Tag Archives: Video Games

Updated Portal 2 trailer starring Stephen Merchant as Wheatley

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Portal 2Valve have released an updated trailer for their upcoming first person puzzler sequel Portal 2, and this time it stars Stephen Merchant as your robot pal Wheatley. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Stephen Merchant co-wrote and starred in The Office and Extras with Ricky Gervais. (Ricky Gervais isn’t in Portal 2, but has played himself at the comedy club in Grand Theft Auto IV)

The updated Portal 2 trailer demonstrates Stephen Merchant’s new Wheatley with it’s previous wit and dry humour, except this time with a slight West Country accent. Valve, being their usual cunning selves, previously said that Portal 2’s Wheatley was being voiced by ‘some guy from the office’ Can you see what they did there? Valve you clever wordsmiths.

The updated Portal 2 trailer also displays some of the new rendering effects in the game takes a closer look at Aperture Science. Portal 2 definitely looks a lot prettier than its predecessor! You can watch the updated Portal 2 trailer with Stephen Merchant below, but be aware it does contain spoilers for those who’ve not yet played the original Portal.


Portal 2 is scheduled for release on February 9th 2011.

The updated Portal 2 trailer could also make interesting viewing for Train2Game students (So long as you don’t want spoilers from Portal revealed!) who want to add voice work into their games in future. How important do you think choosing the right actor is? Do you think Stephen Merchant fits Portal 2’s character of Wheatley?

And of course, how much are you looking forward to Portal 2? Have any Train2Game students not played the original?

You can leave your thoughts on Portal 2 and in-game voice work here or on the Train2Game forum.

Brink will ‘end the genre as we know it’ say developers

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Bethesda Softworks and Splash Damage have released a third developer diary about their upcoming first person shooter Brink. (You can watch a previous Brink developer diary over at Gabe’s Train2Game blog.) This latest Brink developer diary is titled ‘Brink: The end of the genre as we know it’ in which the developers discuss Brink’s ‘unique meld of single and multiplayer modes’ which form the basis of the game.

This third Brink developer diary begins with Creative Director Richard Ham telling us that the squad based shooter bridges the gap between single player and multiplayer games. Brink Game Director Paul Wedgewood echoes this theme by adding “We’re finally blurring the lines between offline gaming and online gaming” Splash Damage certainly want to let gamers know that this is the unique feature of Brink!

The Brink developers are very keen to push through that the game doesn’t have a pre-set path, with the player being able to choose their own story whether they are playing online or offline. Completing team based objectives in both modes will earn Brink players experience points which they can spend on customising their character with their own unique selection of clothes, weapons and other accessories.

Brink does look very impressive and it’ll be very interesting to see if the amalgamation of the single player and multiplayer experiences work when Brink is released in Spring next year.


Train2Game students can watch ‘Brink: The end of the genre as we know it’ below.

So Train2Game, do you think the idea behind Brink is a clever one? Or do you believe it might fall flat in reality? Are you looking forward to Brink? And do you think you could combine single player and multiplayer experiences into one whole game?

You can leave your thoughts on Brink here, or on the Train2Game forum.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West Dev Diary – Building Story & Character

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Ninja Theory have launched the first in series of Developer Diaries that allow us – that’s you too Train2Game students – a look at their upcoming title Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

The first Enslaved Dev Diary is titled ‘Building Story & Character’ and looks at the process of doing this for Odyssey to the West. The developers talk about creating the characters of Monkey and Trip, along with developing the relationship between the two. (Monkey is apparently ‘Like Tarzan having a bad day) We also find out a bit about the Chinese origins of the story.

The Ninja Theory team also discuss how the importance of both the acting and writing of Enslaved. Actor Andy Serkis provided character motion capture for Monkey, while screen writer Alex Garland – famous for his work on 28 weeks later – has provided help with writing the game.

