Lauren Brady, Author at REALTIME

Our five most anticipated games to watch out for in 2021

The anticipation for the next big game release never really goes away. The industry is constantly expanding and revolutionising, and so with each new announcement comes fresh excitement about what games are bringing to the table.

With the release of new consoles in November, the anticipation for next gen game releases has ramped up once again. With this sense of palpitation in the air, and people hoping 2021 will be a marked improvement on last year, we’ve put together a list of some of our most anticipated games.

Battlefield 6

The Battlefield franchise is a staple in the first-person shooter genre. The release of Battlefield 6 is looking to push the classic franchise even further, utilising the power of next generation consoles to expand the game and its capabilities. At an EA Play event in 2020, EA’s chief studios producer Laura Miele promised that developers DICE were ‘creating epic battles at a scale and fidelity unlike anything you’ve experienced before’, so there are big expectations for this release.

EA and DICE are keeping their cards close to their chest in terms of gameplay and story, but they’ve proved that these details aren’t necessary to create anticipation. Battlefield 6 promises to make the most of the next generation tech, with its detailed and realistic facial animation and sneak peaks at scenes with hundreds of soldiers running across the screen.

While the PvP multiplayer is, at its core, sticking to their classic 32 vs 32 battles, reports are circulating that the maps are being designed to support 128 players. This doubles the scale of PvP and offers potential online gameplay experiences that far exceed anything the franchise has offered before.

Halo: Infinite

Halo: Infinite is under the microscope after being delayed in 2020. After its much memed gameplay demo at an Xbox Series X showcase, fans will want to see how it pushes the boundaries with its graphics as they left some feeling underwhelmed.

Indeed, 343 Industries is determined to get this right, and the delay will hopefully lead to a better end product. The next generation should give them all the power they need to create the greatest Halo game yet, with creative director Joseph Staten claiming: “This was the Halo we imagined back in 2000, finally come to life, after 20 years of technical and creative innovation.”

We’ve yet to see a video update in 2021, but we’re sure 343 Industries are working hard to make this the best looking game it can be, to match the tight FPS mechanics the series is known for.

God of War: Ragnarok

From an Xbox staple to a PlayStation one. God of War: Ragnarok is the highly anticipated sequel to the soft Norse reboot of the series back in 2018. We’ve seen very little of the game, with just a short logo teaser back in 2020. But we all know what we’re in for when it comes to Kratos.

We aren’t the first people to talk about how excited we are for this game. The God of War sequel topped many ‘most anticipated’ lists at the end of 2020, including the official PlayStation Blog’s ‘Most Anticipated Game’ award. It’s safe to say the excitement is palpable right now.

Back 4 Blood

You can always trust The Game Awards to drop some exciting news. Amidst all the excitement was this title from Left 4 Dead creators Turtle Rock Studios. As the name of the game might suggest, this is a spiritual successor to the much-loved series, which has gone without a new entry since 2009.

The gameplay looks just as visceral as the Valve series, with the emphasis on 4-player co-op as you try to escape the hordes of the undead. The asymmetrical multiplayer, which puts four people in the role of the special infected, is also one of the game’s best features. It’s sure to be a multiplayer success and exactly what Left 4 Dead fans are after.

Gotham Knights

The Arkham series of games showed us that superhero games didn’t have to just be poor tie-ins. In a way, PlayStation’s excellent Spider-Man game (and its Miles Morales expansion) couldn’t have existed without it. So after the release of Batman: Arkham Knight in 2015, we’ve been waiting to see what was next for the caped crusader.

It turns out we’ll be stepping into the shoes of his super family instead, with players taking control of Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Red Hood. Most exciting is that every character has their own distinct playstyle, making each playthrough fresh and interesting. Two-player co-op also allows friends to team up and mix it up on the fly, dropping in and out as they please. It takes a more traditional comic-book approach, giving it a bright style that makes it distinct from the Arkham games. It’s a new direction for Batman games and we can’t wait to see how it goes.

Honourable mentions

With lists like this, there’s never enough room to talk about everything. While we can’t wait for these five games, there are plenty of others that make us just as excited. Fans are giddy with anticipation for Resident Evil Village, especially after the excellent Resident Evil 7. This one is bringing witches into the mix, so we’ll see how they clash with the regular zombie aesthetic.

