VGC: Naughty Dog says its still struggling with multi-project development

Naughty Dog says it’s still struggling with multi-project development

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/naughty-dog-says-its-still-struggling-with-multi-project-development/

Evan Wells told the AIAS in a new Game Maker’s Notebook podcast (transcribed by VGC) that Naughty Dog was ultimately unable to maintain two full productions, with one project inevitably gaining favour and pulling resources from the other, and it’s an issue the studio still struggles with today.

“We tried our first major multi-project development with The Last of Us,” Wells said. “At the end of Uncharted 2, Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann went off to start designing [that], although they did spend a good, solid three or four months working on Jak and Daxter before they decided to shelve it and focus on something new.

“They embarked on that and the idea was we would build a team around it and have two teams going at once, and we just did not achieve that at all.

“We don’t have two projects that have several hundred people on them. We have one [project] and then some that are in pre-production, or maybe just creeping out of pre-production, but will have to wait until the main focus has completed before we move everybody off of that project.”

“WE DEFINITELY HAVE MULTIPLE PROJECTS, BUT ONLY ONE THAT IS GETTING THE LION’S SHARE OF FOCUS”

Like many triple-A studios, Naughty Dog is taking longer to produce its big, blockbuster action games, as the resources required to build modern games increases. The Last of Us Part 2 released in 2020, seven years after its predecessor. In comparison, the studio released three Uncharted games between 2007 and 2011.

“They embarked on that and the idea was we would build a team around it and have two teams going at once, and we just did not achieve that at all.

He added: “The amount of effort that was required to finish Uncharted 3 at the time was stealing resources away from The Last of Us, and we never got to the point where we had two full productions going.

“I would say even today we’re just short of that. We definitely have multiple projects, but only one that is getting the lion’s share of focus at any time.

“We don’t have two projects that have several hundred people on them. We have one [project] and then some that are in pre-production, or maybe just creeping out of pre-production, but will have to wait until the main focus has completed before we move everybody off of that project.”

“Despite whatever success we had with Uncharted, if we were on Uncharted 6 or 7 by now, I think the creative spark would be pretty weak and I just don’t think we’d be doing our best work,”

This should be a wakeup call to any Cow who thinks anything made by NaughtyDog will be touching the PS5 before 2024-2025 outside of ancillary or otherwise smaller scale projects.

NaughtyDog marshalled every resource immaginable to get The Last Of Us 2 out the door last year, including heavy use of outsourcing, as well as crunch. But if you talk to Playstation fanboys, some of them believe NaughtyDog has secretly had another AAA TLOU-level new IP in simultaneous development with TLOU2, and think they'll be seeing it in like 2 years. I guarrantee even now, some Cows think TLOU3 will be out before Elder Scrolls 6. I dont get it.......who on earth do you cows think is developing all these games for you that you think are coming?

You should keep this all in mind the next time you meme about Fable/Perfect Dark/Elder Scrolls, etc..... being years away. Likely, Xbox Game Studios entire roadmap will see the light of day before the next mainline NaughtyDog game touches the PS5. Same goes for Sucker Punch. Till 2024, all you're getting is Factions 2, TLOU Remake, TLOU2 story DLC, and some VR pet project 5 guys in a janitors closet made at ND.

Considering Sony only has about 5 studios or so who actually produce AAA games, and these games have increasingly long turnaround times, it puts in perspective Sony's reliance on these studios. It is going to be an absolute bloodbath in terms of output when this gen actually gets going.

Insomniac released a AAA game last year and will do another this year. Sony is well ahead of MS at pumping out quality titles.

Wait for Xbox fans here 3.2.1.....

I mean... We did hear a lot about poor project management at Naught Dog during the development of TLoU2 resulting in excessive crunch, lots of story re-writes, and several upper-management positions being vacated.

So this isn't exactly surprising.

You can't just throw more man-hours at a project if you don't have clear plan and good management to execute on it.

