An Update from Naughty Dog Studio President Evan Wells

Naughty Dog President Evan Wells shares an exciting update about the studio.

[RazzerRedux]

"Neil Druckmann now joins me as Co-President of Naughty Dog, after serving almost three years as Vice President."

Co-President? Segmentation of duties, perhaps?

[Abriael]

ND always had two co-presidents for the longest time. They temporarily had only one after Christophe Balestra left in 2017.

[RazzerRedux]

Ah....didn't know that. Thanks.

[TGGJustin]

^This is correct.

[Sonic-and-Crash]

the worst scenario possible.....Neil Druckman directing whole ND ....

[UltraNova]

Sonic,

Hopefully he'll be less involved in writing going forward.

[gamer7804]

Yikes, unless maybe he won’t be directing how a games’ stories are written now. The man is bonkers.

[RazzerRedux]

Regardless of his politics, he makes great games. So thankfully, he will continue to write and direct:

https://twitter.com/Neil_Dr...

[gamer7804]

@Razzer. He has terrible ideas both politically and story wise. So this is continued bad news. He said himself he considers Anita Sarkeesian his muse... O.o

[RazzerRedux]

Bad news to you since you allow the politics he inserts into the game bother you. Great news to me because I don't care about his or any other person's politics or who their muse is. It is just noise I tune out. And after I do that, what is left is some of the best gaming to be found in the industry, bar none.

Opinions. We will never agree. Not going to try.

[gamer7804]

@razzer. I don’t like his politics or how he writes games. Not that he sometimes puts politics in his games. A lot of movie directors I disagree with their personal politics but I still enjoy their movies sometimes. I just believe he has terrible ideas from what I’ve seen.

Totally fine if we disagree on this, a lot of people do on this topic particularly so it’s not shocking.

[Redemption-64]

Not only will he be writing and directing, he is more than likely going to have a lot more say in most, if not all projects coming out of the studio, so if this news makes you unhappy, my suggestion is to move on. Both Sony and ND value him more than the so called fan writers.

[johndoe11211]

@RazzerRedux
Every time I hear someone say they don't care about politics in gaming I lmao because that statement is a load of horse$**t. You mean you don't care about THAT political issue. Everyone has a political threshold they won't cross. it's only a matter of time when one day someone inputs a political view into a game that you find so abhorrent that you'll refuse to give that company your money. Don't fool yourself, I have seen sociopaths that draw the line at certain issues. People saying that they don't care about politics in gaming are delusional.

[RazzerRedux]

@johndoe11211

I was speaking specifically about TLOU 2, Neil Druckmann's personal politics, and this reference to this "Anita Sarkeesian" person. That wasn't meant to suggest I could never ever be offended to the point that I wouldn't buy a game.

[RgR]

Hopefully this won't harm the development of new ip...since neil has only helmed one game on his own...which also happened to be the most divisive naughty dog game.

He has everything to prove with their next game

[-Foxtrot]

Maybe he’ll be too busy to direct a new game

[RazzerRedux]

One bad game (in your eyes) and he is done? So...to hell with what he did with Uncharted. To hell with the first TLOU. He pissed you off with one game so much that you hope he never directs another game?

You are shallow.

[Redemption-64]

This man made a game that has triggered you and others so much you don't want him working on games anymore. He is more than likely going to have a say in almost every game coming out if the studio, so it's better if you move on, Neil isn't going anywhere.

[-Foxtrot]

@Redemption

Triggered? Nah

But honestly, seeing how he interacts on Twitter and how he handled his studio, people going to hospital, the worst crunch this year in a gaming environment and causing people to leave, obviously Amy Hennig was one and then Bruce, the latter being his anchor for the first game which stopped him making stupid decisions...yeah I don’t care if he stopped writing the games

I’d rather see some new talent to be honest, give someone new a chance. A better writer.

[RazzerRedux]

"people going to hospital"

That was bullshit. The person who actually went to the hospital called it bullshit. The dude who tweeted it had to delete his tweets because it was bullshit.

Be informed or shut the f*ck up.

[Redemption-64]

@Fox

Whatever makes you sleep at night, and trust me, Sony or any other company will hire him as a writer over you or almost anyone calling him a bad writer. Maybe the day you actually write something that can reach his level of success then you can talk. Also anyone who has been on this site since the start of the year knows how much this game has triggered you. You were bashing this game before it came out. You know when people were claiming both Joel and Ellie get killed.

