keynotes with major developers and creatives, plus explorations on key themes such as games’ impact on culture, how creators can address burning issues such as sustainability and diversity, collaborations with filmmakers, and the ways audiences found solace in virtual worlds while living under lockdown

LGF was one of the first events globally to switch to digital platforms in early 2020 and to great success: its programming this year generated millions of pounds of business for 402 participating global games companies. The call is now open for game submissions and applications for investor meetings in 2021.

Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission, said: “London Games Festival will unlock more potential for the capital next year. The festival was one of the first events to switch to all-digital and we’re proud to see it evolve the model further with a dedicated games showcase and more. The games sector has proven its resilience in 2020 and we remain hugely committed to championing London and connecting the city’s game businesses to colleagues across the world, all while continuing to promote this exciting sector.”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie, said: “London Games Festival will focus on topics that are close to our industry’s heart – namely diversity, sustainability, and the ways many of us have used games to escape to at challenging times. As games continues to prove its value commercially, it’s never been more important to build invaluable connections between creators and funders to support the creation of world-changing games businesses in the UK.”

You can discover more about the programme in the coming months via www.games.london and @londongamesfest.

Train2Game News: Gods Will Fall Announced

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Deep Silver is pleased to announce Gods Will Fall, a dark fantasy action game due to launch on January 29, 2021 on the PlayStation®4, Xbox One and the Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Google Stadia.

Developed by Manchester-based Clever Beans, Gods Will Fall is a high-stakes, dark fantasy action game about the few remaining Celtic warriors of a destroyed army, on their way to overthrow the diabolical Gods. Pre-orders will go live in January of 2021.

View the announcement trailer on YouTube – https://youtu.be/q3FEhQf98wE

In Gods Will Fall, you are the last hope for humanity. The gods’ torturous rule over humanity has lasted for millennia. Bent on cruelty and suffering, they demand to be served with blind worship through an oath of fealty pledged from every man, woman, and child.

To those who don’t submit to the gods’ will, a slow and merciless death awaits.  

Experience the brutal trials of a venturous band of warriors in their desperate plight to sever the gods’ callous grip on humanity. Every man and woman who can muster a blade, having suffered the brutality of the gods’ reign for too long, will be called upon to form your clan of eight Celtic survivors and rise up to take on the legions of horrific beasts and minions that dwell in each of the gods’ hellish realms.    

A personal tale emerges with every decision made. Succeed and see legends born. Fail and watch lives turn to dust.

Features:

  • Iconic Gods & Realms – Unravel the dark secrets of each ancient god as you venture into their elaborate and perilous lairs. Crawling with minions who will stop at nothing to defend their deities, each location will be deadlier than the last.
  • Celtic Warrior Clan – With eight different warriors of every size, each equipped with their own exclusive weapon type, choose your next hero wisely. Success is hard earned and brings unique skills, weapons, and items, but failure will see the challenger imprisoned and screaming for salvation. 
  • Navigate a World of Duality – Savor the calming sights as you explore the stunning and lush terrain of the Overworld. But beyond each ancient doorway lies a god’s realm. Brimming with foul creatures, stalking a world built from human suffering. Each path you tread and each door you open will be different from the last, ensuring a brand-new tale unfolds every time.
  • A Lesson in Brutality – With a pick up and play combat style that is easy to learn but hard to master, a massive challenge awaits all who venture within. Strengthen your warrior by entering the fray and embracing the berserker within. Defeat is always moments away as the gods await their challenger.

Gods Will Fall will launch on January 29, 2021 on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC and Stadia. For more information about Gods Will Fall, please visit the official site GodsWillFall.com

Train2Game News Voting Now Open For 2020 Ultimate Game of the Year

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Voting is now open in the Ultimate Game of the Year category for this year’s Golden Joystick Awards.

The voting shortlist is only open for one week, so the public are encouraged to vote now for their game of 2020. Voting closes at 1pm GMT / 8am EST Friday 20th November.

Winners will be revealed in the new all-digital format Golden Joystick Awards show on Tuesday 24th November. The evening kicks off with the pre-show at 8.30pm GMT / 3.30pm EST with the awards following at 9pm GMT / 4pm EST on Twitch and YouTube.
 

The nominees are:
 

  1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  2. The Last of Us Part II
  3. Final Fantasy VII Remake
  4. Microsoft Flight Simulator
  5. Crusader Kings III
  6. Fall Guys
  7. Hades
  8. Half-Life: Alyx
  9. Death Stranding (PC)
  10. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
  11. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
  12. Demon’s Souls (PS5)
  13. Ghost of Tsushima
  14. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
  15. Factorio
  16. Spelunky 2
  17. F1 2020
  18. Yakuza: Like a Dragon
  19. DOOM Eternal
  20. Genshin Impact

The Golden Joystick Awards are the world’s biggest public-voted games awards. Every year millions of fans show their support by voting for the games, developers, publishers and personalities who have entertained and thrilled them the most over the last 12 months.
 

