Hi everyone! I’m the the writer and director of UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. We’ve just released a trailer that introduces a new and important character from our story. You met Jason Dante in our E3 demo and learned a little bit about him: that he and Drake have known each other a long time, that they each know Sully, that Drake taught Dante a lot about treasure hunting, that Dante can be a little, well, greedy.

This time we’re introducing Marisa Chase. But as she tells Drake at one point, call her “Chase,” only her grandfather calls her “Marisa.” I don’t want to give too much away at this point, but I can say this: once again Nathan Drake finds himself on a quest to solve a historical mystery which he hopes will lead to a fantastic treasure. The trick is staying alive long enough to get there. No easy task. And when Drake gets between Dante and Chase, events quickly spiral out of control.

We were lucky to get some really great talent to play our key characters. Nolan North, of course, reprises his role of Nathan Drake. Nolan brings more than just acting to the story, he helps make the dialogue his own, creates funny ad libs on the spot, and helps rework scenes that might be having problems. Chase is played by the talented Christine Lakin, who you might remember as Al from the television show “Step by Step.” Dante is played by the amazing Jason Spisak, who’s played almost as many characters as Mr. North. Working with these guys and watching them bring our UNCHARTED world to life was amazing. I think Amy Hennig, the writer over at Naughty Dog, once told me that good actors can make even my bad dialogue sound good. Not that I have any… :)

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the trailer. There’s more information on UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss coming soon.

More NGP Games

• Hustle Kings
• Sound Shapes
• Super Stardust Delta
• Wipeout (working title)

Until very recently, only a handful of people outside of PlayStation had ever laid their hands on an NGP unit. People would ask me what I thought about the upcoming handheld, and I’d have to reply with: “It looks really good.” I hadn’t had the chance to play it either.

<

That’s why we invited the cream of the gaming press crop onto a Sony Pictures soundstage in LA, where they (and we) could finally spend hours experiencing some of the titles that will comprise the NGP’s diverse launch lineup. Straight off, Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, made it clear what the day was all about:

“We’ll talk more about social connectivity features down the line – today is about showing off the core games and getting you hands-on time. I’m sure you have burning questions on launch date, pricing, 3G data plans, and we’ll be very happy to share all those with you moving forward.”

We first spoke with John Garvin and Chris Reese of Sony Bend Studio, who are developing the highest profile launch title, UNCHARTED: Golden Abyss. Their team was responsible for the PSP’s best shooters, Resistance Retribution and a pair of Syphon Filter titles, so I wondered what they make of the new hardware.

Then we toured around sampling the rest of the titles. Today, you’ll see posts for:

A note about the videos you’ll see: Every NGP you’ll see is a dev unit; they’re the right size, but they don’t possess that final PlayStation-quality fit and finish. What you’ll eventually be able to pick up in a store will look a heck of a lot better.

The titles you won’t see today, you’ll see demoed live at E3 on our stream. Look for much, much more on NGP at next week’s E3 Expo.

We weren’t expecting the massive turnout for our panel on Saturday, “Naughty Dog LIVE: Game Design with the Dogs.” When I got to the Naga Theater to setup for our panel, the line waiting to get in was insane – and it was a whole half-hour before our panel was due to start. I heard some people had been waiting in line for over an hour at one point. It was sad to hear that PAX Enforcers had to turn away a ton of people waiting to get in by the time they started to fill the theater. There is no doubt that it was awesome for us to see that kind of turnout, but it was also a little bittersweet that we couldn’t get in everybody who wanted to attend.

Our panel focused on showing the inner workings of how game design works at Naughty Dog, led by game designers Richard Lemarchand, Jacob Minkoff and Justin Richmond. We picked a spot in UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune that had a minor narrative hole – between Chapters 3 and 4 – and used that as the basis to explore a fictional Chapter 3.5 we titled “Strip Search.” The first half of the panel was spent laying out the objectives for the design of this chapter and the type of structure and pacing that was important for us to maintain so that everything would fit neatly into the UNCHARTED universe in look and feel.

Jacob fired up Autodesk Maya for the second half of the panel and loaded an example blockmesh level for Chapter 3.5 that he sketched out in his spare time over the couple of weeks leading up to PAX East. It was Jacob’s responsibility on the panel to pitch his level to Richard and Justin, explain his game design choices, and receive feedback to demonstrate our collaborative and iterative design process. We also stopped briefly and turned to our audience to let them give us their ideas on how to solve a specific design challenge within the level.

