Uncharted 4 using one of Assassin’s Creed IV artwork in their trailer

CRAVE: "Naughty Dog pulls a Nathan Drake and steals a piece of art that doesn't belong to them."

[Genuine-User]

Steals? That's most definitely OT.

It's a single concept image and looks slightly different.

[-Foxtrot]

They should be jailed for this...

/s

[Genuine-User]

Someone should get fired...

/s

↓↓↓ lol↓↓↓

[-Foxtrot]

Or slapped with a fish

[Relientk77]

Call the Fine Brothers. Naughty Dog is done.

/s

[gatormatt80]

They may have paid for the art or received Ubi's permission. I think it's just an easter egg/ tribute to ACIV when you consider the theme of both games.

[rainslacker]

It's the subway map all over again.:(

[Eonjay]

Its obviously an Easter Egg.

[Genuine-User]

I meant OTT - over the top.

The original title was "Naughty Dog/Uncharted 4 steals"; which didn't sit right with me.

This is such a non issue. Some people are going to have a field day over this though.

[Eonjay]

@Genuine-User it is over the top of course because.. the internet requires exaggeration to get hits. And if it was an honest mistake they will fix it. But I like it because the theme of Pirates links the two games.

[freshslicepizza]

confirmation that they will use the 'Animus' to keep the character of nathan drake going even if he dies in uncharted 4.

[Mr Pumblechook]

Talk about reaching and trying to make a scandal out of nothing!

I came here wondering if Naughty Dog had stolen art assets from Assassin's Creed and used them in Uncharted 4... but it was nothing of the sort! This is all about a trailer featuring a painting that the art is from AC4. This might have been put there as a place-holder and left in by accident or as an Easter Egg because sometimes studios want to show respect to another game studio.

But this whole 'scandal' is a drama whipped up by Crave to get hits and attempt to throw mud at one of the biggest PlayStation exclusives of the year. This is gutter 'journalism.'

They also wrote that The Uncharted Collection underperformed http://www.craveonline.co.u... when actually Sony have revealed it to be a big success for them that helped sell new PS4s (see NPD, Media Create and Chart Track for December.)

It might get hits for you now, but it leads to the public distrusting you in the future.

I can't speak for anybody else but this 'crime' hasn't made me want to cancel my Uncharted 4 preorder!

[Goldby]

walk the plank!

[mabreu]

NG fixed it

http://www.naughtydog.com/s...

The time it appears on the video is 1:36

[bleedsoe9mm]

naughty going all the way with the Thief part of a Thief's end

[donthate]

mabreu:

lol, ND admitted to it. I guess it was one of their outsources?

[never4get]

Uncharted 4: A "Thief"'s End

Cheap Advertisement, so cheap, it's a steal.

[OldGuyStillGaming]

Back to the drawing board (pun intended)

Game delayed to November 2016

[monkeyDzoro]

Nobody ever thought this could be some sort of easter egg or reference to Black Flag - a pirate game - since in UC4 Nate is after a pirate treasure ?
Firewatch included elements of TLOU, MGS and other games, they were called easter egg.
UC4 includes elements from other games, it's called "steal".

"Naughty Dog pulls a Nathan Drake and steals a piece of art that doesn't belong to them."
- CraveOnline.

Craveonline... again. Next Harcoregamer.

[joab777]

This is it. I'm sure it is.

[-Alpha]

This is an art asset that came from concept art. It's hardly an easter egg.

It's not unlikely that ND outsourced this aspect of the work and that somebody decided to take someone else's art work, or reuse it. To pretend that this isn't someone else's work that is being used directly in a game trailer is really turning a blind eye. If it's someone else's artwork, they have a right to not have their work taken like that.

This is a mistake, and Im sure ND will correct it. Same thing happened before with Last of Us using a subway map that they had no license for. It happens. http://kotaku.com/artist-sa... You wouldn't call this an "easter egg"

Naughty Dog and the artist reached a mutual conclusion in that instance, and it was very clear that the artwork was lifted.

