Acquiescence
Member
Bodes well for Edith Finch or whatever it's going to be called. Never hurts to have some Naughty Dog talent on board.
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Nate Wells (Lead Artist) left Naughty Dog, joined Giant Sparrow as Art Director
- Thread starter Cyberia
- Start date
LilWayneSuckz
Member
Hype level rising for next Giant Sparrow game.
He was with Irrational for 13 years; ND 1 and a half.
Raitosaito
Member
He left Bio for them, and now he's jumping ship again?
3rdamention
Member
Well, once a game is complete, many devs go on a break to refocus, rest, relax, re evaluate what they want to do next. Some find other jobs or New opportunities. This could be a good thing for all parties involved, for all we know, this could have been planned after TLOU shipped and the groundwork was laid for the remaster.
There has definitely been some stuff going on at naughty dog, but it's all not necessarily doom and gloom..heck, they could have only signed him for one game based on a portfolio of post apocalyptic work he had done that fit well in TLOU universe.
When great talent leaves, it opens awesome opportunities for some younger talent to get their shot...
Nightengale
Member
We don't know what each individual's respective reasons for leaving are, and no company can specifically tailor their organisation to individual career needs.
Let's make some assumptions. Assume individual A, after working on a big project, wants to work on something of a different style, but cannot because company decided to make a sequel. Wouldn't the rational choice to be leave then? Why work on something you're not passionate about? AAA-game development is a 2-4 year journey.
Or if individual A wants to climb up the ladder to a director role, but the role is filled with no signs of vacancy anytime soon. The company is not going to create a director seat specifically for individual A. ND specifically mentioned that part of the reason for the creation of a 2nd-team was to facilitate capable people into stronger responsibilities and roles, since more teams means more directors, leads and core-creatives to reduce their guys leaving... because ND devs are highly talented, and their leads are capable of holding higher positions or even director roles in other studios.
Evolved1
make sure the pudding isn't too soggy but that just ruins everything
He will be the last of them.
Dragonborn
Member
I very much doubt UC4 will score as high as 2 and 3, even if it's just as good. People like seeing giants fall and right now it seems ND are prime targets. We've also seen that a lot of the "press" have quite the agenda. We'll see though.
SoraanTribal
Member
Oh wow, I didn't realize he was there for that long.
Messofanego
Banned
Bioshock, The Last of Us, dude has mad talent and Unfinished Swan looked gorgeous (don't have a PS3) so they could have another visually striking game on their hands.
Barkley's Justice
Member
That's what happens when tou burn people out on remakes and sequels.
Didn't he join TLOU during the final stretches? I imagine he worked primarily on the DLC.
He's probably the most famous Art Director in the business, so he could do whatever he wants. The dude invented the Big Daddy, one of the most iconic characters of modern video game history.
He's probably the most famous Art Director in the business, so he could do whatever he wants. The dude invented the Big Daddy, one of the most iconic characters of modern video game history.
Ninja Scooter
Member
This is what happens when people leap to ridiculous conclusions based on nothing.
iamvin22
Industry Verified
Shin-Ra
Junior Member
TLoU wasn't a sequel (he only moved to ND during TLoU didn't he?) and probably wouldn't have needed to give much input on Remastered.
Interesting to see how Giant Sparrow move on from this (first level's style only)
The guy that made 2 of the Game of The Generation candidates (Uncharted 2 and The Last of US)
Lasts posts was a meme because it was said that Druckmann was the man behind the layoffs of inferior talent in ND 2 months ago.
I'm sure the studios aren't pushing these guys out. I bet that a lot of them simply would rather have more control over a project than being a cog in the machine at a big developer allows for, even if that means going to a smaller studio.
ZackieChan
Member
Say his name three times in a mirror and someone you love loses their job.
caustictoast
Neo Member
He did great work on TLoU and I'm sure he'll do well wherever he goes. Wonder if this means we won't be seeing Some More of Us
All those sequels and remakes he worked on during his 1.8 years at Naughty Dog. Damn you Sony! Can't you see you're tearing Naughty Dog apart?!
ChawlieTheFair
pip pip cheerio you slags!
naughty dog pls.
Messofanego
Banned
In terms of art?
D
Deleted member 80556
Unconfirmed Member
Nate previously worked on Infinite and left mid development, while he didn't say why, it was rumored that it was because of creative differences between him and Levine (which is really a kind way to put it). He might want to scale down and work on more simple and creative games, which is what Giant Sparrow is probably doing.
He had to work through the crunch period of TLOU, so he probably got burned pretty quickly of having to work on AAA games.