Unfortunately we started to run out of time towards the end, because we wanted to talk about how to turn this level into one that works in our multiplayer game and also open up the floor one more time to get suggestions from our audience. Perhaps we can get to that another time if we ever get a chance to do a similar panel.

Once it was all over, we met with a lot of our fans in the audience that came up to chat. We’re really grateful to have such awesome fans and we owe you all thanks for attending our panel and coming up to say hi!

If you were at PAX East and weren’t able to get into our panel – and I know there were a lot of you – you can read a recap of our panel on Joystiq. In addition, we should have the full video of our panel available on NaughtyDog.com sometime in the next couple of weeks. Check back later on to check it out!

The “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack” includes two maps and six character skins inspired by Nathan Drake’s debut adventure, UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune. The six skins are available $2.99 and the two maps are available for $3.99 – or you can get all of skins and maps in a convenient, value-priced bundle for $5.99.

Check out some of the new character renders of the skins included in the Pack:

You can view and download the full set of character renders from the Naughty Dog Flickr page.

So, you may be thinking to yourself, “What are these skins and maps exactly?” We’re glad you asked. Read on for detailed descriptions of our “Drake’s Fortune Multiplayer Pack” content.

TWO new maps, available in all competitive multiplayer game types and in the co-op arena game types, inspired by locations found in UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune.

The Flooded Ruins
Based on UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Chapter 10 – The Customs House, players will find themselves fighting in the midst of a thunderstorm, complete with rain, thunder and lightning. The Flooded Ruins is an asymmetrical map centered on the Customs House building, which is surrounded on one side by multiple two-story buildings and many flanking routes – you’ll need to stay on your toes and watch your back. The Customs House itself provides the advantage of higher ground if you manage to take the center sniper perch, where you can dispatch your opponents or call out their positions to your teammates. Watch out for incoming grenades!

The Facility
Based on the submarine bay in UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Chapter 18 – The Bunker, The Facility is centered on a rusted out U-boat that has been left to rot in its dry dock. This fairly symmetrical map works well with all game types. Players can hide in dark corners, snipe from the control tower, or go guns blazing into combat. Look out for the moving cargo on the upper levels – it can block your shots or cut off an escape route at a very inopportune moment!

SIX new multiplayer skins based on characters from UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune.

• UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Nathan Drake
• UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune Elena Fisher
• Gabriel Roman
• Atoq Navarro
• Eddy Raja
• Javier, the mercenary

The Multiplayer Pack also unlocks 12 NEW Trophies – 11 Bronze and 1 Silver – to earn as you play:

• Bronze
• Brass Knuckles – Get 100 Melee Kills in Deathmatch or Elimination Games
• Gold Digger – Finish Wave 10 in 1 Gold Rush Game
• I Told You I Was Hardcore! – Complete All 3 Co-op Objective Maps on Hard Difficulty
• Made It – Finish Wave 10 in 1 Survival Game
• Plays Well With Others – Win 50 Objective Games
• Plundered! – Get 200 Captured Medals
• Rapid Fire – Get 7 Tripled Medals in Deathmatch or Elimination games
• Sneaky… – Get 50 Stealth Kills in Deathmatch of Elimination games
• Still Alive – Win 50 Elimination Games
• Tastes Like Chicken – Get 20 BBQ Medals in Deathmatch or Elimination games
• Wipe Them Out… – Win 50 Deathmatch Games
• Silver
• Cold Blooded – Get 2,500 Kills in Deathmatch or Elimination games

Downloading the either the maps or the bundle unlocks the Trophies within the in-game multiplayer menu. You can gain progress towards completing these new Trophies in any game type that fits the Trophy criteria.

Purchasing the skins only will NOT unlock the additional Trophies.

We’ve also made sure that all our players can play from the same matchmaking pool regardless of whether they have purchased the maps or not – head over to NaughtyDog.com to read about how we’re doing this and how to change your profile settings.

