EEDAR, a group that predicts the monthly sales of the videogame industry, have released their numbers of how many games were moved for the month of October. According to them, Sony’s exclusive adventure game Uncharted 2 has moved 600,000 units, making it the top selling videogame for last month. You might think these numbers are low, considering Gamestop alone had over 1.5 million reservations for Modern Warfare 2, but you need to remember — Uncharted is only available for the PS3, which is the least sold console this generation. You should also know the game started to be sold in stores almost two full weeks into October, so that’s just another reason why 600,000 is an impressive number.
Other notable top selling games were Boarderlands, which is expected to have moved 300,000 copies and had very little marketing when compared to Uncharted 2, along with EA’s adventure title Brutal Legend, starring Hollywood actor Jack Black.
EEDAR, a group that predicts the monthly sales of the videogame industry, have released their numbers of how many games were moved for the month of October. According to them, Sony’s exclusive adventure game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has moved 600,000 units, making it the top selling videogame for last month. You might think these numbers are low, considering Gamestop alone had over 1.5 million reservations for Modern Warfare 2, but you need to remember — Uncharted is only available for the PS3, which is the least sold console this generation. You should also know the game started to be sold in stores almost two full weeks into October, so that’s just another reason why 600,000 is an impressive number.
Other notable top selling games were Borderlands, which is expected to have moved 300,000 copies and had very little marketing when compared to Uncharted . EA’s adventure title Brutal Legend, starring Hollywood actor Jack Black, moved about 200,000 units.
Every time new video footage of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves emerges online, I become more and more impressed with the title. That is saying a lot considering I already had incredibly high expectations for the action sequel. Naughty Dog has released more clips and this time it features Drake battling it out on a train in the rainforest.
While he firefights with baddies on the locomotive, a helicopter appears and automatically makes the scene epic. Drake then has to jump from platform to platform, while it moves at a fast speed and at the same time he has to dodge missiles from the chopper. It truly is remarkable what the studio is doing with the PlayStation 3 and this title looks like it could rival a blockbuster summer film when it comes to action
There is no question, there is a lot going on the screen at once, especially when one of the platforms spins out of control and just misses Drake, however, I might be more fascinated by how Drake talks to himself. For instance, right after the train misses him, he starts to laugh uncontrollably and thanks god for tunnels. This little feature of him entertaining himself by blabbering nonsense adds a lot of character and this is something that is missing in videogames. Most games have cutscenes, but when the action is going on — there’s no dialog. Which makes the main characters quite boring when you compare it to other mediums of story-telling.
Sony has released another trailer for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which was first shown at Gamescom. The video starts off in what looks like the same area as the first teaser — the middle of nowhere with a snow storm howling around Drake. While the clip doesn’t show much in-terms of gameplay elements, it certainly tries to prove that a videogame trailer can give off the same type of emotion as a film advertisement.
Videogame developers have been desperately trying to compete with big budget movies, however, in the end they generally fail. While a director for a videogame has an eye for camera work, they usually have a hard time helming the actors. You even see this with well known actors who lend their voices in a game, but for the most part their lines end up being cheesy. In the end, an actors horrible performance can really take a player out of the game, and it ultimately hurts the story and the seriousness it’s trying to tell.
Everything I’ve seen with Uncharted 2 is the complete opposite. So far, what I’ve seen has been almost perfect. From the gameplay elements, to the cut-scenes, to the acting and score — everything is top notch. Which in turn should easily make this game a contender for game of the year.
When I bought the PlayStation 3 back in 2006, I was told by Sony that I was purchasing the greatest console on earth. At the time, I already loved my Xbox 360, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a system that was supposedly better. Almost three years have past, so is it best? I’m not to sure about that, but I do love it anyway. However, there are some annoyances that really piss me off about the PS3.