Let's not pretend that this ISN'T someone else's artwork. Judging by the tweets by Ubisoft, it doesn't seem that ND really had permission here either. It likely got overlooked, but that doesn't mean that the persons who put it in doesn't have a responsibility.

It's just the nature of outsourcing to outsiders. Games of this scope aren't all done by Naughty Dog, and it's not like Naughty Dog maliciously approved the stolen work. It's definitely likely that asset work like this was outsourced to some guy who screwed up and that ND didn't pick up on it.

[monkeyDzoro]

@-Alpha
Nowhere did I say it was ND asset. Nowhere. I said it is possible that this is an easter egg. Merely stating a possibility. Do not put words in my comment.

Furthermore, it appears (not confirmed, I did not check) that the artist who made the artwork was a former Ubi employee who moved to ND. His name is Jonathan Cooper. Look below in @Overload comment.

So him using HIS artwork for a game where the themes are pretty similar (pirate treasure hunting) would not be a surprise and even less a steal. Especially if the artwork was not used INGAME for ACIV - Black Flag.

[-Alpha]

^ Again, it's not an "easter egg". Especially considering that they flat out edited out the person in the original picture.

Either it was genuinely taken without permission, or it was licensed, or the artist reused his own image that was originally used for Assassin's Creed (In which case, it is most likely that Ubisoft would own rights to art that is made for their property). But it's hardly likely that Naughty Dog decided to pay a tribute to Assassin's Creed in such a central way.

This is very different from your Firewatch examples and your suggestion that this is possibly an easter egg.

Again, we have an example of Naughty Dog doing this before with the Subway map, where they were called out on taking artwork.

So trying to imply that the media is slandering ND by juxtaposing this with when developers include easter eggs in their games isn't really fair. It is more likely that the image was taken as opposed to be made into a tribute.

[rainslacker]

Well...at least they didn't use the full AC game to promote their product. That would be unethical and funny. Good thing stuff like that never happens.....

@Alpha

To pretend that ND didn't have permission to use it in the first place is presumptuous. It may be the case they don't, but until Ubi says something, it's really not controversial. The Ubi guy who pointed it out doesn't seem terribly upset about it. Actually seems rather comical about it.

@Monkey

Technically, even if the artist is the same, if ND didn't have permission to use it, it would be a "steal". Any work created in the commission of another work becomes the property of the one paying for it. Even if they don't use it, it still belongs to them.

Only exception would be if the artist submitted the work, and Ubi rejected it for some reason, in which case, the original artist would be allowed to use it elsewhere. Not sure if this concept art was used for AC though....but given the nature of the tweet, it would appear it was accepted.

[starrman1985]

Cancel the game and make them all walk the plank!

[Genuine-User]

Double post. Sorry

[CuddlyREDRUM]

It is more like stealing 99 out of a 100 dollars from someone?

[3-4-5]

Looks more like a easter egg or tribute to a game some people on the dev team really liked or were inspired by.

[Jughead3416]

So, looks like a concept artist from ACBF moved to Naughty Dog. Guess maybe he thought he could use his same concept art since it wasn't actually used in game. There'll be perhaps some formal apology and the pic will be removed. That's my guess. But in the trailer, they showed the pic, then cut to the actual gameplay that looked like the pic. Do they have to redo this level? Does Ubisoft own the concept art of a former employee, when that art wasn't used in game? XBOX fanboys are loving this. It's hilarious. Guys, Uncharted 4 will still be one of the best games we've ever seen.

[solar]

But ND are gods!! What are you slow kids going to do now?!?!

[dreadz74]

Wow unbelievable it's a direct rip of the exact same picture.

[OoglyBoogly]

I don't get your downvotes at all. Other than them removing the person from the image and cropping some it is a direct rip of the AC picture.

N4G...were logic and reasonable comments come to die.

[dreadz74]

yup the evidence is right there denial is strong!

[Gazondaily]

Yeah its a literal copy hehe. Well at least we know where they got their inspiration from lmao

[PhucSeeker]

Look at all the defensive ND fanboys up there. I mean ND straight-up apologized for messing up, ain't like you guys.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

it no surprise considering it's a PS4 article.

