Multiplayer Details Interview

NICE bunch of deets here. For instance, you can throw propane tanks. The melee system is simplified to smacking people around with rifle butts. Co-op can use headsets. There are purchasable weapon upgrades with that earned point system thing I pointed out the other day.

So. More reasons to be SUPER-PUMPED.

No Multiplayer Beta in Australia

(click blog entry title to link to blurb)

So I am fully aware that there are maybe no more than 5 people that read this blog, and I don't think any of them are Australian. But, fyi, there's no multiplayer beta vouchers in Australian copies of InFamous.

I mention it just in case some random Australian stumbles across this blog (PS IF YOU HAVE STUMBLE-UPON, PLZ "LIKE" THIS PAGE KTHX)

Dates To Know

I didn't explicitly mention this before, but:

-you can buy InFamous (ie: the date you can start getting the multiplayer voucher) on May 26th.

-the multiplayer beta starts on June 3rd and runs for three weeks, until June 28th.

These are things that are pretty much listed everywhere, and are on that Best Buy box sticker, but I'm just listing it here for thoroughness' sake.

It also seems pretty likely that the game will in fact release in September, but there's no confirmation on that yet.

Review of Co-Op Gameplay

(click blog entry title to link to review)

No fair, they got to play it!
It looks pretty cool, I especially like the fact that there are parts you need other people to help you with to get past enemies or obstacles.

Also there's a Sully and Elena skin, which of course doesn't mean that they're in it but DAMMIT I hope so.

Multiplayer Screenshots

The blog layout is messing with the display of the images. Click each one to see the whole shot.










Looking pretty sweet, I gotta say.

MULTIPLAYER/CO-OP IS GO

(click on blog entry title to link to Well's confirmation!)

YES. EPIC WIN.

And so Wells confirms the rumors about multiplayer and co-op gameplay, and that you get the beta voucher with InFamous, and the trailer looks super fly and cool!

CVG has a formal Sony release write-up here.
Some details:

Multiplayer is up to 10 players, 5 v. 5

Team Death Match and Capture the Treasure modes

up to 3 player co-op missions

competitive ranking system

currency system that seems to be earned like trophies/medals you can use to unlock cool bonuses (currency can also be earned in single player mode)

Exciting, no!?

Evan Wells Doesn't Actually Confirm Anything...Yet

(click entry title to link to blog)

So this is a (somewhat poorly transcribed) interview with Evan Wells that doesn't actually answer the big- but ultimately answered already- question about multiplayer. But hey, he's a cool dude, and it's something else to check out really quickly.

I Guess I'll Be Buying InFamous, Huh?

A reader of Kotaku sent them a picture of a Best Buy placeholder/preorder box for InFamous, which has this lovely and promising sticker on it!

It would seem likely that one of the announcements on Monday will be about the multiplayer beta that comes with InFamous.
I wasn't planning on buying InFamous. Now I am.

MONDAY CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH

(this video is up on both the Playstation Youtube channel and also as the FRONT PAGE for the Playstation website today)

THEY KEEP TEASING ME.
I KNOW. BIG NEWS IS COMING.
STOP TAUNTING ME, DAMMIT.

U2:AT Demo With InFamous?

(click blog entry title to link to blog)

A rumor has it that there might be an Uncharted 2 demo/beta included on the InFamous disc.
Confirmation either way likely on Monday.

McConaughey as Drake?

(click blog entry title to link to blog)

Rumor has it that Matthew McConaughey is in line to play Drake in the Uncharted movie.

I don't really know how I feel about that. I get the impression that he's too frivolous for Drake, and not quite sardonically cynical enough. It's just a rumor, though, and we'll see.

Possible September Release!?

(click blog entry title to link to news blog)

ALSO it looks like we may have an earlier release date than expected!

The blog linked to by the title, as well as both of these sites, have picked up the info from the Portuguese Playstation blog that lists the release date as September, not October as previously thought. No number date is given, but still. Big deal here!

You can read the original Portuguese Playstation page here. It clearly says "Setembro 2009."

PS Until we get an official confirmation and a number date, the countdown is going to remain for the October release date, just to make my life a little easier.

Big News Leak!

(click blog entry title to link if video does not work)

MULTIPLAYER!?!?
NO WAAAAY!!!

Obviously we won't know for certain until Monday when the official news drops on most gaming media sites, but this is kind of a big deal! And it also makes sense with why they wanted it to be hush-hush.

This is excellent because if it's true, obviously this is going to bump up the replay value about a billion.