One thing I find just BS is having to install a videogame in order to play it. Wasn’t one of the many benefits about playing on a console rather than a PC, is having the ability to play right off the disc? I understand not every game does it, but there are enough to severely fill up my ever-so-precious hard-drive space. When I look at my Xbox 360, I don’t see this crappy install thing happening, unless of course I CHOOSE to do so. Even when a third party develops a game for both systems, the Xbox 360 version can play right off the disc, while sometimes PS3 owners have to wait for five minutes until the system decides it’s done. I know it’s only five minutes or so, but seriously…
Now that my rant is done, the talented team over at Naughty Dog has confirmed that Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will NOT have a mandatory install. This comes as a surprise because some early box art suggested that it would require a 1.7 GB installation. Thankfully it will not. Co-President of the studio Christophe Balestra confirmed that it won’t, thanks to his Twitter account, “Uncharted 2 does not require any install,” he wrote.
Thank you Naughty Dog! Now can you teach other companies how to accomplish this?
Naughty Dog has released some new video regarding their new adventure game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Unlike the last clip we saw, which featured a cut scene, this time we get to see some some actual gameplay of Drake climbing and hopping on some ice cave ruins.
Graphically speaking — we already know the game shines tremendously, and so do the animations. So what it really comes down to, are the gameplay mechanics, as with every game. Thankfully, the studio is extremely talented and I doubt that is an area we would have to be concerned about, anyway. Actually, from what I already have played, the second adventure is looking like it’s a step up in every area, when compared to the original game.
Naughty Dog is really doing everything they can to make Uncharted 2 feel and look like a summer blockbuster film. One way the developers are trying to do this, is by giving the game movie-like cut scenes. So far, we’re hearing the game could have as much as 90 full minutes of unplayable scenes, which is as long as some films today.
So far, all the cut scenes I have seen thus far is might impressive. From the acting to the epic score, it looks like the direction Naughty Dog is taking Drake’s next adventure will make it feel like a good old action flick. The video up top is another example of this.
Keep in mind, since the game is heavily story driven, any cut scene is considered a spoiler. So watch it at your own risk — actually just stop reading and move on to the next post if you hate spoilers.
This new clip is talking about the significance of a dagger Drake has found, which if you remember was first shown in the very first teaser trailer for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves last year. Apparently that same dagger is the key to some kind of important stone, which is probably worth a crap load of money and somehow this same stone gives a man endless amounts of power; meaning other people are after it.
X-Play on G4 has the first look at Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’ online multiplayer portion. The game will feature pretty much the same feeling as the single player campaign, but the Naughty Dog team promises some tweaks were made to ensure the online experience is a good one. Although, what changes the team decided to make are still unclear, but hopefully we’ll get a better grasp at E3.
There will be two categories included with the online multiplayer. One will be competitive, which will accommodate team-deathmatches. One mode that is selectable in competitive is something called ‘Plunder.’ Plunder just seems like a name that is fancy for “capture-the-flag,” but without a flag. How original!
Naughty Dog has also implemented co-op, however it sounds like it won’t include the story — bummer. Instead, players will choose various modes, and one of these modes remind me of Horde, that was found in Gears of War 2. Players can have up to three real people play and they battle it out against swarms of enemies that are controlled by the A.I..
One of the cooler features that were mentioned by Naughty Dog, is the ability to record a whole match. Let’s say you had a kick ass game and want to cherish it for generations to come, the studio will give you the opportunity to do so. After the match in either competitive or co-op, the player has the chance to save. If they choose to do so, they then can reply the match, however, the player can also fly around the level in real-time and follow anyone they would like. Basically, the ‘top-players’ can now be spied upon.
Check out the video up top if you want to check out more footage.
So yesterday I posted a video of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and praised how incredible it looks. Today, we get even a longer video of the same level that we saw yesterday. So am I just as amazed? Well, not exactly. I’m even more blown away!
This game is, dare I say, shaping up perfectly. From the graphics to the platforming to the shooting to the fighting, everything transitions itself so smooth and without a hitch. There are not many games, if any, that can put all these mechanics into one action packed title.
