Approvals 10/3 ▼
MrMushroom (1) - 2418d ago Cancel
Kribwalker (1) - 2418d ago Cancel
FallenAngel1984 (3) - 2418d ago Cancel
Littil_Devil (2) - 2418d ago Cancel
UCForce (2) - 2418d ago Cancel
-GreenRanger (1) - 2418d ago Cancel
600°

Uncharted 4 Amy Hennig Controversy Highlighted in Book

A new book by Jason Schrier has shed some light on Uncharted 4 Amy Hennig controversy which arose after her high profile departure from Naughty Dog.

Read Full Story >>
playstationlifestyle.net
Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (1)- Updates (1)

Updates

Changed from Pending to Approved
Community2418d ago
gbsrnctaln2418d ago

Imo Uncharted is beyter without her. I can't believe how much I am enjoying TLL!

Jinger2418d ago

UC4 wasn't even close to as good as 1-3, her absence was obvious.

ClayRules20122418d ago

I respectfully disagree. Uncharted 4's an awesome game "in my opinion" I appreciated the more grounded/darker tone of the game.

I'm surprised when I hear some people say Drake's Fortune & Drake's Deception are better than Uncharted 4. No disrespect or hate to anyone who feels that way, but really? Lol.

lellkay2418d ago

I'm with @ClayRules2012 i LOVE Uncharted 1-3, but 4 and TLL just feel so much better to me.

StormLegend2418d ago

Uncharted 3 was terrible and 4 is miles better.

Jinger2418d ago

@Clay

The lack of any big notable set pieces, the lack of any mystical parts, the pacing was bad, a lot of repetitive climbing, bad villain, QTE final fight, sloppy story telling with the origin story, I didn't care for the forced in relationship drama...

None of UC4 really struck a cord with me like 1-3 did. The graphics and attention to small details was phenomenal though and the shooting mechanics HAVE gotten better. The level layout was better for combat as well.

AspiringProGenji2418d ago (Edited 2418d ago )

"The lack of any big notable set pieces,"

- What about Sam's chase in Madagascar? what about the one at the start of the game? The end of the scotland chapter?

"bad villain"

-Wrong! Rafe was pretty good, but that is your opinion I guess

"Final fight QTR"
Wrong again! It wasn't all QTE

And everything is lse is just your opinion too

You sound like an U4 hater with a lack of argument, especially when you say the game didn't have any notable set pieces

The lack of mystical part is true, but personally i did not miss it

Jinger2418d ago (Edited 2418d ago )

@Aspiring

The car chase was the only decent one in the game, but that shit has been done like crazy, nothing like the train or airplane... The beginning of the game was hardly a 'set piece' haha plus those boat physics were laughable... I had one of the boats land on the back of my boat and then just bounce off like I rammed it.

I don't even remember what happened after Scottland so it couldn't have been very good.

Rafe was a terrible villain... Nadine was much better and yes that final fight was basically QTE... having the 'slight' freedom to strafe and block isn't much of anything. Everything else I said is true if you look at it objectively... the origin story was sloppy, how you gunna add an important sibling and rope swing mechanic in an origin story, that was never used or mentioned in any of the other games? There are plenty of ways they could have handled that better. The mystical aspect has been prevalent since UC1, I enjoyed the little bits of it we got in each game. they had it in the MP, but not the story mode?

WePlayDirty2418d ago

Nadine was a better villain? Jesus. Just shut up Jinger. Nadine was there to supply the bad guys to shoot, that’s it. She was also Neil’s ‘strong female character’ that filled the sjw checkmark. Rafe was a good villain. He had a personal vendetta against Nate.

AspiringProGenji2418d ago (Edited 2418d ago )

Thematically this Uncharted game was more personal and more about the greed of the main characters rather than going after some mystical bullshit like previous games. I don't mean to say i did not enjoy that in previous games, but I certainly did not miss it here in U4.

Why did Nadine walked away with all that treasure? Because she was smart and grabbed what she could. The others wanted to keep going and that cost Rafe's life and almost Nate and Sam's too. In the case of Rafe, he wanted to kill Drake's legacy and take all the recognition from this discovery to himself In front of Drake. That is why he lured Drake to the auction in Italy in the first place... in the course of the game Rafe proved to be more than just a cliche villain and he is the best villain in the series to date because of that, in my opinon at least.

and about the rope mechanic, who cares? By your logic, Nate didn't know how to drive a jeep up until U4? Crearly he didn't have to use any rope before and only in one chapter of U2. Does that mean he never knew how to use it? It is called bringing new GAMEPLAY mechanics, like every other sequel does.