The key thing to take from the video seems to be how the developers want Enslaved: Odyssey to the West want the game to feel like a movie. You can watch the Enslaved Developer Diary below.


So Train2Game, what do you think of the Enslaved Developer Diary? Do you think having film writers involved will help the game feel more like a movie? Will you be buying Enslaved: Odyssey to the West?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

Codemasters reveal F1 2010 release date and new trailer

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Formula 1 fans rejoice! Not only have Codemasters confirmed F1 2010 will be released on September 24th, they’ve also released an F1 2010 game play trailer. The  F1 2010  game is set to be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

The F1 2010 game trailer showcases the full race experience at a Grand Prix with the gameplay video showing what players can expect from F1 2010. We see the full F1 2010 field of drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel racing at Suzuka, Melbourne and the iconic Spa Francorchamps

The F1 2010 gameplay video also provides and insight into the full F1 2010 experience with footage of press interviews in the paddock, race engineers doing their thing and motion captured pit-lane crew working on an F1 car.

The F1 2010 game  is the official game of the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship and includes all of the official teams, drivers and circuits – so now you can live live that dream of driving the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen and taking him to F1 2010 World Championship Glory! Or maybe not…

F1 2010 features a range of game modes, from quick-fire races and time trials to full Grand Prix weekends and an extensive F1 2010 career mode.

The F1 2010 game is being developed at Codemasters Studios Birmingham and we only have a little over a month to wait for it now! In the meantime, you can check out the F1 2010 trailer below

If that doesn’t quench your thirst for F1 2010 game footage, interested Train2Game students can always go back and watch the F1 2010 developer diaries.

So Train2Game, are you looking forward to F1 2010? Is this an essential day one purchase for any of you?

You can leave your thoughts about F1 2010 here or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts: Toy Story 3 stays Number One

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Toy Story 3

The toys are still in town

Toy Story 3 is once again top of the UK All Formats chart. It’s the third week at number one for the movie tie in, which is more than any other previous Disney game. Toy Story 3 is one of only four titles that have been number one this year with Red Dead Redemption, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa and Just Dance being the others.

In fact, Rockstars hugely successful western Red Dead Redemption got close to claiming the number one spot once more after rising from fifth to second, while Dance on Broadway is still going strong in third.

Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 shows it still has some magic left with its rise from fourth to eighth. The biggest riser of the week is Nintendo DS game Art Academy which jumps twenty three places from twenty eighth to fifth place in its second week in the charts.

Just Dance still remains in the top 10 and holds onto sixth place this week while Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies is also a non-mover in seventh.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hasn’t quite become the UK’s best ever selling game just yet after a drop in sales sees it move down to eighth from last weeks second.

Super Mario Galaxy 2 remains in ninth place while there’s just one new entry into the top ten this week with Madden NFL 11 sneaking into tenth in its first week.

Meanwhile, Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty has crashed out of the top ten from fourth place last week to twelfth this time around. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has also slipped out of the top ten, dropping one place to eleventh. By far the biggest loser in the top forty is Crackdown 2 which drops fifteen places from twenty fifth to fortieth. Crackdown 2 held the top spot for two weeks as recently as one month ago!

The full ELSPA GfK Chart-Track All Formats top then is as follows:

1. Toy Story 3 (Disney Interactive)
2. Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar)
3. Dance on Broadway (Ubisoft)
4. LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 (Warner Interactive)
5. Art Academy (Nintendo)
6. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
10. Madden NFL 11 (EA)

So Train2Game, how long will Toy Story 3 remain top of the pile? What game to you think will knock it off top spot?

Has Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty dropped out of the top ten for good, or will it return? Will Modern Warfare 2 finally become the UK’s best selling game of all-time next week? And why has Crackdown 2 suffered such a fall from grace?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

2K reveal Bioshock Infinite

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Bioshock Infinite

2K have revealed the next instalment of the Bioshock series, Bioshock Infinite, which sees us leaving the underwater city of Rapture and heading to the skies.

