Media Release: Professor Frag is in!

MONDAY December 20th 2010 is the day when learning to play videogameschanges. FPS Trainer, the brand new online service which combines sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based coaching technology with world champion video-gamers, is hosting the first ever public preview of the service in Edinburgh’s HMV Gamerbase (129/130 Princes Street).

Designed and developed in Scotland by Dundee-based Play2Improve, FPS Trainer is something brand new. It has been designed to teach players how to play ‘First Person Shooter’ (FPS) videogames online against other players. FPS games are one of the most popular types of videogames, with well-known franchises, such as the Halo, Call of Duty, Medal of Honour, Half Life, Unreal, Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein and many others.

Says a spokesperson: “Despite FPS titles being some of the biggest selling games in the world (Call of Duty: Black Ops recently made £360,000,000 in its first day on sale), fewer than 40 per cent of players choose to play online against other gamers, intimidated by the ferocious talent and skill shown by some of the most dedicated players.

“FPS Trainer offers gamers the chance to learn the basics of playing FPS games online or, for more experienced players, improve their skills and learn new strategies to compete against some of the world’s top players.

“FPS Trainer has secured direct support from one of the best. Paul ‘astz!’ McGarrity, is a world champion gamer, having won multiple trophies in professional gaming tournaments all over the world in the last few years. With coaching from Paul, combined with FPS Trainer’s clever new AI technology, players will be online, competing like they never have before.”

FPS Trainer has so far only been shown to the games industry as part of small events. Now, members of the public can come and learn just what makes FPS games so popular, play against astz!, win prizes, meet the Play2Improve developers and help shape the future of the games world.

Entry is free and open to everyone. FPS Trainer isn’t just for geeks and gamers. If your kids regularly humiliate you in multiplayer games, if your mates always beat you, or your clan question your commitment, FPS Trainer is for YOU. Come and have a go, if you think you’re hard enough!

About Play2Improve:

Play2Improve was founded in 2009 by Matt Seeney, a pioneer of the Serious Games sector. Based within the University of Abertay, Dundee’s new centre of excellence for Gaming, Play2Improve has a team of ten developers, including several highly experienced industry veterans, working alongside recent Abertay graduates and current students. The company was recently awarded a SMART Feasibility Study grant from Scottish Enterprise, to build the FPS Trainer proof-of-concept. Paul McGarrity, FPS Trainer’s product manager, is based in Edinburgh and is considered Scotland’s most successful professional gamer.

Contacts:

Brian Baglow, head of Interactive Entertainment, Revolver PR, brian@revolver-pr.co.uk, ++44(0)7747 792247

Matt Seeney, CEO Play2Improve, matt@play2improve.com, ++44(0)7947201575

Paul McGarrity, FPS Trainer product manager, paul@play2improve.com, ++44(0)7794 805215

Photo call opportunity with Matt Seeney (founder and MD of Play2Improve) and Paul ‘astz!’ McGarrity from 2pm-3pm on Monday 20th December at HMV Gamerbase Edinburgh.

MEDIA RELEASE posted by Revolver PR. You too can post media releases (aka press releases) on allmediascotland.com. For more information, email here.

Contact: Revolver PR
Phone: 0845 130 8992
Email: beatrice@revolver-pr.co.uk
Website: http://www.revolver-pr.co.uk