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Uncharted: Drake's Fortune movie underway at Columbia Pictures

by Christopher Grant { Jun 26th 2009 at 10:18AM }

It's been nearly a year, but remember when we broke the news that pirate-murdering simulator and half-tuck trendsetter Uncharted was making its way from the wilds of the video game jungle to the majesty of the silver screen? Looks like our original source was dead-on: Atlas Entertainment had optioned the rights for the title last year and now, with a script by Kyle Ward of "Kane & Lynch" and "Hitman 2" game-to-not-yet-movie fame – they've found a partner in Columbia Pictures.

For those of you not well versed in the corporate parentage of movie studios (Gulf + Western who?) we'll remind you: Columbia Pictures is part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. And the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group is, in turn, a part of Sony Pictures Entertainment. And you'll never guess who owns ... oh, you already guessed? So, yeah, through a labyrinth of corporate relationships, Sony is making a movie based on a game made by a studio owned by Sony.

Regardless, The Hollywood Reporter, uh ... reports that the movie follows the plot of the first game – the project is titled Uncharted: Drake's Fortune – wherein "a treasure hunter named Nate Drake ... believes he has learned the whereabouts of El Dorado, the fabled South American golden city, from a cursed golden statue." Oh, and what about that other part of the first game? "The search becomes competitive when a rival hunter joins the fray, then is racheted up several notches when creatures -- actually mutated descendants of Spaniards and Nazis -- begin attacking those hoping to learn the treasure's true secrets."

Creatures confirmed.

[via @geoffkeighley]

Nolan North discusses being the voice of Nathan Drake

by Jem Alexander { Jun 17th 2009 at 3:45PM }

Nolan North may be a posterboy for video game voice acting but, as you'll hear in his interview with the PS Blog's Jeff Rubenstein after the break, working on the Uncharted games is his favorite job so far. He describes what makes voicing these games so different from others -- but that's not all he discusses. There's almost eleven minutes of pure Nolan North interview to watch here, including a visit from a few of his Uncharted 2 voicing buddies.

As for the burning question of who would be best to play Nathan in an Uncharted movie, we're surprised no-one mentioned the obvious answer. Nathan Fillion, duh.

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Impressions: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and old flings

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jun 5th 2009 at 4:45PM }

Elena Fisher, shrewdly describing herself as "last year's model," is back in Uncharted 2, breaking with the standard serial adventure ethos that values the one-and-done romantic interest over long-term attachment. It may have taken Marion two decades to make her way back to Indy's side, but Elena has swiftly staked a claim as Nathan Drake's true sidekick. The two reunite in Naughty Dog's sequel with the sassy Chloe spicing up the between-the-sheets melodrama. It's a diversion, at least, from the requisite mass murdering that seems to accompany Drake's carefree treasure hunts.

Naughty Dog most certainly has not scaled back any of the elements that made the first Uncharted a blast to play but, upon reflection, posed some serious questions about Drake's psychological condition. The man single-handedly committed pirate genocide, after all (well, Elena did peg a few, too). Fitting, then, that Uncharted 2's antagonist is a Serbian war criminal, who might share more in common with Drake than the surface story leads us to believe.

Gallery: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

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E3 2009's crown jewel of trailers: Uncharted 2

by Jem Alexander { Jun 4th 2009 at 5:45AM }

This year's E3 has seen a number of great trailers -- certainly better quality than some from last year -- but this Uncharted 2 trailer definitely sits very high on our list of favorites. If you weren't excited about the game already, you will be once you see this. Just remember, this is a game, not a movie. Honest.

Over five minutes of Uncharted 2 single-player footage discovered

by Andrew Yoon { May 15th 2009 at 5:00PM }

Nathan Drake is a man that gets into a lot of trouble. If watching yesterday's video of Uncharted 2 wasn't enough to satiate your appetite for this PS3 sequel, you'll be glad to know even more footage has been discovered on the web. This time, you can see five minutes of the brand new urban environment Drake must climb through. Let's hope the treasure is worth it for our intrepid explorer.

Update: You can now check out an in-your-face HD version at IGN. In addition, you can read their preview to find out more about the treasure du 'jour: the Cintimani Stone.

[Thanks, Bryan!]

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Uncharted 2 single-player footage surfaces, is suitably off the chart

by Randy Nelson { May 14th 2009 at 5:45PM }

The multiplayer modes in Naughty Dog's high-adventure sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, are good stuff for sure, but if you're anything like us you've been aching to see some more of the game's single-player side. We're all in luck, as footage has surfaced via GameTrailers showing a solo Nate Drake in action -- and oh, does it ever look good.

The video is actually a (much) higher quality version of what was "leaked" out of this year's Game Developers Conference. Through the magic of direct-feed video, you can now see every little detail as Drake performs new close-quarters fighting moves, utilizes the improved cover system and cracks wise after nearly being blown to smithereens. How's that for a hero? Watch it for yourself after the break.

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Qore subscribers get access to Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta

by Andrew Yoon { May 6th 2009 at 3:15PM }

Here's another way to get into the upcoming Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta. If you're on the fence about inFamous and don't want to pick it up, all you have the option of becoming a Qore subscriber. New and existing subscribers will receive an e-mail voucher granting access to the multiplayer trial on June 3rd. However, you must subscribe by May 15th to receive the invitation.

Episode 12 of Sony's e-magazine features previews of Ghostbusters and Batman: Arkham Asylum. In addition, the episode will also include a bonus inFamous theme that "evolves over time." Check out a preview after the break.

