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Amy Hennig has left Naughty Dog [confirmed]
- Thread starter mrjohill
- Start date
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LegendofDragoonLives
Member
SlowRevolution
Member
they might not have necessarily wanted to work on uncharted, but if the game wasn't going in a direction they agreed with they might have felt the need to step in (if the forced out rumor is even true).
I wonder if this means that Uncharted 4 is dead (even if they aren't saying so yet)? It seems really odd and unlikely to me that you'd force out a series creator but continue on with the same series with business as usual.
Cancelling their series outright would strike me as a good reason to leave.
Cancelling their series outright would strike me as a good reason to leave.
last time I checked Uncharted 3 was getting shitted on in literally ever LTTP, from every little thing to everything huge
so let's not act like Gaf was up on her work as of late, it's still a bad loss regardless
We are talking about Sony here. They have a history of destroying every good thing from inside.
- Vita memory card
- Sticking with expensive propitiatory cables for phones, cameras,
- releasing PSPgo for $249 !!!
- PS3 launch price $599
They do get carried away very quickly and ruin the good things and fan support.
Now they have a good hardware, it is the time to keep a level head and continue fostering the 1st party studios/games and not take too many jerky decisions.
Dominic_Shade
Member
Having watched "Grounded: The Last of Us" and listening to what Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson had to say about Neil Druckmann in various interviews and panels, I find it hard to believe that Druckmann and Bruce Straley would do something like this. Saddened to hear that Amy Hennig's journey with the Uncharted series has come to such an abrupt end, but I'm not sure I buy the "forcing out" part. Something else seems to be going on. At any rate, I wish Ms. Hennig luck on her future endeavors.
like an actual legacy of kain sequel *cough*
Confirmed by Sony.
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/05/uncharted-ps4-writer-amy-hennig-leaves-naughty-dog
Sony said:
http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/05/uncharted-ps4-writer-amy-hennig-leaves-naughty-dog
Femmeworth
Banned
Guess they finally realized she isn't a very good storyteller.
Callibretto
Member
Man I love uncharted 3, it has some problem, but I blame it on rushing it and unfortunate stuff like one of the voice actor Left mid production so they have to scramble and change the story etc.
I hope she still in industry and keep in charge of making AAA games though, easier said than done since she's usually the director role and she'll need a huge team making AAA game.
either she end up as writer for other franchise, or make her own studio and make smaller game.
I hope she still in industry and keep in charge of making AAA games though, easier said than done since she's usually the director role and she'll need a huge team making AAA game.
either she end up as writer for other franchise, or make her own studio and make smaller game.
Things certainly don't seem to be going well for Sony's first party studios. If this results in delays of any kind than the stable of expected software in the fall and beyond is going to dry up right quick.
Oh and I won't be supporting the software output of the two douches that forced her out either. Lost sale there.
Oh and I won't be supporting the software output of the two douches that forced her out either. Lost sale there.
My best guess is that this probably is somehow related to a creative difference over what her next project was going to be. Her work is probably mostly done on the next Uncharted at this point.
I can only hope that some of the new talent that ND has acquired in the past year, and it is substantial, can step up to fill her shoes alongside the other studio members.
I can only hope that some of the new talent that ND has acquired in the past year, and it is substantial, can step up to fill her shoes alongside the other studio members.
Krusenstern
Banned
Not anymore I guess.
XANDER CAGE
Member
If the ousting rumor is true - and to be honest I'm a bit skeptical - that'd still be pretty ice cold considering her previous body of work before U3 was pretty great by video game standards. U3 might be a low point but it's hardly trash tier writing.
Hennig's always been better at characterization than storytelling though, so maybe they didn't like what she was working on for U4. Who knows at this point.
Damn son, I hear you!
Put the story and characters aside.
What I loved about UC3 was the approach to design. I felt like I was in control more often, as opposed to being thrown a cutscene and then just shooting(looking at you UC2). Uncharted 3 had less gunplay and more unconventional moments throughout.
That is what I am worried is no gone. UC2 and TLoU were excellent for what they were, but those are not the experiences I look forward to the most when I think of ND.
I would rather there not even be an UC4 at all if it is just going to essentially be another UC2.
Agree 100% on that. Just doesn't fit their personality at all.
I seriously hope Uncharted isn't in jeopardy because of this.
Uncharted is safe, cool. Amy though
Uncharted is safe, cool. Amy though
DoubleTake
Member
Fancy Clown
Member
What the hell...this is a shock and a bummer, shes a talented lady. Hope it's not true that Druckmann and Straley forced her out...
WordsintheWater
Member
Timeline not affected according to Sony
Shogun1337
Junior Member
Shhh but it's working. These people don't seem to get that you can't just throw somebody like her out; they have to volunteer to quit. And this isn't Junior High, you can't bully her until she quits either. It was a professional decision.
