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Naughty Dog's games takes place on Bermuda Triangle [DoomBringer...NO!]

ndgame2.jpg


IGN: What can you tell us about the storyline? The trailer hints at a treasure and a curse. What sort of background are we looking at?

Wells: Unfortunately, at this time, the hints in the trailer are all that we can reveal about the storyline so far.

"Hints in the trailer", he says? After reading that phrase, I promptly decided to play the video again, and examine it closely. Nothing remarkable (storyline wise) on the action scenes, not that I've noticed at least. However...

Let's take a look at the final image instead, the one with the logo. This one:

ndgame.jpg


See the island above the "D" in "Dog"? It has a label that reads "Ilol de la bermud". That could be portuguese, not sure, but it's close enough to the spanish language for me to translate: Isla Bermuda. Bermuda Island.

Does the name Bermuda sound familiar to you? It sure did to me. Have a look at this:

a_cart_1.gif


That is none other than the Bermuda Triangle. One supposedly "cursed" place where ships mysteriously disappear. Hm, did I say curse? The trailer sure mentioned a curse too.

So, let's do a comparison now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/SefirothDB/ndgame2.jpg

Some shapes are a bit off... but it's supposed to be an ancient map - cartography wasn't exactly mastered at the time it was drawn. Even so, similarities are striking.

Could this be true? Or am I thinking too much about it? Will Naughty Dog prove my theory to be completely wrong? Discuss. =P

some more
Here's a bigger and clearer image of the map:

naughtydogf6nt.jpg


Other names are readable now, "Cuba", "La Florida", "Porto Rico"...

Yep, it's the Bermuda Triangle region (Bermuda Isle - Miami - San Juan) no doubt. Also, I forgot to mention how the trailer references how "Some things lost should never be found"...

Come on, Naughty Dog. Prove me right, please =P



Thanks to Mitochondrial from GS Forums
 

CamHostage

Member
Well done!

Makes a lot of sense, and sounds intriguing. The Triangle could make for an interesting setting for a game like this.
 
Don't thank me guys, thank Mitochondrial from GS Forums!!!

Here is some more detective work by another guy

OMG!!!
Superb job by Mitochondial to find such hidden clues !

Anyway the moment I heard the notorious words "Bermuda Triangle", my head just went crazy I could instantly think of only one thing and I don't know if any of you have put the clues together by now but here it goes...*Drum Roll*

This game is based on the lost island of ATLANTIS

Yes I said ATLANTIS as in Plato's lost civilization according to his dialogues the Timaeus and Critias.
For those of you have never heard about ATLANTIS please google it or better yet visit the following website
http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/Atlantis/index.html

Now for the biggest clue in the picture:
"At the top of the central hill, a temple was built to honor Poseidon
which housed a giant gold statue of Poseidon riding a chariot pulled by
winged horses. It was here that the rulers of Atlantis would come to discuss
laws, pass judgments, and pay tribute to Poseidon." - http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/Atlantis/story.html

Now does the whole "Horse Chariot" image on the top-right of the picture ring a bell?

All the hints lead to Atalantis:
1)Bermuda Triangle - many theories have it mark as the location of Atlantis because of the supernatural history of that area.
2) Poseidon's "Horse Chariot" - I instantly recognized the chariot and its association with Atlantis.
3) In the trailer the caption says:
"Some things lost should never be found"
"Some curses cannot be undone"
"On the trail of a legendary treasure"
All these quotes are refering to ATLANTIS

Anyhow there is just too much evidence pointing towards ATLANTIS as the setting of this game and that has now really excited me about this game and I cannot wait to get my hands on it ! ! !

City of Atlantis + Bermuda Triangle = potential for a great story
 
Moderation Unlimited said:
Holy shit...real doom_bringer is awesome.

Don't let that other guy use your account anymore (Landmine_Salesman)...He's a real downer.

But seriously if Andy was still there can you imagine how crazy their PS3 game would look? I mean that guy is a genius and he pulled wonders on PS2

I think its very sad that more people out there can’t appreciate the technology behind the Jak games.

He will be missed.
 

Twix

Member
very good job..thanks Doom_Bringer :)

Code:
I think its very sad that more people out there can’t appreciate the technology behind the Jak games.

Q
F
T

:(
 
Mojovonio said:
plz plz plz more Indiana and Less far cry!

I really doubt either of those games will have any bit of influence on this title :p

Indian Jones = Deals with nazis
Far Cry = well the first few levels aside this game is mostly shit :p
 

Rorschach

Member
Doom_Bringer said:
I really doubt either of those games will have any bit of influence on this title :p
I think he was referring to the Indiana Jones movies. It does seem to be in the same spirit. And I'm not talking about who he's facing...
 
Rorschach said:
I think he was referring to the Indiana Jones movies. It does seem to be in the same spirit. And I'm not talking about who he's facing...

