Naughty Dog Blog

Return of The Lab - Patch 1.11 Deployed

2012-05-25T18:00:28Z

Patch 1.11 has been deployed and will be available for download across all regions over the next 24 hours. Just in time for memorial day weekend in the U.S., Patch 1.11 heralds the return of The Lab, Elimination mode, and many other updates we've outlined in our previous blog post. If you don't want to click the link and read that post here's a video that outlines all of the changes:

Here's rundown of the patch 1.11 notes in written form as well:

The Lab returns and we begin the playlist with a T-bolt/Pistole only map. We will be rolling out other game types as the year progresses.
- The Lab will contain treasure drops from whatever the base game type is (the T-bolt/Pistole map is considered Team Deathmatch)

Elimination Mode has been added.
- Elimination mode will contain treasure drops from Team Deathmatch

Message of the Day returns – a daily message will pop up with news, tips, and other information

The following custom game settings are now available via a menu in Custom Game mode called “Advanced Settings”
- Respawn Time
- Buddy Spawning toggle
- Health Multiplier – by percentage
- Sprinting toggle
- Weapon Mode (Default, Basic Weapons, Pistols, RPG-7)
- Medal Kickbacks toggle
- Boosters toggle
- Grenade Throw Back toggle

If you leave a game, disconnect, or turn off your PS3 mid-game, it will be counted as a loss.

Kill and deaths no longer count towards your career stats in Plunder and Team Objective modes

The technical hooks to make the Game of the Year edition (EU) work properly with DLC were added

The Long Ranger Medal can now be earned by achieving 3 kills at 50 meters in a match instead of 3 kills at 70 meters.

In Team Deathmatch mode the Airstrip and London maps now are listed with “No Intro” variations. If these variations are selected you’ll start those maps with no convoy events.

If your language is Greek, the Message of the Day will be static until the next patch update. We are getting some technical issues ironed out regarding the Greek language Message of the Day and that should be updated in the next patch. We will also be rolling out some minor live updates that you may or may not notice. We'll let you know as these happen if they will affect your gameplay experience.

Notice the awesome gif created by one of our Environmental Artists here at Naughty Dog above? It's quick glimpse into the level construction of our Oasis map. It could be a hint about future labs. A second hint? There won't be any map builder coming. Soooooo.....what's your best guess?

See you in The Lab!

{extended}

The Uncharted Audition: Along Came a Spyder Part 2

2012-05-24T21:24:11Z

The Uncharted Audition wrapped a few weeks ago and it was awesome. Winner Jeremy "Spyder" Gallant has now uploaded part 2 of his experience to YouTube. He edited the video and took most of the footage himself. It's very, very cool. Check it out here:

We're going to see part 3 of Jeremy's video pretty soon and will post it up once available. Look for Jeremy's designs coming to Uncharted 3 multiplayer soon!

{extended}

The Last of Us: Joel and Ellie Truck Ambush Cinematic

2012-05-15T21:01:22Z

It’s been nearly six months since we announced The Last of Us and development has been a beehive of activity. If you picked up the March 2012 issue of Game Informer or have seen any of the online coverage you might have read about Joel and Ellie’s time spent in an abandoned city they have driven to. We are excited to share a very fresh, very provocative video with you today. This video should answer some of the questions you had after reading the stories about what went down inside those city walls. You’ll get a glimpse into the lethality of the world Joel and Ellie are surviving in and what being a survivor in that world truly means. ...glimpse into the lethality of the world Joel and Ellie are surviving in

Joel and Ellie won’t have an easy road ahead on their journey across the U.S. Their path will intersect with other remaining survivors, some of which won’t be so friendly. In this scene Joel and Ellie continue the journey west in a salvaged pickup truck. The somber tune of Hank Williams, Sr. echoes the desolation of the world of The Last of Us. As they drive towards the next destination on their route, really just another place to find resources that will help them survive, they run into some hunters. What happens next is something you have to witness to understand. Check it out:

What you watched here is only a peek into how alone and forsaken the world has become. Our world is a brutal, lethal place in The Last of Us. Be ready for things to get much worse.

