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Posted by: Matt Liebl

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New rumors have surfaced claiming Ubisoft's change of direction with I Am Alive was out of fear of competing against Naughty Dog's The Last of Us.

When originally in development back in 2008 by Darkworks, I Am Alive was planned as a retail title. Then Ubisoft bought it, changing both the gameplay and release method.  Ubisoft announced the game would no longer be sold as retail, but would instead be released through the PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade.

But what caused the sudden change?  According to a Ubisoft insider, it was fear. 

Speaking with PSM3, the source claimed Ubisoft was afraid of competing with Sony's The Last of Us, currently being developed by fan-favorite Naughty Dog.

“A Ubisoft insider suggests upcoming survive-’em-up I Am Alive was driven to PSN by fear of competing with PlayStation 3 survival adventure The Last of Us," the source said in the February issue of PSM3.  "Few can touch Naughty Dog’s production values and competing with them on shelves would be a bad move.”

Given Naughty Dog's track record and the hype for The Last of Us since it's official reveal back in December, it's tough to argue with Ubisoft's decision.  But given how secretive development on The Last of Us was up until it's announcement, one has to wonder how Ubisoft found out so early, and how the TLoU managed to remain a secret.

[Gaming Everything]

Tags: Ubisoft, The Last of Us, I Am Alive