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[foxtrot3d]

I don't understand the fury and speculation going on here, top talent leave big companies all the time why does their always have to be ill-will or something nefarious for the reason they departed?

 

[Freeman]

Damn, all but bad news lately.

It would be hilarious if they announce the new directors and its Bruce Straley and
Neil Druckmann tho.

 

[Prompto]

We're on to something.

Hahaha awesome. I miss those puzzles in Assassins Creed.

 

[Colbert]

So that's what the title of "The Last of Us" is about.

You made me LOL very loud!

 

[FunkyPajamas]

I'd take my chances, i think Uncharted is limiting for ND's talent.

If you don't mind my asking: do you mean gameplay or story-wise? Or both?

 

[Melchiah]

I hope so because Killzone Shadow Fall is terrible, and Knack wasn't anything special. Finally while inFamous looked pretty, and the core gameplay mechanics were incredible, the mission design was awful. I am still waiting for Sony to bring their A game to PS4.

True but so far I am not impressed. The Order doesn't seem my type of game either with so many quick time events and the lack of multiplayer is also disappointing. Drive Club looked like the only decent upcoming game, but hands on impressions were not all that positive. I am hoping Uncharted 4 fares well as I have enjoyed pretty much all Naughty Dog games.

A-grade game = my type of game?

In that case, Killzone, Resogun, Tomb Raider, Infamous, and seemingly The Order 1886 are all A-grade games.

 

[UrbanRats]

If you don't mind my asking: do you mean gameplay or story-wise? Or both?

A little bit of both.
In the story department, i think Uncharted is overly derivative, and dependant on genre tropes; they have proven with Last of Us that they can write deeper characters than archetypes and more interesting stories than trodden blueprints.
Doesn't have to be something as depressing and as dramatic as LoU, either, keep the light hearted-ness of Uncharted if you want, but get free of the genre shackles.

As for the gameplay, Uncharted got famous, as far as i'm concerned, for two main reasons:
1) Spectacular cinematic set pieces, which already in Uncharted 3 had lost some of their steam with me, because you start to see behind the curtain too easily (oh i can't die, oh guess what, that pipe is gonna break, but not really, and so on) and you can apply that mastery of the guided set piece, to something that enriches the story, instead of being a disjointed "LOOK HOW CRAZY IS THIS" -- again, Last of Us did this somewhat.

2) Vertical mobility and general agile and fast paces combat: This is probably the feature of Uncharted that has more potential for the future, and in every Uncharted there are always a couple of moments that really shine in this context (the Village Siege in UC2 or the Ship Graveyard in UC3) but you could really apply this to a game that improves on the other aspects mentioned above, infact, you could develop an IP that is aimed to maximize this aspect from the start.

This is why, as much as i loved UC2 and appreciated UC3, i would like them to move on.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

Thanks for such a thorough response. I appreciate that.

 

[Gusto]

Trimming the Uncharted 3 fat.

I hope that's it and it's not some ego thing.

 

[maxiell]

I don't understand the fury and speculation going on here, top talent leave big companies all the time why does their always have to be ill-will or something nefarious for the reason they departed?

All the games these people worked on have been highly acclaimed, so it's hard to figure out what might have gone down and no one is talking. Personally, I think this is all about when they kill off Elena, or maybe parking spots.

 

[Chaplain]

Damn, all but bad news lately.

It would be hilarious if they announce the new directors and its Bruce Straley and
Neil Druckmann tho.

This is ND's only option. They do not have anyone else their anymore that is as talented as them and that has made as much money for Sony.

 

[TheWorthyEdge]

Connecting dots where they don't need to be connected.



Stig and his team spent almost 100 million dollars on a game that failed every QA test that took. The game sucked. They shitcanned the game and a lot of the people involved. They offered stig a spot on barlog's project - he didn't want to go from game director to something lesser so he quit.

This makes sense, right? Shitty game, money wasted, people fired, head guy leaves out of ego? I mean that all makes sense.


Amy Hennig has creative differences about the direction that UC4 should go in. Egos swell, she leaves. She's happy, she will make another studio much better when she gets there. Justin Richmond, an ally of Hennig's, gets an offer he can't refuse from Riot. He leaves.

These things happen. Naughty Dog is going to be fine. UC4 will still be awesome. Riot will be better with the pickup of Richmond and whoever gets Hennig will be better off. The sky isn't falling.


Guerilla Cambridge is working on a vita game that is shit and won't sell. They slim down as they retool for another project.

Again - this isn't new. This happens a lot.


The director of Driveclub doesn't deliver the game on time. Given more time the game still needs work. He is replaced.



Wouldn't you replace him? Wouldn't you shitcan stig's project that cost them almost 100 mil and had nothing of value to show for it? In fact they should have done it two years ago. The fact they let it go this far is a testament to how much they believed in him after GoW 3.


