Naughty Dog Won't Be 'The Last of Us Studio Forever', Says Neil Druckmann

As long it's not an "internal interview" again, I guess we don't have to worry about misquoting, eh?
TLoU deserves a 3rd and final game, imo, but that's that for this IP.
It's definitely time they came up with some new ideas, on which to work in parallel if they have the capacity.

Given i have zero faith in druckman, that doesn't really fill me with confidence. I'd rather see him leave. I will never forgive him for pushing Amy Hennig out. He doesn't have one iota of her talent.

I don't know how a 3rd part will be interesting, their stories have been told there is nothing more to tell imo, only a prequel looks like a good idea.

last of us is the best thing you have made so why not.

I personally would be happy to keep playing more last of us games they dont have to be about elle they could be about other people its an interesting world

@Nem
He never pushed Amy Hennig out. That was a lie from the beginning. The story was forced on some IGN writer who later came out and cleared Neil Druckmann's and Bruce Straley's names. It was an unfounded rumor. And Amy Hennig also clarified that it was the crunch culture that was too much for her.
https://www.vg247.com/2014-report-of-amy-hennig-being-forced-out-of-naughty-dog-was-nothing-but-forced-gossip

So get on with launching them already! Damn Sony wasting their time with useless multiplayer service game crap. I’d love for them to make a SciFi adventure in space, I think they were rumoured to be looking at one?

From saying the studio won't be a "The Last of Us studio forever" kind of makes me think the next game will be The Last of Us Part 3 and they'll then move on to another IP

@Nem Then it's strange that her next 2 games after leaving were flops.

I'm hoping one of those single player games is Jak and Daxter related. If there is going to be another TLOU game then I hope it moves on from the current set of characters, maybe focus on a different group at the beginning of the outbreak.

There were 4 Uncharted's and a big DLC do the same for Last of Us

It seems like they've already been The Last of Us studio forever.

Part 3 is a must imo, so is new IPs of course. ND obviously ain't stupid they know this. Forever one of my fav studios. If remasters don't hinder sequels or new IP much at all then it's a no brainer

Please, no more TLoU.
The first one had such a great ending. They should just have left it there.
I'm so damn tired of sequels, both when it comes to games and movies.

And I wish they would try something different now, instead of making more cinematic third person games. So many other genres they could try out.

Honestly I would like it to be the Uncharted Studio again. I loved those games!!

Good. I'm going to be completely honest and say that The Last of Us is by far my least favourite Naughty Dog developed franchise on PlayStation, so I would love to see them move on to try something else now. I know many others love it and I totally understand why, but personally I would be ecstatic to see Naughty Dog do something fresh again.

I wonder if this is damage control preemptively done to calm the masses when TLoU3 is announced soon. I had wondered if the new IP they’re working on would come before TLoU3, but this suggest maybe it will come out afterward.

You missed "Way of the Warrior" off the list of their franchises.

I don't care about The Last of Us at all, but I've always loved Uncharted. If its not more in the style of what we had with Drake, I do hope we get more fun adventure games that aren't horror.

Personally, I prefer Uncharted to Last of Us and Amy Hennigs Naughty Dog to Druckmanns. I thought the first Last of Us was more than enough and didn't need a Sequel - and maybe shouldn't have - no spoilers, but I don't think everyone was 'happy' with the story...

@Steel76 TLoU has such massive momentum at the moment that from a business perspective alone, they'd be mad to move on from it already. People desperately want more of it too.

When you've got devs like Remedy struggling to sell their excellent games it's no surprise other devs stick to what's considered "safe".

I would say make one last more, but I keep forgetting they killed off the only character I cared about lol

@danzoEX Owen?

@IamJT Alice, poor dog

They've had 1.5 games that were not TLoU since the PS3. They had a cancelled TLoU. Odds are they're working on a TLoU. Kinda hard to not think of them as the TLoU studio unless they manage to release multiple non-TLoU projects without being overshadowed by TLoU projects. But why do they have so many projects running simultaneously while unable to ship one?

@KeanuReaves There's no point debating with those that have made up their minds about Druckmann and just see him as an easy target to blame for everything they personally dislike.

I also find it more than a little ironic that you hear so many voices saying please no more The Last of Us, give us back Uncharted, as if we haven't had 4.5 games in that franchise. I'm just looking forward to whatever new IP they've got in the works.

The Last of Us deserves one more sequel, and should focus primarily on Ellie's immunity and the search for a cure. Part 2 didn't really move the story forward, as it was centered on revenge and exploring the same story over the course of three days or so, from two different perspectives. It was very contained and narrow in scope compared to Part 1, and I think a Part 3 should bring back varied locations, not just taking place in one city.

Instead, it shall become the Remastered Studio.

@Ainu20 Yeah, you got a point!
I definitely hope TLOU gets a break (but only a break!) so we can see Naughty Dog hopefully doing something new and fresh (which it sounds like we will). I'm still very optimistic. When it comes to the content they have released they haven't missed yet in my opinion.

I thought it would have been an ND game that lead the PS5 Pro charge.
But definitely can’t see that happening.
Depending on PS5 Pro launch date, which I think will be more in line with GTA6 in 2025 now.

The main reason PS5 is about 5 million behind the PS4 in Europe is cost. PS5 £480, PS4 £280 same time line.
A PS5 Pro would cost even more and money in Europe isn’t really ready this year.

