When you’re clambering across the face of a cliff, hundreds of meters above the ground, you can distinctly hear the sea thrashing violently below you. Move through the lush flora of India’s Western Ghats, and bugs will buzz past your ears, almost making you instinctually swat them away. Fire a gun, and you’ll hear the shots reverberating from the other side of the canyon.
But it’s not just firefights and the games’ death-defying moments that benefit from 3D audio. It can also be surprisingly subtle. For example, the auction scene in Uncharted 4 sounds noticeably different from how I remember it. The auctioneer’s voice echoes around the marble halls, which makes it feel as though you’re standing directly alongside Nate, Sully, and Sam as the bidding begins.
The games’ stealth sections, which tend to be the weakest parts of any Uncharted game, are far easier to navigate, too, as 3D audio helps you determine where an enemy is before you accidentally expose your position.
Speaking of Uncharted and immersion, it sounds like the implementation of the PS5’s 3D audio in the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves collection is top notch. The 3D audio on PS5 can go beyond immersion and become a gameplay feature. While the PS4 Uncharted games may have been designed with that console’s own 3D audio capabilities in mind, the future of PlayStation Studios games designed from the ground up for PS5 is extremely bright.
“The boat in the opening of the game was the very first thing people experienced so we were like, ‘OK is a big deal, we want to make sure that this feels good,'” says [Kurt] Margenau.
“We know where the body of the boat is scraping against the water, so we’re actually modeling that in stereo. When the boat turns to the right, you’ll not only feel that on the right side of the controller but also through two other layers of feedback. There’s a g-force meter, so any impact to the boat is being reflected on a pulse, which is based on the physics of what’s happening. And there’s a ‘propeller chop value’ in the simulation of the boat, which is like the propeller getting out of the water and skipping; we have a special haptic just for that. All these layers of those things are all running at once.”
I haven’t bought the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves collection yet, but man oh man, the stuff I am reading that they did for the remaster has me beyond jazzed to replay these games on PS5. They modeled the boat’s propeller movement for Nate’s sake! The DualSense is a real selling point for me. I can only imagine the impact the haptics will have in PS VR2.
“We had to build a new pipeline to author them because it’s such a higher fidelity haptic experience than the old controller rumble. So we had to think about it in a different way and involve audio programmers, because the fidelity of the haptics is so high that it’s an audio signal that we’re sending to the controller,” says Margenau, with the saintly patience of a man explaining a very technical system to a total layperson. “So when you get shot, you can feel it only on the side of the controller where you got shot.
It’s fascinating to think of haptic feedback being sent as an audio signal to the controller. You could think of it like the vibration creating different frequencies, like a song, but the sensation creates texture instead of a tune. Neat to see this applied to remastering a PS4 game.
This implementation actually reminded me of a Twitter thread that Kurt Margenau wrote back when The Last of Us Part II received a PS5 patch. I found the thread and wouldn’t you know, sound was mentioned.
As many of you are jumping back into TLOU2 on PS5, you may notice the haptics feel better. This is actually thanks to a firmware update to the DualSense controller back in April. THREAD:
A few months ago, I got to give feedback to the Sony DualSense team to help improve certain timing, intensity, and “texture” of haptics when in backwards compatibility (BC) mode to closer achieve the feeling we authored for the original DualShock 4 for our games.
Which is pretty wild considering the physical mechanisms for achieving the haptics in the two controllers is quite different. How can a backwards compatibility mode even work in the first place?
The DS4 has two different-sized rotating weights inside, and the DualSense has two weights that move forward and back and can express frequency and amplitude at extremely high fidelity and low latency (almost like a speaker).
So the controller firmware in the DualSense has to receive the “old” signals that are meant to spin up a motor (which has much higher latency), and emulate the resulting FEELING in the controller using a completely different mechanical method.
This includes accounting for all the timing differences in the authored rumble that’s built-in when designing for the DS4, and emulating the inherent variation and “rumbly” feeling that comes with a rotating motor.
This is all done inside the controller without the game code changing at all.
So hat’s off to @toshimasa_aoki and the entire DualSense team for making this incredible controller in the first place, and to the firmware team that works so hard to create and improve features like BC mode!
The DualSense controller’s weights moving forward and back and frequency and amplitude must be a part of the secret sauce that creates the texture PS5 games can create. According to iFixIt, the DualSense uses a voice coil actuator to make the haptic magic happen. The power of magnets moving forward and back inside of a coil.
Imagine what Naughty Dog and the rest of PlayStation Studios will do with PS5 games developed from the ground up.
