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Playdate: We're livestreaming 'The Last of Us: Remastered' on PS4! (update: it's over!)
Welcome, ladygeeks and gentlenerds, to the new era of gaming. The one where you get to watch, and comment, as other people livestream gameplay from next-gen consoles. Because games! They're fun!
'The Last of Us' brought to life in live stage show
Today, The Last of Us is getting ready to take over PlayStation 4 consoles everywhere, and soon it may also be conquering... Broadway. Well, maybe not so much. But Naughty Dog's popular title did make its debut on the live stage, with a show called "The Last of Us: One Night Live" which took place in Santa Monica, California. Sony explains that the play was in celebration of the game's arrival on the PlayStation 4, so giving fans a way to experience the story through a theatre performance was an obvious choice ahead of the launch. "The Last of Us: One Night Live," directed by Neil Druckmann, featured music from the score, read of "key scenes" and a Q&A from the cast and crew involved in the show. Sure, it probably would have been better to actually be there, but Sony was kind enough to let you re-live the performance in the video after the break.
'The Last of Us' looks better on PS4 but it's not perfect
Just over a year ago, Sony and developer Naughty Dog unleashed the emotionally wrenching The Last of Us on the PlayStation 3. And while the post-apocalyptic tale was heralded at the time for its affecting narrative, the game's technical prowess didn't go unnoticed either, with many critics impressed by how well the game looked and sounded on the seven year-old PS3. Tomorrow marks the release of The Last of Us: Remastered on the PlayStation 4, which, as the title implies, is last year's game with a fresh coat of paint afforded by the PS4's more powerful hardware. How much of a leap is it, though? The tech-minded crew at Digital Foundry has put Naughty Dog's latest under their microscope and notes that while there are some aspects of the game that best even PS4-native releases, there are still a handful of bits that betray those advancements: "There are elements that remain far ahead of the majority of next-gen titles, but it is clear that it is a game of its technological era."
Oculus nabs co-founder of 'Uncharted' developer
More than a few people (including one absurdly rich 30 year old) think that the Oculus Rift is going to change the world. As it turns out, that list just got a little longer today: former THQ president and Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin is joining the Oculus mothership as its head of worldwide studios. What exactly does that involve? Rubin painted us a picture (with broad strokes, alas) in a post on the official Oculus blog: "I'm excited to bring together a new division dedicated to building high-quality VR content that helps define the platform and inspire others to do the same."
'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End' coming to PlayStation 4 in 2015
You knew a new Uncharted was coming to the PlayStation 4 -- it was inevitable, really. And tonight at E3, Sony just capped off its E3 press event with a teaser trailer of Naughty Dog's next title in the franchise: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. We didn't get much beyond a short scene of the series' hero Nathan Drake waking up bruised and walking through a jungle, but judging by the game's title, this could also be the last we ever see of Drake. Take note, the snippet of footage Sony showed was apparently captured directly from the PS4, so prepare for some absolutely gorgeous visuals. Expect to see the next-gen title arrive sometime in 2015.
The former lead for Uncharted is heading up a new Star Wars game
One of the talents that helped define the last generation of console games has a new home. Amy Hennig, the creative director and lead writer of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and its PS3 sequels recently joined the team at Visceral Games (best known for the Dead Space series), where she'll serve as creative director for its in-development Star Wars title. This comes after she abruptly ended her decade-long tenure at developer Naughty Dog early last month. At first, the idea of Visceral working on a game set in that galaxy far, far away almost suggested something in the vein of survival horror, given the studio's pedigree. Hennig's hiring throws a bit of a curve-ball to expectations, though, especially with her expertise in creating a believable group of rag-tag adventurers; her style is pretty much a perfect fit for Star Wars. We likely won't see this game for awhile yet (especially considering DICE's in-the-works Battlefront sequel was teased last year), but this news is almost enough to make us forget that the travesty of Dead Space 3 ever happened.