Gallery: Uncharted 2: Multiplayer

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Joystiq hands-on: Uncharted 2's Deathmatch and Plunder multiplayer

by Kevin Kelly { Apr 27th 2009 at 12:01PM }

Click to enlarge

Joystiq recently attended a Sony Gamers Day event in Los Angeles, where we got hands-on time with a lot of upcoming titles that we can't speak about just yet. However, the event that capped off the day of gaming was our first hands-on time with a title that we know you're eager to see more of, along with a surprising (although not entirely unexpected) reveal: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has multiplayer. Not just any multiplayer, mind you, but three-player (!) co-op, plus five-on-five Deathmatch and a mode called "Plunder."

The good news? It rocks. Randy took a long look at the co-op mode, but you couldn't pry me away from Deathmatch/Plunder with a crowbar. Read on to get the full rundown, including the weapons you'll be using, what Naughty Dog copied from Call of Duty 4, and why Plunder is much better than traditional Capture the Flag.

Gallery: Uncharted 2: Multiplayer

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inFamous pre-order box reveals Uncharted 2 multiplayer beta

by Andrew Yoon { Apr 24th 2009 at 5:05PM }

Looks as though Sony's "electrifying announcement" may have been leaked a bit early. A Best Buy pre-order box features this promo for an Uncharted 2 "Multiplayer Beta Voucher," as revealed by Kotaku. From what we can garner from the box, purchasing inFamous will give players an early preview of Uncharted 2's online mode. This would be a rather smart move on Sony's part, leveraging one of its biggest franchises to promote a new IP.

Oh, and multiplayer in Uncharted 2??? That sounds pretty rad, too. Guess we'll find out all the details when embargoes end on Monday.

[Thanks, tmacairjordan87!]

Uncharted 2 looks deadly, gorgeous in new concept art

by Majed Athab { Apr 10th 2009 at 6:15PM }

Concept art for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has surfaced online and it's looking absolutely gorgeous. The images show some very ambitious action sequences and intense environments (such as a gun battle on a moving train, and deadly drop zones like the gutted train car hanging over a cliff pictured above).

Of course, concept art can only show the intent of designers and not the final content found in the game. Though, those lucky enough to have seen the leaked GDC gameplay footage might attest that the transition from concept to game is working out just fine. IGN has a few more concept paintings to check out, including an area that looks like it could be Shangri-La.

Tell Naughty Dog what you want in an Uncharted 2 Collector's Edition

by Jem Alexander { Mar 30th 2009 at 11:10PM }

For fans of a franchise, collector's editions are always welcome. They're usually jam packed full of goodies and extras which are well worth a bit of extra money. Naughty Dog is thinking about setting one up for Uncharted 2 when it launches this autumn, but it doesn't know what it'd put in it. That's where you come in.

A collector's edition hasn't yet been confirmed -- Naughty Dog is just testing the water to see if it would be viable. If you have a good idea for an Uncharted 2 collector's edition -- should one be made -- then leave a comment on this post, in case a Naughty Dog representative should come snooping round. Alternatively, feel free to twitter your idea and include the hashtag "#u2ce" in your tweet.

As for us, we'd love to see a boatload of behind the scenes content, an artbook, copy of the game script, a "How-to: The Perfect Half-Tuck" guide and a working replica of whatever magical treasures are found in the game. Nothing too extreme.

Joystiq interview: Talking Uncharted 2 with Naughty Dog's Evan Wells

by Kevin Kelly { Feb 4th 2009 at 11:11AM }

When he wasn't busy showing us the best way to get Nathan Drake killed, Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells was patiently listening to our questions about facial hair, multiplayer plans and the adventurer's latest female companion.

Thankfully, he answered everything we lobbed at him (without lobbing any physical objects back). Read on after the break to find out what other secrets Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has to offer.

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Joystiq impressions: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

by Kevin Kelly { Feb 3rd 2009 at 7:00PM }

We ventured out to Naughty Dog studios yesterday to check out the eagerly anticipated sequel, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The bad news? We didn't get to play it. We instead watched Naughty Dog co-president Evan Wells take Nathan Drake through the paces. Nothing makes your palm itch more than watching someone else play a game you're dying to get your hands on.

The good news? It looks, perhaps unsurprisingly, very promising. With new abilities for Drake, better usage of the PlayStation 3 hardware and a curvy new love interest, Naughty Dog appears set to deliver a great sequel to 2007's critically acclaimed jungle romp. Check out our impressions after the break.

Gallery: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (02/03/09)

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Stare at Uncharted 2 screens, now with more 'res'

by Randy Nelson { Jan 23rd 2009 at 2:53PM }

click to enlarge

Nathan Drake, Nathan Drake, does whatever ... a Nathan Drake ... can? Well, in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves -- we wonder if Sly Cooper's among them? -- Drake can clearly cling to new types of cover and sneak up on thieve-ier thieves, grab their shields, and basically do a whole heck of a lot more than he could in the first game. Which is good, right? It sure looks good in these direct-feed shots from developer Naughty Dog, which are both pretty and high in "res."

Gallery: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Yes! Direct-feed Uncharted 2 screenshots

by Andrew Yoon { Jan 23rd 2009 at 12:45PM }

Click for high resolution image.

Tired of looking for magazine scans? Here you go: direct feed screenshots of Nathan Drake's upcoming PS3-exclusive adventure: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

Go! Go! Go!

Update: Some of you have noted that we linked to these screenshots earlier. However, now we're actually able to have them on our site. ;D