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Uncharted 3 multiplayer double XP event postponed until Tuesday
A technical issue has caused Naughty Dog to delay an Uncharted 3 double XP event until next Tuesday, which was set to begin this weekend. The double XP event will now begin on October 22, starting at 12PM Pacific, and go until October 29 at the same time. "This week the Lab will see the return of Lead Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Designer Robert Cogburn's first Block Mesh Map," notes the studio's blog. "If you didn't get a chance to play it when it was first released, it's a ton of fun. Check it out." The first week of November marks the two-year anniversary of the game's launch. It was, and still is, a pretty, good game.
The voices of Joel and Ellie to judge The Last of Us fan art competition
Naughty Dog has partnered with t-shirts-and-art-prints online shop We Love Fine for a The Last of Us-inspired fan art competition, and according to a post on the Naughty Dog website, the winner's designs could end up on official The Last of Us merchandise. Artists have until November 11 to submit up to five designs, which will be rated by Last of Us fans. On December 17, the most popular designs will move on to the final round of judging. Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who voiced Joel and Ellie, respectively, as well as Creative Director Neil Druckmann and Game Director Bruce Straley will serve as guest judges. The Grand Prize winner will take home up to $2,000, as well as a Post-Pandemic Edition of the game, Season Pass DLC, a Dark Horse artbook, a trade paperback copy of The Last of Us American Dreams, and a signed poster by the dev team. You can check out all the rules for entry, as well as other prizes, on the We Love Fine website.
The Last of Us gets patched, picks up new DLC
Naughty Dog has released two new additions to The Last of Us: The Abandoned Territories Map Pack and the 1.05 patch. The video above was released as a trailer for the Map Pack, which can now be found on the PlayStation Network Store for $10 (or free, if you already picked up the game's $20 Season Pass). The Pack adds a new DLC playlist to each of the The Last of Us' multiplayer game modes, including those introduced by prior DLC releases. You can find a video overview of the 1.05 patch below, alongside a list of its major changes. This patch deals with minor balance changes on the game's multiplayer side, though newer players will be happy to see that the end result of these fixes should be a more friendly, inviting gameplay experience. If nothing else, fixing that bug that gave winning players awesome weapons while giving losers literal bits of scrap should alleviate a lot of player frustration.
Ponder this concept art from Naughty Dog's canned Jak and Daxter reboot
Prior to working on The Last of Us, Naughty Dog had considered a Jak and Daxter reboot. During a recent IGDA talk revolving mostly around The Last of Us, creative director Neil Druckmann revealed some preliminary images of the canned project and told the story of why Naughty Dog ended up dropping the game. Work on this reboot began in 2009, when Naughty Dog's presidents Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra formed a second team focused on creating something different from the work that was ramping up on Uncharted 3. Druckmann said the team "spent a lot of time exploring the world of Jak and Daxter," but that all of their ideas and concepts didn't feel right for the universe. Ultimately it felt like the team was "doing this for marketing reasons." He went on to say the concept wasn't "doing service to what the fans of this franchise really liked – even if the reinvented Daxter is pretty damn good looking." So they asked if they really had to create this reboot. "No, I just thought it'd be easier for you guys if you started with something, but if you want to do something else, come up with something else." Shortly after, The Last of Us started to form, based on another game concept Druckmann had come up with years prior to joining Naughty Dog. Druckmann is the better storyteller, so we'll let you hit the play button on the video above for the rest.
The Last of Us story DLC introduces new character this winter
The first story-based DLC add-on for The Last of Us will feature a new character, Naughty Dog's Eric Monacelli has declared in a post on the PlayStation Blog. Following a lengthy casting phase, this extra chapter, which is due sometime in December or January and part of the Season Pass program, will begin its motion-capture filming sessions next week. "This is an ambitious story with strong ties into the narrative of The Last of Us," Monacelli writes on the PS Blog. There is no mention of whether protagonists Joel or Ellie will make an appearance. Prior to the single-player content, the multiplayer-focused Abandoned Territories Map Pack will arrive on October 15. Four maps in total are included: Suburbs, Bus Depot, Hometown and Bookstore. The third piece of Season Pass content will also be multiplayer-centric and is due within the first half of 2014. The Last of Us Season Pass is priced at $20 – which Naughty Dog says represents a 75 percent savings over picking up all of the DLC piecemeal – and available through PSN and GameStop.
