uncharted-2
Latest
Uncharted writer Amy Hennig no longer at Naughty Dog
Uncharted writer and creative director Amy Hennig parted ways with Naughty Dog this week, and the circumstances surrounding her departure aren't clear. Following an IGN report claiming Hennig left her post on March 3, Sony confirmed with the site that she's no longer employed at the studio. "We can confirm that Amy Hennig has left Naughty Dog," A Sony representative told IGN. "Amy has made significant contributions to the game industry and we appreciate all she has done for Naughty Dog. The development timeline of Uncharted will not be impacted." Hennig served as the creative director for Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and she also penned the script for the three games. She was understood to be reprising her role for the Uncharted PS4 game. Neither Hennig nor Naughty Dog have commented, but IGN sources claim the writer, a Naughty Dog veteran of more than ten years, was "forced out" by The Last of Us directors Neil Druckman and Bruce Straley, and the pair may take over the Uncharted series. Hennig worked with Druckman and Straley on the first two Uncharted games, before the two men switched to developing The Last of Us. [Image: @amy_hennig]
Rumor: PowerUp Rewards offers big discounts on Sony PS3 collections
Supposedly GameStop is planning a PowerUp Rewards member-exclusive sale from November 1 through November 14 for select Sony PlayStation 3 collections. Titles rumored to be on the cheap include Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection ($10), Jak and Daxter Collection ($10), Uncharted 1 and 2 ($15), God of War Saga ($20), Infamous 1 and 2 ($15), Killzone Trilogy ($20), the collector's edition of Journey ($15) and Ratchet & Clank Collection ($15). The rumored prices come courtesy of a NeoGAF thread featuring deal-seeking gamers.We called a few local GameStop stores and the employees we talked to said there's no indication on their end a sale is incoming. A few employees mentioned seeing the GAF thread, but had no email correspondence or indication in their system of the promotion. We've followed up with GameStop corporate as well because we totally want this to be a thing. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus for $10? Yeah, we totally back that idea.
Uncharted 1 and 2 discover PSN on June 26
Nathan Drake's first two Uncharted adventures will be digitally distributed on the PlayStation Network starting next month. On June 26, both Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition will be available in boxless form. Oddly, Sony has announced no price for the digital copies as a set nor individually.On that note, it should be mentioned that the Uncharted Greatest Hits Dual Pack, which includes the first two games in the series, is available at retailers and online for a suggested retail price of $40.%Gallery-90166%
Uncharted 2 becomes a Japanese TV show
Sony is priming the Japanese audience for the release of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, helping them build familiarity with the series' story, not by cheaply re-releasing Uncharted 2 (though that did happen) but by cutting video of Uncharted 2 into a TV drama series. The first seven-minute "UnchaTV" segment ran on October 4 at 12:53 am (today at 11:53 am Eastern), featuring four minutes of recut Uncharted 2 footage and three minutes of gameplay segments starring an actor and his on-screen girlfriend (who doesn't like games and, no doubt, will be shocked by how much she loves Uncharted). If you happen to have access to TV Tokyo, you can watch the continuation of the show four days a week through October 27. This is one way to make a good adaptation of Uncharted!
Once upon a time, Uncharted was a Tolkien-inspired fantasy romp
The Uncharted franchise began as a whimsical fantasy story, but that dream was crushed by the cold, hard AK-47 of reality -- Sony pushed a change in direction after seeing the success of "gritty shooters" on Xbox 360 and ordered Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to be more "realistic," Don Poole, a former Naughty Dog environment modeler, told Play. One discarded concept involved a forest with an underground city of antagonists: "It had elements of Tolkien in for sure," Poole said. "Sony kept pushing for a more realistic game in all respects. The market had changed a lot by then. The demographic was older and gritty shooters were really dominating. Sony wanted very much to get into that market share, it pushed all of its developers in this direction." Poole said some of the "old dogs" at Naughty Dog preferred the fantastical style of its previous titles, such as Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot, "but alas, that was a losing battle." Technically we wouldn't call selling 8 million series copies worldwide "losing," but that can be a relative term.
Uncharted 1 and 2 bundle available September 6
Sony has announced a new game bundle that includes Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition, a mess of extra content and DLC for Uncharted 3 -- all for 40 bucks. The company is calling it the Uncharted Greatest Hits DualPack, but we've officially dubbed it the PlayStation 3 Post-Price Cut Starter Pack. The Starter Pack comes out next Tuesday, giving new PS3 adopters plenty of time to catch up on all things Uncharted before Drake's third adventure is released this November. This is required playing, new PS3 owners, and it will be on the exam.
Uncharted 2 GOTY, God of War 3 and others become latest PS3 'Greatest Hits' for $30
Sony has promoted four of its favorites to PS3 "Greatest Hits," dropping the price of each to $30. The most significant addition to Sony's growing lineup of discounted bestsellers of yesteryear is the "Game of the Year" Edition of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which includes a plethora of extra content not included in the original release. God of War 3, Heavy Rain and ModNation Racers were the three other first-party titles to be made Hits. Additionally, THQ's UFC Undisputed 2010 was recognized as one of last year's best, representing the first third-party game to become part of the PS3's 2010 hall of fame class.