If you missed any of Game Informer’s coverage of The Last of Us be sure to dive into it as we have so much more to show you. You won’t want to miss any of the backstory. Most recently, Bruce Straley, Game Director, and Neil Druckmann, Creative Director, spoke with IGN and answered some questions about the game. Be sure to read it as we can’t wait to share this genre defining game with you. The hounds have started to bay. Get prepared for E3 and the news storm over coming months!

{extended}

Of Dogs and Development

2012-05-14T21:25:12Z

We are pleased to introduce our new podcast "Of Dogs and Development". Here we will discuss various topics with members of the studio and special guests. Our first talk is about PAX East 2012 and the experiences and reactions by Justin Richmond (@wildspeculation), Eric Schatz (@thegreatbluebit), and Arne Meyer (@arnemeyer). Listen in for throughts on being in Boston, our wonderful fans, our parents, and their panel "The Chateau, Creation to Ashes from Uncharted 3". All this and more!

Special thanks to our video editor Jeff Negus (@negusaurusrex) for putting this and all of our podcast videos together.

Check out the video below or on our new "Of Dogs and Development" video page: Of Dogs and Development

{extended}

The Uncharted Audition: Along Came a Spyder

2012-05-14T21:18:02Z

The Uncharted Audition happened a few weeks ago and winner Jeremy "Spyder" Gallant just posted up part 1 of his experience to YouTube. He edited the video and took most of the footage himself. It's pretty damn cool. Check it out here:

We'll have a deeper look into Jeremy's studio visit and news about when his multiplayer designs will be playable in-game over the coming weeks! Be sure to check back in and see what's happening.

{extended}

Uncharted 3 Patch 1.11 Notes: The Return of the Lab, Elimination mode, and more!

2012-05-11T16:30:35Z

It’s back! We are very excited to unveil the details for patch 1.11 for Uncharted 3 as, first of all, we can hail the long anticipated return of The Lab. However if your memory is fuzzy about what the Lab is, we first introduced it in Uncharted 2 multiplayer. The Lab is a playlist featuring a unique series of multiplayer game types that our designers have concocted that focus on, above all, being fun. We’re kicking things off with a T-bolt and Pistole only map. So once the patch drops later this month, log onto Uncharted 3 multiplayer and give it a whirl. Let the experiments begin! It's back! We can hail the long anticipated return of The Lab

As for other changes happening in patch 1.11 Uncharted 3’s Lead Multiplayer Designer, Robert Cogburn, and Game Director, Justin Richmond, have something to say:

Or if you’d rather read everything in list form here is the full rundown of changes for 1.11:

The Lab returns and we begin the playlist with a T-bolt/Pistole only map. We will be rolling out other game types as the year progresses.
- The Lab will contain treasure drops from whatever the base game type is (the T-bolt/Pistole map is considered Team Deathmatch)

Elimination Mode has been added.
- Elimination mode will contain treasure drops from Team Deathmatch

Message of the Day returns – a daily message will pop up with news, tips, and other information

The following custom game settings are now available via a menu in Custom Game mode called “Advanced Settings”
- Respawn Time
- Buddy Spawning toggle
- Health Multiplier – by percentage
- Sprinting toggle
- Weapon Mode (Default, Basic Weapons, Pistols, RPG-7)
- Medal Kickbacks toggle
- Boosters toggle
- Grenade Throw Back toggle

If you leave a game, disconnect, or turn off your PS3 mid-game, it will be counted as a loss.

Kill and deaths no longer count towards your career stats in Plunder and Team Objective modes

The technical hooks to make the Game of the Year edition (EU) work properly with DLC were added

The Long Ranger Medal can now be earned by achieving 3 kills at 50 meters in a match instead of 3 kills at 70 meters.

In Team Deathmatch mode the Airstrip and London maps now are listed with “No Intro” variations. If these variations are selected you’ll start those maps with no convoy events.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Similar to patch 1.09 all cinema files created pre-patch 1.11 will no longer work once patch 1.11 is released. Therefore if you want to preserve your cinema files please be sure to upload them to YouTube BEFORE downloading and installing patch 1.09. Do it now! Preserve your cinema files. Be sure to upload them to YouTube.