[Genuine-User]

https://m.imgur.com/tyTeAQg...

[DragonDDark]

https://twitter.com/Get_cra...

[tanukisuit]

Found this during the Twitter meltdown: https://twitter.com/AndyMar...

[Overload]

Jonathan Cooper who use to work at Ubisoft now works for Naughty Dog.

[DragonDDark]

Yeah, is he the one who made the artwork too?
Edit: I still don't know why ubisoft guys didn't act professional and contact Naughty dog and tell them about this issue instead of creating this drama.

[Overload]

He worked on AC and didn't leave on pleasant terms.

[neoandrew]

Then maybe NG should in the first place act professionally and not use someones work.

[Dark_Crow]

This is not right. Then again..it's only a freaking painting.

[DragonDDark]

Yeah, i think that it can be removed almost immediately..

[mezati99]

naughty dog should be ashamed of their words and deeds

[mezati99]

Lol 18 downvotes for a freaking joke...

[TwoForce]

That because you didn't put /s.

[camel_toad]

It's sad that obvious sarcasm is not obvious.

[remixx116]

Yeah it was hard to tell.

[Salooh]

Joke on you now

[MajorIly]

Might just be placeholder for another more spoilery picture. Game still has 2 months so things can change. Plus the environment based on it looks quite different to the concept art so doubt they'd have too much trouble with taking it out. Not as big a deal as people are making it out to be. Something similar happened with The Last of Us with the railway map and it happened when the game was already out yet they still fixed it.

[Wallstreet37]

Omg they are sabotaging their project and stealing Assassin Creeds assets and using their gameplay too lol

The hyperbole.

Damn that game play of Uncharted was pure epicness!!!!!!

[rainslacker]

Why so pessimistic? This obviously confirms that Sony, and not Vivendi, have brought out Ubisoft...and somehow HL3 confirmed.

[Wallstreet37]

lol you are so right. Thank you for enlightening me.

[Chaosdreams]

Pitchforks ready!

Stand in line!

We're going to war boys! Justice will prevail!

--

On a serious note. I assume this will be handled. For now it serves as an interesting little source of marketing.

"They stole art? The title makes sense now!" <- as such.

[user6666047]

Ubisoft should be proud that a good game stole their art.

[Wallstreet37]

http://www.gamersyde.com/do...

Gamersyde high quality vid up warning it may melt your retinas lol

[DragonDDark]

Oh My...

[trancefreak]

I want a gif of the bell tower scene so epic. Well all of it was thanks for the link.

[Wallstreet37]

Yeah no problem. Gamersyde always has the high quality videos because all the other ones really dont do games justice. The difference is night and day, so much clearer and awesome looking.

[Butters360]

Neal Caffrey would be proud.

[Relientk77]

Nathan Drake the thief steals from Edward and the pirates from AC Black Flag. That's funny

[The7Reaper]

Time to boycott we must bring this theiving company down!

[AudioEppa]

Lmfao I give this joke a upvote

[Kallisti]

Naughty Dog vs Ubisoft: A Thieves End

[Perjoss]

pre order cancelled!

[Zizi]

I trust Naughty Dog with their quality titles. However, I think ND should comment or clarify on this matter.

[TwoForce]

Yeah, I agree. But i don't know about Ubisoft.

[goldwyncq]

Well, Nathan Drake IS a thief.

[Der_Kommandant]

It's Naughty Dog!

They can do whatever they want.

[AudioEppa]

So? Don't give a damn if they did tbh lol

I want this game right now, that trailer got me feeling some type of way

[Rute]

Naughty Dog were framed! Remember when Remedy visited Naughty Dog earlier this week? I bet they placed the painting in the game during the visit...

[rainslacker]

Nahhh..it was Kojima when he visited. He's obviously trolling us.

[ginsunuva]

Maybe it was an easter egg reference?

[MattE]

Lazy.. Why not just create ur own

[SilverClock]

Artists are already starving enough as it is without people stealing their work ffs!

