Promotional image.
The Last of Us Lock-In was a promotional event hosted by British video game retailer GAME in collaboration with Sony.
History[]
The possibility of a GAME Lock-in for The Last of Us was first teased by @GAMEDerby (the GAME store in Derby) on Twitter on January 11, 2013.[1] In late April, the lock-in was confirmed. Between May 3 and June 9, 2013, 75 GAME stores in England, Scotland, and Wales stayed open after their normal business hours to host a lock-in where participants could play a demo of The Last of Us ahead of its June 14 release. Each participating GAME store would host a 2-hour lock-in on a single night during the promotion. Each lock-in featured a number of PS3 pods loaded with the demo, as well as free pizza and drinks. Participation was limited and restricted to UK residents aged 18 and older. Participants could register in person, by phone, or by tweeting at their local store on Twitter. An event-exclusive double-sided The Last of Us poster was also given to all participants who preordered a copy of the game.[2][3]
Demo[]
The demo was a pre-alpha build of what would later become, the "Downtown" section of the chapter "The Outskirts".[4] Descriptions from participants are for the most part consistent with the final release of the game, but there were a few differences. Players could acquire the Pump shotgun in the subway station below the Goldstone Building; in the final version of the game, the shotgun is not acquired until meeting with Bill later on.[5][6] The presence of the shotgun in the subway station is also shown in some early gameplay trailers, including the Extended Red Band Trailer.[7] In an additional difference, one player reported being able to trigger a fight between different stages of the infected:
| “ | I managed to throw a brick into the middle of some [runners], which alerted the Clicker which then went and attacked and killed all the [runners] for me.
―Chris Hare, Tech Writer for Movies Games and Tech[6]
|
” |
Gallery[]
.jpg "Tlou lock-in (Walsall 2013).jpg (44 KB)")
Trivia[]
- The demo was different from the demo included with God of War: Ascension.[2] The GOW:A demo begins the same, but ends short of the end of the "Downtown" section; while the player is still descending The Goldstone Building.
- The demo was never released outside of the event.
References[]
- ↑ GAME Derby, Derbion. [@GAMEDerby] (January 11, 2013). "Coming to store soon: GAME lock in for #godofwar ascension and possibly #TheLastOfUs no further details yet but RT to let your friends know!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Store Event - GAME and SONY The Last of Us Lock In!". GAME. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ↑ Harding, Chris (April 30, 2013). "News: GAME Lock-In Event Grants You Early Access To The Last of Us". The Game Cabin. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ↑ The Outskirts
- ↑ Ward, Jake (May 23, 2013). "The Last Of Us hands on". GripYaJoystick. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hare, Chris (May 24, 2013). "GAME Lock In for The Last of Us by Naughty Dog". Movies Games and Tech. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ↑ GameSpot (April 2, 2013). "The Last of Us - Extended Red Band Trailer". YouTube. Retrieved January 24, 2022.