I haven't seen any of the Indian Jones movies but I think he is suppose to be very athletic and adventurer type of personality however the dude in the Naughty Dog game is just an average Joe stuck in a very bad situation. But yes most likely both Indian Jones and Tomb Raider heavily influenced the character design/attributes of this game
 
Doom_Bringer said:
But seriously if Andy was still there can you imagine how crazy their PS3 game would look? I mean that guy is a genius and he pulled wonders on PS2

You're selling a lot of ND programmers pretty short if you think Gavin was the sole reason their technology has been so respected in the development community.
 
hukasmokincaterpillar said:
You're selling a lot of ND programmers pretty short if you think Gavin was the sole reason their technology has been so respected in the development community.

But he was the lead programmer and that's the point. He created a specific language for Jak games and was able to maximum potential of the PS2.

Now, a similar situation has happened with the PS2 game developer Naughty Dog. They developed a custom DSL using Lisp to create some of their most famous games. The company's co-founder, Andy Gavin, "used Allegro CL to create a programming language called "GOAL" (Game Oriented Assembly Lisp), which he designed specifically for the development of Naughty Dog's games. Using this custom dialect whose compiler and development environment was written in Allegro CL, he and his team were able to produce hundreds of different game objects with sophisticated real-time behavior and animation, and more realistic graphics. "The behaviors are faster to develop, and more compact than an equivalent C program, allowing for rapid prototyping and experimentation.""

In 2001, Naughty Dog was bought out by Sony. The rationale for the acquisition:

"After it became clear that Naughty Dog was one of the few companies that were pushing the envelope on PS2 from a technical standpoint, Sony finally purchased Naughty Dog in January 2001 to strengthen first-party development."

However, after Sony acquired Naughty Dog, they decided to stop using Lisp. The lead programmer describes the reasons for this:

"In all honesty, the biggest reason we're not using GOAL for next-gen development is because we're now part of Sony. I can only imagine Sony's shock when they purchased Naughty Dog a few years back, hoping to be able to leverage some of our technology across other Sony studios, and then realized that there was no way anyone else would be able to use any of our codebase. :)

Sony wants us to be able to share code with other studios, and this works both ways - both other studios using our code and vice versa. Add this to the difficulty curve of learning a new language for new hires, lack of support from external development tools (we had our own compiler, linker, and debugger, and pretty much had to use Emacs as our IDE), etc, means that there are clearly a lot of other factors involved. Note, however, that these issues aren't really technical problems, they're social ones.

I can definitively say that the investment in GOAL was worth it for our PS2 titles, despite the initial setup time and maintenance. Our productivity gains were huge, and were more than worth the time investment.This time around, however, the circumstances aren't quite the same. If we were still an independent studio, I'm almost positive we'd be extending GOAL for the next-generation of development. As it is, we are looking into alternative approaches (custom preprocessors, assemblers, linkers, you name it) - but all of these approaches fall short in many ways of the unified language and environment we had with GOAL.

That said, if there was a serious effort on the part of the game development community to develop and standardize a language for game development, everyone could gain the benefits without suffering the drawbacks (lack of code-sharing, learning curve, etc). And if there's enough community support, it would only be a matter of time before some really high-quality commercial tools came out to work with the language."


http://bc.tech.coop/blog/060118.html

I just found this... this is shocking info!

Looks a technical paradigm shift has occurred at Naughty Dog with the completion of Jak X. Not only is Andy not with them anymore, they have abandoned his programming language... Now basically excisting emeployees will be promoted and get a new lead programmer and they will start on something drastically different. Let's see what happens with the graphics and physics....
 

Kittonwy

Banned
hukasmokincaterpillar said:
You're selling a lot of ND programmers pretty short if you think Gavin was the sole reason their technology has been so respected in the development community.

Because Stephen White, co-President of Naughty Dog and Lead Programmer (afterall Andy wasn't the only Lead Programmer who has been with Naughty Dog for years), and the 14-15 other guys in the programming team, basically just sat on their asses and watch dirty movies all day while Andy single-handedly carried Naughty Dog.
 

Twix

Member
here is an interview with Stephen White, it’s probably old but there are some interesting comments about ND and the PS3 development :

A CHAT WITH NAUGHTY DOG ABOUT NEXT-GEN!

We chatted with Stephen White, Co-President and Lead Programmer at Santa Monica, CA-based videogame developer Naughty Dog about creating games for the next-generation consoles … and he offered some suggestions for dealing with next-gen hurdles.

Q. Naughty Dog is known for the “ Crash Bandicoot” and “ Jak and Daxter” franchises which have sold over 35 million units combined. What have been the fundamental keys to the success of your titles and how do you plan to apply those to your next-generation game development?

