Summary
Neil Druckmann, co-president and head of creative atNaughty Dog, is raising excitement for a new project that could redefine the way people look at video games. In an interview released on May 23, Druckmann did not state whatNaughty Dog’s upcoming project is exactly but called it “perhaps the most thrilling yet.”
Founded in 1984, Naughty Dog has created multiple successful franchises over the years, breaking through with Crash Bandicoot in 1996 and following it up withJak and Daxter,Uncharted, andThe Last of Us. Druckmann has helped the studio to cross over into the world of television as well, serving as executive producer and writer forthe cinematicLast of UsTV showadaptation on HBO, which premiered in January 2023.
Druckmann’s comments in the recently releasedinterview with Sonyleave a lot of interpretation as to just what this upcoming project could be, though he did cite the success of the television series, which he sees as a bridge between gamers and non-gamers. The show’s popularity spans across age groups and increases the visibility of gaming as an entertainment medium, and he’s hoping to use that expansive momentum with this new game to continue to draw attention to Naughty Dog for a worldwide audience, noting that “it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.“With The Last of Us: Part 3already confirmed, the new project could be an entirely new franchise or an adaptation of an existing IP. He listed this new game among his “dream projects,” and while he’s keeping mum on the details for now, a 2021 query revealedDruckmann’s Marvel dreamsof making aPunisherorGhost Ridervideo game, also listingCowboy Bebop,Half Life, andHotline Miamiamong the franchises he’d like to get his creative hands on.
Druckmann Lists the Pros and Cons of AI
Along with teasing Naughty Dog’s newest project, Druckmann also made a lot of comments about the use of AI in game development, and while he sees it as a useful tool, he also cautioned aspiring developers against relying on it too much. Technology is ever-advancing, and Druckmann pointed out that Naughty Dog’s team hand animated the art forJak and Daxterbefore moving on to its celebrated use ofmotion capture inUncharted. Technology has now even advanced to the point that mo-cap actors can now work from home, and moving forward technologically, he sees the potential for AI technology to help Naughty Dog in creating new characters and writing dialogue.
However, he identified AI as a tool for developers, not a replacement for them, calling new designers entering the field “so much more talented and capable than me when I was their age,” and expressing a desire to create an environment where their ideas are valued. Druckmann seems committed to embracing new technology and looks forward to games that can hit more of the player’s senses than just sight and sound. With peripherals like theResident Evil 74D candleadding a sense of smell to the game back in 2017, those ideas could hit the mainstream sooner than later.