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

He was probably using it as a placeholder until he completed the final artwork but forgot to change it. I'm sure all artist have a collection of artwork they use until they finish the final artwork they are going to use.

[PrimeGrime]

That's exactly what happened, and they admitted it, and said sorry they missed it before releasing the trailer. But as usual people make a big deal out of nothing, before actually thinking.

All while Ubisoft, year after year, advertises their games with bull shots that rarely represent the final product. Which in my opinion, is way worse than if Naughty Dog did intentionally use this artwork, at least Naughty Dog's games end up how they are advertised.

I personally think Ubisoft is super petty for this, they comment on something like this just to stir up unnecessary trouble, but when everyone calls them out on their bullshit like they did with Watch Dogs or The Division, they want to be silent or lie through their teeth.

If there has been any real thievery going around lately, it has been from Ubisoft. Falsely advertising your products so people buy them, in my eyes isn't too different than stealing. It is just a more clever way of going about it.

[Trilithon]

this games gonna be good!

[fluxmulder]

Whats hilarious is that it cuts from the concept art to the actual environment, which looks like it was made to resemble the concept art. Which means ND used Ubisoft's concept art to make the environment.

[baryonyx]

No, it was a framed picture of a island they was yet to finish, so they placed a concept-art picture in there, so they could finish the room until they could snap a photo from the island they was working with so they could replace it later, they can't ignore finishing up several chapter just because they aren't finished with other's.. it's a progress of developement to make all ties meet and end.

[jcnba28]

Well done Naughty Dog for stealing some concept art. What an embarrassment for the developer.

[DragoonsScaleLegends]

Yes one artist who forgot to change the placeholder artwork by mistake makes all of Naughty Dog thieves and ashamed lol.

[Darkfist]

yes fanboy make them feel ashamed, because of that art, but you can enjoy the rest of the game...whats that you say you dont care about the game? then go back to your hole.

[trywizardo]

there's something in gaming industry called "NOD" to other games, or easter eggs ...

[Christopher]

Really bad form from Cooper on this. Disrespectful to your old employers.

[pyroxxx]

Or someone just put ''rock arch beach'' into google images and put that one there,.. Big deal ,.. also matches apparently the settings of some level

Edit : they allready replaced it so no asshurt

[Bladesfist]

what, how is that better lol? It's okay to use things you don't have permission to use if you found it through google?

[PrimeGrime]

You're right it isn't okay, but Naughty Dog admitted it was placeholder artwork that they missed before releasing the trailer, and they've said they're sorry to anyone who has been offended, including their own fans.

I don't know what else you people want, and I'll say it again, coming from Ubisoft, the king of bull shots... I actually find this very amusing how quickly people forget about that.

That want to act like the victim now, when they've still never fully addressed how they falsely advertise their own games. They've just lied and danced around the issues until people stopped talking about it. To me that's way worse than taking a piece of artwork that barely has any real role in the actual game it's in.

Let's all just act like that tiny split second scene of a framed photo made up that entire trailer, and it was the sole inspiration for Uncharted 4. Lol...

[Inzo]

You all do realise that this is an actual setting right?

[Bladesfist]

You do realise that does not matter, right? The painting is still property of the owner (Ubisoft).

[sullynathan]

Laziness

[Doge]

They changed it LOL

[waltyftm]

Just noticed on Twitter lol.

[waltyftm]

Changed lol
https://t.co/aAPzEp8Ay7

[SynestheticRoar]

So what's the big deal.

[Kyizen]

In Witcher you find a dead "Assassin" by a hay pile. And in Witcher 3 when you enter a cave he mentions tomb raider. Its just fun nod or poke at to other games.

[Doge]

There's a big difference between parodies and using an asset that was created for an established IP. ND admitted to their mistakes and apologized.

[trainsgofast]

It's just about the painting on the wall, most likely a place holder. I think that the game has been downgradedand that's the bigger story.

[Errorist76]

Lol...if anything it has been upgraded! You just can't be serious...watch the uncompressed trailer on Gamersyde!

