uncharted-3-drakes-deception

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  • CheapyD and son unbox the Japanese Uncharted 3 controller bundle

    by 
    Richard Mitchell
    Richard Mitchell
    11.03.2011

    Sure, this post is ostensibly about internet sensation CheapyD of CheapAssGamer fame showing off the Japan-only Uncharted 3 controller bundle, but we confess ulterior motives. Frankly, your day just hasn't been adorable enough. This should take care of that right quick.

  • Naughty Dog responds to Uncharted 3 aiming concerns

    by 
    Ludwig Kietzmann
    Ludwig Kietzmann
    11.03.2011

    Players -- and critics -- don't always have an appropriate vocabulary with which to discuss less defined, mechanical aspects of games. Why does shooting feel right in one game, but wrong in another? We appear to have run into this problem of a lacking lexicon with Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, which some players say has introduced problematic aiming (i.e. something feels wrong), particularly in the single-player adventure. Posting on the official Naughty Dog blog, community overlord Arne Meyer relayed information from game director Justin Richmond, who's able to speak more clearly on the technical performance of Drake's gun. "Aiming is identical to Uncharted 2 - we took a look at the values side by side. We did adjust the sensitivity to be MUCH higher in Uncharted 3 to give you a more precise feel. With Uncharted 2 it was pretty much guaranteed you would aim in one of the 8 directions and it was hard to deviate from that (imagine it being almost like a traditional 8-way arcade stick)." According to Richmond, "With Uncharted 3, you can deviate from the straight path from each of the 8 directions much easier and more precisely." So, contrary to some complaints, sensitivity has gone up. However, enemies also change positions faster now, "which changes the flow of gun combat as well, from what you were used to if you're coming off fresh from Uncharted 2." We've had this same problem at Joystiq HQ, and believe that aiming assistance might be a tad too magnetic, slowing your reticle down when it gets near an enemy. The most interesting part is that the gunplay in Uncharted 3 has been adjusted in another significant way. You might not have known it looking at him, but Drake's shots used to come out at weird angles. "In Uncharted 2 the bullets would leave the barrel at a pre-set deviation when you were aimed in," says Naughty Dog. "What this means is that the bullets would not fire straight out of the barrel all the time -- they could come out at an angle. Therefore, you could have a target clearly in the reticle and still miss it by a wide margin." In the sequel, "bullets now fire straight out of the barrel 100% of the time," though you need to adjust for recoil. There's a question about which ultimately takes precedence: the informed explanation rooted in data and design, or the more nebulous discomfort of an aim that just feels ... off?

  • PSA: PSN undergoing 'routine maintenance' from 9AM to 11AM PST today

    by 
    Ben Gilbert
    Ben Gilbert
    11.03.2011

    Pull out your copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and stare straight at it: DON'T PANIC, folks! Yes, PlayStation Network is undergoing maintenance, but only temporarily, Sony says. According to the company's Twitter account, the PlayStation Network will be under construction from 9AM to 11AM PST today (that's 12PM to 3PM for those of us on the East Coast). The maintenance may not affect all users' ability to connect, as Sony says that only "some users" may be affected by the downtime. Look at things on the bright side, though -- now you have a couple hours cleared to play that Uncharted 3 single-player campaign you've been neglecting. Drake would be so, so disappointed.

  • Here are all the treasures in Uncharted 3, you cheater

    by 
    Ben Gilbert
    Ben Gilbert
    11.03.2011

    It's been two days and you're fed up with making poor Nathan Drake schlep here and there for hidden treasures in Uncharted 3. Where are all those gosh darn tchotchkes!?

  • Uncharted 3 was 'the hardest thing any of us have ever done,' says Hennig

    by 
    Ben Gilbert
    Ben Gilbert
    11.01.2011

    Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception creative lead and writer Amy Hennig isn't one to mince words, it would seem. On the latest episode of Geoff Keighley's "Bonus Round," Hennig and a cadre of other Naughty Dog leads speak in great detail about the process of building their latest, most ambitious project yet -- in just two years. "We absolutely killed ourselves on this project. I think this was the hardest thing any of us have ever done," Hennig asserts. Game director Justin Richmond agrees, breaking down why the project was so hard on their team, beyond the aforementioned time constraint issues. "It's a lot of things. We didn't wanna let ourselves down, we didn't wanna let our fans down. We try to do things that no one's ever done before in a game," he says, referring to the game's massive moving environments and setpieces. It's also a measure of the game being the third entry in an established franchise. "I've worked on two 'third games,'" he says, "And they're always harder ... people expect a certain level of sophistication." Finally, the most pressure came from the team itself. "We made it even harder on ourselves I think than it had to be, because compared to the previous games, we wanted it [Uncharted 3] to be perfect," Richmond concludes. And, at least from our perspective, the game certainly turned out to be not too shabby. You can find out for yourself right now as the game launches worldwide today.