If you’re curious as to why we jumped to 1.11 and the last patch we talked about was 1.09, well, 1.10 had minor fixes so we kept rolling up the changes so we could get 1.11 out for you. We’re thrilled to open the Lab for Uncharted 3 and can’t wait to see you online! Be ready for more information about The Lab and future Uncharted 3 multiplayer plans in the coming weeks.

{extended}

Fan created Uncharted 3 trailer

2012-05-04T01:51:50Z

Derek Lieu (@KickintheheadNY) decided to take a stab at crediting his own, fan-created edit for a trailer for Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. When he was done, he sent us out this Tweet to make sure we noticed:

I spent about a week editing this #Uncharted3 trailer. Thanks @Naughty_Dog for another great game! youtu.be/70EBx2ZMyB0
— Derek Lieu (@KickintheheadNY) May 1, 2012

Well, we think it turned out to be pretty great! Take a look at his fan-created trailer below.

{extended}

Fresh Drake Vinyl from ESC Toy

2012-04-12T21:00:12Z

In October 2011, prior to Uncharted 3's launch, Esc Toy released some amazingly cool Nathan Drake vinyl. Erick Scarecrow and the Esc Toy team is back making awesome happen again as they'll be launching a few unique, ultra rare pieces this Friday, April 13th starting at 11am EST.

Here's the lowdown on the incredible vinyl figures you know you'll be purchasing come Friday:

Silver Drake- Limited to 5pcs-worldwide

Each one of these special figures comes with a GOLD Soopa Coin-UP Bros coin by Erick Scarecrow. If you purchase one of these figures and have these items you could win a special 8 x 10 one off sketch by artist Erick Scarecrow!

Limon Drake-Limited to 15pcs

Neo-Tokyo Drake "UNPRODUCED PROTOTYPE" Limited to 1pc

This super rare, 1 of 1 figure will come with a special print created by Erick Scarecrow.

All figures are signed, numbered and for ages 15 & Up. If you want to snag any of these for your collection be sure to keep Esc Toy bookmarked and have your refresh button ready.

Also, if you're looking for the OG Drake, painted in classic Nathan Drake style, you'll have an opporunity before the end of April to buy one of these beauties.

OG Drake comes with some cool bonus DLC for Uncharted 3 multiplayer for your custom character.

Be sure to tweet a picture of you with your new Nathan Drake vinyl to Erick and the Esc Toy crew on Twitter at:

Esc Toy

Erick Scarecrow

{extended}

Uncharted 3 - Patch 1.09 Notes

2012-04-06T21:00:02Z

The Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception 1.09 patch will be deployed April 9^th 2012. It will roll out across all regions globally over 24 hours once deployed. We were able to get both patch 1.08 and 1.09 through the testing and approval processes around the same time. Therefore we are releasing them together. Since the changes are cumulative you’ll only see an update for patch 1.09 when you download it.

Additionally, for those of you who prefer to watch video over reading the notes, we have made two videos detailing the changes in update 1.08 and update 1.09. These videos summarize the patch notes you’ll read in this post. Videos such as these should be available for all patches moving forward. Hooray video!

Upload your cinema files to YouTube this weekend in order to preserve them.

IMPORTANT NOTE: After seeing the mention of video, if you don’t read anything else, please read this. In case you missed the note on our forums all cinema files made pre-patch 1.08 will crash the game once patch 1.08 is installed if you try to play them. Any files you didn’t save to YouTube BEFORE patch 1.08 is installed will no longer work properly once patch 1.08 is installed. Once patch 1.09 hits all pre 1.08 cinema files will be erased. If you didn’t upload your cinema files to YouTube prior to patch 1.08 you’re no longer going to be able to use those files. In other words: upload your cinema files to YouTube this weekend in order to preserve them.