[Sidewinder-]

What if it was a Stock Image and BOTH companies appropriated it?

[ramza04]

Naughty dog have some of the best artists in the industry. I highly doubt they needed to steal a piece of concept art.

[Dirkster_Dude]

Since this is a real place it looks like coincidence to me. Not like anyone can really be sued over taking a similar or exact picture of a real place for using it in a video game. Of course if it happens quite a bit in the game there might be something to the fantasy that it was on purpose and Naughty Dog was using it without permission or as an Easter Egg find.

[Twinblade]

Naughty dog does an easter egg, everybody loses their minds, other games do it and it's awesome?

[Azzanation]

Its not an Easter Egg. They used someone elses art to complete there game. That is technically stealing. Not that i care. Im not even sure why my comment was classed as Offensive? Did i upset kids?

[Twinblade]

I've seen other games use art from different games and people call it Easter egg.

[Angel911]

LOL UC itself is ripoff of bunch of games and movies...

UC = TR meets Indian jones movies meets Gears style cover system.. For those who don't know TR is much older franchise than UC..First game was released in 1996.

ND games are not original or unique...They take inspiration or sometimes even copy stuff from other games and make it their own..

Their execution is quite good & that's why their games are great and no one complaints...

[pyroxxx]

Everything is inspired by something else in culture,.. How you combine and execute certain elements or even improve upon them is what counts,.. Naughty Dogs are pretty good at making great games,.. They are still unmatched when it comes to setting up 'kinda realistic' set pieces,.. Some things are basically movie quality rides,.. Also they pace things pretty well,..

[Twinblade]

UC was inspired by original TR's, now TR is inspired by UC. But you sound like an xbox fanboy hating on ND.

[Angel911]

ROTR is nothing like UC games now..TR Reboot of 2013 was like UC but ROTR is completely different.

ROTR is a semi-open world Metroidvanya style action/adventure game with RPG systems like skill based leveling and crafting. It's less linear than UC with more emphasis on exploration. You can go off story path in ROTR and explore tombs and crypts for hours. You can access hidden/secret location by unlocking certain Gear like Metroidvanya or Arkham games.

It has more gameplay depth than UC games..It gives you tons of gameplay options and more wide open areas to play around like bomb traps, stealth gameplay and all..

Only similarities is that in both games main character can shoot guns from third person perspective and climb objects and both are after a mythical secret treasure in every game, but core mechanics and systems of both games are quite different now.. UC goes for that Hollywood action movie vibe and ROTR is a proper game with more emphasis on rpg mechanics and exploration..Though game gives complete freedom to rush through story mode on easy and ignore everything but that's a dumb way to play ROTR.

If you have played ROTR then you should now how different ROTR is in mechanics now..Only a dumb idiot will call ROTR a UC ripoff...

And i own both systems..So, iam not a fanboy..iam just stating facts here

[Rattlehead20]

I can't help but feel that if this was an Xbox game, the developers would be getting slaughtered on here. Absolutely slaughtered.

The double standards are quite disgusting on here. It's why I rarely visit.

[Angel911]

Everything related to Xbox is checked with magnify glass this gen..Gamers don't miss any opportunity to shit on Xbox this gen.. MS did made some mistakes at launch but they corrected lot of them now but gamers still enjoy bashing them.

Not just idits on GAF and N4G bash them but even sites like DF are always after them.. Analyzing every pixel of Xbox one games lol

They don't even spare unfinished early access games like Ark.. Dev said game is unfinished on Xbox but still they criticize it..lol

[underwaves75]

sooo what!? LOL UbiSoft is complaining!???
REALLY!? After all your false advertising, broken promises...??
Get out of here.... sigh..

All your games are mere shadows of MEMORIES of what your games COULD have been.

UbiSoft is a joke..

They whined about the animations from Assassins Creed being stolen for Shadow of Mordor too... Boo hoo....

If they are so worried about it, perhaps they should drop a decent game.

[NickAwesome]

Easter egg

[frugemophu]

hi