A. One of the biggest factors in the making of a successful game is hiring very talented people who are motivated and can get the job done without the need for extensive management and finely detailed schedules. Instead of throwing a lot of bodies at a problem and having pure managers manage those bodies, we have fewer people and our managers works directly on product as either artists, programmers, or designers. For example, people are often surprised to find out that we have no internal producers at Naughty Dog. It's not that we are anti-producer since there are certainly some fine producers in the industry but so far, we haven't needed to fill a purely producer role. Being “in the trenches,” our managers can make important decisions quickly with a good understanding of potential repercussions. Our staffing and management strategy has allowed us to adapt intelligently and efficiently and, as a result, we have a great work environment, we make polished games, and we never miss our ship date.

Q. How have the technical specs of the PS3 created hurdles for developers and how is Naughty Dog dealing with those hurdles?

A. The biggest hurdle is that more power means more things are possible and with more possibilities come more overall work and more difficult problems to solve. Our ultimate goal is to create a game that becomes a technical landmark for the hardware. For the PS1, we created “Crash Bandicoot” which featured streaming, highly detailed, real-time environments. For the PS2, we created “Jak and Daxter” with its organic, wide open, free-roaming environments using an extensive level of detail and data-streaming technology. For the PS3, we again want to create an experience that the consumer hasn't had before. We want to really push the machine in several areas so some of our systems are becoming several orders of magnitude harder. Our programming staff is relatively small so, to achieve our goals, we are very actively searching for additional programming talent.

Q. What improvements will the powerful capabilities of next-gen consoles make in next-gen games and do they outweigh the extra effort that needs to go into making those games?

A. I'm more excited about the next-gen system than I've been about any system in my nearly 20 years of programming professionally. The PS3 has the muscle to allow us to do many things that I've spoken wistfully about doing for years but that have been unachievable on past hardware. As an example, we are in the early stages of a huge evolution in graphics due to advances in pixel and vertex shader technology. While shader technology is certainly not unique to the PS3, people are going to be blown away by the stunning visuals and immersive experiences of PS3 games once developers start grasping the possibilities of this technology. The other thing I'm most excited about is the raw processing power of the Cell processor chip which opens up many possibilities for stunning visuals and new gameplay experiences not previously possible. Animation alone will undoubtedly go through a tremendous evolution in sophistication. I occasionally reminisce about the simpler days when making a game only took a few months and a handful of people, but I feel blessed to be in the industry at a time when so many epic and immersive things are possible. Ultimately, the most important component of a good game is gameplay, but we've sure come along way since “Pong.”

Q. How is Naughty Dog addressing the issue of growing team sizes as you make the jump to the next-gen technology?

A. Hiring is absolutely our biggest issue right now. We have a desperate need for talented programmers, artists, and designers. In the not-too-distant past, we did all of our own recruitment, but now we have come to rely on recruitment services like Digital Artist Management to find the talent we need. We are also very actively developing technology, tools, and methodologies to make things easier to create the code and content of our games, thus reducing the total number of additional people that need to be hired. We are focused on making easier-to-use tools and increasing our ability to iterate rapidly.

Q. Do you have any advice for other developers who are ramping up for the PS3?

A. Consider middleware and other forms of shared technology. This is not a knock against the PS3 since this is my advice regardless of the next-gen platform -- especially if you are developing cross-platform. As I mentioned, more power means more possibilities which means more complexity. The bar in terms of technology is being raised so very high that many studios will not have the time or staff to both make the game and the fundamental technology behind the game. Using various forms of middleware or other shared technology will allow those studios to more quickly prototype and focus on gameplay.

http://www.digitalartistmanagement.com/newsletter/enews11.html
 
Kittonwy said:
Because Stephen White, co-President of Naughty Dog and Lead Programmer (afterall Andy wasn't the only Lead Programmer who has been with Naughty Dog for years), and the 14-15 other guys in the programming team, basically just sat on their asses and watch dirty movies all day while Andy single-handedly carried Naughty Dog.

Andy created the language (read the stuff I posted above) if he hadn't do so none of the Jak games would look as good!

I want to read more on this Stephen White guy. You got any links? Is he still with ND or did he leave as well?
 

Chrono

Banned
It's definitely one of the most interesting ps3 titles. I have a feeling (or maybe it's just me hoping...) that once there's a gameplay trailer it's going to compete with white knight on most awesome next-gen game I've seen.


Are there any info/hints on when we'll see this game next? I really hope it's at the sony gamer's day conference next week.
 
Chrono said:
Are there any info/hints on when we'll see this game next? I really hope it's at the sony gamer's day conference next week.

Sadly I doubt we will see more of this any time soon. I can't believe how secretive Sony's first party developers are. Rarely a magazine or a website gets an exclusive scoop with em...

