Uncharted 4 dev apologizes for using Assassin's Creed 4 concept art
UPDATE: The Uncharted 4 trailer has been updated with non-offending (as far as we know) art, and Naughty Dog has apologized to Ubisoft on its official website:
"In our eagerness to get the story trailer out we made a regrettable mistake and didn’t thoroughly vet the art work used for an in game painting. We’ve already updated the trailer. We hold all artistry in high regard and take full responsibility for having allowed this to happen.
We want to sincerely apologize to everyone at Ubisoft, the Assassin’s Creed team, the original artist, and our fans."
ORIGINAL STORY: The head of Assassin's Creed content at Ubisoft has noticed an odd little detail about the latest Uncharted 4 story trailer. When Nathan Drake glances away from Elena, he's staring longingly at some Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag concept art framed above his fireplace. I guess he really likes that game, too.
Woooow Uncharted 4 using one of ACIV artwork in their trailer... I get the "thief" title now! https://t.co/rholpuvw9I lol at 1:36February 24, 2016
@EscoBlades Look at that... At least they removed the character! ;) pic.twitter.com/7TGO0v6mnaFebruary 24, 2016
@EscoBlades Original... Can you spot the differences? :p pic.twitter.com/Sj7fuNukLpFebruary 24, 2016
The original art is definitely legit, and the same piece clearly appears in cropped and slightly edited form above the Drake-Fisher family mantle. This wouldn't be the first time Naughty Dog was caught using somebody else's art with no apparent attribution, though it is the first time Ubisoft Montreal creative director Alex Hutchinson has been able to get this sick a burn out of it.
@GameAnim Doing your own concept art is twice the work? ;) pic.twitter.com/sO7ZAQ6sQ1February 24, 2016
I've emailed Sony to see if it and Naughty Dog are aware of this alleged grand theft concept art. It may have just been a contract artist double dipping into their portfolio, or somebody forgetting to swap out some placeholder assets, but it's still quite embarrassing either way. I'll update this story with any response.
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I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.