And as I keep saying, Neil isn't going anywhere, so if you don't like his work, I suggest you move on, Sony wants him there.

[-Foxtrot]

RaxzerRedux

Ooooo

Someone is getting angry

And yet the “triggered” word is being thrown at me, you couldn’t make this up if you tried.

Funny isn’t it, people can like the game, say the same shit over praising it, I don’t care...I let them be, opinions but people like you, get your panties in such a bunch because you just can’t stand anyone disagreeing with you

Oh it’s bullshit huh? Well I think what you have said is bullshit. See how that works.

[RazzerRedux]

"Someone is getting angry"

No. Someone is informed and not spreading bullshit. That is not you. You mistake anger with being informed and calling it like it is. If that stresses you then frankly, I don't give a shit.

"Oh it’s bullshit huh?"

Yeah it is. But you go ahead though. Show us all the deleted tweets from the guy who made up bullshit stories about a girl who went to the hospital cuz of crunch. Hell...I'll even tell you his name: Jonathan Cooper. Find the tweets. Post the actual tweets where he said that. Good luck since he apologized and deleted them.

This is what I call "being informed".

"Funny isn’t it, people can like the game, say the same shit over praising it, I don’t care...I let them be, opinions but people like you, get your panties in such a bunch because you just can’t stand anyone disagreeing with you"

Oh stop. Delude yourself in thinking "I don't care". You can't get into a Naughty Dog or TLOU 2 article quick enough. You've proven it time and time again. And I have no problem with people disagreeing with me. I have a problem with lies.

Edit: That's what I thought.

[potatoseal]

I've never seen someone as triggered as you've been over this game. Don't try to deny it, it makes you look like a liar.

[SyntheticForm]

Do you ever tire of whining?

[kfk]

Triggered.

[TGGJustin]

He said today that he'll still be directing and writing so keep crying. Neil does fantastic work

[THRASHMOUTH]

To be fair, TLOU was an amazing game. TLOU2 was absolute horseshit. This will be the downfall of Naughty Dog, and I really don't care about debating about it. You're not changing my mind.

[outsider1624]

"obviously Amy Hennig was one and then Bruce, the latter being his anchor for the first game which stopped him making stupid decisions...yeah I don’t care if he stopped writing the games"

Wait what!? I thought Amy Hennig claim rubbish that claim.

Bruce left because of the stress and pressure he had during Uncharted 4s development.

I swear...you guys and your conspiracy theories.

[CaptainObvious878]

It's interesting how triggered people get when you say the neil is a bad writer and tluo2 was a badly written game, yet they throw around the word 'triggered' like it's going out of fashion.

[Pedantic91]

"He has everything to prove with their next game"

Judging from the praise tlou2 has recieved by journalists and gamers alike, he won't have to prove anything.
According to the numbers, he's made Sony millions.

[bloop]

To be fair, TLOU 2 was going to shift millions either way on the back of the first game, regardless of how the story was going to turn out. I find this kind of bizarre though. I'm not going to get into my personal opinion of the game, but is it really a good thing that the game was so divisive that it was deserving of Druckmann being promoted? I really don't understand these things. Take the Last Jedi for instance. I personally think Disney would be crazy to let Rian Johnson make any more SW films. As an owner of a huge i.p. I'd want my product to please as many people as possible, not completely divide a fan base 🤷🏼‍♂️ If I was the head of ND I certainly wouldn't be promoting him 😂

[Atticus_finch]

He already proved himself and just got a promotion and a pay bump for it.

[RauLeCreuset]

Right? LMAO. The internet. I tell you.

[neutralgamer1992]

RgR

Also one of the games that generated more money than most other playstation exclusives in history. I think companies care more about money than what few may think of game story(trust me I am one of the few who hates the fact the direction they took in TLOU2) but money is important for ND because it means bigger bonuses and for sony it means more profits

[QSPR]

If money is the thing, let's see how that works in the end, because I'm not planning to buy any more ND games.

[TGGJustin]

@QSPR I'm sure you never bought them in the first place. That's usually the case for people that react like this.

[RauLeCreuset]

It seems the more logical take is what he already proved the last time he helmed a game contributed to his promotion.