Still bums me out, because his work on TLOU was top notch. But I'm glad he went somewhere close.
He had to work through the crunch period of TLOU, so he probably got burned pretty quickly of having to work on AAA games.
Still bums me out, because his work on TLOU was top notch. But I'm glad he went somewhere close.
In terms of being a good game.
Maninthemirror
Banned
Jumping companies too frequently is usually a red flag regarding the employee not the company
He stayed at his previous jobs until the companies were on the verge of shutdown: https://touch.www.linkedin.com/?ses...p://www.linkedin.com/pub/nate-wells/7/156/4ba
If you want to use his track record as a sign it's not the message I think you're going for.
Lead Artist
Naughty Dog
September 2012 - Present (1 year 8 months)
Art Director
Irrational Games
September 1999 - August 2012 (13 years)
Artist
looking glass technologies
1996 - 1999 (3 years)
Artist- Cut-scene matte painter, texture artist, environmental artist
Neuromancer
Member
He'll be missed if they do a TLOU2: Cordyceps Boogaloo, but I imagine he'll be able to really experiment and do cool things with the Unfinished Swan people. I support this move (no pun intended). I can see them working on a Project Morpheus title, US would have been perfect for it.
BlazingDarkness
Member
I wonder if Giant Sparrow will follow in the footsteps of thatgamecompany.
It probably means much more artistic freedom.
It probably means much more artistic freedom.
looooooooooooool
btw.
Naughty Dogs Tech and Features hinted at by new career ads: http://www.dualshockers.com/2014/04...-us-remastereds-tech-shown-by-new-career-ads/
Naughty Dogs Tech and Features hinted at by new career ads: http://www.dualshockers.com/2014/04...-us-remastereds-tech-shown-by-new-career-ads/
Well two designers of TGC joined the studio a year ago or so. We'll see.
ThatStupidLion
Member
was he staff at ND or just permalance?
if he was permalance/contractual then it is even less than an ordeal
if he was permalance/contractual then it is even less than an ordeal
Staff.
Messofanego
Banned
GDC Vault: Unfinished Swan from Student Prototype to Commercial Game (worth watching to see how they managed their team, why they went with Sony rather than full indie, and networking with thatgamecompany)
Oh nice, I liked that WAY game Chris Bell made a while back which seemed like a prototype for Journey.
Oh nice, I liked that WAY game Chris Bell made a while back which seemed like a prototype for Journey.
Was he the artist responsible for creating big daddy and the infected of TLOU? If so that dude is amazingly talented and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
Also fuck drukmann, he fired my father, my best friend and my dog! Perhaps America wouldn't be 10 million unemployed if it weren't for him!
Also fuck drukmann, he fired my father, my best friend and my dog! Perhaps America wouldn't be 10 million unemployed if it weren't for him!
/s
I really don't know how much influence Wells had on the art on TLOU but the main person responsible for the look of the infected is Michael Knowland.
Neff
Member
At first I thought there was some internal ruthlessness going on, but the more I see of this, the more it sounds to me like word is getting around that Sony is unable or unwilling to match job offers from other companies in light of their financial situation, and so eager headhunters are lining up to poach talent at fair prices.
funkystudent
Member
Read as Evan Wells and though shit was getting real bad at ND.
Oh. This is the Irrational guy who joined in 2012. Yeah. Not sure how much he would contributed to TLOU in its final months. Shame he didnt stay around long enough to work on a game from the start.
I look forward to sparrows next thing. They still have 2 games left with SCE right? With the power of the PS4 maybe the next game will have textures. (kidding)
Oh. This is the Irrational guy who joined in 2012. Yeah. Not sure how much he would contributed to TLOU in its final months. Shame he didnt stay around long enough to work on a game from the start.
I look forward to sparrows next thing. They still have 2 games left with SCE right? With the power of the PS4 maybe the next game will have textures. (kidding)
Jesus, I'm just imagining this guy handing someone a resume.
Should really just be a business card.
"I designed the Big Daddy."
I think I remember him saying shortly after he left Irrational that he was burnt out on major projects which is why I was surprised he went to ND in the first place. Seems like a good fit for Giant Sparrow.
That could be what's happening in other cases but not here. He left a major Sony studio to work at a very small studio that's currently under contract with Sony.
That could be what's happening in other cases but not here. He left a major Sony studio to work at a very small studio that's currently under contract with Sony.
Because it's not about the company; it's about the individual. Yeah Naughty Dog is doing great but maybe this guy will be doing better at the new place he is going to. It seems like he got a promotion and probably more cash to go with it. Gotta look out for number one, man.
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