The original Uncharted was a triumph for original first-party IP on the PS3, garnering both critical and commercial success – and all but ensuring a sequel would appear some day.
Two years on, and that sequel is mere days away. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves sees the return of everyday treasure hunter-turned-action-hero Nathan Drake, this time on the trail of Marco Polo’s lost fleet and the legendary kingdom of Shangri-La.
Anticipation for this title among PS3 owners is at an all-time high, and Sony is confident that Among Thieves will live up to their expectations.
“After the runaway success of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune in 2007, in terms of sales, critical acclaim and positive community feedback, we’re expecting big
things from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,” says product manager Phil Lynch.
“Uncharted is one of those rare games that comes along every now and then where it manages to engage and entertain anyone from an avid gamer to someone who’s just getting into gaming as an alternative type of entertainment.
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“With this in mind the market for Uncharted 2 is huge, especially with lots of new entrants to the PS3 with the successful release of the new slimline model. We feel that Uncharted 2 will be one of our biggest ever releases.”
TREASURED PARTNERS
As part of the extensive marketing campaign (see ‘Charting The Course To Retail’, right), Sony is working very closely with its key retail partners to drive pre-orders and sales for Uncharted 2. Lynch explains the emphasis will be on both the blockbuster nature of the game and encouraging consumers to reserve their copy early.
“We’re created some great POS formats which illustrate the ‘action hero’ aspect of the game,” he says. “As well as this, Uncharted 2 will be part of our PlayStation tour of large shopping centres in the lead-up to Christmas.
“We’ve also teamed up with some online and High Street retailers for a comprehensive pre-order campaign where we’ve given each one a different Uncharted 2 pre-order bonus. Pre-order numbers are becoming more and more important – both for retail to get a barometer of the consumer level of demand and, of course, for consumers to see how well a title is performing pre-launch. They add credibility and buzz to the release.
“The demand for the game is such that we’re talking to some of our retail partners for potential midnight openings at launch.”
In addition to the brand new single player adventure, Uncharted 2 boasts a treasure trove of new content and features that set it apart from the original.
The most notable is the introduction of a multiplayer mode, something that Sony is rather proud of – and which brings a different experience to the fledgling series. Multiplayer modes are available in both competitive and co-operative varieties, and have already been beta tested by eager gamers to positive acclaim.
UNEXPLORED TERRITORY
The standard co-operative setting features special environments designed specifically for two-player mayhem, while Gold Rush and Survival modes provide added variety.
Meanwhile, the competitive modes will be familiar to fans of online skirmishes, with the likes of Team Deathmatch, Elimination, King Of The Hill and Plunder to choose from.
The success of Uncharted and the expected triumph of Among Thieves has set up the property as a strong franchise for Sony to further explore in the years to come. Lynch believes it is inevitable that the series will return in the future.
“Uncharted is now an established brand in the gaming market and Naughty Dog have managed to develop a new, contemporary and credible hero in Nathan Drake,” he says. “With this in mind, Uncharted 2 is of huge importance to our line-up now and in the future.
“In terms of the style and tone, the game is inherently PlayStation, it’s a technical and graphical showcase of
the power of the PlayStation 3 and the fluid, accessible gameplay and storyline mean that Uncharted 2 is a perfect storm in terms of an exclusive IP for our platform.”
CHARTING THE ROUTE TO RETAIL
As the biggest PS3 release of the season, Uncharted 2 will benefit from an extensive marketing campaign that will directly target the game’s primary audience.
“With Uncharted 2, the main objective is to get consumers excited about the ‘laugh in the face of danger’ gameplay and the mind-blowing production values,” explains product manager Phil Lynch. “With this in mind, we’ve weighted the advertising campaign heavily towards visual, broadcast media.”
– Online ads will run across Gamespot and Eurogamer, driving traffic towards various pre-order bonus web pages.
– 10-second video ads will appear on key sites, ending on cliffhanger moments and directing users to the official pre-order site, where they’ll find the full HD trailer.
– TV ads will run across various channels. The spots will be 30 seconds long and have been taken directly from PS3 footage.
– Similar ads will be running in cinemas for one month before key films aimed at the 16 to 34-year-old male audience.