I’ve seen Jonathon Dornbush of IGN share his Art of the Level series since he started it, but never got around to watching it myself (even though there is an episode on The Last of Us Part II). I have finally corrected my own mistake today with the new episode on the Madagascar chase in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
Shaun Escayg and Kurt Margenau shared the behind-the-scenes for one of the franchises most iconic set pieces and legendary E3 demos.
The Madagascar chase works extremely well as both an Uncharted set piece and as a demo for press and fans. It ups the ante for the franchise, thanks to the power of the PS4 and all the experience under Naughty Dog’s belt. It has a wonderful sense of escalation. I actually think Dunkey put it best in his Videogame Structure Evolution video. Uncharted 4 has an undeniable cadence in its design.
I wonder if this set piece made it into the movie…
Launching on January 28, this is actually a couple months sooner than I expected. Now Sony has big titles for the first three months of 2022 with Uncharted, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Gran Turismo 7. This comes out right before the Uncharted movie, which I knew would be their goal. I just figured that they would have given us that date sooner if that was the case. I am very happy to see it so soon.
Fidelity Mode – For those of you who have a 4K display and want super sharp resolution above all else to enjoy the stunning environments and details the Uncharted series is known for, select Fidelity Mode and play in native 4K resolution with a 30fps target framerate.
Performance Mode – We carried over the high framerate PS4 patch with Performance Mode, which targets a 60fps frame rate.
Performance+ Mode – If you’re all about the smoothest gameplay possible and don’t mind a resolution drop, try out our first ever Performance+ Mode which targets 120fps* at a 1080p resolution.
Native 4K will look sweet, but the “target” framerate of 30fps raises a flag. I would think it could be a locked, stable 30. We’ll have to wait for release to see if it even dips: I could be speculating about nothing. The real surprise is 120fps support at 1080p. I can just imagine swinging on the rope and leaping into a Superman punch at 120. Gimme.
Welcome to Part VI of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode talks about the future of Naughty Dog with the PlayStation 5 and what could lie ahead. I hope you enjoy.
Welcome to Part V of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode focuses on the tumultuous and generation-long development cycle of The Last of Us Part II. I hope you enjoy.
Welcome to Part IV of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode dives into the rapid, slammed development of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. From pre-production to release in just 15 months, The Lost Legacy is a marvel to explore. I hope you enjoy.
Welcome to Part III of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode is all about the non-stop development of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. I also dig into how the team designed Nathan Drake’s final game. I hope you enjoy.
Welcome to Part II of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode discusses how Naughty Dog managed developing for two console generations, as well as how much of an impact The Last of Us had for the studio. I hope you enjoy.
Welcome to Part I of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode explores the genesis of this project and the scope of Naughty Dog’s work from 2013-2020. I hope you enjoy.
This project expanded so fast that I think it never would have seen the light of day if I had planned out all this scope from the get go. What started out as an idea to just chronicle the history of one game turned into the history of four. I wish I had kept track of the time I spent on Chasing the Stick. I replayed Uncharted 2 through The Lost Legacy. I earned the platinum trophy in both The Lost Legacy and The Last of Us. All of the gameplay alone has to be around 100 hours. If playing games doesn’t really count in your book, then I know I spent months waking up early to work on the story before having to go to work. Researching articles, listening to interviews, watching documentaries, writing, rewriting, reading drafts out loud, editing, creating assets. I have easily spent hundreds of hours making this project come to life. I don’t say all this to brag: I think it is just super rad.
I wanted to share a behind-the-scenes post about the making of Chasing the Stick. I share all the apps I used, the locations I worked in, the tools I used, and creative decisions I made to make it a reality. Hopefully it answers any questions you may have.
I’ve always had an inclination toward Naughty Dog and their games. I first saw the Crash Bandicoot games around 2001-02 as a first or second grader at a neighbor’s house. I was a Nintendo kid growing up, but I liked going over to their house just to play Crash. I thought Crash was cool. Around that same time, the Jak and Daxter games were also being released. I mooched a PS2 off a different neighbor to play bits and pieces of that series. I’d also be introduced to other PlayStation classics like Sly Cooper and Kingdom Hearts. It was my early indoctrination into the PlayStation Nation. I’d finally get my own PS2 second-hand around 2007. The first games I bought were from those three series.
