Wow, this is big. Originally expected later this year, Naughty Dog has announced that Uncharted 4: A Thief's End will deploy in Spring 2016, meaning that the next chapter in Nathan Drake's escapade is still over a year away. The game was being billed as Sony's big exclusive for 2015, but will likely leave some people pondering what's going on internally – especially seeing as the system's arguably yet to receive its first must-own, first-party game.
"Since we showed you our first gameplay reveal of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, more of the game and story have come together, and it's become clear to us that this game is much more ambitious than we originally envisioned," an apologetic Neil Druckmann wrote on the PlayStation Blog. "After spending so many years with Nathan Drake, he means a lot to the team, and telling the climactic chapter of his adventures is a task that we don't take lightly – this game deserves every bit of the attention to detail, precise pacing, and nuanced storytelling that Naughty Dog is known for. So we've made the difficult choice of pushing the game's release date."
The message – which is co-signed by game director Bruce Straley – adds that the "few extra months will make certain that [the game] not only meets the team's high standards, but the high standards that gamers have come to expect from a Naughty Dog title". It concluded that it will be "keeping its heads down" through the year, making sure that Nathan Drake's story gets the closure that it deserves. "You and Nate are in for one thrilling, emotional ride," Druckmann said.
This is big, big news, as Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was supposed to be the crowning jewel in a stellar lineup of PS4 exclusives this year. Sony's yet to say a whole lot about the second-half of 2015, so it's possible that it could have other unannounced projects in the pipeline – but only Gran Turismo would carry the same commercial clout as a Naughty Dog game, and the next entry in that series doesn't seem ready for primetime yet. Of course, it's worth remembering that The Last of Us was also delayed by a few months in 2013, and it was ultimately one of the greatest games ever made. We've no doubt that the delay will end up being for the best, then – but this is still gutting news.
[source blog.us.playstation.com]
Comments 47
Oof!
Ouch!
Well, what now? Are there going to be substitutes? Can't go another year without a big exclusive with a big third party title filling in the gap...
Well they could.
Crystal Dynamics might have wished they didn't sign that exclusivity deal now, huh?
As expected, actually. Hopefully Zelda U does not follow suit.
Lmaoooooooooooooooooo ! Yet another holiday with no big exclusives for PS4.
This sucks. This game better be Uncharted 2 levels of amazing. I'm disappointed. But I'm trying to figure out since MS only released their big games in the holidays to make it seem like they have a surperior lineup, what will Sony have to compete with Halo 5, Forza 6, Tomb Raider, and possible Gears collection ?
Maybe Ratchet & Clank is now a holiday release, maybe an Uncharted collection could happen now. That's all I got.
@get2sammyb
I seriously don't get the connection between the two?
@Punished_Boss_84 Many people speculated that Crystal Dynamics knew it couldn't outsell Uncharted 4 on PS4 this holiday, so signed the exclusivity deal with Microsoft. Phil Spencer himself even said that it gives Xbox a game that can compete with Uncharted 4.
Well, there ain't no Uncharted 4 this Christmas no more...
I can live with it , I'll probably pick this up in Spring 2017 when its about £25. I stay about 6 months behind with gaming that way I get huge discounts and games are fully beta tested by the pre-order brigade. Next on my plate is going to be Dragon Age Inquisition ,Alien Isolation or Shadows of Mordor.
@get2sammyb
Still makes absolutely no sense. The Eurogamer interview? All that told me was MS can't create an Uncharted like game, but can buy it off third parties.
Clever: https://twitter.com/kazhiraiceo/status/575649379090108417
Disappointing news, but probably for the best. At least I'll have Zelda Wii U to tide me over. Unless they delay that... Don't delay Zelda, please.
People get hung up on this mysterious "killer app" when PS4 doesn't need one now. The console has been doing pefectly fine without it. I reckon E3 the Uncharted collection with U4 MP beta access will be announced.
There's no denying that as far as Sony's 2015 lineup goes, this is a blow.
However, I'll give Naughty Dog the benefit of the doubt. It's a studio that would never delay a game without reason. Look at how The Last of Us turned out.
@adf86 I agree with your first point, and also think your second point is a good idea.
They're gonna shock us all and replace the delayed U4 with a November 'The Last Guardian' release. What's the expression I'm looking for: 🐖 💪 🐝.
I'll take getting it right over a buggy mess every day of the week.
I'm not too disappointed. Perhaps now this opens the window for an Uncharted collection 1-3. I would love it if they remastered the whole series and did extras for it as well. IMO Uncharted deserves that kind of treatment.
I guess they won't be rushing the multiplayer then.
@MinerWilly None of those games are very good. You should get Dying Light IMO.
@get2sammyb Nice of you to say sir, not often I get complemented on the internet
At the moment PS4 has still got Until Dawn, Ratchet and Clank, Persona 5 and No Man's Sky to come. Imagine if Uncharted 4 was released this year but it ended up with chugging framerates, glitches and broken servers at launch? Sony will do really well with sales but the PR disaster around the title would linger for a long time (see Driveclub) so in the words of Corporal Jones "DON'T PANIC"!