Naughty Dog's alternate ending to The Last of Us
The above video, which details an alternate ending to The Last of Us, was previously only seen by those who attended Naughty Dog's panel at PAX Prime. Through the wonders of the internet, we're all now able to see it – though we stress no one should watch unless they've finished the game. Spoilers abound! Surprisingly, this alternate ending was completely improvised. Aside from one line of direction from creative director Neil Druckmann, the actors came up with everything in the moment. It's an odd sequence, but somehow it totally works!
The Last of Us art prints proudly display the end of humanity
Do you like fungus-infected, zombie-like abominations? How about post-apocalyptic landscapes? Naughty Dog and Europe-based art dealers Cook & Becker have teamed up to make a limited run of high-quality art prints from The Last of Us available to fans of either. Prints range from $130 to $250, while frames add anywhere from $200 to $525. Each print is hand-numbered, signed and includes a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. Shipments begin on September 19, so if you want to get while the getting's good, check out the full gallery. "Cook & Becker wants to highlight the extraordinary work of artists and designers in the games industry as these are the people shaping our visual culture," said a spokesperson for the art dealer in a company statement. "We are very proud to have been able to create these stunning concept art collector's items with them." If "museum-grade" art prints aren't enough to satisfy your craving for The Last of Us, Naughty Dog has also released their final dev diary for the game, "The Beauty of Abandonment." Be warned, however, that the video does contain spoilers.
The Last of Us developer diary characterizes Joel and Ellie
This developer diary video for The Last of Us shows the game's cast and crew elaborating on protagonists' motivations. Lead Designer Jacob Minkoff notes Ellie's unique perspective in the game, while voice actor Troy Baker reveals how one line from his audition helped shape Joel's character.
Here's a new Last of Us multiplayer mode, please don't hurt us
Inquisitive players of The Last of Us will soon find a free new multiplayer mode in the game, which is in the process of being patched to version 1.03. (See the full list of corrections here.) "Interrogation" mode is a four-on-four competition in which each team strives to take a peek into the opposition's lockbox and pilfer their supplies. This can only be done after the box's location has been determined in light of five successful interrogations. It gets darker: an enemy must be shivved or crippled before they'll spill a piece of information, obtained by pressing triangle near them. With that in mind, remember to update your modern control schemes: X to Jason, Triangle to torture, Square for light attack and Circle to back out of the DLC shop.
'The Last of Us' multiplayer has less gore in Europe
Your nail bomb will have a slightly less dramatic result when you toss it in a UK match of The Last of Us multiplayer, as Naughty Dog confirmed the European version of the game will be slightly different than its North and South American counterparts, reports Eurogamer. While North America can happily blow opponents limb from limb (or head from torso), Europe will have no such luck, as the gore has been dialed down for the region. Attacks that would result in an exploding head in US multiplayer just get a blood spurt in the Euro game. This thread on the PlayStation forum showcases regional differences. Germany's fairly strict requirements with regard to depictions of violence seem to be to blame for the changes. A user going by the name of "Ramify" posted on the Naughty Dog forums, providing several examples of the visual discrepancies, and received an email reply from "EvangM," which said, "The gore and violence ratings are subject to local regulatory boards in various countries, so the game must be slightly changed in order to accommodate those choices." At this point, it seems a little bizarre to be breaking down the difference between an exploding head and a gushing head wound - pretty sure they're both fatal - but it's not difficult to understand why some players are upset about buying "censored" content, especially if they picked up a Season Pass before any of the changes came to light.
