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Naughty Dog’s Uncharted Could Have Been A Fantasy Game

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by Ben Reeves on September 22, 2011 at 05:58 PM
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If it hadn’t been for publisher pressure to push the series in a grittier direction, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series might have been a more fantastical series in the vein of Jak and Daxter.

"We were talking about a more 'realistic' game in terms of how it was modeled and rendered but the concepts were much more far out. One was a forest world where the antagonists lived underground," Don Poole, former Naughty Dog environment modeler told Play Magazine in a recent issue.

"It had elements of Tolkien in for sure. 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."

"So the big push from Sony, not just at Naughty Dog but at all of Sony's development companies at the time, was to craft games for PlayStation 3 that were much more realistic. The pressure from Xbox's success with gritty shooters was a very real force on our direction at that time."

We love the direction that Naughty Dog eventually took with the Uncharted series, and we have trouble imagining what a more fantastical version of the game would have been like, but it would be interesting to see some of the game’s early concept art.

[Now Gamer]

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Comments
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  • by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:05 PM
    Well, its hard to complain about Publisher pressure when the end game is as amazing as the Uncharted series.
  • by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:07 PM
    Uncharted worked out just fine, the game(series) is great. I think the idea that got scrapped was pretty cool also.

    In Saint's latest member hearding, indiejones has his own ideas on the Uncharted series direction...coincidence? Mayhaps.

    http://www.gameinformer.com/blogs/members/b/subsaint_blog/archive/2011/09/20/gio-member-herding-part-39-of-xx.aspx
  •
    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:13 PM

    That actually sounds pretty fun. It also sounds like they were trying to defeat GOW. Never the less, Uncharted is perfect as it is

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:13 PM
    That's weird, maybe we can see Uncharted take it in a new direction!
  •
    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:14 PM

    Yeah, I was actually surprised for their change of direction coming from games like Crash and Jak & Daxter, but it turned out into another great game so no complaints here.

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:18 PM

    Wow...I'm really glad that Sony pushed Naughty Dog in the direction they did. Because, I really love Uncharted and pushing it into an almost Indiana Jones direction is really cool. Their world separates it from the pack because way too few games take place in (almost) real world.

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:19 PM
    So that's why we're not getting Jak and Daxter 4? Thanks Sony! As much as I love Uncharted, I miss Daxter and his funny comments
  •
    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:20 PM

    Uncharted is truly amazing, but I wouldn't have minded a Jak and Daxter like game. Those were three of the best games on PS2.

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:22 PM
    Naughty Dog should make more Jak and Daxter. And when I say Jak and Daxter, I mean the real Jak and Daxter, without the guns and brooding *** Jak.
  • by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:23 PM

    I would've still played it.

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:24 PM
    Well I'm glad the Uncharted series has turned out to be a Triple-AAA series for what it is now: an Indiana Jones-esque, high-action thriller that no one with a PS3 should pass up. NO ONE.
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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:28 PM
    Dude, I realize it was overall a business decision but the Uncharted series is far more 'grounded' in reality than even source material like Indiana Jones, magical fantasy elements aside. I remember feeling every bullet and explosion in the first 2 and thinking throughout the extended prologue in 2 that OMG, Nathan Drake might actually bleedout and die. Maybe it's more an accident than by design but to me Uncharted is a near-perfect series and franchise. And unlike other titles out there, I wish there was even MORE media associated with it. I need to get my hands on another PS3 before 3 comes out.
  •
    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:29 PM

    Uncharted is already a fantasy game. I get to live my fantasy of being a badarse treasure hunter=)

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:34 PM

    I can still imagine what the Jak and Daxter game series could be like for the PS3

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:34 PM

    I'm sure it still would have been a great game.

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 06:53 PM
    I almost lost a great game XD I would never have cared about a jack and dexter kind of game.That age already passed on in me.
  •
    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 07:05 PM
    Well, it DOES have a lot of fantasy elements, for sure. At the end of both games some supernatural *** pops out of nowhere.
  • by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 07:07 PM

    Why do i get the feeling that even if they went with the fantasy Tolkien- inspired game, it'd still be amazing? Hmm, maybe when they wrap up Uncharted 3 they'll develop this new IP

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    by Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 07:11 PM
    Cant wait for Uncharted 3, honestly is one of those games that does everything prefectly, heck if it were a WiiU only I would be forced to buy a WiiU, and I hate Nintendo consoles sistems since like wii
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