Tag: Naughty Dogs

The actors of The Last of Us share their opinions on the ending of the first game

The ending of The Last of Us has generated intense debates since its release over a decade ago. Joel’s decision to sacrifice Ellie to safeguard his own happiness raises a moral dilemma that continues to divide opinions. Is that selfishness or an act of paternal love? The creators, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, defend Joel’s choice, revealing that, from their perspective, the decision is justified in a personal context. Druckmann stated: “I think Joel was right. If I were in his place, I hope I could do the same to save my daughter.” A decision […]

The ending of The Last of Us has generated intense debates since its release over a decade ago. Joel’s decision to sacrifice Ellie to safeguard his own happiness raises a moral dilemma that continues to divide opinions. Is that selfishness or an act of paternal love? The creators, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, defend Joel’s choice, revealing that, from their perspective, the decision is justified in a personal context. Druckmann stated: “I think Joel was right. If I were in his place, I hope I could do the same to save my daughter.”

A terrible decision that can be understood by context

Gabriel Luna, who plays Tommy, also provides an understanding perspective on his brother’s decision in the fiction. “You can’t see the scope of the whole world, you can only see your world. And Ellie is his world. So I can’t blame him,” Luna points out, highlighting how personal connection influences critical decisions.

Feelings and human relationships play a fundamental role in the narrative. Young Mazino, who will appear in the upcoming second season, suggests that Joel acted almost in a “pilot mode,” reflecting the complexity of a character facing a devastating reality. Bella Ramsey, who has also addressed the topic, concludes by stating that “Joel saved his world… just not the world,” highlighting the problematic nature of his choice.

As time goes by, reflections on sacrifice and morality in extreme circumstances continue. The polarization of the public around Joel’s decision shows that, despite the years, the story of The Last of Us continues to resonate and challenge notions of right and wrong in our deepest human interactions.

PlayStation App DOWNLOAD

Everything we know about Intergalactic, the new project from Naughty Dogs

During the past Game Awards, we had great announcements. Although it’s hard to deny that, for many, the biggest announcement of all was the announcement of a new IP from Naughty Dogs. Creators of franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us, people have high expectations for this new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. But what do we really know about the game? Because the game didn’t reveal much. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been talked about. And today we are going to tell you all the details we know so far. What is Intergalactic: The Heretic about […]

During the past Games Awards we had great announcements. Although it’s hard to deny that, for many, the biggest announcement of all was the announcement of a new IP from Naughty Dogs. Creators of franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us, people expect a lot from this new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. But what do we really know about the game? Because the game didn’t reveal much. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been talked about. And today we are going to tell you all the details we know so far.

What is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet about?

Intergalactic follows a bounty hunter named Jordan A Mun who ends up stranded on a planet called Sempiria. No one has been able to communicate with the planet for 600 years, and no one has escaped its orbit in all that time. Jordan has gone to Sempiria in search of the members of the crime syndicate Five Aces, although we do not yet know the specific details of why. However, if we are to believe the trailer and the fact that Jordan has a photo of herself with a member of the group on her ship, it seems she has some kind of prior relationship with the syndicate.

Why does it have such a particular aesthetic?

According to Neil Druckmann, the game’s director, the art direction of Intergalactic is defined by the fact that the game takes place in an alternate future where space travel has become very advanced by 1980. That doesn’t mean all technology is equally advanced. That’s why on their ship they have a CD player or a tube television, creating an interesting aesthetic contrast.

PlayStation App DOWNLOAD

What are the influences of the game?

While they are very explicit in the trailer, Druckmann has confirmed that his biggest inspirations for Intergalactic are the animes Akira and Cowboy Bebop. The first is apparent in Jordan’s jacket and the CD player. The second in the design of the ship, the fact that she is a bounty hunter, and her general attitude. It is possible to see other quite evident nods throughout the trailer, but these are the ones that have been explicitly confirmed by its creator.

Who is working on the project?

Neil Druckmann serves as the creative director, while Matthew Gallant and Kurt Margenau serve as game directors. Gallant has been working at Naughty Dogs since The Last of Us and Margenau since Uncharted 2, both as game designers, while Druckmann is one of the studio’s founders. The soundtrack will be handled by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, soundtrack composers and two-time Oscar winners.

What are your future plans?