[Rude-ro]

“Most divisive naughty dog game”...
No.
Maybe to those close minded media gossipy types... but a game is a game,
If any of these low lifes would actually play out their arguments... they would quickly realize how stupid they are.
And there is no other way to put it.
As soon as you add a story, there is a narrative. Those that try to dictate the narrative, with no counter balance, you have a dictatorship.
Life is the story... if it does not match your close minded shoot guns and be a man.. you are an idiot. Buy the game or do not... but you can not cry about “forcing narratives” unless it matches my own. You are beyond filth if you truly believe/think that and do not see the irony of how you want it to be.

Life is life. If you hate options.. go to a country that favors no options.

[KingTrash]

He made the best game of all time in my opinion. I don’t think he has anything to prove.

[Redemption-64]

@RgR
You might want to check the credits for the first game. Neil helmed that game as well, not only was he the main writer, he was also one of the directors. He was also listed as one of the writers for Uncharted 4

[Imalwaysright]

There is an interview with both Straley and Druckmann in wich they clearly state that they balanced each other out. The result of their colaboration was a game that I will never understand why but is somehow downplayed by some people around here when compared to its sequel and wasn't even close to being as divisive as that very same sequel. Ironically, in another interview Straley said that killing a main character is cheap... and although I can't find the link for the interview I mentioned above, I can for this one https://venturebeat.com/201...

"Straley: I also feel like a death of a main character in video games or any kind of media right now is, for me personally, almost cheap.

[Redemption-64]

There are many movies and video games where the main character(s) or very important characters are killed. Just because Staley thinks it's cheap doesn't make it so. It's his opinion, nothing more. There are beloved movies and games that have done this, guess they are all cheap right? I will trust Sony and ND's decision to give him a promotion and lead more projects over so called internet writers that have never written a book in their lives. Neil is the primary writer for both part 1 and 2, so I am sure they knew where the story was going to

Never cared for Neil, but I like his work, cannot wait to see what the studio has coming

[Imalwaysright]

Didn't say it made it so. I said that the person that co-directed The Last of Us and balanced out Neil Druckmann believed it to be and if he was involved with TloU 2 there is the possibility that the game could have gone in a different direction and wouldn't be as divisive as TloU 2 is, something that even Druckmann acknowledges. You may like the direction where Druckmann took the game but to those that didn't, me included, he does have to prove that he can create a masterpiece on his own because I find TloU 2 story to be nonsensical horseshit oh and no, I'm not a writer and he could be Sony's CEO for all I care because to me Druckmann does have to prove himself.

[Redemption-64]

Here is the thing, Neil does not have to prove anything to you or to the other people that got triggered by this game. He has no reason to listen to you people either. Sony and ND are the only ones he has to prove himself to, you might think he hasn't, but the people that actually make the important decisions know he has, or they would not be given him such a role, which would more than likely give him far more say on most if not all projects coming out of the studio, and as he said, he us going to keep writing and directing.

And as I said, just because Staley thinks it's cheap does not make it so. It's his opinion.

[Imalwaysright]

Redemption-64

You don't get to tell me if he has to prove himself to me. He has yet to prove that he can create a great game on his own and I am the one that decides that, not you or anyone else because I'm not talking about you, Sony or any other gamer in the world so my advice to you is: don't get triggered just because I found TloU 2 story to be a complete shitshow and remember, you don't speak for me. He does have to prove himself to me whether you like it or not.

"And as I said, just because Staley thinks it's cheap does not make it so. It's his opinion."

I'm just gonna copy paste what I wrote above: "Didn't say it made it so. I said that the person that co-directed The Last of Us and balanced out Neil Druckmann believed it to be...."

[SmokinAces]

Not his fault it was "divisive".

[GamerRN]

Honest question... What is so bad about TLOU2 that has everyone triggered? I haven't played part one yet as I just finished Uncharted 4 (loved the series every step of the way) and still have to finish God of War before I start part one and Days Gone

[SullysCigar]

Couple of things. Most notably strong women, lesbians and a certain plot point that I couldn't tell you without ruining the point of it. Avoid spoilers ahead of playing this, because it ruined it for many. There were leaks and debates which whipped up some people into a stupor causing them to skip the game entirely, which is honestly their loss.

I'm really not a fan of the whole far-left, snowflake, SJW, virtue signaling movement, which is what a lot of people assumed of this game due to the leaks. I went in with an open mind and honestly didn't get that kind of sub-text from it at all.

It's bold in it's story telling, highly impactful and avoids fan service in favour of a hard-hitting 'that's just the way it is - that's life' approach.