PlayStation also has a couple of games that are sure to make the PS5 an even better purchase. Both Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden West are sure to live up to the hype and prove to be excellent sequels. Beyond that, who knows what 2022 holds? The recently announced Indiana Jones game from Bethesda, the ever-mysterious FromSoftware game Elden Ring, and the recently delayed The Lord of the Rings: Gollum game.

The next generation of gaming brings with it an immense collection of exciting new games, with new and old franchises taking advantage of the capabilities of the new consoles that will soon be released. New tech is making the possibilities of game design endless, and these five games only hint at the potential of next generation gaming.

It is far from an exhaustive list, with many amazing games likely to be released this year. But if we didn’t limit ourselves, we’d be here all day! This is just a taste of what to expect, and if you’re anything like us, the next few months couldn’t go fast enough.

At REALTIME, we’re just as excited about the next generation as you are. We are ready to share our experience and want to collaborate with you to access the full potential of any exciting next-gen game ideas you may have. Get in touch with me at [email protected].

Why your car configurator is a vital sales feature

Shopping around for a car online offers more choice and comfort than the in-person experience at a dealership. Online car shopping has only accelerated in the face of COVID-19 and is more important than ever to focus on. It’s part of a slow shift that’s been happening for years; in 2019, a Cox Automotive car buyer survey reported that 61% of car shoppers’ time was spent online and now 37% of people looking to buy a car imminently are likely to make their final purchase without ever visiting a dealership.

In this increasingly digital world, we cannot overstate the value of imagery. A car configurator is a core feature of online car shopping and provide a valuable service to customers who utilise them. But a key component to making it a success is selling the dream of owning that car, something you can achieve by making it look as realistic and desirable as possible. This isn’t just a car, it’s their car. So what are the benefits of creating a car configurator with impressive visual fidelity?

It’s engaging

Interactive content gains twice the engagement of static content on websites. A car configurator, therefore, is an effective way of encouraging your customers to not just look at the car but engage with it. Interactive content also increases the number of return visits to your site, keeping your business and a customer’s dream car in their mind.

The more they interact with it, the higher the chances of them making the purchase are. By engaging with the car, it makes the idea of owning it more real. And the better it looks, the more real it feels, taking it from a dream purchase to an actual purchase.

It’s personal

Customising a car online makes the final product feel more personal. The end result is created by your customers themselves and reflects them directly. Making all the choices for a vehicle allows the customer to feel involved in the creation process; the final product becomes a collaboration between you and your customer.

When they create their dream car, every choice is intimate. What finish do they want on the dashboard? What colour do they want the seats? And what gadgets do they crave? This is their car and it’s a feeling you can’t recreate at the dealership.

It’s persuasive

One of the most simple benefits of a car configurator is how it allows customers to fully visualise their car. Picking a paint colour from a sheet is not the same as seeing the car in their chosen colour fully styled with all their customisation choices. This confirms for customers that what they see is what they want – it removes the guesswork or hesitation from the process.

Seeing a finished product in a car configurator will make it more real for your customer. They can look at it and know that what they see is a car unique to them. This makes the product feel attainable and more tangible than words on a screen or a conversation in a dealership.

With the pandemic making it riskier to be in proximity to strangers, more people who previously didn’t have a need for a car are now looking to buy one. As they turn online, you want your customers to have all the tools they need at their fingertips to make the best choice for them. With an intricately detailed configurator, you can make their next car-buying experience a painless one.

At REALTIME, we have 20 years of experience making car configurators for the biggest names in the automotive sector. Work with us to ensure your car configurator offers the best experience to your customers. For more information on our car configuration options, get in contact with me at [email protected].

The best game trailers of 2020

In spite of the pandemic, 2020 has been a huge year for games. Two giants, Sony and Microsoft, debuted their latest consoles, and some of the biggest franchises in the gaming world released their much-anticipated sequels. We may not have had a traditional E3, but that didn’t stop the sense of anticipation in the air as trailers dropped periodically to keep us glued to the screen.