Sony has confirmed that they see the potential for Intergalactic to become a franchise. This means that it is perfectly possible for it to be adapted into a movie, series, or other media. In any case, none of this is confirmed. And the game doesn’t even have an approximate release date. Considering that we don’t have more information about the game, it seems we will still have to wait quite a while to learn more.

PlayStation App DOWNLOAD

The creator of The Last of Us says that he is making a revolutionary game, but also that AI is the future

Neil Druckmann asserts that he is working on his next game and that it will be revolutionary for the medium, opening it up to non-gamers.

Unlike all other media, few people are given the status of author in video games. The consideration of being a creator, of establishing artistic principles, is given to very few people. We have Hideo Kojima, Shinji Mikami, Suda51, but they all share something in common: they are Japanese. It is uncommon for someone outside of Japan to achieve that author figure. One of the few is Neil Druckmann.

Creator of the Uncharted saga and The Last of Us saga, Druckmann is recognized even outside the realm of video games as an author. Whether we like his work or not, it is undeniable that he has had a great influence in shaping the modern AAA. And now he says he plans to do it once again.

-50%
The Last of Us Part I

From: Instant-Gaming

30€ 60€

Buy

According to a recent interview, the new game that Naughty Dogs, their studio, is working on will redefine the mainstream perception of video games. Although they haven’t commented anything about the game or how they will achieve this, they have assured that it is their most exciting project to date. However, as we mentioned, they haven’t provided any details about why.

At the same time, he wanted to give himself some credit on this matter. Stating that The Last of Us has already closed a large part of the gap between the gaming audience and the general audience, thanks to the HBO series he supervised, he sees this as the next natural step. Something that only creates even more anticipation about what he is working on.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest fears of artists has also emerged in this same interview. Druckmann has also talked about the use of generative AI. Praising it as a revolutionary way to create content, he claims that they have cut costs by using generative AI. According to his words, AI allows them to create dialogues and characters with nuances, expanding current creative possibilities.

While he acknowledges that there are certain ethical implications to be smoothed out, he doesn’t seem concerned at all. Even when everything that AI does, or at least everything he has said AI does for Naughty Dogs, can be done by humans. Suggesting that this cost savings is achieved through cutting workers. Something that Naughty Dogs has had problems with for years, due to poor business management by Druckmann.

If the AI revolution will be such is something that remains to be seen. What seems evident is that Druckmann has a clear perspective on how he wants the future to be. And that is the first step to change the present.

Some of the links added in the article are part of affiliate campaigns and may represent benefits for Softonic.

Naughty Dog announces a documentary about the making of The Last Of Us 2

Naughty Dog announces a documentary about the creation of The Last Of Us 2, following the style of the documentary they previously made for the franchise’s first installment.

More and more studies are encouraged to make documentaries about the development process of their games. This is good news because it allows us to have documented how it was to make the games, not just the final version. With its lights and shadows, game development has generally been idealized, and it is good to have a realistic perspective that shows things as they are. In addition to having a series of documents that help preserve a specific time and place, beyond the memories of the specific members who worked at that time in the studio.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD

That’s why it’s good news that Naughty Dogs has announced that they have made a documentary about The Last of Us Part 2. Called Grounded II, sequel to Grounded, a documentary about the development of the first The Last of Us, it was a documentary that began filming in 2016, but was abandoned when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Now all the footage that was left behind has been recovered and, with new material, a documentary has been made to explain the game’s creation process, as experienced from within.

To know what to expect, we can take a look at Grounded. The documentary about the development of The Last of Us released in 2014 narrated over eighty-five minutes the development and the “unique philosophy”, in the words of those responsible for it, of the first installment of the saga. Therefore, we can expect something similar for this sequel.

Thanks to the trailer of just over two minutes that they have released, we already know some specific things about Grounded II. Focusing on all aspects of development, it seems that they will not leave any aspect or any development topic untouched. Including the crucial aspect of crunch. But if the trailer and the experience of Grounded serve for something, it is that we should not expect a fierce criticism of it either. Although it is always possible that, as they said in the past, Naughty Dogs have radically changed their company policy regarding crunch.