The Last of Us coming to PS4 this summer with improved graphics (update: official announce trailer)
A PlayStation 4 port of highly acclaimed title The Last of Us will launch sometime this summer, a Sony spokesperson has let slip. Talking on CNN Turk's Multiplayer gaming show, a PlayStation exec claimed the port will have better graphics than the PS3 version, and will be available both digitally and physically. PS4 copies will apparently include the Left Behind single-player DLC, so newcomers get the whole story upfront, and diehards get to replay a prettier rendition. Additional single and multiplayer content is in the works, too, but even a straight port should keep most superfans happy while they wait for the movie. Update (4/9): Sony has officially confirmed that yes, The Last of Us Remastered is coming PS4 this summer. All of the details above still apply, with the only new information a few details on the pre-order bonuses and a pic of the box art.
Sony's turning The Last of Us into a movie with help from the game's creators
The Last of Us made its debut last year to critical (and commercial) acclaim from the gaming community, and it appears that the film industry's just as smitten with the story it tells. Deadline Hollywood reports that Sony Pictures' Screen Gems production company has decided to develop a "live-action adaptation" of the PS3 version of the game, and Neil Druckmann, who was The Last of Us' creative director, will be writing the screenplay. Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra, the co-presidents of Naughty Dog, the studio that created the game, and the game's director, Bruce Straley will also lend their talents to the project as "creative architects," whatever that means. Naturally, since the deal has just been done, we don't know when to expect The Last of Us to make its way to the silver screen, but at least we know it's coming... at some point.
Necessary violence: The creators of The Last of Us defend its reliance on combat
PlayStation 3 exclusive The Last of Us was the most successful game of 2013. That's not just sales (it sold extremely well, to the tune of 3.4 million in its first three weeks), but also critical reception (an average Metacritic score of 95/100 and it swept game of the year awards across the game industry in 2013). Last week, The Last of Us earned development studio Naughty Dog a whopping 10 wins at the annual DICE awards show in Las Vegas -- considered the Oscars of gaming. With Naughty Dog's past creating hit franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter and Uncharted, The Last of Us leads Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley aren't strangers to success (these guys led development of Uncharted 2, another extremely successful game). Their latest work is a tremendous departure.
Uncharted brunette has more fun as blonde
Elena Fisher, from Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, may look like your average Sara plain and tall, but she's got a wild side too. How do we know? Well, it seems as if she's up and gone on a shopping spree at the local hair salon and neighboring plastic surgeon! Just a little bit of bleaching and a little bit of chin work, and voila! The makeover is complete, and just in time too. Her friends at Naughty Dog say that they "just preferred her blonde". Hopefully she can handle all the blonde jokes that come with the territory.[via Joystiq]
Naughty Dog director lured to Ready At Dawn by new IP
Former Naughty Dog creative director Daniel Arey has joined the gang at Ready At Dawn to assume a similar role for an unannounced original IP. "When I first got the chance to hear about this new property, I immediately knew I had to be a part of it and get a chance to join forces with the ... talent over at Ready At Dawn," said Arey of the job change.Already compromised of a few former Naughty Dogs, Ready At Dawn should prove an easy transition for Arey, whose 10 years of work at his former studio yielded a pair of successful franchises in Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter. While Ready At Dawn has quickly established itself as a leading developer for PSP (Daxter, God of War: Chains of Olympus), the California-based studio has not revealed which platform it's targeted for this new project.
Ready at Dawn finishing God of War, moving on to new IP
Ready at Dawn instantly hit it big when it released Daxter on PSP. Now, it appears they're putting the finishing touches on their upcoming PSP game, God of War: Chains of Olympus. After God of War is completed, what will Ready at Dawn work on next?It appears they plan on working on a new IP. Whether or not it will arrive on PSP is unclear. However, considering their technical know-how with the platform, we hope that they'll continue developing for Sony's handheld.Dan Arey, former Creative Director of Naughty Dog, has joined Ready at Dawn to work on the new project. Under Arey, Naughty Dog has worked on games such as Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, and the upcoming Uncharted. "It was actually a very easy decision to make," said Dan Arey, "because when I first got the chance to hear about this new property, I immediately knew I had to be a part of it and get a chance to join forces with the incredible talent over at Ready At Dawn Studios. These guys have taken the time to mature their team, their technology and this new concept. Believe me, this is going to be something special." We can't wait to find out more.[Update: In an interview with GI.biz, Arey talks about Ready at Dawn's multiplatform capabilities. Is he hinting that Ready at Dawn is ready to move on? "With a data driven engine that's platform agnostic, these guys are now in the amazing position to work on any platform they choose ... The great thing about the RAD development pipeline is that it has been cross-platform - PSP / Windows - from the beginning, which means the technology can migrate to any platform."][Thanks, Joe!]