But of the dozens of jaw-dropping trailers, which managed to snatch our attention this year? There was plenty of competition and we’re sure some of your favourites will be missing, but here are our picks of the ones that caught our eye. Let’s have a look. Oh, and we’ve limited ourselves to just one of our own trailers – it’s only fair…

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Cinematic world premiere

For many, it feels about time Assassin’s Creed put the Vikings in the spotlight. This trailer has everything you want from an Ubisoft trailer. From the spray of the sea to the paint on Eivor’s face, the heavy detail and hyperrealism makes it easy for the viewer to really immerse themselves in the scene.

The contrast between the description of the bloodthirsty savages and the reality of the Vikings’ quaint life is a nice way to spin an often misunderstood people. It almost makes you forget you’re watching an Assassin’s Creed trailer. Until the signature stealth blade comes out in a brilliant slow-motion shot. This one gets an A* for editing from us.

Fable – Official reveal trailer

Due for release next year, Fable captured the essence of the game in a short and sweet minute-long trailer. From the very first second, we’re captured by the realism of the sun rays that light up the fairytale scene. The trailer holds such intricate details, even managing to capture the damp humid air of the forest.

Accompanied by that whimsical ethereal music, this trailer succeeds in creating a fully immersive and thrilling experience. All in only one minute. Many people will be waiting for this one with bated breath, as the beloved series has been MIA for too long.

Everwild – Official cinematic trailer

While we’re on the topic of Xbox, we have another pick from the Xbox Showcase earlier in the year. This time, it’s the newest IP from Rare – Everwild. Known for their groundbreaking entries on the N64, Rare saw a return to form with Sea of Thieves and look to have hit gold again with the beautiful Everwild.

The trailer sells us on the mystic and intrigue of a fantasy world inhabited by wonderful creatures. The art style might be the biggest draw here, with its gorgeous colours and art direction that effortlessly replicates traditional animation visuals. It has many fans on the edge of their seats wondering what Rare can accomplish next.

League of Legends – Season 2020 cinematic trailer

The League of Legends 2020 trailer weaves between three different storylines. Showing a snowy scene, a cyberpunk jailbreak scene, and a creepy, more fantastical, scene. Flawless transitions between scenes, tie the stories together instead of just leaving them feeling kind of thrown together carelessly. It’s a testament to the game and the trailer’s direction that the three don’t seem jarring when next to each other.

The transitions aren’t the only flawless feature of the trailer though; the music is synched up with the visuals so well that we feel like we’re there. Each blow the characters take is emphasised by drums and makes you feel it too. It’s a love letter for long-time fans of the game and built up plenty of hype.

Baldur’s Gate 3 – Cinematic reveal trailer

Baldur’s Gate is here to rival Hollywood movie trailers with their cinematic trailer., It’s brilliantly directed and, at times, almost too realistic. The creepy visuals are enough to make the toughest person wince. If you can brave it though, you’ll notice all the subtle details that make this trailer what it is. Unlike many of the trailers on this list, there’s no voice-over at all in this trailer.

The visuals and the music handle the storytelling, and they do it perfectly. For Baldur’s Gate fans who were waiting for their next entry, they got exactly what they wanted.

A last-minute surprise (or two)…

To round out the end of the year, The Game Awards came along – as they always do. And with it came a number of surprise announcements, complete with some jaw-dropping trailers. It was a bit of a year of old franchises born anew, with compelling trailers for Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Perfect Dark. Even Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins is back and looking better than ever.

And some franchises returned in everything but name. Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, and The Callisto Protocol is channeling Dead Space. There were plenty of celebrity appearances throughout the event, but Vin Diesel himself turned up in the dino-riding sequel Ark 2. The entire show was full of amazing trailers; there was definitely something for everyone.

Hundreds of games were released this year that had amazing trailers to promote them. But of them, these ones stood out to us for us. If we had the time, we’d talk about all the ones we loved: Final Fantasy XVI, Far Cry 6, Horizon Forbidden West, Bugsnax, Avowed, and so many more.

