‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ Midnight Release Date and What's Next for Naughty Dog; Is a Decent Crash Bandicoot Game On the Way?

May 09, 2016 12:38 PM EDT

Naughty Dog has had a lot of hits in its past, and they have scored big with The Last of Us as well as the Uncharted series, which will come to a close as of tomorrow with Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.  There is a lot of pre-order fanfare and midnight release parties for that, but many are wondering what is next for Naughty Dog.  Specifically, are they planning to bring back one of their franchises with Crash Bandicoot, but how and why that could happen remains to be seen. 

For those that want to get in on Uncharted 4 could get it at midnight tonight, provided they download via PSN.  According to iDigitalTimes, those that want the pre-order bonuses for the proper release experience can contact local retailers to see their plans. 

For example, a pre-order at GameStop will reveal a Blu-ray Disc with the game, Gamestop Exclusive Multiplayer Booster Pack with Phurba Dagger Taunt, an Uncharted: Drake's Fortune outfit, Golden Weapon Skin, Uncharted Points, and a chance to win a trip around the World for two.    

Best Buy is also offering a bonus as any person who pre-orders gets the Drake's Fortune outfit as well as a Best Buy exclusive Heist Drake Outfit.  Those that want to see if their local Best Buy is having a midnight release party or some event of some type should go to the store locator here.  If you are looking to purchase it from Target or Wal-Mart, you might want to call ahead first, as these stores are not too big on midnight release parties, but this really depends on their location. 

There is always the option of going online, as Amazon is giving pre-orderers a bonus with snow camo skin and gold skin that can be applied to all weapons.  Also, they can get the Amazon-exclusive Desert Drake skin and the Drake's Fortune skin that comes with pre-orders. 

Of course, those that really want the exclusives should got for the super-special Libertalia Edition.  It costs about $119.99, and comes with Uncharted 4, a 12-inch Drake statue, all pre-order skins, a few extra exclusive in-game items, and art book, and stickers.  Then there is also the Special Edition for $79.99 with the artbook and stickers, and both the Libertalia and Special Editions come with a steel case for the game disc. 

As mentioned before, Uncharted 4 is the last game in the series, even though there is always that elusive movie deal that could generate hype for some kind of follow-up/reboot, or whatever the plan might be.  Speaking of plans, what will Naughty Dog do now that one of its franchises is at least being put on hold? 

Well, the Mirror suggested that it should bring back Crash Bandicoot.  That isn't exactly easy, as rights to the games have changed hands so many time, with it finally landing on Activision.  There was a time when Crash Bandicoot was the poster boy from platforming on the PlayStation, like Sonic the Hedgehog was for Sega back in the early nineties. 

It was Naughty Dog that made the series famous and kept it popular, but everything else that was non-Naughty Dog only brought a mixed reception.  Whatever the case, it has been eight years since there has been a Crash Bandicoot game. 

However, let's hear from the fans:  Do you want to see a new Crash Bandicoot game, or should Naughty Dog focus its efforts on something else?