It's also gorgeous, sounds great and plays sublimely. Can't wait for the Factions multiplayer!

[SmokinAces]

Lesbians and girls with muscular physiques apparently bother certain people, lol.

[PersonX]

Might as well hire Anita Sarkeesian, Neils bff

[Atticus_finch]

They should hire Alex Jones to make you happy.

[Silly gameAr]

Maybe Donald Trump could be the next president of Naughty Dog after his stint as the Person of the United States is done. I'm sure a lot of people will accept that.

[Redemption-64]

So a few months ago, when all the so called fans said TLOU part 2 was going to fail, claiming Neil is destroying the studio and Sony should fire him. I told them this, Neil isn't going anywhere, when the game breaks records and sells, Neil is more than likely going to be given a huge bonus or a promotion, guess I was right. So much for them wanting him gone. Congrats to all those who got a promotion.

[TGGJustin]

That's because it's nothing but a tiny vocal crowd saying those things. Silent majority always wins. TLOU2 is fantastic and no amount of crying will change that from those pos people.

[zackeroniii]

yall must really have some weird crush on the long faced sloth neil cuckmann huh? where does this loyalty and worship come from? please share? do u guys pray to him first thing in the morning as well?

[Tacoboto]

TLOU2 was fun, all the game's he's been involved in have been fun - quality performance and he's done everything someone can do to deserve a promotion. What's with your weird obsessed demonization of him?

[Redemption-64]

@Zack
Says the guy that got his feels hurt by a man that wrote a made up story in a video game. This man literally lives rent free in your minds, actually quite depressing to think all it takes to get you people triggered is a made up unreal story in a video game

[BattleCat]

Na lets wait till next game. I dont liked everything in tlou2, but you cant find more intensive fights than here. You can feel it!
Im not a fan of abby, or some sexy :D scenes in the game.

[Batnut00]

Good for everyone. I just hope moving forward, they can do something about the intense crunching that goes on with their games.

[SullysCigar]

Sadly that's an industry wide issue. I remember CD Projekt Red coming out and condemning the crunch practice in the industry...and then a few weeks later the same claims were made about their studio.

We seem to be seeing a lot of delays recently (including TLOU2 and Cyberpunk 2077), so hopefully this indicates the development studios are acknowledging they need more time to balance awesome games with healthy work practices.

[Atticus_finch]

I can't wait for the HBO series and I'm glad Neil is involved.

[seanpitt23]

If the HBO series follows the games path and story it will fail they need to come up with something different in part 2 of the series

[Atticus_finch]

Sure. The same way the game failed right.

[Tacoboto]

It's been stated to be based on the story of the first game.

Are we at the point now, six months after the release of the sequel that displeased you all so much, that you're now going to retroactively hate on the original you loved so much seven months ago?

[jukins]

How did tlou2 fail? You manbabies inserting made up agendas into the game. When its clearly just a game. . Scared of lesbians? Much more in the real world. Scared of sex scenes? Again much more of that in the world. Mad that joel was killed early on? What else would the game be about if not for yhat moment. Guess you also hate god of war with its many sex scenes and miles morales with its blm plastered all over the game. Lol you guys are such crybabies

[Inverno]

I really hope ND isn't stuck making super serious games. I did not enjoy LoU2. No it didn't trigger me, I just thought it was poorly written

[-Foxtrot]

Shhhhh you can’t say that stuff here, it’s blasphemy

You want to be attacked for having an opinion

Brave guy.

[ApocalypseShadow]

Fox, I think there's a difference between a bad story, and a story you didn't approve of that didn't go the way you wanted.

But it's the same with RE7 with you. You didn't approve of the design of the game. But the game was very successful in and out of VR. Going against your approval just like TLofU2.

Instead of letting developers create what they wanted to create, you've decided they should make what YOU want them to make.

It's not that they went in a different direction. It was actually you that deviated. You expected a story You imagined in your head. You would stand on solid footing if the game wasn't awarded and didn't sell well. Neil succeeded on both counts. You can disagree with Neil. But you weren't on the creative team to begin with to decide the direction of the game. He was. And he just got promoted.

[-Foxtrot]

No...

It’s a badly written story, executed in a poor way while disrespecting loved characters, doing 180s in character logic while shoving in new characters who are just not likeable.

When you had someone like Bruce STOPPING Neil from doing this shitty revenge plot in the first game, you know something is up.