Daniel Dawkins, Content Director, Games and Film at GamesRadar+ said:
 

“We’re thrilled to announce the biggest Ultimate Game of the Year vote in Golden Joystick Awards history. These 20 incredible titles reflect gaming’s broad diversity of genres and the once-in-a-generation launch of new gaming consoles. The Golden Joystick Awards are held in such special regard because they attract millions of votes from gamers worldwide. In 2020 more than ever, we want our nominees list to reflect the joy that gaming has brought us – the thrill of competition, community and adventure that takes us from our everyday lives – and give everyone a chance to support their favourite games. We’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone in the industry who has worked so hard to create and launch games in such a challenging year – and we’re sure people worldwide feel the same.”
 

Voting opens today and closes on November 20th 2020. For more information visit www.goldenjoysticks.com or follow The Golden Joysticks Awards on Twitter and Facebook.

Train2Game News One Special Day Raises Half A Million

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Gamers’ charity SpecialEffect is delighted to announce that, thanks to a record number of partners from the games industry, their One Special Day fundraising campaign on Friday 2nd October has raised over £500,000.

The charity, which has experienced an upturn in demand for their services since the first COVID-19 lockdown in March, are incredibly grateful to their friends from the worldwide games industry who have rallied to support their life-changing work. From donating UK income from mobile and PC games, to a special Humble Bundle and a series of socially-distanced ‘virtual’ challenges, industry partners large and small have raised vital funds to help SpecialEffect continue to find cutting edge solutions to help people with physical challenges play and avoid isolation.

SpecialEffect’s CEO and Founder, Dr Mick Donegan said “All of us at SpecialEffect are delighted and humbled at the outcome of our 5th and most successful One Special Day 2020 ever and are massively grateful to friends throughout the games industry. They’re not only ensuring that we can carry on meeting the ever-growing demand to help disabled gamers to play, but also the demand to help developers all over the world to make their games more accessible to all.”

More information about One Special Day can be found at www.onespecialday.org.uk

Train2Game News Next-Gen Purchase Intent Report

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Global video game research firm VGM and communication agency White Label PR have released a new Next-gen Console Preorder and Purchase Intent Report, based on the survey of UK-based gamers.

This is a follow-up survey to its U.S. Next-Gen Purchase Intent report published in October.

Download the report: http://bit.ly/VGM_UK_NextGen
 

Key Takeaways:

– 26% of U.K. respondents say that they have successfully preordered a next-generation console, but a slightly higher percentage of participants (30%) say that they tried to preorder a next-gen console and were unable to do so.
– Among U.K. respondents that successfully preordered one or more next-gen consoles, 58% preordered a disc edition of the PlayStation 5, 38% preordered an Xbox Series X, 24% preordered a PlayStation 5 digital edition, and 7% preordered an Xbox Series S. 21% of respondents said they pre-ordered more than one next-gen console.
The survey was conducted in October 2020.

The full report also contains info on the most anticipated games and can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/VGM_UK_NextGen

Train2Game News Safe In Our World Charity Bundle

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Videogames Mental Health Charity, Safe In Our World proudly celebrates its first anniversary with the first charity bundle dedicated to providing free Mental Health CBT courses for games industry professionals and gamers around the world.

The Safe In Our World 1st Anniversary Charity Game Bundle is available now exclusively via the dedicated partner Fanatical for $4,99. Only 10,000 sets of keys are available for this extremely limited edition bundle.

The Safe In Our World 1st Anniversary Charity Game Bundle features seven games, each who share a unique and relatable message about mental health:

  • AVICII Invector by Tim Bergling aka AVICII / Hello There Games
  • Dear Esther: Landmark Edition by The Chinese Room / Curve Digital
  • Fractured Minds by Emily Mitchell
  • GRIS by Nomada Studio / Devolver Digital
  • Meadow by Might and Delight
  • RiME by Tequila Works / Six Foot
  • The Town of Light by LKA / Luca Dalco

Proceeds from the 1st Anniversary Bundle will go towards the creation of Safe In Our World’s own tailored, games-focused Mental Health CBT courses, which will provide much-needed mental health support at no cost to games industry professionals and gamers alike. Gamers can choose to pay the bundle price or, if able to, can increase their donation amount to further support Safe In Our World.

