Naughty Dog Reaches Out to Fan Who Lost Father

While games are often incorrectly labelled as being anti-social, the reality is that many of us share our experiences with others. Whether it's the local multiplayer mode in Rocket League or simply co-operating in a story-driven title like The Walking Dead, the act of actually playing PlayStation brings people together way more than sceptics may say.

And this is true of one Reddit user, who grew up playing Crash Team Racing with his father, and graduated right through to The Last of Us. "After he passed, I wrote Naughty Dog a letter thanking them for their games," he explained. "They then sent me this [package] three months later…"

The gift included a variety of The Last of Us-themed goodies, including a copy of Gustavo Santaolalla's soundtrack as well as an art book. But the most important inclusion was a letter, in which it explained how the entire studio had been touched by the individual's stories.

"Stories like yours are the reason why we work so hard to make great games, and reading that The Last of Us changed your life is inspiring," a representative responded. "When I read that you felt you were with your father again while playing it, it nearly drove me to tears. I can't imagine the pain you went through these last several months, but I'm touched that we've been able to help you get through it."

Naughty Dog's certainly not the first studio to respond to a fan in this way – and nor will it be the last – but we figured that this story was a nice reminder that, no matter how much we bicker and moan about games online, they have the power to touch us on a level that we don't always immediately realise.