I arrived at the show with Christophe, Amy and Bruce and we walked the red carpet, which was a pretty cool way to start the evening off. There were tons of media lined up with cameras and microphones ready for interviews. We stopped for a few interviews and Christophe even played a game of Wii Resort Table Tennis against one of our interviewers (he let her win…so he says). Continuing down the carpet, we ran into a bunch of people arriving at the same time as us like Marty O’Donnell from Bungie (who walked away with the award for Best Score for Halo: ODST… congrats!), our friends from Infinity Ward (Modern Warfare 2 won Best Shooter and Best Multi-player!) and Stig Asmussen (God of War III won Most Anticipated Game!). It’s humbling to be around the people who make your favorite games.

Once we found our seats (VIP…thanks, Geoff Keighley) we sat around and waited nervously for the show to start. I had to control my inner fanboy as Mark Hamill, Samuel Jackson and Alyssa Milano sat down in front of us. The setup was amazing! The back of the stage was a huge video screen that actually wrapped around the sides to create a really cool 3D effect. SPIKE really stepped it up this year and pulled out all the stops.

As the show began, it was awesome to hear Claudia Black’s voice as the MC for the evening. She had only found out the night before that they wanted her for the job and she jumped right in and nailed it. A consummate professional, as always. Unfortunately we soon found out that both she and Nolan North lost out to Jack Black for Best Voice which was the start of our losing streak, and had us worried we might walk away empty-handed. The competition was tough this year…in each of the 8 categories we were nominated in, we were going up against my favorite games of the year.

After losing Best Studio, Best Action Adventure Game, and Best Score we were up to 0 for 5! We were definitely getting even more anxious. The show was coming to a close, and after the amazing Halo Reach world premiere they announced that it was time for the Game of the Year presentation. I cheated and looked at the teleprompter so I could see a split second before it was announced and there it was…UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves! It was an amazing feeling walking up on stage to accept the award. They announced we had also won Best PS3 Game and Best Graphics at the same time. The night belonged to the team back at Naughty Dog but I couldn’t imagine two people better to represent them than our Game and Creative Directors, Bruce and Amy. So they gave their heartfelt acceptance speeches and the show was over.

From there it was off to the parties and time to celebrate with the rest of the Dogs. A bunch of coworkers who were at the community event/viewing party in Hollywood drove downtown to meet us. It was a great night and I couldn’t have been more proud to have been part of such an amazing project. We’re so glad that a bunch of us got to share the moment with the fans at the community event because in the end, that’s really why we work so hard on our games. Knowing that we have an audience that appreciates the end result keeps us coming back to do better next time.

This was only the second time in Naughty Dog’s 15-year history of making PlayStation games that we had won an industry award of this caliber, and we tripled that in one night. We’ve definitely raised the bar for ourselves in so many ways. But everyone on the team is looking forward to the challenge and we couldn’t be more excited to do it again.

Now it’s time to enjoy the holidays, but then it’s time to put our noses back to the grind stone and see what happens next.

We’ll be releasing the remaining episodes – Episode 3 and 4 – TODAY for $0.99 each on the US PlayStation Store.

If you haven’t checked out UNCHARTED: Eye of Indra to get a sneak peek at Nathan Drake before the events in UNCHARTED: Drake’s Fortune, head to the PlayStation Store and download Episode 1, which is still available for free.

The premise is simple: in celebration of the impending Turkey Day, users will approach the giant stone turkey in Central Plaza and, of course, pledge their allegiance to the almighty Meleagris Gallopavo by stating “Gobble gobble” and/or other assorted turkey-isms. If your homage pleases your turkey overlord, you will be given a chance to chase a bunch of wily turkeys around Central Plaza (word to the wise: these turkeys are quite cunning and as such get progressively more difficult to catch as the game goes on, so you’d better bring appropriate footwear). If you can manage to catch them all, you will unlock some truly hilarious rewards that are sure to make you an object of envy amongst your peers. Sound borderline insane? Of course it does – which is exactly why we are doing it! Check the video below for a look at what we have in store for you.

Also, in celebration of the release of Assassin’s Creed 2, new AC2-themed virtual goods will be released this week. Hardcore fans of the franchise are sure to find these items to be true must-haves (and we bet they’ll geek out hard over the full Ezio costumes set to release in PlayStation Home come next week). Any way you cut it, if you “Live by the Creed” then PlayStation Home is the place to be (when you aren’t sneaking up behind enemies and performing other stealthy maneuvers in various Italian locales, of course).