Hands-on: Uncharted
What happens when you mix one part Gears of War, one part Tomb Raider, and one part Prince of Persia? You get one potentially awesome game. We really want to like Naughty Dog's upcoming PS3 exclusive, Uncharted, but technical issues seriously hindered our enjoyment of the title.If there's one thing everyone has been talking about with Uncharted, it's the complex animation system. Thousands of animations are blended together in real-time to create a visually complex world that feels alive. Drake responds to his surroundings: you'll see him look at points of interest, struggling to keep his footing, and more. In one heated gunfight, we had him take cover fire and could see the worried look on his face as he breathed heavily The animation system helps make Drake not only a more believable character, but one we can relate to.Drake is supposed to be a normal guy in an extraordinary situation, and the platforming sequences deliver upon the feeling of overcoming overwhelming obstacles. Drake will have to climb along rocky ledges, or jump from a shaky pillar to the next. Seeing what Drake can interact with the environment is intuitive due to Drake's focus on where he must go next. By observing what Drake wants to do, players will be able to navigate tricky areas with relative ease. Swinging from a rope and jumping to a ledge feels intuitive and empowering. We love the feeling we get when exploring the environment.%Gallery-3209%
Does Uncharted play as good as it looks?
You probably read about and watched the incredible video for Uncharted: Drake's Fortune earlier today, but we're going to take a more critical look at the actual gameplay from a demo released to some individuals, like IGN. This side of the story isn't all roses and chocolate boxes, we're afraid. While the game looks gorgeous and fluid, there seems to be an issue with some mechanics. Luckily, combat is saucy and fun, the AI is boasted as being smart and difficult, so those aren't a concern.What was IGN complaining about? Some pretty important stuff, if you ask us. While the demo they played was an early, but polished graphically, build, there are a few concerns worth noting. First, they mentioned a strange sort of linearity in a jungle. Sure, it's probably made that way on purpose for demo reasons, but we hope there isn't a linear "jungle path" you have to stay on, or invisible walls will nudge you along. Grabbing onto things was hit or miss, and Drake had difficulty judging which action to take when two objects of different sizes were close to one another. Also, timing your jumps isn't a problem, but the game often did the wrong thing and allowed Drake to plummet to his doom.It sounds like pain, we know, we wanted this game to be perfect, too. But that's why it's an early build and these kinks can be ironed out with ease. Hopefully we'll be back in another month with more hands-on impressions about how the game has turned itself around and everything works beautifully.
Naughty Dog wants Uncharted ready for the holidays
While the actual interview over at Kikizo is a lot longer than what we'll be talking about (so you can check out any details you're curious about yourself), they've gathered enough surprising info about Naughty Dog's high-profile title Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to merit a nod. We'll cut the chatter and summarize the important points for you. Realistic nuances in human facial features are a large concern for Naughty Dog -- they want every muscle in their character's faces to reflect their emotions. Nathan Drake, the main character, was drawn from many different personalities to grow into a unique character. He's a bit Indiana Jones, a bit "random hiker in Thailand" among other things. No damned crate puzzles here! Thank goodness. The island is the only mentioned location for the game (we expect one or two others, but it's doubtful), but with the PS3's streamless-level system, the entire island is accessible at once. So, while there may be a multitude of places, it all loads as one. Which is awesome. Some special online components are planned, but nothing specific. Only Nathan is playable, but expect some Resident Evil 4 style buddy system ... or protection system, whichever you prefer. There will be content for Home and some special trophies to acquire! Sixaxis controller mechanics so far include: balance beam mechanics, grenade throwing, steering, and crazy dancing (we made that one up). Naughty Dog is working very hard to make this game ready for shelves this holiday season. We were very surprised to hear the game would hit retailers this holiday season. The game is shaping up to be incredible, so we hope they don't do anything foolish like rush production just to get those holiday sales. What do you guys think? Since Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XIII have been pushed into next year, will this game be the game to buy this holiday?