The art-deco utopian setting of Bioshock and Bioshock 2 has been replaced with the sky city of Columbia for Bioshock Infinite, while this latest episode in the Bioshock series moves back in time to 1912. That means the events of Bioshock Infinite take place almost half a century before Bioshock.

Bioshock: Infinite will see the player assuming the role of Booker DeWitt who is sent to the ‘lost’ city of Columbia to rescue a prisoner named Elizabeth. The trailer actually seems to show people in the city, so perhaps unlike Bioshock there will be more character interaction in Bioshock: Infinite? Unfortunately, we’ll be waiting until 2012 to before we can play the game to find out for sure.

Bioshock: Infinite is being developed by Irrational Games, the team behind the original Bioshock, and is once again being led by Ken Levine – who didn’t work on Bioshock 2. Of course, this is Bioshock we’re talking about so enough with the text – here’s a very pretty looking Bioshock Infinite trailer:


How impressive does that look?

The press release from 2K fills us in with the rest of the details about Bioshock Infinite:

“Set in 1912, BioShock Infinite introduces an entirely new narrative experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky. BioShock Infinite is currently planned for release during calendar 2012.

Originally conceived as a floating symbol of American ideals at a time when the United States was emerging as a world power, Columbia is dispatched to distant shores with great fanfare by a captivated public. What begins as a brand new endeavour of hope turns drastically wrong as the city soon disappears into the clouds to whereabouts unknown.

The player assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the lost city to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned there since childhood. He develops a relationship with Elizabeth, augmenting his abilities with hers so the pair may escape from a city that is literally falling from the sky. DeWitt must learn to fight foes in high-speed Sky-Line battles, engage in combat both indoors and amongst the clouds, and harness the power of dozens of new weapons and abilities.”

So Train2Game what do you think of the Bioshock Infinite trailer? Are you a fan of the Bioshock series? If so, what are your thoughts on the setting? And of course, how visually impressive does the game look?

You can leave your thoughts on Bioshock Infinite here or on the Train2Game forum.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer Trailer Released

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Treyarch have released a trailer that appears to have sent the internet gaming community mad. A Black Ops multiplayer trailer has gone live on the official Call of Duty Youtube channel, and gives a sneak peak into what we can expect come November.

Set in what appears to be a snow covered silo – appropriate given Black Ops Cold War setting –  the Black Ops multiplayer certainly looks impressive and reveals some new Multiplayer weapons. These include a crossbow with exploding arrows and a little remote controlled car bomb which could become the all new rage inducing bane of the Black Ops multiplayer aficionado.

Other Black Ops multiplayer reveals include new achievements including back stabbing… which is awarded for killing your fellow Call of Duty players from behind. Who says chivalry is dead ay? The trailer also hints at killcam play back and editing, which would allow you to record and relive your greatest Black Ops multiplayer moments.

Anyway, enough with the words, you can watch the full Call of Duty Black Ops multiplayer below.

Just in case you somehow haven’t heard of Black Ops before, it’s the next game in the Call of Duty franchise and is set to be released November 9th on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.  But before then, the trailer reveals that we’ll be getting a full Black Ops multiplayer reveal on September 1st.

So Train2Game, who’s excited about Black Ops?  Does anything in the trailer catch your eye in particular? Or are you suffering from a little Call of Duty fatigue?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

A useful developer diary for Train2Game students: The technology of Mafia II

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2K Games have released a developer diary that provides an insight into their upcoming title Mafia II. It should hopefully be of interest to all Train2Game students be they a Games Designer, Games Developer or Games Artist & Animator.

The Technology of Mafia II gives us a glimpse behind the scenes at 2K Czech and demonstrates the effort that’s been put into giving the sandbox action game an authentic 1940’s and 1950’s feel.