I find it annoying how studios just focus on single franchises for so long.

Why not mix it up? Make TLoU then an uncharted, then a new IP, then another TLoU 10 years later. That way gamers will be well up for it by the time a new installment comes around. Instead I just get bored.

This is so common and sets in franchise fatigue, at least for me. We need variety not rinsed out franchises for 10 years. If I had to guess, I’d bet even the devs don’t like it this way.

Nintendo are the same - splatoon 1, 2, 3 and now probably 4. How about a new wave race or something within that release schedule to mix it up and give fans of other games/genres something?

Grrr…

So we won't see further 'remasters' of TLOU parts 1 to (3?) on PS6 then, Neil? Sureeeee we won't..

I would have absolutely loved to see a new Uncharted game made for the PS5 from the ground up.
I feel like they definitely could do some prequel or even hand the torch over to the daughter. Or why not go even further back and perhaps reveal the story of Nathan and Samuels parents, perhaps they also had some adventure going on.
We know that at least their mother Cassandra Morgan was an archaeologist

duckman is a quack

I wouldn't mind seeing them try their hands at a new IP

Please TLOU III doesn't need to exist II didn't even need to exist the first one of a complete and satisfying story on it's own please god retire this series and just MAKE NEW STUFF!!!😭

@JackMiller43 I would love to see a Way of The Warrior remake or sequel.

I'd only want a lst of us 3 so maybe ellie can win her family back and focus on finding a cure. I just dont want it to end on the dog poop 2nd game.

Anyway I can only have faith in ND again if they give me something new. Sylized, fantasy, SOMETHING. Their new IP could be the same as uncharted or last of us. Same hyper realistic graphics, same basic gameplay, no cool artstyle or anything else to make the game stand out, etc. Hopefully its much more appealing.

thank god.

"While it's almost certainly not going to be the studio's next release..."

honestly, i would be surprised if it wasn't. makes more sense to finish up the trilogy once and for all (and ride on the coattails of the tv series' popularity over the next few years) and then launch the ps6 with a brand new naughty dog IP, never to return to TLOU again.

@MrMagic She hasn't released any games since and sales success do not equal quality.
She does have an upcoming one though, which will certainly be better than what vomit Druckman comes up with.

@KeanuReaves Fair enough. @themightyant
There was more. I just don't like TLOU. 🤷 Before you predictably try and throw accusations, that goes for both games. I never even played the second. I didn't like the vibe, the characters and the story of the first and nothing i heard about the second changed my mind.

Something lighter-hearted like the older Uncharted games would be nice. Good games don't have to be deconstructive misery porn.

@Dodoo The Splatoon dev also released Animal Crossing: New Horizons in 2020. Thankfully, they seem to be kept busy on meaty expansions and new games instead of wasting years remaking games that are already playable on modern hardware.

@Nem Nope, she was the writer for Battlefield Hardline which is considered the worst Battlefield and it was one of the worst selling so it was considered a bit of a flop at the time, especially by EA and she also came up with the story concept for Forspoken.

I don't see TLOU being finished with the TV show doing well. Naughty Dog doesn't HAVE TO do a new IP either when Jak and Daxter has been MIA for so long.

@trev666 I prefer uncharted

Would be nice to know what instead of the same news we already knew that they are making 2 single player games. Could always go back and player another remaster/remake, which is all they've done so far this generation.

So much cynicism—good GOD! The Last of Us 2 is, imho, one of the greatest cinematic video games ever made. And I shall entertain NO opinions that state otherwise! I am ready for whatever they put out next, Last of Us or otherwise!

@UltimateOtaku91 i love jax and daxter but naughty dog will never make another game , maybe bluepoint , asobi , or a new studio can take it over , but its not happening from naughty dog.

@AsterZero the rumor was that some one else took over uncharted , naughty dog might be over seeing it , hopefully they do the same with jak and daxter , and let some one else take it over.

@MrMagic That's not true. She was only a story consultant for Forspoken and i don't even see her credited on imdb with hardline, but her role was additional direction.
She was just in a consulting role in both projects. They are not her projects.

Again, not that sales matter. You seem to have an unhealthy obsession with her like you have been re-enacting a previous argument. Feel free. I don't care what you think.
I don't like TLOU and i don't like Drukman from what he has shown in multiple interviews and interactions nor do i like what Naughty Dog has become under his leadership.

I can accept if you don't like Amy. I actually don't care. You can't change my opinion by dunking on Amy.
She made some of my favorite games before she ever went to naughty dog. I will always admire her for that. Even if everything she did now was trash, which i know won't be, she earned my trust. Neil, not so much as i didn't enjoy his games. 🤷 Surely it makes sense.

@Nem That is fair enough. But we have to recognize that a lot of people do love these games, and they certainly provide something that no other game provides. So I understand your viewpoint but it is a selfish wish obviously.
If it brings you any consolation Neil said that their next project is "fresh" for Naughty Dog.

If it's not because of Covid and Jimbo big b*ner for live service games that forced ND to change the scale for Factions 2 from a normal TloU MP mode with some story campaign into a full fledge live service game, right now we probably already see gameplay trailer for their new IP and a release date.

But i hope next year is the year ND showed and released their new IP.