CLICK HERE to see the complete bundle

The 1st Anniversary Bundle celebrates an amazing inaugural year in which Safe In Our World has made a significant impact on the games industry, thanks to support from wonderful partners. Since the launch last year on World Mental Health Day, the global non-profit organization has been able to:

  • Launch the hugely successful #LevelUpMentalHealth campaign featuring over 50 leading and indie games developers/publishers, including 505 Games, the Embracer Group, Wargamer, Curve Digital, NDreams, Mediatonic, Wired Productions, and many more; supporting 10,000 employees. (A full list of partners can be found here)
  • Further grew the SIOW ambassadors and patron list, with close to 100 key influential members of the industry representing the charity
  • Launch the COVID-19 Hub, a global resource set up at the beginning of the pandemic to help gamers and industry folk with information, tips, articles and resources, with traffic increasing by 146% from over 130 countries
  • Help to drive support for 1 million downloads of Fractured Minds, a game developed by BAFTA young game designer recipient Emily Mitchell
  • Reach 10 million players through messaging in key partner’s games
  • SIOW spokespersons join panels and events participation to help talk about mental health conditions within the industry, as well as sharing the touching, personal stories of many games industry professionals and their mental health through www.safeinourworld.org
  • Hire two full-time staff members, each with their own passionate stories, to further increase the impact and support within the games industry
  • B
    ecome a fully operational organization in less than 12 months

“2020 has been such a trying year for us all, but we are so proud and thankful for the impact Safe In Our World has been able to make in our industry so far,” said Leo Zullo, Safe In Our World Chairperson. “We now look to 2021, expanding our team and opportunities, as well as further increasing awareness, access and positivity towards mental health and mental health facilities in the games industry. Our message remains the same; it’s ok to not be ok. We have a duty of care to our gamers and our people and we implore the whole industry to unite and ensure this is considered at all times.”

Officially launched in 2019 on World Mental Health Day, Safe In Our World is an accredited charity supported by industry luminaries, veterans and ambassadors across the world. Its mission is to create an online destination where people can seek help, gain access to resources and information, and discover stories from real people within and surrounding the games industry. whether its understanding feelings and symptoms using our Support Page or reaching out using our global Helplines & Website page.

Safe In Our World will continue to build and grow its support for those in need, and more announcements will be made in the coming months.

For more information please visit: Safe In Our World http://bit.ly/SafeMedia

Train2Game News Ultimate Lockdown Boredom.Buster

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Millie and Molly, a new puzzle game for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, promises to help players banish lockdown boredom and stress.

The game stars sisters Millie and Molly, who must defeat malicious monsters from 100 levels across various worlds. Players must use their logic skills to work out which route will allow them to banish the enemies.

There are no timers or lives in the game, meaning that players can solve puzzles at their own pace. If players make a mistake, the rewind and restart functions make it easy to try something else. There are no annoying ads or in-app purchases, either.

“Millie and Molly was designed to be challenging yet relaxing. We wanted players to enjoy all the satisfaction of solving each puzzle without pressure along the way. 

“These factors have made it the perfect lockdown game, because people are looking for ways to have fun, destress, and stimulate their minds,” says Carleton Handley, the Greater Manchester–based indie developer behind Millie and Molly.

The game was released for the Commodore 64 earlier this year and received rave reviews from the community, even gaining a 93% score from Retro Gamer magazine. It’s this feedback that motivated Carleton and artist Saul Cross to bring the game to modern devices, complete with 8-bit and 16-bit graphics and retro-style tunes.

“I received so many messages from Commodore 64 players who said that they’d been playing Millie and Molly with kids, friends, and partners who’d never shown an interest in retro gaming before.

“When Covid-19 took a hit on my freelance workload, it presented the perfect opportunity for me to work on a version for modern devices. One of my proudest achievements is that my wife finished all 100 levels on her iPhone, as she’s never completed a game before!”
Editor’s notes

Game trailer: https://youtu.be/kYjQUnIUd8E

Train2Game News Gayming Awards Coming 2021

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Today Gayming Magazine are happy to announce that they will be rolling out the virtual pink carpet to celebrate the Gayming Awards on 24th February 2021 20:00 GMT.

The show will be streamed to viewers around the world alongside a plethora of exciting sponsors, including presenting partner EA Games, Square Enix, Green Man Gaming, Jagex and Creative Assembly amongst others to be announced. 

Colin Blackwood, UKI Country Manager from presenting partner EA Games had the following to say on the awards, “EA are delighted to be sponsoring the first ever Gayming Awards. As one of the founding partners of the #RaiseTheGame pledge, we’re committed to celebrating diversity and inclusion within the games industry and the Gayming Awards is a great opportunity to do just that.”

Additionally, the voting window for public nominations for Industry Diversity Award, Best LGBTQ Indie Game and Best LGBTQ Streamer closes on October 31st. You can find the other award categories here.

The Gayming Awards aim to commemorate the achievements of the wider, global gaming industry and how they have championed LGBTQ people through the creative medium of videogames. Critically-acclaimed queer comedian Suzi Ruffell will be hosting the evening, best known for her appearances on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Go 8 Bit and more. Suzi Ruffell has also had five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival with stand-up shows racking up critical acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike.

All games released in the calendar year of 2020 will be eligible for the Gayming Awards and voting will take place through November and December 2020.

You can find out more information on the 2021 Gayming Awards here: http://gaymingawards.com