From microscopic details to the overall scene, these trailers take the crown for creating exciting scenes that make us eager to get our hands on these games. So as we say goodbye to 2020, it’s nice to look back on the trailers that distracted us from the reality of all our lives. This isn’t just about the developers who make the games, but the studios who create these vivid, gorgeous trailers that capture us all. So to all our peers, thank you for everything you’ve done. Roll on 2021…

At REALTIME, we work with our clients to help them achieve their vision with their games. If you need help bringing your game to life, get in touch with me today at [email protected].

Revealed: The First Item on Biden’s World Games Industry TO DO List?

One of Donald Trump’s last actions as President may still jeopardise the future prospects of our flourishing global games industry.

This goes deeper than policy.

This is a story of Presidential hissy fits and diplomatic mistrust on a scale that puts the cherished values of the global games industry on the line.

Before the Trump administration’s intervention, Chinese and Western developers had been enjoying closer ties; both increasingly depend on each other for the production of games and their marketing too.

While the West is heavily reliant on Chinese production services, China in turn has started to use Western-focused marketing services as they extend their reach beyond their own domestic market.

But on August 5th, 2020, everything changed.

Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, made a major announcement on US policy. It was an announcement that attacked the very spirit of the gaming community.

Games are synonymous with community, friendship, and connectivity. The new policy detailed restrictive practices with the power to attack those values at the heart of the industry we cherish. (More of those details shortly.)

Another Trump Hissy Fit?

With Trump, it was personal. The new policy was revealed a few weeks following Trump’s humiliation at the hands of U.S. TikTok users. They successfully used the platform to encourage K-Pop fans to apply for free tickets to a Trump rally in Tulsa, despite no intention to attend.

The result was a sparsely attended Trump rally with an abysmal turnout that made the president look far from popular.

In response, Trump threatened to have the app banned. It was a further escalation of his war on both domestic social media platforms and his trade war with China.

What is The Clean Network? And why is it a problem?

And then, soon afterwards, came Pompeo’s August announcement. He revealed a policy initiative called ‘The Clean Network’. It was Trump’s response to alleged third party interference in online security.

The Clean Network program is the Trump Administration’s comprehensive approach to safeguarding the nation’s assets including citizens’ privacy and companies’ most sensitive information from aggressive intrusions by malign actors, such as the Chinese Communist Party.

The Clean Network addresses the long-term threat to data privacy, security, human rights and principled collaboration posed to the free world from authoritarian malign actors. The Clean Network is rooted in internationally accepted digital trust standards. It represents the execution of a multi-year, all-of-government, enduring strategy, built on a coalition of trusted partners, and based on rapidly changing technology and economics of global markets.

https://www.state.gov/the-clean-network/

The Clean Network’s aim is to purge some of the biggest Chinese apps from U.S. digital stores. This includes some of the biggest social apps, such as WeChat and TikTok; and some of the biggest games too.

The U.S. claims these apps are backdoor information-gathering tools, with the developers of WeChat and TikTok (Tencent and Bytedance respectively) both sharing their data with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Chinese authorities deny this.

The Clean Network reality for the games industry is a raft of restrictions with the potential to have a major impact on its future.

But with potential restrictions looming, it’s understandable that Chinese developers are nervous about planned campaigns on the U.S. market.

Yes, Chinese games developers reliant on success in the West have most to lose. But many suppliers in the West are vulnerable too, as REALTIME has already witnessed, with at least one major project falling through as a direct response to the policy.

And the real losers in all of this? The gamers themselves.

How bad might it get?

Despite the fanfare of the policy announcement, it’s still difficult to predict precisely how The Clean Network might be implemented.

What do we know?

We know that video games are amongst the most popular Chinese apps in U.S. digital stores. It makes sense to expect the policy will cast a long shadow over some of the most successful Chinese publishers.

And then there’s WeChat.

Attendees to ChinaJoy, one of the world’s biggest annual games industry events in Shanghai, will understand just how big WeChat actually is. While its popularity is mainly confined to China itself, it’s worldwide influence is growing.

China’s biggest social platform is the world’s most popular app. One billion monthly active users enjoy everything from text messaging, calls, digital payment, file and location sharing, and video games.