Jinger2418d ago

@Aspiring

...Sigh

Its not about the mechanic, its how it was introduced (and then over used like a mofo). They could have introduced it outside of the origin story just fine. The fact it was this big thing with his brother, teaching him how to use it and what not and yet never thought during 1-3 about using it or thought about his brother. Its just sloppy writing. It is, but you guys won't admit it.

AspiringProGenji2418d ago

I don't see anything wrong with that.

His brother taught him to use the rope? Ok! And if he never had to used it again until U4, what is the problem? Nate thought he was dead and moved on. Period!

Sy_Wolf2418d ago

Neil Druckmann was the lead on Uncharted 2.

HeisenbergX2418d ago

@Jinger hahah no man.. just no

and no again

XtaZ2418d ago

UC4 was absolutely amazing from start to finish. 1-3 was mediocre at best.

UNCHARTED2FANATIC2418d ago

Na uc3 was by far the worst in the series

Ceaser98573612417d ago

UC4 was awesome.. Though UC2 is much better i would rate UC4 2nd after UC 2...

HomoLuden2417d ago

Totally agree. The first three games were simply better. UC4 was borefest excpet for 3 chapters. Too much talking and walking through on interactive environments. Even TLL is much bette than UC4. UC4 really left me sad and bored.

WelkinCole2417d ago (Edited 2417d ago )

U4 was better without too many set pieces. By U3 I felt like the formula was getting old and if they continued with U4 it would be a mistake because you will basically play another Uncharted but with just better graphics which would have been a really sad way to end Nates story/legacy. GOW ascension for example many people were already tired of the same formula by then.

I also like the more personal story and scaled back set pieces which allowed me to enjoy the scenes/environment more. It really gave me a sense of wonder exploring the amazing locale they created.

The extra time focused on the personal interaction fleshing out more of Nates past and how it shaped him to relationship with his loved ones were really nice touches. It just felt the characters,story and world was more fully fleshed out instead of just another action adventurer Uncharted with non stop action/set pieces and funny banter. It was fitting because it was the end of Nates story. The pirate theme was fitting as well as the sword fight to end it. The Epilogue was the icing on the cake.

Takwin2417d ago

I liked 4 a lot more than the other 3. It's like they perfected the formula and sent Nathan out on the highest of highs. Luckily, they didn't skip a beat in TLL, which was amazing.

rainslacker2417d ago (Edited 2417d ago )

I dunno....after reading the quote in the article I can't see how one can say it'd be better under Henning. A surprise twist that Sam was Nate's brother? Seems rather contrived, compared to Nate just assuming his brother was dead, and him reinventing himself at a young age to avoid having to deal with the seperation from his brother. His reasons for coming back make more sense with Sam always being his brother, rather than him deciding to come back just because his old partner happened to still be alive.

You say you had a problem with the forced relationships, but I find the supposed Henning version being less appealing than the way it ended up.

I may have agreed if Sam was actually the villian, which is kind of how the original reveal teaser made it seem. But the quote in this article sounds more contrived than what UC4 ended up being.

+ Show (17) more repliesLast reply 2417d ago
Genuine-User2418d ago

Yeah, I agree. Amy wanted the first half of Uncharted 4 without any gun combat, she wanted the team to focus more on the driving segments with huge emphasis on melee combat.

alstruck2418d ago

I disagree with everyone.. I really like every uncharted games with or without Hennig, except maybe the vita one just because the small screen doesnt make sense in an uncharted game..
First one was great. 2 is better. 3 is just as great. 4 is a bit different, but still really great..

OB1Biker2418d ago

I think this is the important bit:

'One part of the story is indisputable, however: in March 2014, after meeting with Naughty Dog’s copresidents, Wells and Christophe Balestra, Amy Hennig exited the studio and didn’t come back. Hennig’s creative partner Justin Richmond left shortly afterward, as did a few other veterans who had worked closely with Hennig. “It’s something that happens at different levels,” said Wells. “It happened to happen at a fairly high level. But we have turnover for various reasons throughout the studio. And Amy’s a friend of mine, I really miss her and I wish her well -but things weren’t working out. So we went our separate ways, and we had to pick up the pieces.'

