Bristol Games Hub Newsletter October 2014

Posted on October 20, 2014 Updated on November 10, 2014

Below is news from the growing Bristol & South West games development scene. Bristol Games Hub is a non-profit space for games and play. We run this newsletter, host events and also rent amazingly cheap desk space at a cost price with no strings attached so you can get on and create amazing games. Contact geoff ataurochdigital.com for more information or with news items for the next newsletter and let us know any news for the next one by 15th November please!

SW Freelancer/Company Dev Directory
If you’re looking for people to help on a project, or you are available for work – put your details in. Please only list info you’re happy to have in the public domain: http://bit.ly/bghdirectory

SW Game Dev Jobs Facebook page – Find roles and post new openings here…

Bath Digital Festival 27th Oct – 5th Nov

There is no social this month as many of us are taking part in Bath Digital Festival. So please come along and support the two games events at the festival, both on the 29th Oct:

Gaming for Good (29th Oct, 12.30pm-1.30pm @ The Auditorium, City of Bath College)

Games are doing much more now than just fun – they are educating, becoming therapy and helping to tackle serious problems. Non-gamers often only see games in over-hyped tabloid headlines casting them in a bad light. However with around one in three of our fellow citizens now playing games, this session takes a second look at an industry that has grown in scope, subject matter and relevance. Join us to find out how Auroch Digital have been turning news into games, how Knowle West Media Center used games to talk about domestic violence and accessibility expert Ian Hamilton on how technology can be built to open them up to wider audiences.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/games-for-good-the-panel-tickets-12707294861

Virtual Reality : Oculus Rift (29th Oct, 1.30pm – 5pm @ Roper Reception, City of Bath College)

Virtual reality is a buzzword once more, but this time round the technology is there to back it up. Ever since Oculus VR took to Kickstarter and raised a record-breaking $2 million, interest has been steadily rising in a vast and eclectic range of fields. Psychologists, therapists, games companies, developers, architects, movie studios and some company called Facebook, who paid a modest $2 billion for Oculus VR this year, have been significantly adapting to the incredible advantage offered by VR.

SouthWest VR will be giving you the chance to see for yourself just how powerful and immersive this technology is by demoing games and experiences from a range of developers including Opposable Games.

Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/virtual-reality-oculus-rift-tickets-12707349023

Other Hub News

Games Tournament Idea
Who’s the best gamer? We’re looking to try out a games night or two at the hub. We’re also taking suggestions for games people would like to see played at these LANs and tournaments – or even board games.  Please email matt@voondaba.com with game suggestions under Subject ‘LAN Game Suggestion’.  Ideally with fairly short rounds to easily allow a tournament to occur in one night. Plus let us known when we should run these events! http://strawpoll.me/2786226

22nd October – U, I & Unity: Hands-on the new UI system:

This months Unity meetup will feature super-special guest presenter Alejo, who will be taking us through the in-beta GUI features in Unity. He has this to say When the 4.6 beta was released I jumped on it viciously to try out the new, long awaited, UI system. After some tinkering I’m ready to share some of it’s wonders for those of you that are lazy or busy enough no to try it for yourselves. That’s ok buddies, the new UI system is easy to use and likes lazy and busy people. Also likes beer (so bring some).

I’ll be making a tour more than an extensive explanation. Showing some examples on the shiny new buttons, the event system, input module and other sweet treats it has to offer. Also some things that are not working yet and features that are still changing across the beta sub-releases.  If you already have any specific suggestion for a use case or an example you would like to see shown, don’t wait until the show is on. You can do it right now, here in the comments

As usual we will be at the Bristol Games Hub, 77 Stokes Croft BS1 3RD, on 22nd Oct at 7.30pm, where we will talk, laugh, cry, share tall tales of life and love, and then do a meetup about Unity or something….