Grounded II will premiere on January 19th for free on Youtube. The date is not accidental, as it will be released on the same day as the launch of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, a new native version for PlayStation 5 that will include technical improvements and new content. A golden opportunity to try the game, if you are interested and haven’t played it yet.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD

Is the remaster of The Last of Us 2 necessary? Yes and no

Is The Last of Us 2 remaster necessary? Yes and no, and we are no longer talking about the players: but about the needs of Naughty Dogs itself

Creating a video game costs a lot, both in time and money. That’s why actions that might seem greedy or absurd make sense when we consider the material reality behind development studios. They simply help keep them afloat. Or at least, sustain them for the future. Even studios that seem to have a guaranteed future must bear this in mind, although it’s not pleasant to think about.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD

A few days ago, Naughty Dog announced the release of The Last of Us Part II Remastered. Set for January 19, 2024, this is great news for PlayStation 5 users. Being able to play the game with technical improvements, new game modes, and ultimately an enhanced version of an already celebrated and beloved game is good news. However, this doesn’t mean there aren’t some significant “buts.”

The first “but” is the price. Charging ten euros to upgrade the game from the PlayStation 4 version doesn’t seem very reasonable, especially when the norm has almost always been that these kinds of updates are free. Particularly considering the major “but” of this remaster: it’s the same game.

Naughty Dog is dedicating resources to essentially recreate the same game. A game released less than three years ago, which already looks fantastic on PlayStation 5, and whose graphical changes hardly justify this remaster. Neither do the gameplay inclusions, with two new game modes that don’t seem to add anything substantial to the original game, where the focus was primarily on the potential of the story being told.

Certainly, there are reasons behind this decision. Making games costs a lot, and Naughty Dog isn’t in the best position right now to develop them.

Following The Last of Us 2, the studio experienced a significant departure of its workforce due to its precarious labor practices. According to journalist Jordan Middler, the project has been conceived to help new hires understand the game’s workings. Meanwhile, Druckman’s team is working on an original game.

This might make sense in business terms. It’s a remaster that will work financially and helps new members integrate into the studio’s dynamics. The problem is that it also reinforces the more negative trends in the industry that we’ve been systematically witnessing throughout 2023.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD

Throughout the year, widespread layoffs have become a common trend. If Naughty Dog’s move is a success, other studios might take note and see it as a solution to the problem they’ve created themselves. If they lack experienced individuals to adequately work on studio projects, they could always hire many people and have them work on a remaster, an expansion, or DLC from a previous project they know will sell well. This way, they ensure training without it costing them much time or money.

That’s why the release of The Last of Us Part II Remastered feels bittersweet. Hopefully, being able to enjoy it on PlayStation 5 with minor improvements and some additions is good news, but it’s easy to see a price that’s too high to pay for it. We could have had a new game instead if, simply put, Naughty Dog had better working conditions in the first place. That’s why we can celebrate it, but not too much.

LinkedIn leaks indicate that Naughty Dog is working on a remaster of The Last of Us Part 2

Although we don’t know what Naughty Dogs are doing, LinkedIn is very indiscreet, and thanks to that we know that The Last of Us will have a remaster

Naughty Dog has maintained a low profile since the release of The Last of Us: Part 2. It’s evident that they are working on something; no studio really knows a moment of rest. However, what they are working on remains a mystery. Despite knowing they are busy with The Last of Us Factions, the multiplayer game for The Last of Us, whose development has hit some hurdles, we don’t know what else the studio is working on besides that. Or we didn’t know until someone put more information than they should have on their resume.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD

Mark Pajarillo, an artist who has worked on environments for games like Uncharted 4, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and The Last of Us Part 2, recently updated his LinkedIn profile. Specifically, he mentioned that, as a subcontracted artist, he was “responsible for overseeing the production of all externally produced environments, art assets, weapons, and interactive props for two iconic titles: The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us 2: Remastered.” This information was removed from his LinkedIn profile at the time of this news publication, but it was captured in a screenshot by a user on Resetera.

Of course, The Last of Us Part 2: Remastered has not been announced by Naughty Dog or Sony. However, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been referenced. Gustavo Santaolalla, the composer of the game’s soundtrack, hinted in a video interview with Blender that a new edition of the game might allow players to interact with his character. In this hypothetical new version, players could request him to play different songs from the game’s soundtrack during his banjo cameo.

That’s why, while everything is still up in the air, all signs seem to point to Naughty Dog’s next game being a remaster of their latest title. A somewhat puzzling decision, considering it was released on June 19, 2020, and doesn’t appear to need a remaster at all. Only time will confirm or debunk these pieces of information.

The Last of Us Part II DOWNLOAD