Kotaku
One of the coolest parts of being a member of the gaming press is waking up every morning and getting new copies of pre-release games at your doorstep. Some companies just send you the game disc in a jewel case. Others make the arrival of their game into more of an event. Take Uncharted: Drake's Fortune as an example. This morning the final review code arrived in a book called The Chronicles of Sir Francis Drake, which opens up to contain a whole wealth of goodies. There's a letter from Nathan Drake, a few pages of diary entries, a soundtrack CD, a remix CD from DJ Shadow, and of course the Blu-Ray disc of the game. It's a well put together package that ties into the game in a meaningful way. Believe me, it's so much better than getting the game disc wrapped in a Hanes XL white t-shirt with the game logo slapped on the front. (You'd be surprised how often this happens). While we aren't yet allowed to post impressions or reviews of the game, I wholeheartedly recommend the press kit. More images of it after the jump.
Comments
wow that is cool.
Awesome. I have high hopes for this game.
Also, DJ Shadow? Sick.
that is awsome cant wait for demo tomorrow/ game couple of weeks.
you re lucky , please post your impressions, i am a big fan of naughty dog , so i want to know if they still got their mida´s touch...
a remix CD from DJ Shadow
WANT. I hope they make it available! (Why no LE/CE of this game?)
See, why don't they make LEs like this? Fuck that standard tin case and 20 minute making of DVD, release something substantial. Instead they put all this effort into media releases and ignore the fact that there are people who would give money for these things. Hard to believe, I know!
@Nobuyuki: Yeah, if LEs were like this I'd definitely throw down more money for them.
I miss the days when games came like that to the consumer (not for free of course)
The UA and Everquest cloth maps. The old Infocom text based games that always came with piles of cool random stuff (Wishbringer came with a glow in the dark replica of the item that was in the game, how cool is that?)
These days, as a gamer, you are lucky if the instruction manual is in color. Publishers should realize that buying a game used to be more then fighting with the newest version of SecurRom, it was about checking out all the cool stuff swag that came along with the game.
Most Limited Editions these days don't live up to what is in that press kit, and that is just plain stupid.
I picked a 360 over a PS3 largely because I favored Mass Effect over this could be gem. This pres kit is damn impressive, and I hope I don't have to be jealous and sullen for quite awhile.
@ElijahDProphet: Wow. I had forgotten about the EQ cloth map. Brings back memories of the DAOC map that was detailed enough that I could actually navigate using its features.
Soundtrack? Remix? Torrent please!
Oh yeah rub it in Geoff. Real cool.
thats freakin sweet, lucky chums
Yes, soundtrack torrent!!
i don't mena to be ignorant...
but why does the game comes ina burnt TDK BD-R...
maybe i'm missing something...
@danecy:
What's preventing you from getting the 360 AND the PS3? Save your money, and go get yourself another console so you don't miss out on games like Uncharted.
nice little bit of shwag there, wish that was the retail package. i'm tired of seeing le/se games that don't offer anything important or that adds to the overall experience of the game, but they sure charge for it. though, i have to admit the spartan helmet was tight as butt cheeks.
@carpediemdp:
its final review build quality, the game itself hasnt been declared gold master and sent to pressing yet, so these were cranked out off of some work machine at the studio
Why don't they put this sucker up as a Collector's...I'd be down to fork over ten more bucks for it.
Damn you Geoff for enjoying this title well before the rest of us.
Looking forward to the raves about this game once the embargo is taken down.
S
I jealous! Where is the sign-up sheet to become part of the gaming press so I can get cool stuff like this?
Hopefully this one lives up to the hype. I've seen it in person but did not get to play and it is gorgeous.
@arcana: Thanx!
@carpediemdp: Geoff most likely has a dev kit PS3 so he can play early code. Most game journalists have a dev kit.
I too remember when games came with maps, stickers,and other nik-nacks. Now you must pay thru the nose for cat-helmets and behind the scene vids.
Retail Copy > Limited Edition Press Copy
I'm mad for LE game sets -_-
I almost bought the Bioshock CE when it came out even though my computer wasn't good enough to run it, the only thing that stopped me was the order was cancelled (luckily).
It's nice when you do see something worth getting though because I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle against digital media.
So how difficult is it to join the gaming press and be eligible for freebies to review? :)
@coalhalo: I can't rationalize buying another system for just one or two games that interest me. If I was to draw a Venn diagram of titles for both systems, the vast amount that I am interested in lie in the middle. Sadly, games like Uncharted sit on the wayside for the time being.
@ElijahDProphet:
I'm glad you brought up Infocom. This collector's edition reminds me a lot of Infidel's. Good times!
Blah, not collector's edition but uber game press edition. =)
@lestat730: joining the press? piece of cake. actually being able to get on the reviewers list for worthwhile publishers/developers? pain the ass, sometimes border lining on near impossible.