Disappointing but not a huge shocker considering how little we've seen and heard all in all. Naughty Dog is such an amazing developer though that if they feel the need to delay and put more work in to make UC4 amazing, then I'm all for it. The Xbox fanboys are gonna be all over this one lol
One of 2015 big exclusives is coming out in the next few weeks, Bloodborne. Some people got a PS4 because of Bloodborne, & then there are the likes of The Witcher3, Arkham Knight, MGS V etc. They might not be exclusives but are big named game's in there own right, so Uncharted 4 being delayed until next year is no big deal for me especially as the delay will benefit the game.
@banacheck The Souls games didn't do it for me (though I get why their popular) but there's something about Bloodborne that excites me.
LOL why am I not surprised? As long as its the only delayed AAA title this year...
If Nintendo does the same with Zelda Wii U I will be so sad.
I'm sure this means we will get Uncharted Trilogy Remastered to fill the gap.
I mean: I want them do release it on PS4 since I haven't played any of them haha.
@BLPs LOL
Quickly checks calendar
Not April 1st yet... Damn!
@get2sammyb
Well, people who own X1 will get TR, as will people who own both systems since U4 is out of the Xmas game. It does not sound that bad to me.
@get2sammyb - While I agree w/ your point about TR, you're also working under the very big assumption that it too won't get delayed until spring. Maybe it won't being an X1 exclusive, but it more likely would have had they also been working on a PS4 version.
Sort of good news for me, after all the snow I've shoveled this winter my PS4 U4 Christmas present next holiday had already been replaced by a snowblower.
So many Zelda U comments. Don't jinx it people, I need something to play while I wait yet another year for a PS4.
@sinalefa - If Zelda follows suit it will make a grown man cry!
@rjejr Yeah, it's good point.
Honestly, I'm going to go ahead and bet that Zelda Wii U won't make this year either. I certainly wouldn't be surprised.
@rjejr
Funny to read that from you, when you are one of those convinced that Zelda U won't make it this year.
And to be honest, even if it does, X has me and a lot of people covered.
Well, that's a long time off.
@Wesker thanks Wesker ,I'll check that out.
@sinalefa - Not so much convinced that Zelda U wont make it this year and just thinking from the start that 2015 was a typo on Nitnedo's part. It's undated as far as I'm concerned, I was just goofing around before.
X does look likely though to make it West by the holiday w/ an April Japan release. Probably a good fall back plan for Ntineod. And all the other 2015 due games, you know the ones, and hey something has to be announced at E3 for Christmas, no? amiibo Warriors!!
Greatness Awaits! I just hope I'm there to see it.
@ShogunRok Game seemed quite far along I think they'll make it.
Never played any of the Uncharted games before. But It makes sense that they are telling people that they are deleying it now then one month before release and people get crazy mad.
It's a bummer but I totally trust naughty dog to do what it takes to make this great. If it was square, I would have lots of doubts.
So all we have is Tearaway and Until Dawn, Sony continues to fail on the exclusive front. Probably be busy with MGS V but this still sucks.
This is terrible news, but at least this gives Naughty Dog more time to work on the game.
@rjejr
Why do you always misspell Nintendo?
Sony,you wound me sir.
@Punished_Boss_84 - B/c I mis"type" (I know how to spell, my fingers don't) 90% of all my words then I go back and spell check them but my spellchecker always fixes Nintendo to Nitrate and that just looks wrong so I leave it. Sometimes the spellchecker changes it to Nintendo and then I change it. So if you ever do see me spell it correctly, I still typed it wrong but the spell checker fixed it.
And all of that is true BTW.
I'm done, every single time I back up Sony and get my hopes up this kind of crap happens.
Unless E3 shows promise I may just sell my PS4 and use the money for PC parts because this is getting annoying.
@NaughtyOttsel22
I felt the same way when I saw this. Every time I get excited about the console something happens. As I've said in the comments for the other article that tries to pass this off as no big deal, it wouldn't be so bad if there were other exclusives that delivered and more on the way, but the holiday season was already not that promising and without Uncharted it's a wasteland. Sony should be going for the kill, instead it's allowing MS time to regroup. And if MS plays its cards right, there's a huge chance to take back the North American market this holiday and start owning it like the 360 did. If that happens it changes everything. I'll admit, I'm a bit of PS fanboy, not one who bows down and kisses the feet of Lord and savior Kaz Hirai, but the PS brand has been far and away my favorite since its inception and I was thrilled when PS4 took a huge lead. But Sony is dropping the ball massively and based on games doesn't deserve the lead it has when you consider all the best games are games that can also be bought on Xbox One, which in addition to those games also has its own good exclusives out and on the way. That's just the fact of the matter. Sony needs to get its first party act together and I'm quickly losing respect for the new Uncharted team. I have my theories about this delay and it's not that it's for the greater good of the project because it's nothing more than myth that all games benefit from extra time. Look at DriveClub, look at The Order. This is simply to sell the Uncharted Collection first and Sony and the new guys on the Uncharted team can screw off for that.
Damn this sucks big time I'm sure naughty dog will deliver the goods in the end but this really leaves nothing exclusive to look forward to on ps4 except bloodbourne
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