Just to be crystal about it, don’t scratch your head when you don’t see patch 1.08 downloading (unless your head itches). You will only be downloading patch 1.09 as it will include all the changes made in Patch 1.08 in addition to changes made for patch 1.09. The change list for each patch is as follows:

PATCH 1.08

Available: April 9, 2012

Multiplayer

Gameplay

Cloaked level 3 booster better masks the player’s sounds when equipped
Increased default Tau Sniper ammo total to 18
Fixed certain regions on Ruins and Facility maps where a thrown Plunder or Treasure Hunter idol would not respawn
Crushing difficulty on Plaza and Village for Shade Survival is now locked until properly unlocked via gameplay
Players can no longer infinitely hold a high-five pose to avoid being grabbed by a Choker in Co-Op modes

Technical

Players are now able to vote on the difficulty of Co-Op matches no matter where they are on the menu when the voting period begins
Players can no longer join the party of a player that is viewing a Cinema file

User Interface

DLC Toggle added to the Options menu

DLC TOGGLE NOTE: The DLC toggle places players into two distinct pools: players searching for DLC and players who are searching for default maps. When the switch is toggled “On” in order for you to be pooled in the DLC group you’ll have to make sure you have downloaded the latest DLC maps. All players with the latest DLC maps will be pooled into the DLC group once the toggle is in the “On” switch. If you want to play the default maps and occasionally get DLC maps leave the toggle in the off position.

PATCH 1.09

Available: April 9, 2012

Multiplayer

Gameplay

G-MAL stopping power reduced by 50%
Shield’s health increased by 18%
Auto aim while jumping reduced on double-barrel shotguns
Bullet spread for AK-47 tightened by ~10%

General

All cinema files captured pre patch 1.09 are no longer accessible

Server

Updated the server-side to allow for live updates to weapon functionality

CINEMA FILES NOTE: All cinema files created pre-patch 1.09 will no longer be available.

Thank you for playing and your continued involvement to help make the Uncharted 3 multiplayer community awesome. Be on the lookout for the news about The Lab and any upcoming patches. Please use our forums for any technical issues you might come across. See you online!

{extended}

Naughty Dog Events Page Launches with PAX East

2012-04-06T18:06:23Z

Are you in Boston? If not, you should be. We’ll forgive you this time but E3 is right around the corner and San Diego Comic Con is after that. Events season is in full effect and we thought we’d help you get your gaming convention calendar in order starting with our panel at PAX East.

Check out our newly live Events page for all the current, past, and future events that Naughty Dog will participate in as we demo and talk about our games, highlight our gatherings and dish about general Naughty Dog gaming news.

First up is PAX East. Uncharted 3 Game Director, Justin Richmond, Game Designer, Eric Schatz, and Community Strategist, Arne Meyer will be speaking about The Chateau, Creation to Ashes from Uncharted 3. If you’re not in Boston, it’s streaming live on Twitch TV on our Events page so be sure to drop by and post some up comments to us about the panel. You’ll be able to share your comments on Facebook so you can bring your friends into the conversation as well.

Hope to see you at an event soon! Keep your eyes peeled for links and updates to our Events page.

You can check out the video here as well:

{extended}

Drake’s Deception Map Pack Arrives and Fortune Hunters’ Club Update

2012-04-05T15:00:24Z

You camped out on your favorite ledges to earn the kickoff medal on the Highrise and Yemen maps. You’re a pro at sniping fools running carelessly through the Desert Village and Airstrip. You’ve perfected your master ninja stealth kills in the secluded nooks and crannies of the London Underground and City of Brass. Ok, maybe you truly haven’t perfected any of that yet, but perhaps you’re just looking for something different and new. Whether you’re a rugged Uncharted 3 multiplayer fortune hunter or a causal explorer this trailer should get you amped:

Four brand new Uncharted 3 multiplayer maps will be available for download on Tuesday, April 10 2012, on the PS Store. The Graveyard map sets you in motion as you fight among ships and shipping crates on rolling waves. Old Quarter seems like a lovely scene on a cool Yemen night, but it’s full of dangerous alleys and delicately lit rooms. The bar, the back alleys and the broadways of the London Streets map offer some prime spots for a knockdown, drag-out turf war, so be sure to stop by the Pelican Inn for some more brawling. The Oasis map used to provide respite for a Bedouin camp, but now serves as a sun-drenched battlefield for your multiplayer matches.

We put a lot of love and polish into each map and each map has a new dynamic event that occurs as the match progresses. A patrol boat will circle the border of Graveyard launching grenades over the map as it cruises along its path. In Oasis, a plane drops a shipping crate that can flatten you or your enemy if you don’t move out of its way in time. The crate contains a power weapon if you’re smart enough to stay out of the crate’s shadow. London Street and Old Quarter contain dynamic events as well but we want to leave you a couple big surprises now don’t we?