Buckethead
Banned
No big loss, IMO.
A decent evolution in characterization but nothing spectacular.
Sometimes people become too self-enamored with their ideas, could've been an issue here.
A decent evolution in characterization but nothing spectacular.
Sometimes people become too self-enamored with their ideas, could've been an issue here.
Obviously with my complaint and in my opinion she isn't a good game director. However some fans of the franchise were impressed with UC3. One scene made me go WOW and it was late in the game (in the last hour and a half - place scene)
Talent like this, that has been with a strong team, with such a strong family... it's shocking.
watch all of this be part of arg for unchartered 4. :| She will land a job that's not a problem. Great talent, with a good resume like hers... she'll have no trouble. It's just leaving your friends, and colleagues and what not behind... heartache. Going through that is painful.
Thank you! Gaf shits all over her work and then cry when she's gone. That is if she's gone.
WordsintheWater
Member
Yup, that's what I am thinking as well.
Chuck Norris
Banned
I really hope Straley and Druckmann aren't taking over the project. Where does that leave the second team?
Is there any other writing talent within ND?
Is there any other writing talent within ND?
brickarts295
Member
Its a really damn shame, Im a huge Uncharted fan, heck I bought a PS4 just for that but now, I cant see an Uncharted without Amy.
UnObtainium17
Member
WHAT THE FUCK? Uncharted was her baby.
We love ya AMY! Wish you the best.. go to ssm or GG. They need you there.
We love ya AMY! Wish you the best.. go to ssm or GG. They need you there.
Perfect rendition of my reaction too.
But oh well we'll never know why or who was in the wrong. Something must not have been working out or this wouldn't have come to pass.
As for the Neil and Bruce comment, they aren't the presidents of the company. They don't have the power to force someone out. Only people with that kind of authority are these guys:
I think you're missing the corporate culture angle that "forced out" refers to. Neil and Bruce are the creative heroes of the studio right now. They have clout and if they use that clout to make Amy's experience unsatisfactory and frustrating to the point that she decides to leave, that's them doing everything but firing her on paper.
My mom has been telling me about a situation like this the past few days. Her supervisor has been out on stress leave for six weeks over constant arguing with and badgering from a subordinate that her boss and her piers won't back her up on.
That could very well be what happened here. If Chris and Evan won't back Amy up, that's a done deal.
But these are my own pontificating. I REALLY hope I'm wrong.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Office politics are absolutely repulsive, and acidic to any creative environment, so I hope that wasn't the case. They also tend to have adverse ramifications throughout a studio when its the the negative side that won.
But I'm not putting too much stock in the report just yet. Hennig was a senior writer at Naughty Dog, instrumental in developing one of Sony's most popular and arguably iconic series in a long time. With her aid Sony/Naughty Dog managed to construct one of the last generation's most critically and commercially acclaimed "new IPs". Naughty Dog is also a large, multi-team studio, where Hennig in theory wouldn't necessarily be caught up with Straley and Druckmann, who I assume are working on their next project while Hennig works with Lemarchand and Minkoff on Uncharted 4. You'd need a pretty volatile situation to see the two clash severely enough for Hennig to be forced out.
But I'm not putting too much stock in the report just yet. Hennig was a senior writer at Naughty Dog, instrumental in developing one of Sony's most popular and arguably iconic series in a long time. With her aid Sony/Naughty Dog managed to construct one of the last generation's most critically and commercially acclaimed "new IPs". Naughty Dog is also a large, multi-team studio, where Hennig in theory wouldn't necessarily be caught up with Straley and Druckmann, who I assume are working on their next project while Hennig works with Lemarchand and Minkoff on Uncharted 4. You'd need a pretty volatile situation to see the two clash severely enough for Hennig to be forced out.
I forget nothing, nor did I mention sales in my other posts ..... so get it right.
The difference between UC3 and UC2 was the absence of Neil and Bruce, and the quality of their work on TLOU is apparent .............. that's the point.
Also I was pointing out the critical reception by gamers and the press, and UC3 was considered an inferior game to UC2 and TLOU is the best thing ND has done yet.
What I am really getting at is, although Amy maybe gone ............ quality still remains at ND ..... so a loss it maybe, but not that bad.
Plus Amy will still be making games, so she can continue to shine ....... plus it could be the best thing to happen to her to start something fresh and new.
Dr. Kitty Muffins
Member
I wouldn't jump to conclusions about why she left or embrace the rumored reasons. I think we all have encountered workplace hearsay that wasn't true before.
Anyways they are probably so far along in development that the skeleton of her work will remain. I just hope the dialogue doesn't suffer.
Anyways they are probably so far along in development that the skeleton of her work will remain. I just hope the dialogue doesn't suffer.
OniBarubary
Banned
Where's Morrigan to come in her and have my back on the Hennig love-wagon?
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