[oof46]

@ApocalypseShadow: I, too, disliked the story. Everything else was top notch.

[RazzerRedux]

Really?
"because you just can’t stand anyone disagreeing with you"

lol...this is you:

"No...

It’s a badly written story, executed in a poor way while disrespecting loved characters, doing 180s in character logic while shoving in new characters who are just not likeable."

And yet just minutes ago you said:

"Funny isn’t it, people can like the game, say the same shit over praising it, I don’t care...I let them be"

You let them be? How delusional are you? You can't go minutes without contradicting yourself. I'm amazed.

[RauLeCreuset]

Yet you knowingly posted a comment in response to Neil's promotion that maybe he'll be too busy to make another game. Don't play victim now.

[-Foxtrot]

Ohhhh there’s RazzerRedux ONCE AGAIN

As the poor little sport can’t help himself replying to someone so much...

I’m shocked... /s

[RazzerRedux]

"I don’t care...I let them be"

How bad is it when you actually lie to yourself?

[oof46]

@ZeroBlue2: It's sad that those of us with legitimate gripes about the story often get lumped in with the "bigots". I've had some good discussions with people about why I didn't like it. I've also had discussions where, no matter what point I bring up, it gets dismissed as "hating".

[RauLeCreuset]

"It's sad that those of us with legitimate gripes about the story often get lumped in with the 'bigots.' I've had some good discussions with people about why I didn't like it. I've also had discussions where, no matter what point I bring up, it gets dismissed as 'hating.'"

It's sad that those claiming to have legitimate gripes often fail to show any care in distinguishing themselves from the bigots, haters, or other elements they don't want to be associated with, until they get lumped in with them. Take this very thread and your comment. You're responding to a comment that wasn't a criticism of the game but a petulant jab at those who disagree with Foxtrot, and, in doing so, siding with someone who has shown a history of irrational hate for the game and its makers. Maybe do a better job reading the room and picking who you throw in with.

[oof46]

@RauLeCreuset: My comment was commiserating with ZeroBlue2 about how any criticism is met. Anyways, I jumped in because I wanted to show not everyone has "irrational hate". I complimented what was great about the game while adding that I didn't like the story. We are all individuals and come to our own conclusions for our own reasons.
If you want to talk, I'm good. But it's ironic how you're labeling me and lumping me into a "group" while quoting me about that same very thing.

[Atticus_finch]

Poor Fox always the victim.

[RauLeCreuset]

@oof46

"My comment was commiserating with ZeroBlue2 about how any criticism is met."

The same applies to ZeroBlue2! Is it really that hard to follow the thread and read the comment you're replying on? I would hope you would show more discretion for someone expressing concern about being lumped in with certain elements. That's the real irony, but it seems the point went over your head.

[oof46]

@RauLeCreuset: I explained my first comment towards ApocalypseShadow and my second. The context has been explained. Reading through the thread, it made sense. I understand that Foxtrot's strong feelings towards the game is a lightning rod. My comment was to show that not everyone has "irrational hate". I like how you ignore my praise but only focus on my criticism. If I have to explain again, then maybe you didn't get my point.

[RauLeCreuset]

@oof

What are you talking about? Your praise is irrelevant to what I called you out on, which was neither your praise nor your criticism. It was the irony of your whining about being lumped in with certain people if you express criticism, while aligning yourself with one of those people. The fact that I didn't get after you when you were simply saying you disliked the story while liking other elements should be setting off a lightbulb in your head.

P.S. Don't position yourself next to a lightning rod and complain about lightning.

[SmokinAces]

"It’s a badly written story, executed in a poor way while disrespecting loved characters, doing 180s in character logic while shoving in new characters who are just not likeable."

Those aren't facts they're your opinions and nothing more. The reality is for you and people like you, its not really the games story that bothers you as much as its people not agreeing with your opinion. You're entitled to think whatever you want even though your vague description reads like someone who hasn't actually played it and is just parroting what other haters are saying becasue it got traction when someone intent on smearing the game leaked the story online said the same thing but just know you're in the minority, there's a reason its up for so many game of the year awards, all your hate not withstanding.