ClayRules20122418d ago (Edited 2418d ago )

"Some say the Uncharted 4 team didn’t get the staff and resources it needed to survive, because The Last of Us and Left Behind had vacuumed up so much of Naughty Dog’s attention. Others say that Amy Hennig had trouble making decisions and that the nascent game wasn’t shaping up very well. Some who were working on Uncharted 4 wished that there was a more cohesive direction. Others thought it was perfectly understandable, considering how small the Uncharted 4 staff was, that the game hadn’t coalesced yet.

Several people who have worked for Naughty Dog say Druckmann and Straley stopped seeing eye-to-eye with Hennig, and that they had fundamental disagreements on where to take the Uncharted series. When Hennig left, she signed a non-disparagement agreement with the studio that would prevent both her and Naughty Dog from making negative public comments about what had happened, according to people familiar with the arrangement."

That was an interesting read.

No matter what happened, it's still sad at the end of the day. I genuinely wish Amy the best of luck with her new Star Wars game ( for EA ) and inspires all within the development team, and they make a wonderful game for all us gamers. Also, I hope Naughty Dog continues to stay humble/allow everyone to keep giving creative freedom on ideas & give constructive criticism to help the high quality games they make that much better for the fans =)

OB1Biker2418d ago

Check the reddit source, that's more interesting

stokedAF2418d ago

The reddit article's source was the book mentioned lol.

stokedAF2418d ago

"Druckmann and Straley stopped seeing eye-to-eye with Hennig, and that they had fundamental disagreements on where to take the Uncharted series. When Hennig left, she signed a non-disparagement agreement with the studio that would prevent both her and Naughty Dog from making negative public comments about what had happened, according to people familiar with the arrangement"
I thought this was fairly obvious but it's nice to see it said somewhere else. I don't blame the people that followed her, I probably would too.

alstruck2418d ago

So the point is she needs a rest from uncharted, and do something else like EA Starwars Adventure thing.. best of luck for her, and I think starwars games needs big talent like her to make a big jump..

rainslacker2417d ago

It was pretty interesting. I never really felt it was controversial though.

It's not uncommon for directors or producers to not be able to come to terms with how a game should play out. It's a shame that they couldn't work things out.

While I have a deep respect for Hennings work, and look forward to her future work, I also know that you can't strike gold all the time, and that there are going to be times where it isn't possible to work with others due to various reasons.

I feel way too much was made of her departure. Some was because of the console wars, but I feel at the organizational level, it just happened to be a time where things weren't working out between her and the studio. Henning is very good at what she does. She has very strong views on how things should be done, and at the same time is able to adapt to the needs of the studios and industry. But at the same time, Druckmann and Stradley also are very competent, and seem very possessive about how their creations should go forward. When you have two(or three) personalities like that, it's going to come to a head at times, and it just appears that this time it couldn't be reconciled.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2417d ago
WePlayDirty2418d ago (Edited 2418d ago )

I’m glad Amy’s version didn’t come to fruition. It would have been dentrimental to the story of the game.

deafdani2418d ago

...and you know that how exactly?

>_>

WePlayDirty2418d ago

Because Sam being the Villan would be a terrible idea. A brother hating another brother and coming together at the end is such a bad trope in gaming. The game needed a new direction, which is what happened.

81BX2417d ago

A new direction? Yes very new

rainslacker2417d ago

I'd be OK with him being the villian and former partner of Nate, but the reveal that it was nates brother feels forced and unnecessary. I felt the way it ended up was more natural than this scenario, despite the retconning that happened to give Nate a brother.

Coming together at the end seems unnatural though, as the villians in uncharted tend to be focused on getting what they want, not coming to terms with being partners with Nate. There would need to be some other impetus for them to come together, which means another antagonist. Them coming together because they're brothers though would just lead to an anti-climatic ending in my opinion.

P_Bomb2417d ago (Edited 2417d ago )

They'd have to reeeeally justify to me why a brother vs brother plot was not only logical but necessary. Already got my dysfunctional family fix from Metal Gear. Brother vs brother, father vs son. Got it in 007 Spectre too and it felt forced af.

Shoot, Kazuma Kiryu spends half his life in jail paying (unfairly) for the sins of his sworn brothers. He's never come out frothing for world domination.

Then you've got Saejima vs Majima, Billy vs Jimmy Lee, Raphael vs *insert*, MegaMan vs ProtoMan, Dante vs Vergil, the bros from F.E.A.R. Guess I've just played it out.