I’m also noticing how Drake can interact with the environment around him. For instance, he runs to a desk and flips it on its side, and then uses it for cover. Little things like that make me feel like this is a real-breathing world with consequences, and you have to do everything you can possibly do in order to stay alive.
There are a few other things I want to mention. First off, the score like the original game, is awesome. It really captures the mood of the moment. When Uncharted 1 was released, I never thought the music got the recognition it deserved, which is a shame really. It should also be noted that Greg Edmonson is the composer of the Uncharted score, who also wrote the music to Joss Whedon’s cult-classic Firefly.
Lastly, I really love the whole idea and personality Drake. I enjoy how he talks to himself, and never really takes himself or the situations around him to seriously. In a way, Drake reminds me a lot like Bruce Willis‘ Character John McClain, in the Die Hard series. And that is a good thing folks.
Every now and then footage for a video game will come online that will simply make my jaw drop. Naughty Dog has done that for me with the first single player clip for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. When the original PlayStation 3 exclusive game was released in 2007, many people, including myself, hailed it as the first must own title for PS3.
Thanks to Gametrailers, we finally get to see actual gameplay for the single-player mode. Sure the marvelous clip only lasts for 1:17, but that’s all the time PS3 owners will need to decided that they will purchase the game. Honesty, that is all the time non-PS3 owners will need to make up their mind to buy Sony’s console.
Just like the first game, the visuals are incredible. When it comes to the graphics, most games try to excel with textures. While Uncharted 2 surfaces indeed look stunning — that isn’t the sole reason why it looks so beautiful. Naughty Dog goes way beyond that, they almost tell a story with every little detail shown on the screen. For instance, when you first watch the clip, check out the bricks on the right side of Drake while he is hiding. Just having the blocks sitting there gives us a quick background about the city around him and its not safe area, and Drake is in the heart of it.
However, even though Naughty Dog is a master of the visual arts, that isn’t their only skill. If I would choose one thing I feel the studio is second to none better than anyone else, it would have to be their animations. It is not only because of how fluent they are either, it’s more than that. In the same part where we saw the bricks, watch Drake. When he isn’t being controlled by the player, he is always moving. Sure, it is just a little thing like breathing, but that gives me the impression that Drake is living and not just some computer animation waiting for me to move it.
One small animation/effect that sticks in my mind more than anything else, is something most people might miss. When Drake is hiding from his foes, who are walking in front of him, you’ll hear bullets. As soon as they whistle by, the reaction of Drake is just awesome. He does a quick flinch, like it was totally unexpected. In essence, little things like that make me feel like Drake is acting and is not just some other video game character trapped in a boring and expecting world.
We have already seen video footage of the online multiplayer portion for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. What we haven’t seen, besides cut-scenes, is actual gameplay from the highly-anticipated sequel.
Thankfully, the host of Gametrailers TV Geoff Keighley just confirmed that will change when Gametrailers TV will air this Thursday night. He wrote about the unveiling using his Twitter account.
“On Thursday night GTTV will be airing the first single-player footage from Uncharted 2. And it looks great!”
It’s about damn it, if you asked me. While I’m excited to hear about the action title including online play, which I already thought was going to happen. I still think the game will truly shine by having an incredible single-player experience. In my opinion, Uncharted’s engine is built around the solo-campaign, rather than having a online deathmatch. Although, I’m sure killing some friends on PSN is going to be quite fun too.
It’s official, Naughty Dog’s next game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will feature online multiplayer, and latest trailer shows just that. The online portion will not only include competitive gameplay, but also co-op modes — which we predicted months ago.
The first clip for the online modes, which we embedded up top, features some of the competitive elements. Judging by the trailer, it looks like some of the deathmatches will have some innovative stuff. One thing I noticed, which was a quick flash of the gameplay, showed a player pick up what looked like a propane tank, threw it in the air, shot it, and caused it to explode on his opponent.
From what I can tell, there seems like a lot of hand-to-hand combat as well. For instance, when a player was climbing up a wall, a enemy was already above him. He simply grabbed the enemy and then pushed him off the wall, and than proceeded to watch him fall to his death. I’m not to sure if I can recall a game doing that, during an online session. If you watch the video closely, you’ll also see some intense fighting going on, which looked a little more deeper than your standard “hitting the opponent with a gun routine.”