And thanks to D20 Sapphire for the tip!

E3 Preview Material Coming Soon

(click entry title to link to blog)

So, yes, a bunch of gaming media groups and bloggers and so forth got an E3 preview of various Sony games. Apparently they're not allowed to talk about them until next week.
Uncharted 2 news will be dropped on Monday the 27th. See you then.

SCEA's E3 Sneak Peek

(click the blog entry title to link to the...blog)

Some guys at the Playstation Blog, along with some other "media outlets," are getting to look at some games that will be at E3 (June 2-4), one of which is of course Uncharted 2.

Probably more on this next week.

U:DF Not Required to Play U2:AT

(click the blog entry title to link to a blurb on the article)

It was pretty well established that you wouldn't have had to play Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to play Uncharted 2 (example A: Chloe Frazer), but what I'm interested in is that there's some kind of article in GamePro...which I do not subscribe to! Not cool.

Oh, PS, there was some chatter the other day about a "possible demo" but that was a false alarm. I blame the Twitter character limit. It's not even worth its own post, but you can check out the fakeout here

Some Random Guy Has Faith in Naughty Dog

(click blog entry title to link to blog)

So this guy Don who apparently blogs at GamingVice.com made a list of PS3 titles coming out this year and basically went through and mused on what he thinks is really coming out this year.

The point here is that the only one he thinks is actually going to make it is Uncharted 2, because Naughty Dog is made of win.

So...thanks to this guy, I guess.

Concept Art and Chatter

(click blog entry title to link to interview/art)

There's some lovely concept art here, including a gorgeous picture of what I assume is Shambala, and it looks quite fun. Also I think the first picture is Drake inside the train while it's hanging over the edge of the cliff? Super exciting, I really want to explore all the places we're seeing!

I found this article through Evan Wells' Twitter, way before my Google alerts email came through. I'm not so ashamed of myself for having a Twitter now that I am reaping actual U2:AT benefits.

Gnomon School of Visual Arts Presentation

(click blog entry title to link to video)

This is a loooong presentation by Lemarchand about Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. I haven't watched all of it yet, but here it is.

Zero Punctuation Review of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

(click blog entry title to link if video does not load)



for the lolz, since I don't think I ever posted this.
I actually saw this before I played the game. I still loved it, but I did definitely notice that EVERYONE I was fighting against was not white (except those FUCKING Australians and their GODDAMN GRENADE LAUNCHERS). It was funnier having it pointed out.

Another Evan Wells Interview

(click blog entry title to link to the interview)

Just some more little things, mostly old news.
What was kind of interesting though was that Wells mentioned how after Uncharted shipped, they basically let the programmers mess around with the engine to explore thing that interested them. Presumably this is how they were able to refine it and step it up for this time around.

Leaked GDC Footage Analysis

Another look at the footage we've seen, analyzed by a robot.
Or at least a nerd like me who has a robot's voice. Or sound manipulation software.
Anyway. Interesting attention to details here.

Nolan North Interview

(click blog entry title to link to interview)

This is a pretty interesting interview from In Game Chat with Nolan North.
He mentions the similarity between the Prince of Persia and Uncharted voice work, and how "No Punctuation" ripped him about it. It's pretty funny.

Re: Trophy Achievements

(click blog entry title to link to article)

Also a short little blip, but trophies are fun. That's why Naughty Dog likes 'em.

GDC Coverage- Character Design

(click blog entry title to link to article)

A short but cool little article about some aspects of character design. Apparently Nathan Drake looked dorkier back in early development, and they couldn't really make him work until they decided to model him on Johnny Knoxville from the show Jackass. Interesting little bit of trivia, that!

GDC Coverage

(click the blog entry title to link)

This is just a tiny little bit of coverage about the presentation from the Game Developer's Conference, the video footage of which we've seen already.

Collector's Edition?

(click the blog entry title to link to the article...thing)

So Naughty Dog apparently asked for followers of their Twitter what they think about a Collector's Edition for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Not only that, but they asked for input on what fans would like to see included in the Collector's Edition.

My love for Uncharted outweighed my hatred for Twitter, so I caved. As soon as I figure out how to use the hell-spawn website, I'll go put in my two cents. I'd love to see more behind-the-scenes stuff, interviews, screentests for the actors, different versions of the scripts/deleted scenes, and tons of "how-it's-made." Maybe even a director's commentary?

This kind of stuff is why Naughty Dog is the best company in the world. They honestly care about making good products and pleasing their fans.