The developers tell us how they want the player to become fully immersed in the Goodfellas inspired rags to riches story. 2K Czech decided the best way to do this was to build their game engine – the Illusion Engine – from the ground up. It appears to have worked with Mafia II looking very impressive, with 2K Czech promising plenty of attention to detail.

We’re also told how the Game Developers and Game Designers want Mafia II players to feel like they’re playing a part in a classic gangster film, with the cut scenes designed to reinforce this impression.

The video gives an interesting insight into Game Development and could be very useful indeed to Train2Game students. Mafia II itself looks impressive and is released on August 27th. You can see gameplay footage and hear the developers’ insights by watching the video below.


So Train2Game, how would you feel about attempting to build a game engine from the ground up? What would you do to fully immerse players into your game world? And are you looking forward to Mafia II?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

UK charts: Toy Story 3 reclaims Number 1

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Toy Story 3 has reclaimed top spot in the GFK Chart Track All formats chart in its forth week of release. It’s the second time the Disney title has been number one, dislodging last week’s top title Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty which drops down to forth following a very successful release.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 makes a surprising jump from eighth to second place to achieve its highest chart position since January. The FPS looks set to replace DS title ‘Dr Kawashima’ as the UK’s biggest seller and this could happen next week.

Ubisoft’s Dance on Broadway raises one place to third while Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption drops to fifth – its lowest ever position after 12 weeks in the all-formats chart.

Just Dance and Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Starry Skies are both non-movers holding onto sixth and seventh spots respectively.

Meanwhile the magic of Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 seems to be wearing off with the Warner Brothers title dropping three places from fifth to eighth position. Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 round out the top ten in the same positions they occupied last week.

There were no new entries into the top ten this week with only two new releases – Art Academy and Hidden Mysteries: Titanic – entering the top 40 in 28th and 32nd. The full top 10 is below:

1. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision)
3. Dance on Broadway (Ubisoft)
4. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (Blizzard)
5. Red Dead Redemption (Take Two)
6. Just Dance (Ubisoft)
7. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky (Square Enix)
8. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 104 (Warner Bros)
9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Nintendo)
10. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA)

So Train2Game, what do you think about the latest charts? Why do you think Modern Warfare 2 still remains so popular? Will Starcraft II suffer a drop like Crackdown 2 (Now in 25th) has previously? Or do you think Red Dead Redemption will be the next to fall?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.

‘Operation Flashpoint: Red River’ reports for duty

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Operation Flashpoint: Red River has officially been announced by Codemasters and is set to be deployed during 2011.

The game is set in the near future and “depicts a fictional conflict with contemporary geopolitical themes, which will unfold over three distinct acts in both single player and drop-in-drop-out co-operative play for up to four players online.”

Codemasters say improvements over previous iterations in the series will include deeper narrative-led campaign, streamlined inventory and control system, a refined enemy and squad AI system, , close-quarters combat,  and new air support options.

Red River also looks set to push co-operative play as one of its biggest features with Codemasters stating ‘players will be able to team up with their friends to play through additional co-operative game modes.’

New player class roles mean that gamers can play the way they want, honing skills in their chosen fields as they rank up through the new XP reward system and customise their equipment with numerous upgrades.

Creative Director Sion Lenton keenly pushes the multiplayer elements of the upcoming title:

“Operation Flashpoint: Red River is being built around four player co-op online play, complete with a strong narrative, new enemies and combat scenarios to deliver gameplay that immerses players in the reality of war like never before.

“The new setting of Tajikistan is a diverse and exciting backdrop for the wide range of military challenges the US Marines face around the world in real life. We’re excited to push the series in new directions while staying true to the core tactical combat that is the hallmark of Operation Flashpoint,”

Operation Flashpoint: Red River arrives in 2011 on the Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 and PC.

So Train2Game, what do you think about this news? Does the prospect of proper co-operative play sound good? Is it a Modern Warfare 2 beater? Or are you just tired of the seemingly endless supply of war themed first person shooters?

As usual, leave your thoughts here or on the Train2Game forum.