This is where we get a bit Oscar speechy, and also a bit personal, so bear with us. What follows are the people for whom we here at All Things Uncharted are truly grateful; for their input, support, friendship and creative output without which we would not be here.

Amy Hennig

Amy may not be with Naughty Dog anymore, but her ten year tenure with them brought us Uncharted. She was the creative Director on the IP from its inception until her departure earlier this year. As a fan of her work, I was naturally a fan of hers, and through my ‘work’ as Uncharted uberfan and cheerleader, our paths (online) eventually crossed. Amy’s kindness and generosity can not be overstated. She always went out of her way to chat and discuss the finer points of Charlie Cutter, or the fictionalised underground London, or techniques employed to bring Uncharted to us. While we are naturally disappointed that Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will not be finished by Amy, we can’t wait to play the Star Wars game she is making for Visceral.

Nolan North, Emily Rose, Richard McGonagle, Graham McTavish, Robin Atkin Downes, Claudia Black et al

Of course the cast of Uncharted are super important, and it is their work that (partially) makes Uncharted so captivating. It is no secret that the creative processes involve the cast members. They are actively encouraged to help shape the characters they portray. By all accounts this is a collaborative process, rather than a group of actors merely taking direction. And what we end up with is a beautiful set of characters who spark off each other wonderfully.

“@timchilders4: @nolan_north do you consider the Nathan drake voice to be the same as your normal voice or slightly different” Same

— Nolan North (@nolan_north) October 13, 2014

Chris Fullman

Chris founded All Things Uncharted way back in the dim recesses of history, and took me on as a writer a little later. As Chris’s life moved on and made him ever busier and busier his time for ATU began to dwindle. At the time I didn’t think I could take it over by myself but I also could not bear to see it die, so he handed it over to me. I am personally forever grateful to Chris for building such a magnificent foundation, and I am also grateful that those moments when I need him for his far superior web and tech skills he is always there to help out. Chris started as an ‘associate’ but became a friend. One day I hope one of us will get the chance to cross the Atlantic so I can finally buy him dinner and give him a hug.

Tom Goulden

Tom also gets a special thanks and appreciation. Tom and I met goodness knows when online and he often helps out with bits of graphic design and jiggerypokery. In fact, he did all the headers for these posts, and he really cool avatar our Twitter account is currently sporting. Tom, a long time fan of Naughty Dog and gaming, has posted for us a couple of times, and is always welcome to do so again. Here he is dressed a clicker while I look on pretending I am not about to be bitten.

Eric Monacelli, Arne Meyer, and all of Naughty Dog, past and present. And future.

Of course, without Naughty Dog, there would be no Uncharted. It isn’t a one person show, although Amy Hennig got a special mention. Years of talent and hard work have paid off in the form of these games. Although I know social media has gone a long way to closing gaps between creators and users, Naughty Dog has a really nice relationship with their fans, and they truly have fostered a community. I have seen a lot of the shit that gets thrown at game developers for whatever reason a disgruntled gamer has, and Naughty Dog is certainly not immune to that. However the way they interact with players and fans of their games has always impressed me. Their consistently progressive thinking in terms of gender, LGBT issues, etc is also something that gladdens my heart on a daily basis. I have named their community guys (Eric and Arne – both of whom have assisted and been awesome to both myself personally, and to the ATU brand) but to be honest, I have always been treated well and respected by any of the Dogs with whom I have had contact. Yes, I am sure it is part of being a human with a job, but it is genuinely appreciated.

During a training session at work we were asked to name a company that gives exceptional Customer Service, and I named Naughty Dog. It was funny seeing their name up on the whiteboard alongside the likes of John Lewis, Apple and Sky but they more than deserved their place. Dogs, continue being awesome. Your awesomeness is part of the inspiration for this site and everything that goes with it.

Glen

Very personal ‘without whom’ here. My husband is amazing, and I am grateful fo every bit of support and encouragement and time he has given me over the years.

All of you

And to you, dear readers. Truth be told that I would almost certainly be doing this even if we had no readers at all, but knowing people do click links, read tweets, and engage and interact makes it far more fun. So. Thank you all.