  • Watch the actors of Uncharted 3 get their motions captured

    by 
    Griffin McElroy
    Griffin McElroy
    10.27.2011

    How are the character animations of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception so darn lifelike? It's because they're the movements of real human beings, captured through some sort of ... witchcraft. Watch the video above to see this occult practice in action.

  • Uncharted 3 dev delivers multiplayer tips in latest trailer

    by 
    Alexander Sliwinski
    Alexander Sliwinski
    10.25.2011

    Uncharted 3 game designer Robert Cogburn discusses multiplayer strategies and other goodies in this latest trailer for the most excellent adventure game available November 1. Also, Uncharted multi vets, don't get too mad about the blindfire comment.

  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception review: Precious moments

    by 
    Griffin McElroy
    Griffin McElroy
    10.24.2011

    If you were to take all the good parts -- you know, "Oh, guys, you have to see this one part," or "Watch! Watch! My favorite part's coming up!" -- of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and strip away all of the filler, you'd be left with the same game you had when you started. It's not one to play host to unextraordinary moments: Every plane must crash, every truck must flip and every ancient, long hidden civilization must be discovered (and, as a natural result, destroyed). The sequence of events that propels Uncharted 3 from start to finish has clearly been the subject of the same brilliant centrifuge which separated wheat from chaff in the series' previous outings. The moments of thrilling peril which punctuate Uncharted 3's every chapter have been daisy-chained together with exhausting proximity -- they're so close, in fact, that it's sometimes a little difficult to see the thread that ties them all together. %Gallery-130781%

  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception launch trailer (plus: Harrison Ford?)

    by 
    Ludwig Kietzmann
    Ludwig Kietzmann
    10.19.2011

    If you're not swept away by the slick editing, exciting heroics and rousing score in this Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception launch trailer, we've got a different kind of commercial for you. It's never too late to pull Harrison Ford from the fridge for a bit of awkward celebrity endorsement.

  • Uncharted 3 'Fortune Hunters' Club' is a DLC season pass

    by 
    JC Fletcher
    JC Fletcher
    10.18.2011

    Uncharted 3's "Fortune Hunters' Club" is really more of a "Bargain Hunters' Club," offering savings on future DLC for the latest Drake-shaker. It's the latest in the growing number of "season pass" DLC deals, offering a discount for the bundled pre-order of "the first four multiplayer map packs and the first three multiplayer skin packs." All told, the $24.99 purchase gets you around $45 worth of content, Sony says, plus an exclusive theme and an XMB message service to keep you up with new DLC. If the kind of fortune you seek is "more Uncharted 3 stuff," then you can hunt for the pre-order link today on the PlayStation Store.

  • Naughty Dog says no to single-player DLC for Uncharted 3

    by 
    Jessica Conditt
    Jessica Conditt
    10.15.2011

    DLC is all the rage this season (along with dead raccoon headpieces), and publishers are charging the inflated prices expected with such a widespread trend. But trends don't appear out of nowhere -- they come from someone doing it differently, turning left at the fork, zigging where others zag and other motivational business terms. Naughty Dog is doing just that -- those trailblazers -- announcing that there will be no single-player DLC for Uncharted 3. Naughty Dog said it would rather build a new game than release episodic content, mainly because its DLC ideas are just too awesome. "Dialing back our ambition is difficult," community strategist Arne Meyer said. Justin Richmond, game director, explained in more detail the trials of having such an abundance of amazing ideas: "Whenever we sit down and think we should do some single-player DLC, someone pitches something and we realize -- that's a five hour level," he said. "We'd rather build out another game than we would do episodic content. We're so small that we can't afford to have a whole team working on DLC." We're going to add this approach to DLC to the extensive list of Naughty Dog's fantastic ideas.

  • Buying Uncharted 3 gets you into next year's Starhawk beta

    by 
    JC Fletcher
    JC Fletcher
    10.12.2011

    When you buy Uncharted 3, you won't just get Uncharted 3 (and an optional belt buckle); you'll get a ticket into space. All retail copies of Uncharted 3 will include a code for entry into a Starhawk multiplayer beta that will be active sometime in early 2012. Think of it as Sony's response to the persistent complaints that the Uncharted series doesn't have enough transforming mechs or mutant cults. Or, more realistically, think of it as more evidence that Sony's marketing plan will pack a beta of some first-party PS3 game with every other new first-party PS3 game from here on out.

  • Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception gameplay footage (with a splash of gunplay)

    by 
    Ludwig Kietzmann
    Ludwig Kietzmann
    10.11.2011

    Drake can shrug off bullets and magically regenerate health if he cowers behind a rock for a few seconds, but he's unable to tolerate a little dehydration. Maybe Capri-Sun would have been a better tie-in than Subway.