The next Naughty Dog game I’d catch a glimpse of would alter my attention toward the studio from a passerby to an active seeker. Probably around 2009, I saw a demo kiosk for a PS3 and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves inside a Target. I remember the demo vividly: It was the first section when you arrive in Nepal. A massive armored truck chases you down an alley while you run and shoot at its grill and engine. At the end of the alley, when I felt like I was running low on ammo, the truck burst into flames and I escaped. But I didn’t really do those things, the character (who I didn’t know at the time), Nathan Drake, did them: I just controlled it. I think a connection was made then and there. Instead of using a cutscene, Naughty Dog games let me control the action and the story unlike anything I had experienced before.
From then on I was trying to get my hands on a PS3 and was acutely aware of Naughty Dog’s next game. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception was incoming and I could not wait. The reveal demo of the burning Chateau blew my mind. I wouldn’t get my own PS3 until Christmas 2011, bundled with Uncharted 3. I played the first few opening chapters before putting the game down, determined to play the series in order. I borrowed Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune from a neighbor on Christmas Day. I played the entire game in one sitting the next day with my PS3 hooked up to my CRT television: I wasn’t even playing in HD! I’d then go out and buy Uncharted 2 and then finally play Uncharted 3.
A few weeks prior to that Christmas, on December 10, 2011, the Spike Video Game Awards revealed Naughty Dog’s next game—The Last of Us. Leading into the awards, other teasers were dropped like breadcrumbs. I remember watching the cordyceps fungus video and seeing the cracked newspaper casing. I was hooked from the get-go, before Naughty Dog was even attached to the game. Finally having my own PS3 just a couple weeks later, I was eagerly anticipating The Last of Us. I went on a total media blackout for it, even hiding my eyes and plugging my ears during the trailer at movie theaters.
Naughty Dog was my reason to own a PS3. I remember reviews for The Last of Us dropped on my birthday in 2013. Reading Colin Moriarty’s 10/10 review on IGN was like unwrapping a birthday present. The game launched just over a week later on June 14, 2013. It is a time I will never forget.
I think the powerful allure of Naughty Dog games comes down to their uncanny ability to intertwine gameplay and storytelling. A saying that I’ve probably heard before, but it never clicked until writing this story, is “telling it on the stick.” Simply put, it is a design decision to tell as much of the story via gameplay as possible. Using the joysticks before text boxes or cutscenes to tell the narrative. This actively puts the player in the shoes of the character, creating a unique, empathetic bond. It clicks with players on an emotional level. It certainly has with me.
As The Last of Us Part II nears its release on June 19, 2020, I had an idea to write a history/editorial on the game. I had done so for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; this seemed like a logical next history piece for me. I love looking back, gathering context, and analyzing how a game came to be. I find it educational and helpful to provide that information all in one place. My eagerness and drive quickly got the better of me.
What started out as an idea to explore the history of The Last of Us Part II has (in a Naughty Dog-like fashion) turned into something more ambitious than I anticipated. I want to take a look at Naughty Dog’s PS4 legacy; analyze their game design, explore their developmental history, and compile it all in one place. The Last of Us Part II didn’t just happen out of thin air. It is a sum of years of hard work, lessons learned, and the tireless pursuit of perfectionism.
Welcome to the audiobook version of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
What started out as an idea to explore the history of The Last of Us Part II has (in a Naughty Dog-like fashion) turned into something more ambitious than I anticipated. I want to take a look at Naughty Dog’s PS4 legacy; analyze their game design, explore their developmental history, and compile it all in one place. The Last of Us Part II didn’t just happen out of thin air. It is a sum of years of hard work, lessons learned, and the tireless pursuit of perfectionism.
How did Naughty Dog actually pull it off though? What lessons did they learn, implement, and explore on the PS4? What did it cost their team, both personally and professionally? How has their PS4 catalog defined the studio in a way no previous generation has?
Chasing the Stick is also available online at MaxFrequency.net and as an e-book. Check out the links below to download your preferred format for free.
The link above kicks off near the end of the video because I just cracked up at the ending. Spot on reference.
After watching the State of Play last week and finalizing Chasing the Stick, it dawned on me that I’ll actually get to play The Last of Us Part II in just a couple weeks. All my focus has been channeled toward writing the history that I mostly forgot about actually playing the game. Now this funny Girlfriend Review is adding onto that realization and excitement.
I sure do write a lot about Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End in Chasing the Stick. Make sure to come back on June 5 to read or listen to the definitive history of Naughty Dog during the PS4 era.
“What we did was a combination of a bunch of quads, but moving throughout the environment and then positional quads, but also moving quads in that when you move your head the quads are positional, but also ones that are going with you and then ones that you go through and that are collapsing and that combinition is so much more intricate than games that are out right now, mostly because they don’t have enough CPU to be able to do that. They don’t have enough sound bank memory to be able to have all that stuff.” – Jeremy Rogers