For Chinese living outside of China, it is the primary means of keeping in touch with family and business partners from the East to the West. While the banning of the app in U.S. stores came as a surprise to some, given its comparatively low use in America, it still remains a major blow to business relations between East and West.

Important yet divisive: The Chinese Conundrum

Shenzhen-based Tencent is by far the World’s largest games publisher. It has extensive interests across both continents and publishes some of the world’s biggest games.

One of Tencent’s most popular games is the combat survival game PUBG Mobile. It is hugely popular in the U.S in particular making It is one of the top ten highest grossing mobile games of all time. Estimated earnings are way over $3.6 billion USD.

Thanks to its own government’s restrictions on the grounds of ‘myopia’ and ‘addiction’, Chinese publishers have become increasingly reliant on non-domestic markets to offset any risks to its business.

It led to Chinese developers specifically developing games that will appeal to more international markets. Some developers have secured Western IPs such as ‘Game of Thrones’ to build a game around. Yoozoo, developer of the mobile title ‘Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming’, acknowledges that sales outside of China account for 60% of its revenue.

To further muddy the waters of the debate, China is hardly a champion of Games Industry values itself. It is very selective about which games are permitted to be sold on its shores. Games can only be published with the correct Government licence. They clamp down hard on anything that might be perceived as a threat.

Even the innocent-looking cutesy Nintendo game ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ found itself slapped with a ban after players were found to be using it to share pro-democracy messages.

Further still, in April, the CCP banned Chinese players from playing with their peers overseas or even chatting with them.

Optimism in spite of it all

With such draconian restrictions, it might be that the Clean Network policy proves to be the U.S’s attempt to level the playing field. This is a trademark of the outgoing Trump administration which had other prime-movers in its sights too.

Huawei is perceived as a ‘national threat’ by the U.S. government. Its strong stance on the Chinese-based communications technology provider has been highly influential in ensuring that many of its allies, the UK included, don’t use its products or service ahead of building their respective 5G networks.

If the U.S’s intent is that its allies should follow its lead, then there is a possibility that the Chinese video games industry could soon take a huge hit too.

The 2020 U.S. election was one of the biggest moments in the country’s history, and its result will have ramifications across the globe.

We have already seen how the Trump administration’s ‘Clean Network’ program has negatively impacted companies in the West (ourselves included) who have sought to have closer ties with publishers in the Chinese market.

Our Simple REALTIME Plea

Our simple plea to a new more-globalised US administration under Biden is to take a fresh view of Trump’s broad-brush prohibitive digital security policies.

And, as a matter of urgency, we want him to revisit and better understand how closer collaboration between countries can improve the Games Industry for everyone.

If you would like to discuss marketing for your upcoming release, wherever you are in the world, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].

REALTIME Pledges Party Budget for Worthy Causes #xmaspartypledge

REALTIME is pledging unused Christmas party budgets to worthy causes this year.

And we’re appealing to UK businesses to do the same!

More than 55 staff at UK-based REALTIME (www.reatimeuk.com) have already pledged their Christmas party budget to support health, wellbeing and youth homelessness charities.

We hope to raise £2,000 for Centrepoint (www.centrepont.org); a charity that provides housing and support for young people regionally in London, Manchester, Yorkshire and the North East and through partnerships all over the UK.

Our pledge has now inspired a simple #xmaspartypledge appeal.

REALTIME Head of Production TV, Jane Forsyth, explains: “Christmas is going to be very different for everyone this year. And some people will be struggling more than most. Here at REALTIME, we were particularly touched by the national effort to look after children who need meals. It was important that we did what we could to help out.

“As a digital animation studio, our business hasn’t been affected as much as others during the pandemic. That’s why everyone wanted to help. Swapping the money we would normally spend on a Christmas party feels like a common sense simple way we can help a worthy cause.

“Our hope now is that others in our industry who have the means to do so will donate their unused Christmas party budgets to worthy causes too.”

Hannah Jones, regional fundraising manager for Centrepoint said: “We are incredibly grateful to REALTIME for showing us this support, at the end of what has been an incredibly difficult year. This donation will ensure that Centrepoint continues to offer tailored, holistic support to some of the country’s most disadvantaged young people.”

REALTIME has also set up a JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/xmaspartypledge