Standalone, this new map pack will cost $9.99 (US). If you’re already a member of the Fortune Hunters’ Club this collection of maps cost you only the initial price of joining the club – just log into your PSN account and you can download the Drake’s Deception Map Pack for free.

If you still haven’t become a member of the Fortune Hunters’ Club, you’ll have until the PS Store updates on April 17, 2012, to join in the action. In just 12 days, the Fortune Hunters’ Club will shut its doors. For $24.99 you’re a FHC member and you save over 60% on 14 packs of Uncharted 3 DLC. If you’re game for that much Uncharted 3 goodness click on the FHC icon and buy the FHC via the PS Store or the in-game Uncharted 3 PS store today.

While the Fortune Hunters’ Club is shutting its doors, this doesn’t mean the DLC for Uncharted 3 will stop. For starters, for those of you itching for new play types and experimental modes, The Lab will make its return to Uncharted multiplayer. We’ll be talking with and polling you in our forums about various potential ideas we have for the future of Uncharted 3 multiplayer so be sure to join in our community and voice your opinion. Stay hungry as we will have additional news about future DLC and other plans for Uncharted 3 multiplayer in an upcoming blog post. For now let’s hit the new maps and see if your multiplayer chops sink or swim. See you online!

{extended}

Grab a poster at our PAX East panel

2012-04-05T00:30:58Z

We went right down to the wire on putting together a giveaway for PAX East, but our posters are confirmed to be en route to Boston as we speak! You may recognize the poster art from the GameStop exclusive pre-order offer from back before Uncharted 3 was released. We felt it was fitting to bring back the awesome artwork illustrated by Gabe for a PAX giveaway, because, you know, Gabe illustrates the Penny Aracde strips and they started this thing called PAX and... well, you get it.

We updated the poster a little bit for the PAX East giveaway - you've got a nice blank border around the artwork so it's easy and totally suited to be matted and framed and placed on a wall in your Uncharted themed room. We've put all the necessary logos outside of the artwork as well, so when (not if) you do frame it, you can showcase the art, and just the art.

We're bringing enough for the expected attendace in the Naga Theatre - so everyone who attends our PAX East panel will be able to walk away with one of these suckers. Just to remind everyone, our panel - "An Unchated 3 Story: The Chateau, Creation to Ashes" happens on Friday, April 6, 2012, at 4:00 PM in the Naga Theatre. The panel will also be streamed on TwitchTV - and we'll have an embedded version of the stream here on NaughtyDog.com. But you won't get a poster if you watch it on the stream.

EXCEPT - we'll be giving away a few posters to some lucky fans on Thursday and Friday this week. Follow @Naughty_Dog on Twitter and keep an eye out on our Twitter feed starting TOMORROW, Thursday, April 5, 2012, for a chance to win a poster!

I strongly suggest you show up early as our panels at PAX East 2010 and 2011 were pretty much at or over capacity!

We hope to see you there!

Want this poster? Attend our panel at PAX East
or follow us on Twitter @Naughty_Dog for a chance to win one!

{extended}

Naughty Dog at PAX East 2012

2012-03-31T01:30:55Z

Our panel will be streamed LIVE to the internet by TwitchTV! We're one week away from PAX East 2012, to be held from April 6 to 8, and we're heading out to Boston to follow up our massively successful PAX East 2009 panel, Game Design with the Dogs, with another inside look at the game design process. Our panel, "An Unchated 3 Story: The Chateau, Creation to Ashes" will give you a never beefore scene of The Chateau enviornment. We're bringing some great snapshots of The Chateau during the course of development and will share our decisions that shaped the final Chateau sequencei in Uncharted 3 to a (hopefully) packed Naga Theater. The best news ever is that our panel has been chosen to be streamed LIVE to the internet by TwitchTV! If you can't make it to Boston, you've still got a chance to check out our panel - which is scheduled for Friday, April 6, from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Don't forget to add it to your Facebook calendar or into your schedule using the Guidebook app that PAX is working with.

We're looking forward to meeting many of our fans there!

