FYI Uncharted fans…As the “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack” gets set to rock both your world and your copy of Uncharted 2, Naught Dog has taken to the web to address a common question they’ve seen from players regarding how they will add the new maps to the matchmaking system. A post on the dev’s official website goes into pretty good detail (supported by screens of the new matchmaking menu) about how it all will work, so we advise that you check it out if you have any intentions of playing the new DLC.

You can get the goods right here.

Fans of music in gaming and game audio in general will appreciate the fact that The Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), the non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of game audio, recently announced the finalists for the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards that are designed to honor outstanding creative, technical and artistic audio achievement in the world of interactive entertainment.
 
Voted and judged upon by the game audio industry and members of G.A.N.G., the finalists represent an array of the best audio in games from 2009.  The standouts for nominations this year include Assassin’s Creed II and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves which received 9 nominations each.  Final voting has begun and the final winners are chosen by the entire membership of the G.A.N.G. organization.  Over 2,000 people representing over 30 countries have signed up as members of G.A.N.G. since its inception in 2002.  The winners will be announced at the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards ceremony being held on Friday, March 12th, 2010 in San Francisco, CA during the Game Developers Conference.
 
“The level of quality for game audio continues to get higher and higher each year,” said Tommy Tallarico, G.A.N.G. Founder, CEO and Chairman. “It’s so important to make sure that the talented game audio individuals from around the world get the recognition they deserve.”  G.A.N.G. President Paul Lipson added, “This was one of our biggest submission years yet and over 70 game audio professionals on our global advisory boards helped in deciding the final nominees.  With the level of talent these days, being voted as a final nominee is a remarkable accomplishment.”

Finalists for the 8th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards are listed below by category in alphabetical order after the jump.
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No…the above image isn’t wrong…Come February 25, Uncharted 2 fans will be getting a slew of new DLC that will deliver new multiplayer maps, medals, PSN Trophies, skins and more…all themed around Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. This according to IGN, who recently posted about the content update which, in addition to the new medals and trophies (detailed after the jump), includes the following material:

Six multiplayer skins from the original Uncharted (Drake, Elena, Atoq Navarro, Eddie Raja, Gabriel Roman and the enemy pirate Javier) along with two new maps inspired by the original game.

Here’s a description of the new maps via the post:

The Flooded Ruins is set during a lightning storm around the customs house from Drake’s Fortune. As rain pours down, you’ll crisscross a V-shaped map and dole out the damage.

The Facility is the submarine pens from the first game – look for a rusted out U-boat in the front of the map and a bunch of cranes moving boxes around to block your perfect headshots.

Best of all, you can score all of this content for $5.99 or just get the skins ($2.99) or maps ($3.99) separately if you so prefer. It’s worth noting that while the content is confirmed for both Australia and the United Kingdom, official release dates and prices have not yet been confirmed for those regions. Again, the content is dated for February 25 everywhere else. Hit the jump to check out the Trophy/Medal list along with the “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack Trailer” and then mark your calendars for some good ole’ Uncharted action!
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Those of you anxiously awaiting the inclusion of Clan Tags in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2 can stop waiting for Christmas…That crap is going down TODAY!

That’s right, update number three for the blockbuster roller coaster of bad-assery that is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will deliver said clan tag action along with other super special functionality such as updating the game’s version number on the title screen. GET OUT!

The update is required and should be live right about…oh…NOW!

Here’s whatcha get:

• Added Version number to game menu – should display 1.03 after this update
• Added Clan Tags – all players can now add a custom four letter Clan Tag in the Profile Menu (square) to display on-screen before their PSN ID
• Load times have been decreased significantly
• Added “Rematch” functionality
• Adjusted some Boosters for balance
• Addressed issue with Player’s Met screen in game menu and XMB displaying incorrectly
• Addressed issue with Double Cash not doubling medal cash rewards

Also, some dudes over at the Official PlayStation Blog shared an email chain musing over what made these updates “so great”. They then took the time to bullet point it for you and I.

• Clan Tags is an addition we’ve been working for a while on. While it’s not full Clan support, we wanted to be sure that everybody can fly their Clan colors within UNCHARTED 2 multiplayer. Support for this is available to all players from the very beginning and can be edited within the player Profile menu – the same place where you choose your boosters.

• We have significantly decreased load times. You will notice that the game loads into a map much faster after leaving the vote screen. This will help get players into games faster and keep people playing instead of waiting in the menu system.

• We have also added Rematch functionality. At the end of a game, all players will be put back into matchmaking together, allowing you to play the same group of people over again. This decreases wait times, while still allowing people to leave after a match if they so desire. Again, this gets people into games faster and allows more time playing and less time in the menus – all of which is a very, very good thing!

So there ya go…Add a clan tag and get back into your matches faster…I feel like Christmas came and went.

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So, the 2009 Spike VGAs are in the books and after some big announcements, world premiere trailers, and a crap ton of lasers, we’ve decided to bullet point the biggest headlines from the event to keep you “in the know”.

