Why ND isn't making Uncharted NGP

If it really is capable of running PS3-quality titles, why aren't more of Sony's leading studios making games for NGP?

In the case of Naughty Dog, creator of Uncharted, the developer has told Eurogamer TV that it's happy to let someone else handle the mega-franchise on handheld so it can concentrate of PS3 development.

"We're a one game studio so it would be very challenging for us," said Naughty Dog community man Arne Meyer when asked why the studio wasn't coding the upcoming NGP Uncharted game itself.

"I know a long time ago we had looked at trying to do that as well, but it's really about what makes sense for the universe and for the franchise as well," he added.

Responsibility for development has been passed instead to Sony Bend, whose most recent effort was the impressive Resistance: Retribution on PSP. In other words, the studio has good form in bringing big names onto the small screen.

"Sony Bend's a great studio, we have a great relationship with them, so it's really exciting to see a new platform and see what they can do with it given all of the new control options they've got as well," Meyer said.

Eurogamer revealed last week that Sony is actively urging developers to create titles that work across both PS3 and NGP. While Uncharted NGP is an original title, Meyer remained coy on the potential of a link-up with Uncharted 3.

"For us it's really early," he said. "We're really excited to see [Sony Bend] work on it. It's a long road ahead for both of us before release so we'll have to see what happens between then."

Alongside Uncharted, major PlayStation franchises including Resistance and Killzone are being brought to NGP by studios other than their creators. This is not a new trend for Sony, which adopted a similar strategy on PSP; but given the power and functionality of NGP, many might have expected major studios to take a deeper hands-on role with the new system.

You can watch highlights of the full interview with Meyer on Uncharted 3 in the video below.