An Uncharted 3 Story: The Chateau, Creation to Ashes

Friday, April 6, 2012
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Naga Theater

Come hear the behind the scenes story of how we created the Chateau level, from beginning concept to final implementation. Justin Richmond, Game Director, and Eric Schatz, Game Designer, will take you inside the fun and occasionally terrifying process of game design at Naughty Dog. We will give a never before seen tour of one of Uncharted 3’s set piece levels, The Chateau. From first idea all the way through to the final burning husk of the level, you will see it all in videos and screenshots. Gasp at our missteps! Laugh at our silly side ventures! Ask us questions! All this and more when you come to The Chateau, Creation to Ashes: An Uncharted Story.

PANELISTS: Justin Richmond [Game Director, Naughty Dog], Eric Schatz [Game Designer, Naughty Dog], Arne Meyer [Community Strategist, Naughty Dog]

{extended}

Naughty Dog Community Forum Contests

2012-03-23T17:09:05Z

A few months ago we migrated our forums over to join ranks in with the larger PlayStation community. We were stoked to see you turn out and participate in our Uncharted Gif’ing and Charting Nathan Drake events. The maps in the large image above are from our two winners for Charting Nathan Drake, StargamerX and W1LLBETRAY4FOOD. We want to keep that momentum up, blow it out even bigger, and really see your wildly creative minds at work. We have many more events queued up for you and want to give you all a heads up about what’s coming down the pipe this spring.

We have many more events queued up for you

Like to tell stories? Like to draw, er, Photoshop, stuff? Like to shoot other people (virtually)? We have a few different contests in the works for whatever itch you have. Each contest will have some pretty cool prizes such as exclusive The Last of Us t-shirts that are only presently available to Naughty Dog employees. Prizing and full details regarding the specifics of each contest will be posted on the day the contest starts. Here’s the rundown of what’s happening. NOTE: Some of the links to the contest threads won't be active until the date of the contest starts. We'll update this post as they become active.

MARCH 2012

March 23, 2012:

The Last of Us “Joel, Y U no give me kiss?!?” contest starts

Tell Us Your Story Contest starts

March 29, 2012:

Uncharted 3 Wallpaper Contest starts

APRIL 2012

April 7, 2012:
3 Team Deathmatch Opening Round

April 8, 2012:

3 Team Deathmatch Opening Round

April 12, 2012:

The Last of Us Box Art contest starts (TBD)

April 14, 2012:

3 Team Deathmatch Quarter Finals

April 15, 2012:

3 Team Deathmatch Quarter Finals

The Last of Us “Joel, Y U no give me kiss?!?” contest ends

Uncharted 3 Wallpaper Contest ends

April 21, 2012:

3 Team Deathmatch Semi-Finals

April 22, 2012:

3 Team Deathmatch Semi-Finals

Tells Us Your Story ends

April 28, 2012:

3 Team Deathmatch Finals

April 29, 2012:

Uncharted Wallpaper ends

++++++++++++++++

So get your most insanely creative ideas ready and bone up on your 3 Team Deathmatch playing skills. We’ll update you with reminders via Twitter and Facebook as well as in the Forums once these contests officially begin. First challenge: “Joel, Y U no give me kiss?!?” - Let’s color the forums with the greatest gifs of infected humans looking for love the internet has ever seen! XOXO the Infected!

{extended}

Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Live Update

2012-03-20T21:53:06Z

We’ve implemented some live updates to Uncharted 3 multiplayer code. Here’s a list of the changes:

Happening: 630pm PST March 20th 2012

- Changed Mega Bomb kickback from 14 medals to 10 to activate

- Fleet Foot speed levels adjusted

- Increasing the cost of all four paid boosters.

Ping and Bargain now cost 100K. Untraceable now costs 35K. Explosive Expert now costs 25K.

- Changed Shotgun kickback cost increased by +2 medals

- Changed Creepy Crawler kickback cost lowered by -1 medal

- Fixed the drop of the Patterned Ring at the end of London Underground to work regularly

Now go out and put a ring on it! We’ll have further info on any changes to the game in upcoming posts. Thank you for your feedback and keep posting on our forums and in our comments section.

{extended}