Uncharted 4: A Thief's End has sold 8.7 million copies globally since it launched less than a year ago. That is a staggering figure when you consider that the game is barely six months old, and will continue to post strong sales through the remainder of the generation. But it does pose a very important question: can Sony really afford to let Nate hang up his half-tuck?
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Naughty Dog's iconic adventure series is that it's got bigger and bigger with each successive instalment. If you remove PlayStation Vita spin-off Uncharted: Golden Abyss from the equation – which itself was no slouch – then the sales numbers have increased with each entry. This is a franchise that's very much at its peak.
Surely ceasing development on a series that sells upwards of 10 million copies would be borderline irresponsible?
But Naughty Dog has suggested that it's done with the series – and certainly main character Nathan Drake. While upcoming spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy does flag a discrepancy in that indication, it's worth remembering that Chloe Fraser's side story was originally intended as DLC; in fact, these strong sales numbers are probably part of the incentive behind it being blown out as a standalone story.
So will Sony really let the series rest? Naughty Dog's obviously going to be busy with The Last of Us: Part II moving forwards – which will also be a stupidly strong seller – but there may be an option to expand the size of the studio and set up a separate team to continue work on the series. Or it could hand the keys of the property to a different developer.
The latter would be a risky move, because there are few teams on the planet who can match Naughty Dog's attention to detail. But surely ceasing development on a series that sells upwards of 10 million copies would be borderline irresponsible? It's a tricky situation for Sony, and we're fascinated to see what it does next.
Do you think Sony can afford to let Drake retire? Do you think there'll be more Uncharted games in the future, and who do you reckon will develop them? Search for buried treasure in the comments section below.
Will Sony really let Uncharted rest? (79 votes)
- Yes, it'll be retired for some time after The Lost Legacy
- Erm, I'm not really sure
- No, it will find a way to continue the popular franchise
Please login to vote in this poll.
[source bit.ly]
Comments 31
nah like you said i reckon Nates story is done but i think we will still get more stuff in the Uncharted Universe
perhaps some more spin offs staring other characters like the upcoming release
I'm steel waiting for a remaster of Uncharted Golden Abyss for PS4.
@HungryWolf You'll be waiting a long time for that, I'm afraid. It's not going to happen.
I think they will stick to their word and give Uncharted a break for at least a full console generation. Golden Abyss remaster is a possibility though.
I think it'll have a break then reappear with different main character from a different developer...
If it was any other IP and studio then yes it would continue but when you consider that Naughty Dog ditched a new Jak & Daxter for the The Last of Us and was rumoured to have been the ones that pulled the plug on a second Uncharted Vita game shows that they have a very strong say in their what they do. I think bearing in mind TLOU is now a massive IP as well gives both Naughty Dog and Sony breathing space in keeping the studio creatively happy while filling Sony's bank accounts.
Yeah, I don't see a golden abyss remaster anytime soon. They even mocked it in UC4.
The brand is too huge but I think it will get a spin off. They are probably seeing how the sales of the standalone/dlc. I can see a chloe spinoff coming in the next few years.
Uncharted will continue in some form. No way Sony will want to leave it now. My question is will it be at naughty dog? They have always said drakes story is done, but havent said they wont make another uncharted. However, they have already made one more game in the series than they ever have before. Perhaps they will make a new uncharted for launch of PS5, but I think naughty dog thrive on new challenges and ideas. I wouldnt be surprised to see a company like ready at dawn make a spin off or sequel/prequel at some point. They proved with the God of War games on psp that they can pull off action/adventure, and bringing interesting ideas to an established franchise and would be a good fit should naughty dog decide to call it a day on the series.
I think it will continue I just hope it's handled right. Nathan's adventures should be done. There are a few characters they can do some spinoffs with similar to what is being done with The Lost Legacy, then they can retire it. I honestly think people at Naughty Dog mean it when they say they want to move on. Spinoffs are one thing because a small team inside ND could handle it, but if there is going to be another full Uncharted I'd expect a different developer and I'm not sure I want that.
Uncharted should rest. Any ND game gets tons of sales anyway, deservedly so.
A spin off with young Sully would be awesome though. Kinda like MGS3 did with Big Boss.
I hope it does end, but I wouldn't put it past Sony to keep the wheel spinning. Should it continue, at least retire Nate. But either way, I'd rather have the series end at 4.
There's Last of Us, as well as potential hits like Horizon, and other reliables like Gran Turismo. Focus on those.
I think they'll make another story dlc like lost legacy in the end of ps4 time and after that they'll let the franchise rest until in the middle of ps5 lifespan, the new game on ps5 will be sequel but not focusing on nate.