In other PlayStation Home-related news: We’re pleased to announce another opportunity for you, the PlayStation Home community, to win a copy of the super-limited UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition. Here’s how this contest works: PlayStation Home community members should enter the new UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves game space in PlayStation Home between the hours of 8:00am PT on Friday, November 20th and 12:00pm PT on Saturday, November 21st to play the Fortunate Thieves mini-game. The user that secures the #1 slot of the game’s leaderboard will win a copy of the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition. Included in this prize package is a Phurba Dagger ornamental replica (plus stand), a special “book case” with art book autographed by the Naughty Dog team, a ton of downloads, and the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Strategy Guide. This is arguably the most sought-after prize we are giving away all year, so read the official rules and regulations below and then head into PlayStation Home right at 8:00am PT on Friday, November 20th (this is when we will wipe the leaderboards) and get that first place slot.

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not enter this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or District of Columbia at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION HOME UNCHARTED 2 FORTUNATE THIEVES MINI GAME CONTEST
OFFICIAL RULES

Void outside the 50 United States and District of Columbia and where prohibited.

1. Eligibility. The UNCHARTED 2 FORTUNATE THIEVES MINI GAME Contest (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. Sponsor. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).

3. Timing. The Promotion begins on November 20, 2009 at 8:00 A.M. PST and ends on November 21, 2009 at 12:00 P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a PlayStation Network account, and a PlayStation3 computer entertainment system required. Using the PlayStation3 system, go to the PlayStation Network and access PlayStation Home. Users who wish to enter (the “Entrants”) shall use their avatars to enter the UNCHARTED 2 Among Thieves Nepalese Village Space (the “Event Space”) (accessible via the World Map on the Entrant’s Menu Pad), navigate their avatars to the “Fortunate Thieves” mini game, and select the “Fortunate Thieves” icon. Entrants will be directed to the Fortunate Thieves menu and will be presented with the four (4) following options:

• HOW TO PLAY:
  Entrants selecting this option will be presented with three (3) screens of instructions listing the details of gameplay, including the game purpose and game strategy.
• CREATE GAME (“HOST”):
  Entrants selecting this option will be the game “Hosts”. Hosts are in charge of setting the following variables in the game:
  • Maps – Hosts determine the map game will be played on. There are eight (8) maps total in game. The terrain and layout of each map varies. Some maps have more treasure winning potential than others.
  • Public v. Private – Hosts determine whether to make the game public (anyone in the space can participate) or private (only Entrants who are on the Host’s PSN friends list can participate).
  • Number of Turns – Hosts determine how many “turns” the game will consist of. (“turns” are defined as one round for each player in the game). The turn choices are 10, 15, 20, 25.
  • Number of Seconds – Hosts determine how many seconds a player will have to act once it is their “turn”. The seconds choices are 20, 40 or 60 seconds.

  Once the above parameters are set, a Lobby is created. A minimum of two (2) players are needed to start a game. The host can join the game as a player and must wait for a minimum of one (1) other player to enter the Lobby before a game session can begin. A maximum of four (4) players are permitted per game.

• JOIN GAME (“PARTICIPANT”):
  Entrants selecting this option join the game as Participants and are taken to a list of available games where they can see the Host options set for each game and determine which game they would like to join. Participants can then join any open game.
• SPECTATE GAME:
  Entrants selecting this option are taken to a choice of games that they can watch. Spectators cannot enter a game.
  Hosts are responsible for controlling the game, including setting and determining the game variables listed above in each game. To enter the Promotion, Entrants can either select the “Create a Game” icon as the Host or the “Join a Game” icon as a Participant. Once Entrants have selected a method of entry, they may join any open game. A minimum of two (2) players are required and a maximum of four (4) players are permitted per game. Players will receive a set of four (4) cards. Cards will be continually dealt to Players throughout the game so that Players will always have a set of four (4) cards to play with. To play, Players must use the cards to accumulate points. Instructions for playing the cards are presented to Players in pop-up format and are revealed to Players as they scroll over individual cards. Players should attempt to accumulate as many points as possible. Once the game ends, timing stops and Player’s score is recorded. Players can play an unlimited number of games within the promotion period to attempt to better their score. The 10 (ten) highest scores and the online IDs of the players who earned them in an individual game from all games played during the Promotion Period in all instances of the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village space will be posted on the Global Leaderboard located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space. (An instance is a new event space that is created when the number of users in the original space has reached its maximum capacity. Fortunate Thieves can support multiple instances of the same Event Space so that Players will be able to access the space.)