Earn triple cash in Uncharted 2 this President's Day Weekend
Admit it -- though other multiplayer games have come and gone since Uncharted 2's release, you're still stuck on that Nathan Drake paper chase. Well, you'll want to stay vigilant over the next few days: In honor of President's Day weekend, Naughty Dog's offering triple cash for multiplayer matches.
Uncharted 2 offering 4x multiplayer cash until Jan. 2
Excited for Uncharted 3? Unfortunately, there's quite some time until you'll get your hands on that so why not stop by Uncharted 2's multiplayer instead? From today until January 2nd, you'll get 4x cash just for playing. In addition, "The Lab" will be rotating through what Naughty Dog calls the "best" modes of 2010. See the full list after the break.
Uncharted movie to star Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg has confirmed in an MTV interview that he expects to star in the Uncharted film. The actor, who also starred in ill-fated film-to-game adaptation Max Payne, says director David O. Russell (who he had previously worked with on Three Kings and The Fighter) plans to start shooting next summer. This, of course, means the geek-approved casting of Nathan Fillion in the role of Nathan Drake is out. Although Wahlberg never specifically says he'll play the role of Nathan Drake, it was strongly implied by the actor when he said that Russell wants to cast Joe Pesci as his uncle and Robert De Niro as his father. Wahlberg says the movie is not going to be a "watered-down version, that's for sure." After all, with so many actors who can expertly deliver an f-bomb, it would be a shame if the T-rated game doesn't become an R-rated spectacle. Check out the MTV interview after the break.
Uncharted 2 multiplayer offering 5x XP, exclusive Drake skin this Saturday
Has it really been a year since the release of Uncharted 2? Developer Naughty Dog should know better than anyone, and it also knows how to reward fans of the game -- specifically its multiplayer component. That's why this Saturday, from 12:01 a.m. PDT through 11:59 p.m. PDT, the developer is offering players special perks and the ability to play with the folks who made the game. During the 24-hour period, players won't encounter a cash cap in matches and will receive 5x XP (take that, wimpy double- or triple-XP weekends of other games!). Also, they'll get the new first anniversary Nathan Drake multiplayer skin (pictured above) to keep -- it can be used after the "celebration" is over, but has to be grabbed during the Saturday event. Finally, more than 30 members of the development team, including Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells, will be online during the play period to team up with (or against). NDI marketing manager Arne Meyer and designer Robert Cogburn are vowing to play for 24 hours straight, after which we're guessing they'll hit a local pub for a little hair of the dog.
Uncharted 2: Game of the Year edition swings into action October 12
How appropriate! Uncharted 2: Among Thieves -- our 2009 "Game of the Year" -- is finally getting a Game of the Year Edition. The $49.99 package includes the well-received sequel on a Blu-ray disc, as well as a "super voucher" which allows users to download $35 worth of post-launch DLC, including: PlayStation Heroes Skin Pack Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Multiplayer Pack Uncharted 2 Siege Expansion Pack Currency Multiplier which grants Double XP up to level 10 in Multiplayer Golden Guns option for the AK-47 and the 92FS 9mm pistol for use in Multiplayer Early access to "Revenge" Booster – you still have to purchase it with in-game cash! Uncharted: Eye of Indra – Motion Comic Bundle (which includes Episodes 1-4) Uncharted: Eye of Indra – Rika Raja and Daniel Pinkerton Character Skins Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 1 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – Avatar Pack 2 Uncharted Avatar Pack 3 Uncharted Avatar Pack 4 Pinball Heroes – Uncharted for the PSP The Uncharted 2: Game of the Year Edition will launch on October 12. The following Saturday, the game's online multiplayer mode will play host to a playlist featuring Naughty Dog's favorite "The Lab" custom gametypes. A few of the developers will also be online to challenge fans, though we imagine their home-team advantage might make playing against them an exercise in futility.
Naughty Dog's Evan Wells reflects on the studio's evolution, and online-enabled future
Uncharted developer Naughty Dog has managed to become one of the premiere first-party development teams at PlayStation over the past fifteen years. Each consecutive release has garnered more attention for the studio, and Uncharted 2's multiple Game of the Year awards have made the studio the envy of the industry. Evan Wells recently talked with us about the benefits of working with Sony and the advantages that being a first-party studio offers. "It's a great place to be," Wells said. "We have a great relationship with Sony, and it's wonderful to have the backing of a major company and a platform holder -- it does give us a lot of opportunity to take risks, and build some pretty massive games. But we also have the independence and the confidence from Sony to be able to drive our own creative decisions, and pursue the direction that fits our company culture the best." The closure of development studios has become an all too common trend in the recent years -- with game budgets reaching eight-digit figures, the risks are significantly high. But Wells doesn't foresee an end of independent gaming. "I don't think it will ever swing completely one way or another. There's always going to be a mix. You see some really amazing games being developed by these first-party, publisher-owned studios. But you also see some amazing independent games, as well. I think it's always going to be a mix. I don't think it's going to become predominantly one way or another."