[oof46]

@RauLeCreuset: Except I didn't "align" myself with Foxtrot. I don't view ApocalypseShadow and you or anyone else in this thread as "aligned". Everyone has their own reason for liking/disliking the game. I address people as individuals, not groups. To address person A and person B as if they have the same exact thought process and feelings about something is a disservice to a meaningful conversation. Again, my comment was to show another side. He is seen in one light because of how he feels about TLOU 2 and the devs. I wanted to show that I didn't like it, but not show, "irrational hate" (explained once again).

As for the lumping, I only brought it up once in our conversation. If that's what you want to talk about, then fine. Let's chat.

[-Foxtrot]

@RazzerRedux

"who disagree with Foxtrot, and, in doing so, siding with someone who has shown a history of irrational hate for the game and its makers"

Are you for f****** real?

Now your twisting it into me being this right winged bigot troll? SERIOUSLY

Name one time I've called the game based on closed minded thinking??

Have I been transphobic? homophobic? Hated the game since it was announced at the VGAs? Hated the first one? Hated ND for no reasons? Hated ND's past products?

I have HYPED this game since the first trailer and the only time I started to doubt it when I heard about the hate towards the leaks

Then I got it spoilt eventually and I finally understood why people hated it, I still bought it to play it for myself, even had the limited edition pre ordered and guess what? The leaks were right, it happened and it was just awful story wise.

Why would a guy like myself, part of the LGBT+ community, be a closed minded bigot on this game?

Don't twist peoples words making them out to be things they aren't because you can't stand people hating the game for legit reasons. People bring up why they hate it, they could give paragraphs but people like yourself don't give a shit and ignore it.

@oof46

Stop wasitng your time with him, you could be the nicest person on here explaining your critisims in the fairest, well spoken manner and people like him won't give a shit.

They have this "you either LOVE it or HATE it" mentality, and if you dislike something they will group you together with everyone else to downplay your criticisms.

[Tacoboto]

Foxtrot, you've done this before - you pull out your LGBT card any time you can hate on something that pushes LGBT characters forward in a legitimate way. It's as if you use it just to self-legitimize your dislike of content that puts people like us in the center.

And you and your haters on this game still cling to the belief that only you know how a character should be treated. Stop being so full of yourself that you know better than the characters' creators. Months of whining later, your bitter enemy got a huge promotion just before Christmas. Valuable time spent, sir.

[-Foxtrot]

@Tacoboto

"Foxtrot, you've done this before - you pull out your LGBT card any time you can hate on something that pushes LGBT characters forward in a legitimate way. It's as if you use it just to self-legitimize your dislike of content that puts people like us in the center. "

Bullshit and you know it, very, VERY rarely I bring that up, I don't see the point when it's no ones business

But keep spinning that shit.

You do realise all of us in the LGBT+ community don't need to be a constant hive mind right?

[VR-4nic]

The last of us part 2 story was complete trash! Just a lazy revenge story that didn’t even finish with getting said revenge in the end! The first game was amazing, one of my favorite games of all time. I will wait and buy naughty dog games used from now on!

[TGGJustin]

^Someone who wouldn't know a well written story if it slapped them in the face. The story didn't go the way you wanted so it must be trash in that case.

[sin7279]

Please stop!

[oof46]

@Justin: Actually, no. If you're talking about THAT death,I didn't mind that it happened. Makes sense with what happened in the first game. It's how it was handled. There was so much else that could have been done better.

[F0XH0UND922]

Like how? Please explain better ways for someone to be murdered.

[oof46]

Tess's death can be an example. There is a way to kill off a beloved character and give it meaning.

But I had problems with a lot more in the story. If this is the time and place, I can go into it if you want.

[CBaoth]

Beloved character? Tess was a side character with no depth, written in purely to facilitate a whimsical plot. How else could anyone believe a murderous smuggler who looked out only for himself is going to suddenly trek clear across an apocalyptic landscape from Boston to Salt Lake to deliver some kid he didn't give a shit about without payment?

[SmokinAces]

Cool story bro your conviction has truly convinced me.

[seanpitt23]

Yeah I think the people who loved the first game so much and it had such a impact on people lives will hate part 2 it’s impossible to like, it’s just a direction that wasn’t necessary on any level and all the people that liked part 2 are the people that only played the second part or didn’t really like part 1 and didn’t have any connection with it.

Neil wanted the player to feel so many emotions in the story and all I felt was disappointment on how he could of got it so wrong.

[oof46]

@CBaoth: No, I didn't mention "the death" for spoiler reasons. Just in case anyon...oh, hell with it. I was talking about Joel (beloved character) and how Tess's death (her being a side character), was given weight and meaning.