P_Bomb2417d ago (Edited 2417d ago )

EDIT: and I haven't even touched on Kratos & his brothers Ares/Deimos/Hercules etc.

Uncharted doesn't need to loot from GOW's deleted scenes (remember that one bonus ending from Jaffe's GOW1)

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 2417d ago
AspiringProGenji2418d ago (Edited 2418d ago )

I thought i'd never say this but I am glad ND scrapped her vision. I don't like that idea of taking away the gunplay for half of the game. Sam as a whiny or bitter side villian would have been cliche at best, but maybe Amy would have made that work who knows... I'm just glad the game turned out well and it is one of my top favs this gen so far. That is all that matter!

This is Naughty Dog we are talking about! You know the director of TLL is a new director in the team? Notice how well directed and well paced that game is. That crealy shows the prowess of the people at ND. I wouldn't be surprised if even the janitors were that talented

deafdani2418d ago

It's pretty easy to judge when all we have is only the very basic premise. Out of pretty basic, seemingly run-of-the-mill premises superb stories can be born.

I mean, look no further than The Last of Us, for God's sake.... the basic premise is, "humanity is doomed, the "zombie" apocalypse has changed the world forever, and one little girl apparently holds the cure and is the last hope for them". Sounds corny and cliché as hell, but look how they developed that story.

rainslacker2417d ago

While I 100% agree with you that any story being good is entirely in how it's delivered, and the subtext is only a back drop, some of the stuff said to be in Henning's vision sounds more contrived and cliched. Thinking on the possible scenarios on how they could make that story work, I can't see how it could be done without throwing in a bunch of other contrivances, and ultimately, despite the talent of Henning, I feel it likely would have led to a lot of eye rolling or WTF moments in order to force the story along.

The story we got was simpler by comparison, and allowed a good focus on the relationships of the brothers. I think that's what they really wanted to go for, because I feel that ND is trying to move towards this relationships build stories better approach, rather than going for shock value.

goldwyncq2418d ago

Can't say that unless you knew exactly how it would have been executed.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2417d ago
2418d ago Replies(2)
Show all comments (56)
70°

Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors: "I deserve a lot of criticism."

Embracer CEO demonstrates a masterclass in mental gymnastics in latest interview.
"I'm sure I deserve a lot of criticism, but I don't think my team or companies deserve all the criticism. I could take a lot of that blame myself. But ultimately I need to believe in the mission," he said.

Read Full Story >>
gamesindustry.biz
Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (3)- Updates (3)

Updates

Changed from Pending to Approved
Community14h ago
Changed: title
thorstein1d 10h ago
Changed: title, content
thorstein1d 10h ago
on_line_forever13h ago

OK give us Kingdoms of Amalur 2 with AAA budget and we will accept your excuse

kaos8911h ago(Edited 11h ago)

The king of the studio asset flip scheme that failed.

60°

Chatting Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered with Suda51

CGM Writes: While we were over at PAX East, we were able to sit down with Goichi Suda (Suda51) and talk about the upcoming remaster of Shadows of the Damned

Read Full Story >>
cgmagonline.com
Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (2)- Updates (2)

Updates

Changed from Pending to Approved
Community3d ago
Changed: content
bfrye264d ago
60°

Sega Franchises That Deserve a Comeback

We explore the Sega classics that are ripe for revival! From Panzer Dragoon Saga to Virtua Fighter, discover why these legendary games deserve a comeback on next-gen consoles. Dive into a nostalgic journey and see which Sega titles are set to captivate a new generation of gamers in 2024.

Read Full Story >>
finalboss.io
Create Report !X

Add Report

Reports

+ Updates (1)- Updates (1)

Updates

Changed from Pending to Approved
Community5d ago
ZeekQuattro5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Turned based Phantasy Star and Shinning Force remain at the top of my list of Sega IPs that need to return. At the very least I'd take a Shining Force collection that has 1,2,3, CD and the Game Gear entries.

FinalBoss5d ago

I was hesitant to put these two on. I've personally played more PSO than the RPG version. And shame on me, I don't remember much about Shining Force to talk about it properly.

That said, so many Sega licences deserve their place in this list.

jznrpg3d ago

A new Phantasy Star in the numbered series would be amazing. Shining Force too. But I’d settle on some collections as that’s probably the best we will get

anast5d ago

I don't trust Sega to do a proper comeback. The games will be just remastered and/or monetized to death.

gold_drake4d ago

shining force.

but indont see that happening unfortunately.