Here’s what’s what and the MUST KNOW headlines from the event in no particular order:

- Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 was teased, you can see the trailer here
- Zachary Quinto (Heroes/Star Trek) will be providing voice talent to the upcoming Star Trek Online.
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 was announced. Trailer viewable here.
- Tron Evolution was announced, shown for the first time. Trailer here.
- A downloadable game based on Deadliest Warrior was announced. First footage revealed.
- Activision and United Front will be delivering a new True Crime game in 2010.
- Green Day Rock Band was announced.
- A cinematic trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was revealed.
- UFC Undisputed 2010 was announced and the first trailer was shown
- Spec Ops: The Line was announced/shown.
- EA’s revamped Medal of Honor was shown for the first time and it looks pretty much exactly like Modern Warfare 2…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
- Halo: Reach was revealed via an “in-engine” trailer.
- Crackdown 2 was shown for the first time.

Oh yeah! There were awards handed out too and Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves took home top honors as Game of the Year as well as earning hardware for Best PlayStation 3 Game and Best Graphics. There were a lot of winners in a wide range of categories so hit the jump for the full listing.
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Check out a vid of the freshly announced “The Fort” DLC below:

This just in…Naughty Dog will be releasing the first taste of DLC for Uncharted 2’s multiplayer mode this Friday, November 27th, giving you EVERY REASON to avoid the crazy shopping and stay home with your PS3 (unless you just love that sort of thing).

Known as “The Fort”, the new content comes your way via a title update and will deliver a brand new multiplayer map which is “a long rectangular map with wide open spaces and excellent flank routes.” Nice.

Sound good? It gets better. The map is totally FREE and once it goes live at 1pm EST, Naughty Dog is initiating a Double Cash weekend where teams will get beefed up as Doughnut Drake and Doughnut Lazarevic for the Heroes and Villains respectively. Sounds like you won’t be the only one feeling the effects of tomorrow’s excessive eating.

So, who’s Thankful for some Uncharted 2 right about now?!?!?!

via Joystiq

PRESS RELEASE

SPIKE TV’S “VIDEO GAME AWARDS 2009″ PLANS GLOBAL DOMINATION

7TH ANNUAL EVENT WILL BE BROADCAST IN MORE THAN 180 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES WORLDWIDE

Two-Hour Event Premieres LIVE On Saturday, December 12 At 8:00 PM ET

Halo: Reach To Exclusively Premiere At VGAs, Plus Spectacular First Looks At
Never-Before-Seen Titles Set To Rock Gaming Consoles In 2010 And Beyond

Nominees And Categories Honoring The Best In Video Games Announced With Sony’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Topping List With Eight Nominations

Voting Begins Today At VGA.Spike.Com and GameTrailers.com

New York, NY, November 18, 2009 – Spike TV today announced the nominees and categories for the biggest world-wide event ever to celebrate the video game industry, the 2009 “Video Game Awards .” The seventh annual “VGAs” will be a global event, broadcasting in over 180 territories and countries and gathering megastars from the worlds of video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more to honor the outstanding achievements within the video game industry during the past year. The two-hour event, taking place in Los Angeles, CA, will premiere LIVE on Spike TV Saturday, December 12 at 8:00pm, ET/PT (tape delay west coast). Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorite nominees at VGA.Spike.Com and GameTrailers.com.
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The sweet and slightly carbonated folks over at Sony have today announced the details of the “Uncharted Adventure with Pepsi” contest that will see purchasers of the classic beverage from select areas instantaneously winning various Uncharted-themed prize packs with the grand prize featuring a 120GB PS3, copies of both Uncharted and Uncharted 2, and more.

Here’s the description:

Visit participating stores and purchase specially marked Pepsi 12-pack products and you could instantly win:

• 1 of 20 Grand prize packages: a 120GB PlayStation 3 system, a copy of UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune, and a copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves
• 1 of 200 Second prize packages: a copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves
• 1 of 100,000 downloads of the UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra motion comic number 1 and 2.

The promotion ends on December 12 and is only open to the following areas: Alaska, Hawaii, California, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Michegan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. How’s that for a completely random list of locations???

Anyway, good luck to the Pepsi drinkers/Uncharted fans amongst you…

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The sweet and slightly carbonated folks over at Sony have today announced the details of the “Uncharted Adventure with Pepsi” contest that will see purchasers of the classic beverage from select areas instantaneously winning various Uncharted-themed prize packs with the grand prize featuring a 120GB PS3, copies of both Uncharted and Uncharted 2, and more.

Here’s the description:

Visit participating stores and purchase specially marked Pepsi 12-pack products and you could instantly win:

• 1 of 20 Grand prize packages: a 120GB PlayStation 3 system, a copy of UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune, and a copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves
• 1 of 200 Second prize packages: a copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves
• 1 of 100,000 downloads of the UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra motion comic number 1 and 2.

The promotion ends on December 12 and is only open to the following areas: Alaska, Hawaii, California, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Michegan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. How’s that for a completely random list of locations???

Anyway, good luck to the Pepsi drinkers/Uncharted fans amongst you…

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