Uncharted 3 DLC gets in on PSN summer sale
Naughty Dog is hosting a summer sale this weekend, highlighting deals on select Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception DLC across PSN. Uncharted 3's single-player campaign has been knocked down to $25 for a download, which is the price of a physical copy through Amazon, and all of the multiplayer DLC map packs are available in one bundle for $18. The free-to-play version of Uncharted 3's multiplayer has a level limit of 15 right now, but if you want to raise that to 25 you can do so this weekend for $3. Otherwise, spending $12 unlocks unlimited leveling. Both the Adventure co-op add-on and Arena co-op add-on are priced at $8 and $6. This sale will conclude on Monday, July 29 at 12pm PT, at which point everything will revert back to its full price. To purchase any of this content, simply head through the Extras menu within Uncharted 3.
The Last of Us comic book influenced Ellie's history
We learn a lot about Ellie as she treks across the country with Joel in The Last of Us, like her fondness for gnomes, the fact that she can't whistle, and that her best friend's name is Riley. The game's writer and director Neil Druckmann revealed at Comic Con that Riley might not have even existed if it weren't for the work done by Faith Erin Hicks on the recently-released The Last of Us comic book miniseries. (Spoiler warning: If you 'haven't played the game yet, now's the time to stop reading.) "During the last speech Ellie gives during the game, she lists off all the people that have died on this journey, and the first name she lists is Riley," said Druckmann. "She was the first to die. They were both kind of bitten at the same time, but that little snippet in the comic influenced the development of the game, because originally we didn't have anyone with Ellie when she was bitten." It sounds like a minor change, but Ellie's guilt at surviving when Riley died is a big part of what motivates her actions in the game. A few other elements from the comic made it into the game, including some belongings in Ellie's backpack. "You can see how Ellie got some of them in the comic, and that was something that came up fairly late in development and we had to make some changes, but I felt like it really helped tie those two stories together," said Druckmann. Dark Horse's trade collection for The Last of Us miniseries will be out later this Fall.
The Last of Us ships 3.4 million in first three weeks
Sony Computer Entertainment said Naughty Dog's The Last of Us "surpassed all sales expectations" after shipping 3.4 million units worldwide, including download purchases, in just under three weeks. SCE declared the melancholy horror the fastest-selling PS3 game of the year, as well as the fastest-selling "new software title" in the console's history - in other words: the fastest-selling new intellectual property. "These sales figures are a testament to the blockbuster quality of The Last of Us," said Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida. "The teams at Naughty Dog are true visionaries and their storytelling capabilities are second to none, this title is an undisputed demonstration of that. SCE continues to be committed to delivering unique gameplay experiences that redefine the interactive entertainment industry and The Last of Us is a perfect example." Like a zombifying fungus, The Last of Us has really grown on critics and fans alike. Joel and Ellie's grim adventure notched all five stars in our review, with our Richard saying it had a "curious inertia" that he couldn't deny from seeing through to its end. Meanwhile, The Last of Us did what BioShock Infinite and Dead Island: Riptide just fell short of this year: infecting the top of the UK charts for four weeks straight.
The Last of Us patch 1.02 removes sex hotline numbers, includes multiplayer fixes
Naughty Dog has wasted no time in removing the completely unintentional sex hotline telephone number it inadvertently plastered on a bulletin board inside of The Last of Us. The game's first patch, version 1.02, changes the "texture of a phone number on a bulletin board" as its only modification to the single-player experience. Multiplayer mode, on the other hand, has received a handful of technical corrections and gameplay adjustments, including improved host migration and fixes for miscellaneous crashing, camera and connectivity issues. The full patch notes can be found here, but what we really want to find out is: Who was answering those telephones after the apocalypse? Clickers? We're betting it was Clickers.