And Tess had plenty of depth. For as small a part as she had, a lot of fans still hold on to her. This speaks to how well she was written and acted by Annie Wersching.

[Profchaos]

I'm.abiut 75% through tlou2 I heard the criticisms and had the suprise in the plot spolied for me a.long time ago and as a result I didn't play the game until a good sale price came up.

Have to say it's not as bad as people make it out to be so far I'm enjoying it I may not feel anything for Abbey however that's a bit of a moot point in the plot but overall it's still a stunning game graphically and has high quality writing acting and production it's a too shelf game and some people read way to much into the industry politics and beliefs.to just enjoy something for what it is

I don't really like druckman tbh I find his virtue signalling.creepy in a way like a I'm better than everyone else type thing but his team did a great job with the game let's seperate the leadership from the finished product as it's a really excellent game by industry leading talent

[ApocalypseShadow]

I think what some above are whining about is that they think they aren't allowed to like the games story. They are perfectly right in not liking the story. What they don't get is that it was Neil and Naughty Dog's story to tell. If they didn't succeed in the story telling besides the gameplay, then they would have something to fall back on. But that's not the case. They claim disrespect of characters when it's actually that they didn't want what happened to a certain character because they liked them. You know. The superhero always wins and lives idea. Same as those that didn't like Glenn dying in The Walking Dead TV show. Not knowing that that same thing happened to him in the comics. The internet roared but didn't have the facts to back up why they were roaring.

I didn't like Ninja Theory making DMC for Capcom. I thought Tameem was arrogant saying Devil May Cry fans didn't know what cool was or that Dante wasn't cool in the way he looked. So they changed everything.

But fans and I can fall back on being right that they were wrong in changing Dante and the game. DMC didn't sell well even with all the digital discounts and bundles trying to get all the fans to buy it. I still won't buy it for a $1. But it lead Capcom taking the reigns back and creating Devil May Cry 5. Which was successful and liked by fans.

These guys are free to dislike the game's story. But they have nothing that backs their position to support that the story or the game is trash. It was awarded, gameplay looks amazing and it sold well. That supports Neil's position and promotion even if the game was divisive to those that wanted the story to go in a different direction.

[RauLeCreuset]

"These guys are free to dislike the game's story. But they have nothing that backs their position to support that the story or the game is trash."

The critics who display a desperate need to have their opinions on the game treated like fact tend to be the ones who were banking on popularity to carry their argument earlier in the year when they thought the numbers would be on their side. They didn't think they had to bother substantiating their position because the majority would join them on the hate train. The game being well received by most, if not all, significant indicators has left them caught with their pants down.

[-Foxtrot]

"These guys are free to dislike the game's story. But they have nothing that backs their position to support that the story or the game is trash"

That's...hilarious

"Here's some legit criticisms"

"Nah, I'm going to ignore it because I don't want to believe it, you have nothing"

"Here's more legit criticisms"

"You've got nothing to back yourself up"

"................."

[ApocalypseShadow]

Fox, millions DID enjoy the story. The graphics and gameplay ARE enjoyed by millions. The game has been awarded and will continue to be awarded by the industry. And it sold millions. TLofU2 defies your dislike.

What do you have to back up your position? What did you expect to happen to these characters? You can pull out the "Well Amy..." She's gone. She's not with Naughty Dog. Move on than whine about it. The game will continue to be sold. The game's story won't be changed for you. I dealt with DMC by not buying it. It didn't sell well. The gameplay wasn't as good as previous games and it wasn't awarded. You saying, "I didn't like" doesn't really matter. Neil is staying with the company. Instead of crying, stop buying. I did. And that's what forced Capcom to go in-house and create DMC5. The majority likes TLofU2. You are the minority in not liking it. If there's a TLofU3, Neil will probably still be there. Love it or leave it.

[GoodnessGreatness]

Bad news

[TGGJustin]

Fantastic News!

[F0XH0UND922]

Best news this whole week! Cry about it

[GoodnessGreatness]

You're a bunch of cucks

[TGGJustin]

Good to see it. They all deserve their promotions no matter how much the small crowd of haters cries about it. Oh and Neil confirmed he'll still be writing and directing so get over it. Can't wait to see what he and the team do next.

[JangoMan]

I personally Didnt finish the game coz i didnt like the story and where it was heading. I played half of it.

