Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Interview, Part One

GO: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune got a lot of great press, but I've had this sense that it was a sleeper hit, that it deserved to sell better than it did. Looking now, the game's actually sold something like 2.5 million to date, putting it in company with games like Killzone 2 or Fable 2. Are you satisfied with the level of brand awareness Drake's Fortune received

AH: I think you always wish there was even greater brand awareness. Certainly when you're making something, you don't want to feel you're trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator. I think a lot of where we succeeded with Drake's Fortune was on word of mouth, which was great, because as a creator that's vindication for us. It feels like even though this snuck into the marketplace and there wasn't a lot of brand awareness, people told their friends about it, and it just sort of spread like that. It really speaks volumes about the quality of the product.

Evan Wells: It's actually still selling quite well today, and as Amy said, I think it's largely due to the word of mouth it gets. When people play it they have to tell their friends, and it's almost like they've found this hidden gem, which I think creates a stronger sense of attachment where they've found it themselves instead of having it marketed to them.

AH: So it's sort of a double-edge sword, right On the one hand I think Evan's right, it makes people feel like they have more of a sense of ownership, because they discovered it independently. But on the other hand, you'd love to think you have a blockbuster on your hands. That's what's cool about Uncharted 2. There seems to be a lot more brand awareness out of the gate this time.

GO: I remember getting lots of requests for coverage by whoever was handling the original Uncharted at the time for Sony, and thinking okay, it looks lovely, but isn't this just another Tomb Raider--or as some said, Dude Raider--riff I wasn't expecting to play it, finish it, and sit watching the credits spool thinking "Finally, someone who gets the serial-homage adventure thing."