Dev Scene News

BGH Games Marketing Group

We just had the first meeting of the games marketing group and it was a great success! Lots of great ideas exchanged for marketing our indie games. There is now a discussion list for the group: http://bit.ly/BGHmarketing – which you are welcome to join. Sam has already, very kindly, adapted his thoughts into a document, on building a content strategy. There will be another meet-up soon too: watch this space!

Aardman Animations

Sheep Stack – A new official Shaun the Sheep game from Aardman Animations!
Sheep Stack is the new game from Shaun the Sheep, where flying by the seat of your pants has never been so much fun! Using a pair of massive pants, launch Shaun’s flock into the sky and stack ‘em high to help them reach a plate of doughnuts waiting at the top. But watch out – the slightest wobble and your woolly wonder will crash to the ground!
For the trailer please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fFhPJlaD04 Available at iTunes, Google Play and Amazon

Auroch Digital

We recently celebrated a year since our first Games Workshop & Steam title,Chainsaw Warrior, was released. To celebrate we made a Zombie Gif Party! Plus there is a video of Tom’s keynote at #NewsGamesHack this year.

Twice Circled

Last month I announced my latest game Big Pharma – a game about running your own pharmaceutical empire! Just days later we took it to EGX London and gave punters their first experience of the game. The response so far has been really positive and I’ve been inundated with feedback and suggestions for things people would like to see in the game. For more information, check out Episode 1 of the Official Video Blog. It’s a bit of a slow start so if you’re just interested in pretty graphics then jump to around 15 minutes in.
http://www.twicecircled.com/2c/

Force of Habit

A new release of Timmy Bibble’s Friendship Club is coming this Friday. Character select and other gubbins. We’ll post a blog up when it goes live, and probably take it to the next BVGS Main Quest if you want to try it yourself! Oh, and Ashley has been shortlisted for “Best Coder/Developer” in this year’s SPARKies awards – huzzah!

Sparkies Shortlist Announced!

Huge well done to all the games companies and individuals shortlisted in the Sparkies awards. It’s great to see games so well represented. Also a well done to… US!!! We were shortlised for best service provider.

Bertram Fiddle launching on iOS the 4th December

At Rumpus we are currently busy finishing the first episode of The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle, an episodic point and click game for mobile and desktop. So if you fancy a quirky take on Victorian London inhabited by strange characters with even stranger noses then check out the App Store at the start of December to get your fix of dark humored murder mystery.

Jobs & Opportunities

Greenshoots Round 2 – DEADLINE MONDAY (Oct 20th)

Creative England are still accepting applications for Greenshoots Round 2, giving up to 10 studios the chance to work with Microsoft to get their game off the ground. With a cash injection of up to £25,000 per studio, the fund aims to help studios develop original IP into a money-making reality. In a change to the first iteration of Greenshoots, investors and publishers are now involved from day one which means the supported studios have the potential to receive additional investment from the start of their project. Applicants can now also apply to develop for Xbox One with the programme no longer limited to tablet and mobile development. For more information and to apply click here. For any questions on the application process, contact ella.waving@creativeengland.co.uk

Events

U, I & Unity: Hands-on the new UI system (22nd Oct/7.30pm)

Great guest speaker! See the top of this newsletter or here.

Creative Territories (11th Nov)

The Creative territories project about gamemaker collaborations that has the Bristol Games Hub as a partner is having its final event in November 11th at the Watershed. If you’re interested in coming along to take part in the discussion email Patrick.Crogan@uwe.ac.uk
Full info here: http://creativeterritories.dcrc.org.uk/mapping-the-collective-potentials-of-indie-game-collaborative-dynamics/

Board Games Night (13th Nov 7.30pm)

We’re looking to have another board game night on 13th Nov. Email tom at aurochdigital.com if this date is good for you!

Quick Links

• Schools to focus on ‘game based learning’
• Frozen State hits Steam
• Film – From Bed Rooms to Billions – about games dev launches
• Vote Bertram Fiddle on Steam Greenlight
• Opposites Attract Launches on iOS

Thanks all!