I still believe story could have been better for the sake of character development and IP legacy. But everything else was top notch. The design, cinematography, direction, soundtrack, sound effects, gameplay, gunplay, animations. All those things were came overlooked and influenced by Niel. So he is a remarkable artist. Story telling can be a hit or miss in films, doesn't mean writers are bad.

[F0XH0UND922]

You are commenting on why you didn't like the story, yet you only played half of it? Boi what?! Lol

[XabiDaChosenOne]

In his defense the story doesn't exactly make a turn for the better;so If he found the game trash halfway through his opinion wouldn't change finishing the story.

[JangoMan]

I watched the the whole thing one youtube. Lol. The thing is , i was ridiculously attached to Joel in TLOU1. His Character ark was so strong and real that i couldn't handle the trauma of his death in the 2nd part. And the game tried ao hard to let him go and look other way around. And I couldn't. More over they wanted me to play the character who did all this. I just couldn't handle it.

[chicken_in_the_corn]

After TLOU2, I doubt I'll ever buy another ND game

[F0XH0UND922]

Cool story bro. Sucks that you'll miss so many critically acclaimed games.

[GoodnessGreatness]

Cuck

[Flare149]

Wow. That's about the most boring update they could've made. Between this and the way too late, spoiler filled Abby trailer they're just hitting foul after foul

[F0XH0UND922]

As they rake in awards and success. Home runs bruh

[Einhander1971]

Congratulations, let the ps5 magic begin:)

[Chexs1990]

That is one impressive way of failing upwards, holy crap :D

[seanpitt23]

Let’s hope Neil will manage the company more and take a back seat in the writing department because he dropped the ball with the last of us P2 everyone else though did a spectacular job and deserve their promotions

[Redemption-64]

Good news is, he said he is still going to be writing and directing. So as I keep telling people, if this news makes you unhappy, I suggest you move on, Sony and ND want him

[Chexs1990]

Correction:
They want him until it is verifiable that he is financial liability.
Same as every other company.

While his writing skills may be sub-par at this point, his management and direction could still be good. There are a million variables which we simply don't know (some of which might be clauses pertaining to specific OKRs/KPIs)

[Redemption-64]

Yes and both Sony and ND are confident he will bring them more money. Also with his sub par writing, Sony, ND and I can guarantee major game companies would rather hire him than the so call writers that have never written anything in their lives.

I can also guarantee you the next game coming out of the studio is going to make a lot of money as well. If anything Neil will level on his own.

[sourOG]

Before TLOU2 I would have said it’s a bad idea. TLOU2 was such a huge improvement over his previous games that I don’t see it that way anymore.

[BenRC01]

Boring. Ps5 patches or gtfo.

[repsahj]

...congrats to the 3 of them. Cant wait for your next game.

[XabiDaChosenOne]

Beginning of the end for Naughty Dog.

[where-eagles-dare]

The last of us part 1 - among my top 5 games of all time. Part 2 = the depression simulator with cr@p story, I finished & hated it, & gave it away for free, to one of my mates. Interestingly, Uncharted 4 which Druckman was heavily involved in, was also, not a game i enjoyed.

I can fully appreciate the quality on offer here and I certainly regard Naughty Dog as a top tier, stellar studio. I just regard Druckman, as a diminutive, little political turd who has insulted his fanbase & made insulting baseless accusations.

[Drithe]

Who cares?

[ApocalypseShadow]

The gamers that are complaining. They had no problem with Neil writing TLofU 1. Praising the story.

They have a problem with this one because events didn't go the way they wanted when it was Neil's story to tell. It's like those that don't like the Avengers and MCU movie plots. Well, millions did. Even though characters don't follow the comic books.

They are expecting perfection sitting in their armchairs. If the game wasn't praised, they'd have something. They don't. So they'll whine on what they thought should have happened because they already had preconceptions on how things should have went down in their heads.

[GoodnessGreatness]

Bruce Straley was a big part why The Last of Us was a masterpiece. That's why Part 2 is shit because he left

[ApocalypseShadow]

Looks amazing, plays amazing, selling great, still being nominated for awards and millions DID like the story.

Some gamers expected what they wanted. Not what Neil wrote.

[PCgamer98]

Nd is the gold standard for graphics and storytelling but gameplaywise they have become so archaic. After I've finished their games like a couple of times there's barely any reason to go back to it.

[Starman69]

No more gay games please.