And all of this is happening before the fiscal year ends. Is sony trimming fat? Of course. Sony corporation is not in a great spot. So they are tightening up a bit. But a lot of people are connecting dots that don't need to be connected. Hennig/Richmond is about creative differences and ego. Stig is about wasted money and time. Col Rogers (driveclub) is about failing to deliver. Taken on their own they all make sense. Combine them together and you get glenn beck with a chalkboard.


And Jack Tretton was about money and inability to move up. He will make more money and have more power somewhere else - something Sony simply could not offer him. Shit happens.


It's the same with the xbox department guys. People move around. People leave for other companies. Shit happens.

BOOM. It sucks but it happens.

 

[Gorillaz]

This is ND's only option. They do not have anyone else their anymore that is as talented as them and that has made as much money for Sony.

ND is most likely eyeing and nuturing talent to be creative directors. Maybr moving up in there own company

 

[Melchiah]

2) Vertical mobility and general agile and fast paces combat: This is probably the feature of Uncharted that has more potential for the future, and in every Uncharted there are always a couple of moments that really shine in this context (the Village Siege in UC2 or the Ship Graveyard in UC3) but you could really apply this to a game that improves on the other aspects mentioned above, infact, you could develop an IP that is aimed to maximize this aspect from the start.

I have to say, that those two parts, along with the desert village shootout in UC3, were what I hated the most in them. They just were more frustrating than entertaining.

 

[Andronicus]

lmao wow

 

[TheRealTalker]

We're on to something.


I'd take my chances, i think Uncharted is limiting for ND's talent.

lol good play

 

[eddfromtheriver]

I hope the recent happenings won't change their stance, as playing it safe would certainly diminish the quality and variety of their games.

Pretty much. I'd hate a "playing it safe" Sony.

 

[Gestault]

We're on to something.


I'd take my chances, i think Uncharted is limiting for ND's talent.

Someone go ahead and pin a medal on this guy. My vote is cast for "Best Post of the Year."

 

[djblackice]

Well "AAA" games at least. Indies/digital download only titles will make up for games overall.

It's a good thing IMO since Sony wasted money on a decent number of "AAA" PS3 games that weren't that good. Still wonder where a series like SOCOM would be if Sony put more money into it instead of making new shooter IPs.

Which PS3 AAA games are you talking about that weren't that good?

 

[Gestault]

I don't understand the fury and speculation going on here, top talent leave big companies all the time why does their always have to be ill-will or something nefarious for the reason they departed?

It's more that in this case, it's the sequential departures of the two directors on the project, who were named as key elements in the announcement of the game in the first place. People care about the Uncharted series, and having long-time leads in the development of the series leave in the midst of work on the newest title does stand out.

 

[Acorn]

Hahaha awesome. I miss those puzzles in Assassins Creed.

Me too and the lore until they destroyed it with 3.

 

[LastNac]

It takes a lot to deplete my enjoyment that quickly, believe me. And I had read here and elsewhere that the rooftop scene wasn't the only part of the game to do this, and I really wasn't in the mood for more.

Well, I'm sorry but what else could have also dissuaded you in your short time?

 

[ProfessorMoran]

It's more that in this case, it's the sequential departures of the two directors on the project, who were named as key elements in the announcement of the game in the first place. People care about the Uncharted series, and having long-time leads in the development of the series leave in the midst of work on the newest title does stand out.

Justin Richmond was not a long-time lead though, he lead UC2 mp and gradually made it worse, and directed UC3 which was not as good as the previous game. I'm surprised how some people are that upset.

Amy Hennig will be missed but someone else will step up. She wasn't part of TLOU and look how that turned out.

 

[hooligan]

Not sure why there's so many conspiracy theories. As mentioned earlier, riot games is swimming in cash. I'm sure they pay much better than Sony. Sony is a struggling bloated glory be gone electronics company trying to be relevant in a candy Crush, Clash of clans and flappy bird world. Dude has a family and needs to get paid.

 

[Mlatador]

A dark time in the traditional videogaming industry is coming.


The indies are our HOPE!

Traditional?? Things were much better before all this AAA....

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Can't wait for UC4 now.

 

[LastNac]

People losing jobs sucks. I feel for the SSM guys and everyone else. But Sony needs to run a tighter ship if they want to make money. They can't allow teams to piss around for years with nothing to show. That's why they completely restructured Japan Studio. Those guys had dozens of games that were going nowhere. It's why they shuttered Zipper. MAG, while amazing - imo, was an expensive failure. Socom 4 was an expensive failure. They closed them down.

Now they are tightening up on teams that aren't delivering. It sucks - but it makes sense. The playstation division is in strong state right now. The PS3 is finally making money for them, the PS4 is off to best start in console history, and they are correcting the money-wasting mistakes of the prior generation. I'm not saying we should have a party now - there are clearly hurdles to overcome. Stig's game being gone created a giant hole in their lineup. The driveclub delay is the cause of enormous worry for many PS4 fans. The timing of these things has tinfoil hats flying everywhere. Sony corporate has very big problems it needs to handle. Shit isn't all rosy at sony - i'm not trying to say that. But it's not doom and gloom either. These are all separate events that happened for very logical reasons when you look at them individually.