Not to suck up, but Please do post a review when you are allowed to, as I generally trust Kotaku staff reviews to be more inline with my own views--jaded cynical, and yet with a thin resiliant trickle of hope running like a spring of fresh spring-fresh water through the gorges that are the scars of disappointment in my gaming heart.
I want to see what reviews this game gets.
Unless this game flops in a spectacular way, I'll be picking it up. Looking forward to more focus on guns and less focus on giant boobs.
Just a hunch, but Uncharted > Assassin's Creed.
Wow ! all i can say :D iam joining the gaming press now !.... can i ;( ?
Damn if they included the DJ Shadow CD in a Collectors Edition I would buy it in a heart beat. And I don't even have a PS3 yet.
Oooo.. I'm hoping the DJ Shadow disk becomes available to the public, somehow.
Some the ways I got one past mailing lists, most of which were established around 2000-2001:
Sega - Our media outlet operated in the same building.
Konami - Took out the PR rep for dinner.
Ubi Soft - Emailed the PR assistant our audience traffic numbers
Acclaim - The very first phone call. Simply asked.
Koei - Exchanged abour 4 emails, each one giving more details about our media outlet
LucasArts - Introduced myself at E3 2001, and wore a certain fashion accessory that allowed them to remember me when I followed up with them weeks later.
Capcom - Same as LucasArts.
Sony - Three years of nagging didn't get me anywhere, then many of them got promoted late 2000, and realized their assistants were more receptive to my requests.
That's strange that they picked DJ Shadow. I don't understand. Props to DJ Shadow but I don't see the tie-in for a pirate/island/tomb raider game and DJ Shadow. Maybe a futuristic thriller, or a strange Ico-like game but ... it seems like a contrary selection to this man!
You know, I think that merging independent music and games would be a win-win. It's pretty disgusting most of the time, the music in games.
I always think there must be a shadowy cabal of game musicians who make that synthetic guitar medley or string patches that show up in games, and these people wear hooded getups, like the Skulls, and pressure game designers and companies to buy their product ... or else.
Why else would game music be so heinous?
Most independent musicians would be happy to put their music in games, because of the exposure alone. Can you imagine Portal with some Dan Bajar singing An Actor's Revenge? (I do think the song at the end of Portal was fantastic).
How about Midlake in Uncharted or something? Some 70's sounding sweet, pop perfection like Roscoe?
Mass Effect with Sunno?
I know it won't happen, because they are making a 'product' and all, most of them, a product that aims to please the majority -- and all that. SIGH.
They should have this as a collectors additon !
Thats so sweet! cant wait for this game
I can't begin to tell you how fuckin bitter and jealous I am that you got this and I didn't.
Having said that, enjoy.
As for games with cool stuff, I quite liked that Eye of Judgement comes with a cloth map/playing mat
@CRUITHNE I'm bitter and jealous too, hehe. They always get the cool stuff. That's got to be the best press package I have seen in a bit.
Can I be a member of the gaming press? I write well, I'm smart, and I even have a sign that says "Will work for video games."
Come on, what do you say?
@balgeary: DJ Shadow... a strange fit? Massive Attack seemed to work out just fine (check the lastest trailer). And both Shadow and Del Naja are part of that trip-hop... milieu.
If only they released special editions of games with special stuff like this...
Oh what a world that would be!
I couldn't really see anything special about this game 'till recently. Now every time I see it I like it more and more.
@LobselVith: I'm not hatin on DJ Shadow, but it seems like a strange deal. I imagine a meeting with a bunch of suits watching a power point presentation entitled "edgy musics from 1996". A fat guy slaps his hand on the marble table and coffee cups rise in unison, at this signal an a&r rep run into the room, a young guy in a Pfork t-shirt and baldie goes, "SO, WE WANT LINKIN PARK"
(CONTINUED) The young a&r rep does all of us a favor and suggests DJ SHADOW to be in Uncharted(picking the cream of the crop of edgy 1996 type musics) but DJ SHADOW is soo 1996.
DJ SHADOW"s not bad but there's so much awesome stuff out there that isn't DJ SHADOW or trip hop. No offense to the folks who still listen to trip hop but... c'mon!
It's like, 2007.
(I would die to see some Portishead on one of these games though, because they really were the best of that bunch with some noir shit that caused instant soul scarification). I'm a hypocrite.
I'd pay for that as a collector's addition for sure.
Lucky poopy pants. I'm looking forward to getting into journalism, and if doing gaming journalism means getting this then I'm in.
Wow, that is awesome. I would pay extra just for the box and letter. I know it's a bit of a stretch, but Naughty Dog if you are reading this, please make something like this available to the public.
wow, you should package that back up and mail it to me.
give me the dj shadow remixed cd please if you dont listen to his music.