I've been saying it for years. ND needs to pick a smaller, more fun project to work on before they totally burn out. How about a nice 3d platformer based on an older ND IP? That's assuming they can still find people in the games industry that want to take jobs there - because I heard they were having trouble finding people for TLoU2 and had to settle for people in adjacent industries who may not be completely familiar with the required workflows.

I don't really understand why they need two full productions at a time then. Clearly their titles are more ambitious than their studio can handle and then trying to do multiple?

With the amount of talent that goes in all their games, no wonder they have trouble with more than one project. If Xbox *exclusives* weren't all 6/10 shallow titles everyone forgets in under two weeks, they too would be having a hard time. Hell, they're having a very hard time with Halo Infinite, and that's the only game in 343i's production.

So you're hating on Playstation fans because they enjoy Naughty Dog games and have optimism in their ability to provide great games... ?

Proof is in the pudding man. I may not be a big fan of TLoU but there's no denying that ND provides a polished full game at release. Kind of a rarity in modern times.

All companies want to grow.

Besides if you make too much money without re-investing it into the company, the government will just take it all.

Well ND are shit at their jobs, so this comes as no surprise.

Hire more people and get big projects done faster instead of making one great game every 7 years and a few not so great ones in between.

Doesn't matter anymore. Uncharted 4 was trash and TLOU 2 was woke BS. Last good game they made was TLOU. How long ago was the first one released? Xbox already won this gen and there is nothing even out for either console.

@i_p_daily: Like clockwork you shit on your keyboard and hit post afterwards, you're as bad as ghost anymore.

The last of us remake rumor is madness....

And like clockwork you complain each time he posts. 😂🤣

@Pedro: And like clockwork you're his knight in shining armor swooping in for the rescue. 😂

Now you are grasping for straws because you a being called out. 😂🤣

@Pedro: Grasping at what, the proof is right there. 😉 😂

Druckmann can't have people thinking Joel was a good guy. Gotta revise that story. They'll tell us about Joel's past as a Klan leader and Abby was a girl scout who donated to charities.

I guess your faction struggle with the meaning of words. Maybe you should learn the meaning of clockwork before using it. 😉

Xbox has 23 studios and can't get out one major title for the whole first year. I think lems should hold their horses on the concern trolling.

I guess Halo Infinite doesn't count. 😎

This thread is about Naughty Dog but like all negative info related to Sony, you and your goons can't help "bu buh but Xbox" 🤣

Because you freaks remain losers that that try to shit on other people's beds before trying to clean yours. There's no reason to buy an Xbox right now. MS knows it, Xbots know it. That's why they continually keep these FUD campaigns against their rivals going that never fucking work.

I'd say who the hell is asking for this but I'm pretty sure it'll sell nonetheless.

Still though, who the hell needs this (as far as one would need a video game).

You being so riled up is so entertaining. 😂

@silentchief: "Insomniac released a AAA game last year and will do another this year. Sony is well ahead of MS at pumping out quality titles."

Here we go 🙄

@vfighter: Like clockwork here you are crying about my comments AGAIN, build a bridge and get over it.

@BenjaminBanklin:

You of all people can't talk about "FUD campaigns" when your thread about Xbox games being eons away got locked a couple of days ago for being a "FUD campagn" lol.

So Colin Moriarty, Pony Schreier, Kinda Funny, IGN, David Jaffe, and almost every other Playstation centric influencer, and even Sean Laydon himself, are all part of a FUD campaign to bring down Playstation?

And is..........Is the "FUD campaign" in the room with us right now Benji?

@lebanese_boy: it makes me question whether they don't have any ideas for new games which is very worrisome.

"Naughty Dog says it’s still struggling after, Way of the Warrior, with nothing but movie-games since. "

There, fixed the thread title for ya. lolol :P

DELAYstation

**** them shills. Playstation is as on fire as it ever was, and there isn't shit going on with Xbox until Elder Scrolls drops