Uncharted 2's Elena working with Naughty Dog on more DLC
Uncharted 2 has seen a fair share of DLC since its release. Most recently, the Siege Expansion Pack added new character skins, new maps and a new mode to the game's multiplayer mode. However, it appears Naughty Dog isn't quite done yet and has enlisted Emily Rose -- the actor behind Elena -- to reprise her role yet again. A Sony representative told Kotaku that the actor "will be working with Naughty Dog on some DLC content." Considering none of the DLC released thus far demanded additional work from the actors, it seems whatever Naughty Dog is working on is quite different. We're placing our money on this: additional cooperative stories. Naughty Dog's Evan Wells told us in March that "a lot of people have been asking about whether we'd have more of the cooperative objective modes that we have ... but the amount of resources it takes to put that stuff together ... because it requires getting the actors in to do a light narrative, right, so we have to get mocap and stuff." Well, now that you have the actors ...
PS3 250GB on sale for $300 at Kmart
In the market for a new PS3? Kmart is offering the 250GB model at a $50 discount, bringing the cost of the console down to $300. Now, think about what else that $300 could get you and you'll realize it's a pretty decent deal: A 32GB iPhone 4 A new puppy Two tickets to the Justin Bieber concert (nosebleeds) A Kinect Xbox 360 bundle All of those things are fine, don't get us wrong, but you've gotta keep this in mind: none of them will let you play Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Just saying!
Sony Style offering free game with 120GB PS3 purchase
If you're in the market for a new PS3, and you don't mind waiting just a bit, Sony Style has an appealing offer. Through August 21, Sony's retail site is offering one of six first-party games for free with the purchase of a 120GB PS3 Slim. You can choose from Uncharted 2, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, MAG, Heavy Rain, ModNation Racers or White Knight Chronicles. Why the wait? The PS3 is currently on backorder at Sony Style, though the offer still seems to be good. So you can order now and actually receive your system later. Think of it as setting your future self up with a wonderful surprise. [Thanks, Pete!]
Uncharted 2 getting sidekicked with new multiplayer skins and theme
For some people, the spotlight of celebrity can shine a little too bright -- we're certainly well acquainted with that hard truth. Sometimes, you don't want to be the star of the show, but rather, the plucky, amicable sidekick. That's the ethos of the upcoming multiplayer costume pack for Uncharted 2, which features Chloe, Elena and Sullivan in new outfits. There are also skins based on Dillon and Mac, two enemy grunts from the series' first installment. They're sidekicks too, in the sense that Nate Drake likely kicked them in the side a few times during Drake's Fortune's campaign. The costume pack will cost $2.99, and will arrive on the PlayStation Store August 17. Joining it will be a Premium Theme, also priced at $2.99, which turns your XMB's background into a creepy, voyeuristic window into Drake's infinite arctic suffering. Check out a video of the theme posted after the jump, you sicko.
Uncharted 2 Update 1.09 live, so long super throw!
The latest muliplayer patch for Uncharted 2 has been rolling out worldwide over the last hour. Simply known as Title Update 1.09, the auto-update should resolve a number of issues -- including the dreaded "super throw" that allowed Plunder mode treasures to be tossed with superhuman vigor. On top of this, Naughty Dog has made some tweaks to the game's backend, allowing the developer to more easily alter cash amounts for individual playlists on the fly. Speaking of cash, Naughty Dog is also mixing up the monetary rewards in matches. Cash for individual and kill-based medals in Objective modes will be decreased, while medals directly associated with objectives themselves will soon net you larger wads of cash. Here's how it'll break down: Tip Off – $1,000 Captured – $4,000 That's Embarrassing – $10,000 Protectorate – $2,000 No Cigar – $2,000 Drop It – $1,000 None Shall Pass – $5,000 Expansionist – $5,000 Head past the break for the full update notes.
Uncharted 2 celebrates independence with double cash
Odds are you were already planning to play some Uncharted 2 this weekend -- it's a great game and with the extra time off due to the holiday, why not? Well, Naughty Dog informs us that this weekend will yield players double the cash, upping the per-match ceiling for earnings to $150,000. Whoever said money can't buy you happiness clearly never played Uncharted 2. The cash faucet was turned on this morning and will flow until Wednesday, July 7 at 10am PDT. Now get out there and earn some ducats!
Uncharted 2 multiplayer getting experimental playlists starting May 28
Naughty Dog appreciates the importance of keeping things fresh for folks who partake in the multiplayer portion of Uncharted 2. That's why, starting the weekend of May 28, the developer will launch a series of experimental online playlists every other week, as part of a promotion labeled "The Lab." For instance, this coming weekend will see the temporary introduction of a 2 vs. 2 Team Deathmatch mode, in which pairs of players race to 25 kills. As an added bonus, this Memorial Day weekend will also earn players double cash, which should entice the prodigal treasure hunters among you to return to the fold. Check out Naughty Dog's naughty blog for more info on future experimental playlists.