Naughty Dog working to strip sex hotlines from The Last of Us
Within The Last of Us, Joel and Ellie stumble upon various in-game magazines and postings littered with hotline numbers, first revealed two weeks ago after the game's launch. Turns out, some of those numbers are functioning phone sex lines – a mistake Naughty Dog is hoping to rectify. "That was an artist's mistake," creative director Neil Druckmann told Kotaku. "What happened was, they put some phone numbers in the game and then they thought they could just change the area code to 555, then it's invalid because it's what they do in movies. But I guess that doesn't work when you have a 1-800 in front of it. We're now working to take it out." Druckmann concluded that the working numbers are "just an honest mistake." The Last of Us launched on June 14, a game our own Richard Mitchell felt he had survived rather than completed. It would seem the majority of game critics agree.
Subway map artist and Naughty Dog settle The Last of Us complaint
Naughty Dog has apologized for the unauthorized use of an unofficial Boston subway in The Last of Us. The map, examined intently by protagonist Joel above, wasn't made by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or Naughty Dog. It's the work of a Portland-based artist named Cameron Booth, who posted earlier this week that it was used "without permission or payment." e attacked Naughty Dog for stealing the work, and wrote (in a since-deleted post version) that he believed it unacceptable "to casually appropriate someone else's work and incorporate it into their game without any discussion." Since Booth revealed his complaint, Naughty Dog has reached out to him and Booth has now deleted his initial post, replacing it with the news that an agreement has been made. "It seems as if matters will be resolved to everyone's satisfaction shortly," Booth now says. Booth also apologized for his "initial vitriolic post," adding that both sides share "a lot of mutual respect for each other's creative work."
The sound and music of The Last of Us dissected in developer video
This video, produced by SoundWorks Collection's Michael Coleman, shows the audio team from The Last of Us discussing the sound effects and music from the game. Specifically, the game's audio designers discuss the challenges involved in creating a soundtrack for the more desolate points in the game. Game Director Bruce Straley explains the "less is more" approach to The Last of Us' development, as heard through the game's audio tracks. It's a fascinating look (or listen?) into the ways Naughty Dog's sound and music team did their part in creating the game's environments.
Metareview: The Last of Us
Naughty Dog, best known for the Uncharted series, has received near universal critical praise for its PS3 swan song The Last of Us. Our review gave it a perfect score, which doesn't mean the game is perfect, it just means that when The Last of Us launches next week, you won't want to be the last of us who plays it. Edge (100/100): "At times it's easy to feel like big-budget development has too much on the line to allow stubbornly artful ideas to flourish, but then a game like The Last Of Us emerges through the crumbled blacktop like a climbing vine, green as a burnished emerald." Eurogamer (100/100): "It starts out safe but ends brave; it has heart and grit, and it hangs together beautifully. And it's a real video game, too. An elegy for a dying world, The Last of Us is also a beacon of hope for its genre." Giant Bomb (100/100): "There are bitter pills to swallow along the way, and nothing is taken for granted, not even characters. People live, people die. Sometimes it's fair, sometimes it's not. It's still a zombie game, but a sobering one. Take a deep breath." Gamespot (80/100): "The Last of Us stretches on for hours, forcing you to endure the suffocating atmosphere and unrelenting despair that citizens of this world have become accustomed to. And that time spent navigating the desolate wasteland draws you deeper inside." Polygon (75/100): "It's not a fun place to be, and likewise, the game isn't really a fun thing to play."
The Last of Us review: Humans, conditioned
There was a moment in The Last of Us that was so serene I could have watched it forever. Protagonists Joel and Ellie were finally afforded a breath – a stitch of peace – and I hesitated to nudge them forward. The moment was so starkly different from all the violence that preceded it, so beautiful that it was painful. I could have let them stand there until the disc drive in my PS3 broke down, until the power went out or the world came to an end. The pair had been through so much, it seemed cruel to make them move on. The Last of Us has a curious inertia though – the stumbling, inevitable momentum of a man off balance – and I couldn't deny it. Whatever laid ahead, I knew that their slow, torturous tumble was far from over.%Gallery-188659%
First look at The Last of Us multiplayer
Showing up casually late to the marketing party, here's a trailer featuring the multiplayer modes in The Last of Us. They seem to draw from the same well of brutality and paranoia evident in the single-player game.