Oh?

 

[Blues1990]

I want to wish the guy all the best, especially with how difficult the current job market is right now. Of course, both Druckmann & Straley have done an excellent job with The Last of Us, that I can trust them with handling the fourth installment in the Uncharted series.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

We're on to something.


I'd take my chances, i think Uncharted is limiting for ND's talent.

It's all coming together!

 

[TheRealTalker]

Oh?

or maybe where all being duped

 

[hodayathink]

Oh?

It's like you missed the next sentence.

They can't allow teams to piss around for years with nothing to show. That's why they completely restructured Japan Studio. Those guys had dozens of games that were going nowhere.

Japan Studio got a new head because of that game. Ueda isn't even a full-time employee anymore, probably because of that game.

 

[LastNac]

You say that as if that's a bad thing. I enjoyed every single second of TLoU's cinematics - as opposed to those in UC3 or those from Cage's games.

It's not about the quality of the cutscenes, it is about them being there in the first place.

My trepidation over Druckmann taking over isn't fueled by any sense of incompetence, he is a good writer in his own right. He can write a good story, the problem is he writes a passive story.

I am worried about him as a creative director. It feels like he wants to chalk everything up to a great character driven cutscene, I don't want that and think it isn't good for the series, let alone the medium. I loved Uncharted 3 because it cut back on using cutscenes where others would and instead kept the player involved by using gameplay and dynamic camera angles to offer the cinematic presentation. I didn't want cutscenes, I wanted gameplay framed like cutscenes. That is what Uncharted 3 gave me and what I want(ed) out of Uncharted 4. With(if) Druckmann at the helm I am worried I can kiss all of that goodbye.

Developers had to apparently tell Druckmann to cut back on using cutscenes where gameplay could instead be offered? As a creative director shouldn't you be thinking about a moment's execution? Isn't it best to make everything interactive?

Spoiler

"The ending," Druckman said, "when Joel walks into the operating room, it used to be one giant cutscene. It was quite a bit different. And there was a designer, Peter Field, who advocated for it to be playable. And he argued for it, and we'd kind of wrack our brain for how to do it, and eventually he was right. We scrapped the whole cinematic and made it playable. And it helped even moreso than we had initially, the beginning really mirrors the end

http://kotaku.com/the-last-of-us-climactic-moments-could-have-been-very-600685013

Peter Field deserves a pretty big raise, because at the end of the day, I don't think about something's cutscenes, I think about the interactive moments. That is what stays with me, not some damn cutscene, no matter how great it looks.

I loved TLoU, but I can't but help feel that there were just so many missed opportunities...

Oh I love them too. LastNac doesn't (if it is too much). I was playing with him, he knows it. To be clear though UC3 and Beyond render most of their cutscenes in real time. Even though this is about interactivity, the comparison doesn't work to begin with, because I mentioned pre-rendered cutscenes.

You know me too well...

 

[Wynnebeck]

Oh?

Umm...

 

[LastNac]

It's like you missed the next sentence.



Japan Studio got a new head because of that game. Ueda isn't even a full-time employee anymore, probably because of that game.

Team ICO has its fair share of individuality and independence. I wouldn't be so quick to group them together so easily.

 

[Radec]

Amazing shops.

Poor Drunkman.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

what the hell is happening

Riot gave him more money.

 

[20cent]

Oh my god, people decide to change job after years in the same company looking for new opportunities, challenges or just something new, why?

 

[the_batman]

so Straley and Druckmann are heading Uncharted 4 now? that game is going to be amazing.

 

[LastNac]

so Straley and Druckmann are heading Uncharted 4 now? that game is going to have great cutscenes.

Fixed.
Joking aside, I am really worried about this being the truth.

 

[Dead]

We're on to something.
.

lol

holy shit dude

 

[BurnOutBrighter]

We're on to something.

Haha. "Druckmann power trip firing spree" should be a GAF meme.

 

[chadskin]

We're on to something.

Oh my.

 

[ramuh]

It's so funny. As soon as I saw this pic, the FX sounds and noises that happens when you start these up popped into my head!

 

[ComputerBlue]

One of us, one of us!

 

[TetraGenesis]

so Straley and Druckmann are heading Uncharted 4 now? that game is going to be amazing.

.

 

[Dead]

If Druckman and Straley leave ND...would that be like dividing by zero?

 

[TheRealTalker]

If Druckman and Straley leave ND...would that be like dividing by zero?

they'll only leave ND when they become CEOs of the whole company

 

[PuppetMaster]

If Druckman and Straley leave ND...would that be like dividing by zero?

#ForcedOut

 

[the_batman]

guise, what if Nolan North doesn't voice Drake?

 

[Havel]

guise, what if Nolan North doesn't voice Drake?

Troy Baker.