5. Entry Conditions and Release. Entrants may participate as many times as they like. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules are automatically disqualified. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt, change or adversely affect the Promotion’s administration, security or proper play and to award prizes from among all eligible entries received prior to Sponsor’s action. Automated entries are prohibited and any use of automated devices will cause disqualification. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process.

6. Winner Selection. One (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected during the Promotion Period. Winner will be determined as follows:

The player who accumulates the highest score in an individual game from all games played during the Promotion Period will be declared the Grand Prize winner. In the event of a tie in winning scores, Entrants with the highest tied winning scores will play a tiebreaker game in the Fortunate Thieves Event Space on November 23, 2009. Time and details of tiebreaker will be determined by Sponsor. Entrants will be notified at approximately 12:00 P.M.PST on November 18, 2009 via the email address associated with their PSN account with instructions regarding the time the tiebreaker will occur. The player with the highest score in the tiebreaker will be declared the Grand Prize winner. If the tiebreaker score is tied, additional tiebreaker games will be held from among the remaining highest scoring tied Players until the Player with the highest score remains, who will be declared the Grand Prize winner.

Winner’s PSN online IDs will be posted on the global leaderboard within the mini game located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space beginning on November 21, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Winner will also be notified by Sponsor via the email address associated with Winner’s PSN account on or about November 23, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Grand Prize winner must claim his or her prize within 48 hours from Sponsor’s notification. If Grand Prize winner does not respond within 48 hours from Sponsor’s outreach, an alternate winner will be selected by Sponsor based on the player who has the next highest score from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists, the next highest score from the tiebreaker). This method will continue until a Grand Prize winner has responded.

7. Prize(s). One (1) Grand Prize for the Promotion Period. Grand Prize consists of one copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition which includes a copy of the video game UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, a phurba dagger replica and an artbook. The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize is $300.00. Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Sponsor may disqualify a winner and select an alternate winner if any prize notification or prize is returned undeliverable. If the player with the highest score is under 18, the prize will be awarded to the Entrant with the next highest score from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists the next highest score from the tiebreaker). Prizes are non-transferable and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on winner’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of the prize.

8. Odds of Winning. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

9. Publicity. By accepting the prize, winner agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability (the “Affidavit”) within Fourteen (14) business days of prize notification.

10. Limitations of Liability. By attempting to enter, entering a Promotion or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Sponsor’s employees, employees of Sponsor’s parent, subsidiaries, agencies, and affiliates and each of their related companies and their immediate families are not eligible. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.

11. Promotion Results. Sponsor will post winner’s name in the Message of the Day on November 23, 2009 at approximately 10:00 A.M. PST, and winner’s name will also be announced in the PlayStation Home forums until December 30, 2009. To obtain a winner’s list by mail, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PlayStation Home UNCHARTED 2 Fortunate Thieves Mini Game Contest Promotion, Attn: Promotions, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 2nd Floor, Foster City, CA 94404. Sponsor will fulfill a winner’s list request within 4-6 weeks after it awards prizes. Requests for the winner’s list must be received by December 30, 2009.

12. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Trivia Contest Rules

No purchase necessary. Five grand prizes are available to be won, each consisting of an UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition for PlayStation 3 (ARV: $300). Five secondary prizes available to be won, each consisting of an UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Brady Games Strategy Guide (ARV: $22.99). Contest is open to residents of Canada over the age of majority. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. One entry per person. Correct answer to skill-testing question required. Contest ends 10:00 ET on November 23, 2009. Full rules and regulations available at www.PlayStation.ca.