SGD '07: This Uncharted gallery defines next-gen
While we're not accustomed to saying this, the gallery we've gathered up for Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is pretty much videogame porn. Not that it's lewd or sexual, but because when you look at it, your little synapses that regulate your excitement for a game go off like crazy, sending you into a schoolgirl-like shrill-fest. Thus, this gallery. The game looks brilliant and exactly what we'd expect from Naughty Dog. The game might turn into a better showcase for the PS3 than many other anticipated titles. We can't be sure yet, though. So ... we'll keep you posted. Until then, check out a video after the cut.%Gallery-3209%
'Crash' of the Titans headed to Nintendo systems
Is it wrong to have loved Crash Bandicoot back in the day? If it is, we'll just have to settle for being wrong ... but we will say that this news seems to have come out of nowhere. We're not going to ask any awkward questions about Sony (that would be the big elephant in the room here), but instead, we'll just quietly raise an eyebrow and hope that this game brings a fun and frenetic experience to Nintendo systems. There's also a hint of DS-Wii functionality here, and even if Crash himself doesn't excite you, perhaps that will. According to a Spanish gaming magazine, Crash of the Titans will hit shelves in October, though we're guessing that's a European date.As usual, you can see the scan after the break.
Rumor: Jak coming to PSP?
Daxter was a tremendous success on PSP, even without the presence of his broody, angsty teen co-star, Jak. Well, a rumor is circulating around the web, speaking about the possibility of a PSP Jak game. The (warning) oft-unreliable Wikipedia appears to have a record of the rumor: it began when the resume of voice actor Robin Atkins Downes revealed two unannounced titles: Jak PSP and Big. Since then, Big has turned into Naughty Dog's upcoming PS3 title, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Could Jak PSP be far behind?The only other evidence supporting this rumor comes from a previous job opening at Naughty Dog, requesting PSP-specific developers. With Ready at Dawn working on God of War, it could be possible that Naughty Dog is working on a PSP Jak game internally. However, with no concrete evidence available right now, this rumor remains exactly that. But, a new Jak game would certainly be a good part of a revived effort to make the platform successful.[Via 1UP]
Some details about Naughty Dog and Drake's Fortune
The recently not-so-secret Naughty Dog title for the PS3: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune has come up on the latest issue of Game Informer. Here's what the folks at the NeoGAF forums have discerned from the article. Winter '07 release Single-player, apparently So far, 50 minutes of cinematics (GI said that the game's presentation actually makes the PS3's price not as difficult to understand... or... something. It's impressive, they say) Animation scheme allows for unique ways of doing things -- an example used was for taking cover behind a pillar. There were nine screenshots of Drake hiding behind the same pillar, each time in a completely different stance. The final game is said to have 3,000 animation modifications for doing such actions. SIXAXIS allows for balancing stuff, like crossing a narrow log or whatever Drake will visibly grow tired when running, shown in his running animation and facial features. How neat, I grow visibly tired from running too! Soundtrack, graphics, special effects... all are looking insanely gorgeous. Game Informer sums up the premise and gameplay this way: "It's Die Hard meets Indiana Jones, with gameplay that goes back to Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider and gun segments like Gears of War. Ultimately however, it's a new genre that's unclassifiable at this point." They talked about their hands-on time with the game, too. It sounds like a lot of fun. Probably because I'm biased about exploring ancient ruins. Awesome stuff. Looking forward to this one!
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune images leak, Naughty Dog's latest exposed
Play France went digging into Naughty Dog background modeler Rob Adams' online resume and turned up some new images from the studio's upcoming adventure game, now (unofficially) confirmed to carry the uninspired title Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. A trademark and logo for that name turned up earlier this week and were quickly tied to the Naughty Dog project; an E3 trailer for the game alluded to infamous English navigator Sir Francis Drake's lost treasure. Predictably, Sony has responded with: "We don't comment on rumors and speculation. Nothing has been announced." Not sure this classifies as rumor and speculation any longer...
