Author: Game Institute
How to Code a Simple Blackjack Game in Python
One of the best things about programming is you get to create your own games. Game development can be extremely profitable these days, especially when you make titles for Android or iPhone. Even with a $0.99 sale per download, game developers with good products can make sizable returns. Apart from the revenues from downloads, games also get profits from brands that are willing to pay via advertisement partnerships.
If you already have the “framework” for a particular game, you can often reuse it and make revisions that fit a company’s requirements. Take for example casino games. These games aren’t very difficult to develop given the fact that most of them function in similar ways. There are thousands of different slot titles available online but for the most part they only differ by design – all slot games are usually controlled by using one button.
The same goes for card games such as Blackjack. No matter what the brand or type, all variations of Blackjack use a deck of cards and a dealer. Even Live Blackjack, which was popularized by digital portal Betfair uses a code similar to the ones offered by other online games. The only addition that is present in Live Blackjack is that players get to interact with actual live dealers during games. Once you know how to code a simple Blackjack game, you’ll be able to make hundreds of variations of the game depending on what you want to create.
That being said, coding a Blackjack game is quite simple.
In this article, let’s build a text-based Blackjack engine that allows players to play with a dealer. The logic behind the coding will be a bit complex but you’ll be able to gain valuable experience on how to design card-based casino games once you get the hang of it.
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Pokémon Sun and Moon’s New Pokémon Forms and Pokédex
The Pokémon series has arguably become a little formulaic over the years. While each generation of games had differences and added some new mechanics, the basic structure remained approximately the same.
Pokémon Sun and Moon, however, looks like it may change all that. Let’s take a look at some of the new features we can expect to see when the newest Pokémon game come out later this year, starting with the new forms your Pokémon—and surprisingly, your Pokédex—will take.
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PlayStation 4 Pro vs. Xbox Scorpio
Sony has finally unveiled the PlayStation 4 Pro and the console is due to go on sale November 10th this year which makes it the first console from this new wave to be released; unlike the other consoles, the full details about the PS4 Pro have been revealed.
Details on the Xbox Scorpio and Nintendo NX are extremely limited right now as they are both due for release in 2017; while the upcoming Nintendo NX is rumored to be a very different console, it’s not attempting to compete against the PS4 Pro or Xbox Scorpio.
It’s an interesting decision to release an upgraded console mid-generation cycle and it looks like both Sony and Microsoft are trying to cater to owners of 4K televisions. Both consoles are thought to be fairly similar and once again the manufacturers will be competing with each other.
Gears of War 4: What to Expect
Gears of War 4 is the next installment in the popular Gears of War series and it looks like this will be a soft reboot for the series with a new enemy and new main characters. This is also the first main game in the series to be created by a developer other than Epic Games who birthed the series in 2006. Gears of War 4 is the second game from The Coalition for the series and their first game was well received with critics such as IGN [1] praising the combat, characters and multiplayer.
The October 11th release date for Gears of War 4 is almost here and The Coalition have revealed quite a bit of information about the game so far; publisher Microsoft has also released some interesting information about the future of game.
October 2016 Newsletter
We saw a lot of great material roll out in September. Aside from many detailed hours of brand new video training, we also got our blog in place where we will be releasing cool articles on gaming and game development. Our big Steam Greenlight Celebration Sale also came to an close and we welcome all of the new members who joined our community in recent days!
Definitely make sure to check out the more detailed list below to see what you might have missed. Also be sure to check out the October announcements at the end.
Scholarship Fund for Women in Games
As the price of education rises, students are always looking to find a variety of sources to help make their dreams a reality. There are many educational scholarships offered from organizations like the ESA Foundation, Penny Arcade, and the IGDA. The AIAS Foundation is happy to announce that their new WomenIn Scholarships (http://www.aiasfoundation.org/programs/women_in.asp) are now open!
These scholarships support women who are students pursuing careers specializing in the development or business of interactive entertainment.
Winners will receive $2,500 and an opportunity for a year-long mentoring experience with an industry veteran. Applications are accepted now until October 31, 2016.
Tokyo Games Show 2016 Roundup
The annual Tokyo Games Show has just wrapped up and gamers will be pleased to see quite a bit of new information has been released for a variety of upcoming games; there are also a range of new trailers and gameplay videos for some highly anticipated games.
Some of the most interesting news from TGS 2016 has come from large developer Sony who has revealed more information about games such as Final Fantasy 15 and The Last Guardian. Bizarrely though, there has been no news from Nintendo about their upcoming console which is due for release in March 2017. The upcoming console is the Nintendo NX and, so far, the only information available about this has come from leaks; if Nintendo intends to release the console soon then they’re running out of time to unveil it.
During the Tokyo Games Show, emphasis was placed on games for the Sony console which makes sense considering that Sony is a Japanese company. Various details about PS4 exclusive games were announced during TGS 2016 which made this a great time for fans of Sony and PlayStation.
Top 5 Oculus Rift Games Currently Available
The Oculus Rift VR headset is finally available for consumers to purchase in the UK as well as the US; not only is the headset available for purchase online, there are also various retailers offering consumers the chance to test the headset before they purchase it. While the headset has arrived, there’s no sign that the Oculus Touch controllers will be released any time soon, so players are currently forced to us a Xbox One controller.
The new VR headset comes bundled with the VR platform game Lucky’s Tale but there are plenty of other good games currently available for the Oculus Rift. Here are five of the best VR games around.
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Top Upcoming Horror Games
The survival horror genre has experienced some interesting shifts in recent years. At the moment, these games seem to be on the rise again. Here at Game Institute, we’re focusing a lot of energy in that particular space with our own survival horror FPS called Dead Earth and the accompanying step-by-step video tutorials documenting its development. Here are a few other upcoming titles which horror fans should definitely keep their eyes on.
Yomawari: Night Alone
This cute horror game from Nippon Ichi puts players in the shoes of a young girl searching for her sister in a town filled with monsters. Yomawari uses a heartbeat system to alert players of nearby monsters so they can hide until the danger passes. It will be out for the PS Vita and PC this October.
GI Racing 2.0 Greenlight Celebration Sale
Hey guys, we were actually emailing everyone about this sale, but figured it might be a good idea to also post here in case anyone is interested and missed the email…
We recently submitted our first commercial game to Valve’s Greenlight program. The way the program works is the community votes on what upcoming indie games will be added to the Steam Store.
We submitted GI Racing 2.0 for voting in order to understand the Steam experience for a new video tutorial series we’re creating about the game.
Then something totally unexpected happened.
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