Anyway I think next time we see this game will be at E3 2007 at Santa Monica :)


After Resistance is out I bet Sony will start focusing on Motorstorm then Warhawk then Lair. The ND game is probably a Winter 07 title so we will have to wait a while
 

Kittonwy

Banned
Doom_Bringer said:
Andy created the language (read the stuff I posted above) if he hadn't do so none of the Jak games would look as good!

Rubbish. You need to SHOTEH FOK UP. J/k.
Indifferent2.gif


I want to read more on this Stephen White guy. You got any links? Is he still with ND or did he leave as well?

He's currently the Co-President of Naughty Dog, along with Evan Wells, the director of Jak 2 and creative director of Jak 3.
indifferent.gif
 
Kittonwy said:
Rubbish. You need to SHOTEH FOK UP. J/k.
Indifferent2.gif




He's currently the Co-President of Naughty Dog, along with Evan Wells, the director of Jak 2 and creative director of Jak 3.
indifferent.gif

After reading that Stephen White interview I am believer again! ND's PS3 game = one of the best looking games on PS3.

And man you need to stop using those damn similes!! And change your avatar!!
 
Doom_Bringer said:
Looks a technical paradigm shift has occurred at Naughty Dog with the completion of Jak X. Not only is Andy not with them anymore, they have abandoned his programming language...

I think you're taking ND's switch to C++ a bit out of context here (good digging btw ;)). Gavin's custom LISP work was admirable and obviously ND got a lot out of it for the PS2, but using a relatively esoteric programming language like GOAL might not be the most practical solution in today's development environment. Like Scott Shumaker (ND lead programmer) said in that post you quoted, it isn't as much a technical issue as it is a social/workflow one.

I'm sure their PS3 project will more than impress. :D
 
hukasmokincaterpillar said:
I think you're taking ND's switch to C++ a bit out of context here (good digging btw ;)). Gavin's custom LISP work was admirable and obviously ND got a lot out of it for the PS2, but using a relatively esoteric programming language like GOAL might not be the most practical solution in today's development environment. Like Scott Shumaker (ND lead programmer) said in that post you quoted, it isn't as much a technical issue as it is a social/workflow one.

Thanks :D I am sure they will come up with a batshit crazy graphics engine on PS3

I'm sure their PS3 project will more than impress. :D

indeed
 

Oneself

Member
If it's really based on "the ruins of Atlantis" and judging from Jak's high emphasis on story (and being the only platformers to have a good one), there's so much potential here for something great that it hurts. It's really cool to see some "real world" history references in fictional action games (as in Resistance and Metal Gear).

Hype +1000 (not the energy drink)
 

Kittonwy

Banned
Oneself said:
If it's really based on "the ruins of Atlantis" and judging from Jak's high emphasis on story (and being the only platformers to have a good one), there's so much potential here for something great that it hurts. It's really cool to see some "real world" history references in fictional action games (as in Resistance and Metal Gear).

Hype +1000 (not the energy drink)

I wonder aside from Dan Arey, whether Amy Hennig will have some involvement in putting the plot together.
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
it'd be cool if they worked in some of the greater mysteries surrounding the Bermuda Triangle, as well as making up new ones.
 
Oneself said:
Is Amy a producer on this one?

I just checked their corporate site and yes she is still with ND. Since she has previously worked as a producer on many other games I guess it’s safe to assume she is the producer for this as well

Some of the employee discriptions are hilarious

F.jpg

NAME: Cheng, Herman
PRIOR OFFENSES: Worked on Star War on Sega 32x, Kinetic on PS2. None of them were sold that successful in the market.

:lol :lol

F.jpg
'

SUSPECT PROFILE: not quite another "wacky game guy™", suspected Microsoft sympathizer - recommend thorough beating with stuffed penguins

Ahhaaa I love ND!
 
Amy Hennig is director for Naughty Dog now. Given her pedigree for writing (Soul Reaver!) I'm sure she'll have a lot of input on the story aspects. :D She joined ND after the first two Jak games so technically this is the first original IP she's worked on since the SR series.
 

Twix

Member
looks like the camera designer of Prince of Persia series has joind ND and he’s working on the camera system for this game:

According to Naughty Dog, the in-game camera will be heavily scripted to provide cinematic views during the game[2]. The camera designer from Ubisoft's Prince of Persia series was hired for this game's camera

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled_Naughty_Dog_Project

I liked the camera in Jak, but I don’t mind any changes if it’s gonna help the game experience :)
 

Kittonwy

Banned
Doom_Bringer said:
I just checked their corporate site and yes she is still with ND. Since she has previously worked as a producer on many other games I guess it’s safe to assume she is the producer for this as well

Some of the employee discriptions are hilarious

F.jpg



:lol :lol

Did you not read the interview where they talked about the team not having internal producers?

Amy Hennig directed Jak 3, she wrote and directed Soul Reaver 1 and 2, she's not a producer.
 
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