We here on the PlayStation Home team are pleased to offer you, the PlayStation Home community, a unique opportunity to win a copy of the ultra rare UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Fortune Hunter Edition . The premise is simple: PlayStation Home community members should enter the new UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves game space in PlayStation Home between the hours of 8:00 am PT on Thursday, November 5th and 12:00 pm PT on Friday, November 6th to play the Mask Mayhem mini-game. The user who assembles the Ganesh mask the quickest (and therefore places first on the space’s leaderboard) will win this extremely limited prize. If you are a fan of the UNCHARTED franchise (and who isn’t?) you know it’s high time to come into PlayStation Home, check out this highly immersive game space, try your hand at the Mask Mayhem mini-game (and the awesome Fortunate Thieves card battle game while you’re at it), rack up the associated rewards, and do your best to grab that #1 slot. Included in the Fortune Hunter Edition is a copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, the Phurba Dagger ornamental replica (plus stand), a special “book case” with art book autographed by the Naughty Dog team, a ton of downloads, and the UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Strategy Guide. So read the official rules and regulations below and then head into PlayStation Home now and start training for this event. We’ll be wiping the leaderboards clean right at 8:00am Thursday morning…

The following promotion is intended for viewing in the 50 United States and the District of Colombia only and will be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed to register in this contest if you are not a legal resident of, and located in, the 50 United States or D.C. at the time of entry.

PLAYSTATION HOME UNCHARTED 2 MASK MAYHEM CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES

Void outside the 50 United States and D.C. and where prohibited.

1. Eligibility. The UNCHARTED 2 MASK MAYHEM Contest (the “Promotion”) is open only to legal residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and hold a PlayStation®Network account in good standing as determined by Sponsor. Employees of the Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their immediate families are not eligible to participate in this Promotion.

2. Sponsor. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., 919 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA 94404 (“Sponsor”).

3. Timing. The Promotion begins on November 5 2009 at 8:00 A.M. PST and ends on November 6, 2009 at 12:00 P.M. PST (the “Promotion Period”).

4. How to Enter. No purchase necessary. Internet access, a PlayStation Network account, and a PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system required. Using the PlayStation 3 system, go to the PlayStation Network and access PlayStation Home, the virtual 3D community hub. Users who wish to enter (the “Entrants”) must use their avatars to enter the UNCHARTED 2 Among Thieves Nepalese Village Space (the “Event Space”) (accessible via the World Map on the Entrant’s Menu Pad), navigate their avatars to the “Mask Mayhem” mini game, select the “Mask Mayhem” icon and enter the Event Space. Before playing the mini game, Entrants must navigate their avatars to collect seven (7) puzzle pieces which are prominently scattered throughout the Event Space. Once Entrants have collected all seven pieces, Entrants must navigate their avatars and bring their puzzle pieces to the Mask Mayhem elephant mask located at the end of an alleyway on a wall in the Event Space. Puzzle pieces will remain in the Event Space and need only be collected once in order to play multiple games. Instructions for playing the game are presented to Players in pop-up menus as they navigate through the Event Space and on the wall next to the elephant mask. To enter the Promotion, Players select the “X” icon located directly below the elephant mask on the wall which begins the timing process. To play, Players must place their puzzle pieces directly on top of the elephant mask to replicate the image of the elephant. Players should attempt to solve the puzzle as quickly as possible. Once the puzzle is completed, timing stops and Player’s time is recorded. Players can play an unlimited number of games within the Promotion Period to attempt to better their time. The 10 lowest times and the online IDs of the players who earned them in an individual game from all correctly completed games played during the Promotion Period in all instances of the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village space will be posted on the Global Leaderboard located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space. (An instance is a new event space that is created when the number of users in the original space has reached its maximum capacity. Masked Mayhem can support multiple instances of the same Event Space so that Players will always be able to access the space.)

5. Entry Conditions and Release. Entrants may participate as many times as they like but may only win one time during the Promotion Period. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software failures, malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions or unforeseen schedule changes that may limit an entrant’s ability to participate in the Promotion, even if caused by Sponsor’s negligence. Sponsor is not responsible for changes to Entrant’s contact information. Entries not satisfying these Official Rules are automatically disqualified. Sponsor has the sole discretion to modify, cancel or suspend this Promotion should virus, bugs or other causes beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt, change or adversely affect the Promotion’s administration, security or proper play and to award prizes from among all eligible entries received prior to Sponsor’s action. Automated entries are prohibited and any use of automated devices will cause disqualification. Sponsor has the sole discretion to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process.