The series is done in my mind the best game was Uncharted 2 the others were ok. Naughty Dog are creative would prefer to see them work on something new.
if those numbers are true (which i'm a bit sceptical on), it would make uncharted 4 the biggest exclusive this gen by a mile. the last of us did sell around 11-12m i think (admittedly on 2 plaforms with a combined install base of almost double), and there seems to be a great appetite for another (personally i felt that it didn't need a sequel, but that won't put me off playing another), so it's unlikely sony will feel the need to push another uncharted out the door when it knows it's got another blockbuster on the way from naughty dog. i can't see sony outsourcing a new uncharted on PS4 to one of its other studios, anymore than i could see somebody other than santa monica studio doing god of war, or somebody other than polyphony doing gran turismo.
UC4 is followed quite a way behind by the last of us remastered, uncharted collection and halo 5 guardians.. which is a bit depressing in a way to be honest. new gen, same old popular franchises. :-/ sony has a lot of great games on the way for 2017, but i can't see any of those (maybe except GT sport) getting near the 4-5m bracket, not even horizon, which sony seems to have high hopes for and viewing with a lot of potential.
I think there will be another expansion after Lost Legacy featuring Sam & Sully. Then you'll get the inevitable GOTY edition and that will be it for a while.
Nate's story is over, but how cool would it be when after 10 years or so at E3 the Uncharted theme hits and we suddenly find ourselves a new bright eyed adventurer that has also aged.
A Thief's Beginning.
Can anyone really see Sony or Naughty Dog ditching a millions making franchise? That would be like saying James Bond has had his day.
I'm waiting for Nate and Sully. The Early Days.
@nathanSF I don't think Sony will let it die but I think ND will move on and pass the reigns off
I absolutely LOVE Uncharted, and I would love for a new entry, however id rather the series end on the high that it has done than be milked to death, though let's face it even if they do milk it, I'll buy it.
Nope. Drake may be done, but there are plenty of other characters that could have games...
It'll be PS5 or whatever before anything happens anyway. It'd make a great launch title but I'm not all that fussed if it goes away.
I'm not even sure a full sequel would be that successful. Since 4 was hyped to be the swan song to the series, the announcement of a 5th game could receive a giant "meh" from the public.
Unkarted anyone?
@Thegentleman That game is well overdue.
I want a Uncharted Kart Racer
If sony want's to make next uncharted bandi studio wasen't start days gone
Cause i dont remember any studio that coule make uncharted good as naughty dog did!
I think blue point is a chanse too
But i dont want see new uncharted without naughty dog at all
Naughty Dog will move on to other things, but Sony will likely keep this money spinner spinning for as long as it keeps spinning money. They'll probably palm it off onto another studio and make a new series with a new protagonist. It'll be kinda like how Microsoft palmed off Halo or Gears to different studios after the series' had reached their natural conclusions. Money talks.
Uncharted will almost certainly return and I wouldn't be surprised if it continues with Naughty Dog at the helm. We know their next project is the Last of Us 2 so I doubt we will see another Uncharted on this generation - I wouldn't be surprised if we see a PS5 in Q4 2018 and even if Sony pushes that out to 2019, I would very much doubt that would be enough time for ND to deliver the Last of Us 2 and a new Uncharted game - assuming they return to Uncharted after their next project anyway. Games are bigger, more complex etc - especially as we move into 4k HDR - so making a game of the quality and attention to detail that ND produce is not likely to have a quick turnaround.
What the end of Nates story has done, is brought ND time to consider where they want to take the franchise next. Not only that, it also allows them to reinvent Uncharted if they want to. They could of course opt to make something completely 'new' after TLOU2 with no pressure to finish off Nates story - I can't say they won't have pressure to return to Uncharted from Sony and fans but no pressure to finish the storyline (as that's been done) or creative constraints - like the Drake bloodline and character backstories. Something I think they found with making Uncharted 4.
I really hope that Sony don't farm it off to another studio or worse, create a studio for the purpose of churning out just Uncharted games like MS has done with Halo and Gears. I know Activision has 3 studio's purely dedicated to making CoD games but I would rather have studios with creative freedom to make the games they really want to make and not forced into a specific franchise only. I know fans pressure studio's into making more of their favourite games and there will always be talk of 'when' will Uncharted return, but I also think it can help for studio's to take a break, make something different. GG are making Horizon:ZD which may help Killzone in the future, set it apart from other FPS games by utilising some aspects learned from making Horizon. You could see some of TLOU in U4 too.
Wouldn't be surprised if they return eventually with Nate's daughter all grown up. Nate himself might even fill the 'Sully' role! I'd be amazed if the franchise just stopped completely.
@ZurapiiYohane64 another dev took over J&D and released Lost Legacy (think it was called?) on Vita and I think PS2
Better with each instalment, which seems impossible every time, and raking in the money. Lay it to rest obviously. 🙄
@GlynCR Agreed. That would be one way round it.
"Looking back, we felt duty bound to the fans to bring Drake and Sully back. We agonised about this for a long time and feel this next chapter will honour the true spirit...." etc etc
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...