  • Sony implies all first-party titles to use Online Pass

    by 
    Arthur Gies
    Arthur Gies
    10.05.2011

    We hope you like using that on-screen keyboard on your PS3. Sony confirmed in a statement today that Uncharted 3 will use the Online Pass system introduced earlier this year with Resistance 3. However, the same statement also specified that "Online Pass will be incorporated into... future Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios games with online functionality." Similar to EA's Project Ten Dollar and other single-use code programs from other developers, Sony's Online Pass ties multiplayer functionality to the use of, er, a single-use code. While Sony didn't actually spell out Online Pass use "forever and ever," they did include a portentious "We will provide further information in the future." We recommend a USB keyboard.

  • Uncharted 3 'Multiplayer Experience' live for PS Plus members in EMEA, AU/NZ this week

    by 
    Ben Gilbert
    Ben Gilbert
    10.03.2011

    It seems that Subway and Naughty Dog's bizarre "Taste for Adventure" campaign doesn't extend past US borders, as Uncharted 3's "Multiplayer Experience" heads to other parts of the world this Wednesday without help from the sandwich chain. The only caveat? You must have a subscription to PlayStation Plus to join in. Sony's EU blog announced as much this morning, detailing the "Multiplayer Experience" as a chance for gamers in "Europe, South Africa, The Middle East, Australia and New Zealand" to check out U3's multiplayer -- post-beta -- for a full month before the game's early November launch. Don't fret, frugal non-PS Plus subscriber, as the announce additionally teases "other ways to gain access" to the multiplayer... thing via the PS blog and community forums. Like the US version, participants will be able to carry over "key aspects" of their multiplayer experience to the retail version, such as XP. Other details are unfortunately scant, but Sony promises more soon.%Gallery-121445%

  • PSA: Uncharted 3's multiplayer available at Subway

    by 
    Jordan Mallory
    Jordan Mallory
    10.02.2011

    As part of Subway and Naughty Dog's remarkably confusing partnership, the Taste for Adventure campaign, purchasing one of Subway's specially-marked 30 ounce soda-pops will earn thirsty sammich-seeking patrons One Free Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Mode. No, for real; buy a drink with Nathan Drake's rugged mug on the side, and you'll be given a PSN code for access to the "full competitive multiplayer experience" through the rest of October. As explained by the above video, participating in the event can earn you exclusive items and abilities like the "foot-long taunt," and multiplayer maps have also be sprinkled with "exclusive Subway items" that reveal additional content. Look, we're not going to pretend this isn't completely ridiculous, but it's also hilarious in a mind-boggling, non-sequitur way. In fact, stuff like this is probably the future of product placement, so don't be surprised when the Hamburglar turns up in SoulCalibur 5. [Thanks, CQ!]

  • Uncharted 3 will use PSN Pass to combat piracy, make money on used games

    by 
    Jessica Conditt
    Jessica Conditt
    10.01.2011

    Uncharted 3 will use Sony's online pass system, much like we saw with Resistance 3, Sony España Software Manager Juan Jiménez told The Vault. Sony's PSN Pass features a one-time-use code for accessing content on PSN; the code can later be bought for $10 in used games. Jiménez said the pass system is a buffer against piracy, although we bet the added revenue from previously barren used-game sales doesn't exactly make Sony's decision harder. Uncharted 3 is the second Sony title to use the PSN Pass, but we expect to see it in all of Sony's future mainstream releases, as does Jiménez.

  • Uncharted 3 trophies are no longer hidden treasure

    by 
    Jordan Mallory
    Jordan Mallory
    10.01.2011

    The months leading up to a big blockbuster release have a natural flow and order to them: First a title is announced, then months (or years) later we see screens, then trailers, eventually a demo or beta, etc. It's a strange, beautiful process, much akin to watching a caterpillar transform itself into a colorful butterfly. Uncharted 3 has entered the final pupal stage of its metamorphosis, the "leaked trophies cocoon." Head on past the break for the full list of daring feats you'll be rewarded for come November 1.

  • Once upon a time, Uncharted was a Tolkien-inspired fantasy romp

    by 
    Jessica Conditt
    Jessica Conditt
    09.25.2011

    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.

  • Play Uncharted 3 at an AMC theatre, get an early copy

    by 
    Richard Mitchell
    Richard Mitchell
    09.24.2011

    Live in San Francisco, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles or Washington DC? Want a chance to play and (own) Uncharted 3 nearly two weeks early? If so, you might be interested in an upcoming event at your local AMC Theatre. From October 18 through 20, AMC theatres in the five cities listed above will be hosting a special event, during which fans will get a chance to play Uncharted 3 in 3D on the big screen. General admission is $25, but those who spend $60 on the "premium pass" will also get an early copy of the game. There is a catch, however, namely that said early copy will be "shipped to customer on 10/25/11." In other words, no one leaves the event with a physical copy in their hot little hands and there's really no guarantee the game will actually arrive early. But hey, it's probably the only chance you'll have to see Nathan Drake on the silver screen for quite some time. Head to the AMC website for more details. [Thanks, Vallanthaz]