6. Winner Selection. One (1) Grand Prize winner will be selected during the Promotion Period. Winner will be determined as follows:

The player who has the lowest time in an individual game from all correctly completed games played during the Promotion Period will be declared the Grand Prize winner. In the event of a tie in Player’s times, Entrants with the lowest tied scores will have a rematch in the Mask Mayhem Event Space on November 9, 2009. Time and details of tiebreaker will be determined by Sponsor. Entrants will be notified at approximately 6:00 P.M. PST on November 6, 2009 via the email address associated with their PSN account with instructions regarding the time the rematch will occur. The player with the lowest time in the tiebreaker rematch will be declared the Grand Prize winner. If additional ties exist, rematch games will be held from among the remaining lowest-scoring, tied Players until the Player with the lowest time remains, who will be declared the Grand Prize winner.

Winners’ PSN online IDs will be posted on the global leaderboard within the mini game located in the UNCHARTED Nepalese Village Space beginning on November 6, 2009 at approximately 12:00 P.M. PST. Winners will also be notified by Sponsor via the email address associated with Winner’s PSN account on or about November 6, 2009 at approximately 1:00 P.M. PST. If a tie exists the winner of the tiebreaker will be notified by Sponsor via the email address associated with the tie breaker’s account on or about November 10, 2009 at approximately 7:00 P.M. PST. Grand Prize winner must claim their prize within 48 hours from Sponsor’s notification. If Grand Prize winner does not respond within 48 hours from Sponsor’s outreach, an alternate winner will be selected by Sponsor based on the player who has the next lowest time from all games played during the Promotion Period, (or if a tie exists, the next lowest time from the tiebreaker) which will be posted on the global leaderboard. This method will continue until a Grand Prize winner has responded.

7. Prize(s). One (1) Grand Prize for the Promotion Period. Grand Prize consists of one copy of UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition which includes a copy of the video game UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves, a phurba dagger replica and an artbook. The approximate retail value (“ARV”) of Grand Prize is $300.00. Prize fulfillment is based on availability. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize is unavailable. Sponsor may disqualify a winner and select an alternate winner if any prize notification or prize is returned undeliverable. If the player with the lowest time is under 18, the prize will be awarded to the Entrant with the next lowest time from all games played during the Promotion Period (or if a tie exists the next lowest time from the tiebreaker) which will be posted on the global leaderboard. Prizes are non-transferable and Sponsor need not substitute a prize based on winner’s request. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of the prize.

8. Odds of Winning. Odds of winning are determined by the number of eligible entries received.

9. Publicity. By accepting the prize, winner agrees to the use of his or her name and likeness for purposes of advertising, trade or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law, and agrees to sign and return a notarized Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability (the “Affidavit”) within Fourteen (14) business days of prize notification.

10. Limitations of Liability. By attempting to enter, entering a Promotion or accepting a Promotion prize, an entrant or prize winner agrees to release Sponsor and its parent, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions and affiliates from liability, claims or actions or any kind for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the prize or while preparing for, participating in or traveling to or from the Promotion or any Promotion or prize-related activity. Sponsor’s employees, employees of Sponsor’s parent, subsidiaries, agencies, and affiliates and each of their related companies and their immediate families are not eligible. Neither the Sponsor nor its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, divisions or related companies are responsible for any damages, taxes or expenses that winners might incur as a result of this Promotion or receipt of prize.

11. Promotion Results. Sponsor will post winner’s name in the Message of the Day on November 6, 2009 at approximately 1:00 P.M. PST, and winner’s name will also be announced in the PlayStation Home forums until November 30, 2009. To obtain a winner’s list by mail, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to PlayStation Home UNCHARTED 2 Mask Mayhem Contest Promotion, Attn: Promotions, 919 E. Hillsdale Blvd. 2nd Floor, Foster City, CA 94404. Sponsor will fulfill a winner’s list request within 4-6 weeks after it awards prizes. Requests for the winner’s list must be received by November 30, 2009.

12. Restrictions. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Win the ultimate holiday gift! This month, if you live in select states in the West and Midwest regions you’ll have a chance to win the ultimate UNCHARTED Adventure courtesy of our partners at Pepsi. 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, so visit participating stores today!

For more information on the promotion visit our Events page.