While it certainly looks fun, the gun fighting elements look rather average, at best. I’m dying to get my hands to play it and see if Naughty Dog is going to prove me wrong, which I hope they do. If you’re wondering when you’ll get your shot to play it, starting June 3rd, gamers who purchase inFamous for the PS3, will be invited into the beta.
In just a few hours from me writing this, Sony is set to reveal the multiplayer aspect of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Before we get the official announcement, we have some screens to hold you over thanks to the Chilean website niubie. Judging from the shots, it looks like the action title will feature some sort of deathmatch. But I’m assuming we’ll see other game modes, when the confirmation is unveiled tomorrow.
According to the site, we should expect the gameplay to match the firefights we see in Gears of War. It’ll be a typical third-person shooter, along with a cover system, which should be similar to Epic’s shooter.
While checking out screens, I also notice the game will also include different elevation levels. Obviously, this isn’t original for a multiplayer shooter to include this, but generally you don’t see something that focuses around a cover system and have the ability to climb.
We’ll bring you more when Sony announces the features later today.
A couple of days ago, Sony revealed on the official PlayStation Blog that they were on the verge to confirm an “electrifying announcement.” Above the blog they posted a picture of two games, inFamous and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. They promised that this surprise announcement would take place on April 27th.
A reader over at Kotaku sent a photo of a Best Buy pre-oderboxes for inFamous that had an interesting promotion sticker on it. According to the promo, if you reserve inFamous you’ll get early access to an inFamous demo. However, you’ll also receive a voucher to participate in a multiplayer online beta test for Uncharted 2. That’s right, this sticker has pretty much guaranteed that Uncharted 2 will include some kind of online multiplayer, and we’ll be able to play it soon.
Below the Uncharted promo, it has some small print that reads; “Voucher Valid 6/3/09 – 6/28/09.” To me, this probably means the beta will happened between those dates. If that is the case, the beta will start one day after E3 begins, which is on June 2.
The official Portugal blog for PlayStation might have spilled the beans for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’ release date and if it’ll have online play or not. According to the info side bar, which shows the ‘game details, we should see Drake’s next adventure hit store shelves sometime in September. Of course, this would be for the European audience, so in America the game should be available before or around the same date.
Sadly, in the same bar it reads, when translated,: “Game Network: not available in network.” To me, that probably means no online play for the next installment. Which if this holds up to be true, it is a HUGE disappointment for me, as I was looking forward to see what Naughty Dog could do with online play. Hopefully it’s wrong.
When the first Uncharted was released in 2007, it met with great reviews and many people thought it was one of the first ‘triple A‘ title for PS3. The game combined Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider adventure story telling, and action that combined a Gears of War cover system and platformer mechanics. Not only that, the game was beautiful and really showed the raw power that the PlayStation 3 could do. I felt it was the second time (Ratchet & Clank being the first) where PS3 was capable of producing its own great graphics and didn’t need to rely on a Xbox 360 port.
When I first heard the sequel for Uncharted was coming out, I was more than enthusiastic about playing it. I really enjoyed the first game and couldn’t wait to see what Naughty Dog had in store the second time around. When the first trailer arrived online, my month dropped, I couldn’t believe how incredible the title looked — visually. However, I wanted to see it in motion during gameplay and not some controlled cut scene.
Luckily someone broke the rules, because they filmed Uncharted 2 during GDC as someone was playing and decided to upload it on youtube. After viewing clip, my jaw hit the floor once again. The level of detail and the amount of action going on screen is impressive. As I watched Drake go from building to building by leaping from various signs and than occasionally see one fall at the last moment, I couldn’t help to think how Naughty Dog really nailed down the feel of a summer blockbuster movie. This is something that other companies have tried to do over the years, but never really achieved it to the level I think they could have. Uncharted 2 might be the first game that did it.
