Sony's upcoming PS3 exclusive The Last of Us has caught the attention of gamers and press everywhere - since the first teaser trailer was released - but it seems the game may have just shown up in the most unlikely of places: Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.

It appears that in the opening level for Uncharted 3 gamers will be able to see a newspaper lying around with the headline "Scientists Are Still Struggling To Understand Deadly Fungus." As we've detailed before, The Last of Us probably has to do with a fungus known as "cordyceps," which can take control of ants.

Chances are this is hardly a coincidence - it seems unlikely that Naughty Dog would just so happen to choose a headline relating to a deadly fungus with The Last of Us on the way.

Check out the video for yourself, courtesy of iWaggle3D:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfF9y_Z6Zvg&feature=player_embedded

According to iWaggle3D, the newspaper headline was also in the game before Naughty Dog patched Uncharted 3, meaning the team probably new of the game beforehand. Considering just how tightly knit all of Sony's first party studios are, this could lead credence to the theory that The Last of Us is the work of fellow developers Guerrilla Games or Sony Santa Monica.

The appearance of this news also corresponds with the release of the first The Last of Us screenshot. When the game's website was updated on Wednesday, we got a look at a stunning image of lush foliage in high graphical fidelity. However, a slight manipulation of the site's URL also revealed another image of  a newspaper stand, with the headline talking about an unnamed president's speech regarding the future of humanity - with other stories referencing the quarantine zones we've seen in the teaser trailer.

As the days drag on, everyone is itching to find out more about this new title - though, unfortunately, the wait is just going to be a bit longer as The Last of Us won't be unveiled until this Saturday's Spike Video Game Awards.

The Last of Us is currently in development for the PS3.

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Source: iWaggle3D