• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Naughty Dog's head technology leaves the company

Stooky

Member
It's damn well overcooked by now.The GAAS Factions is dead in the water,they are just salvaging what they can of its corpse which means all they are cooking is some nasty meat.
they been delivering non stop since ps1 era. very few studios have had reinvented themselves as many times and was as successful as Naughty Dog. you truly don’t understand the weight carry is this industry. they aren’t on your schedule.
 

Gamerguy84

Member
IDC about this guy leaving, well you hate to see talent go but everyone is replaceable, I want ND to come out soonish and let us know what's up with their latest and greatest project.

Insomniac is over here pumping out big, important titles like SM and R&C and haven't heard a word out of these guys.

If you were working on factions and it got scrapped and now your working on something you've had your smaller team on just tell us, soon anyway.

They probably do have factions and another huge project in the pipeline. Just show something.
 

rofif

Banned
Druckman has nothing to do with gameplay and technology in this game. There are others (very competent) directors for that. Druckman is there to push is marxist agenda through his convoluted stories. He forever ruined the beautiful story and world of TLOU1 with his politics.
Tlou2 is amazing. I am so happy they didn’t go for another fake adventure. Made me feel actual emotions
 

FingerBang

Member
Druckman has nothing to do with gameplay and technology in this game. There are others (very competent) directors for that. Druckman is there to push is marxist agenda through his convoluted stories. He forever ruined the beautiful story and world of TLOU1 with his politics.
Marxism is when a Lesbian and a beefed up army woman go on a rampage and slaughter hundreds just for their personal revenge and the message is that hate only generates hate, written by an Israeli-American.

Forget that capitalism shit, one of the characters doesn't like the cock! MARXISM!
 

SABRE220

Member
Uncharted 4 is 10x better than the trilogy before it. Both gameplay and narrative.
Tlou2 is one of best games ever made. Probably best gameplay ever. Technological marvel too.

Druckman did amazing.
I have to diagree with you about 4 its a great game but 2 is still the peak and the game that elevated the franchise to the next level. I mean you can claim that u4 is better than 2 and 3 sure but its 10x better...comeon man thats insane hyperbole and youre better than that.

Tlou2 is divisive when it comes to the story and pacing but no doubt it has great gameplay, best ever...probably not but hard to argue it wasnt a great success.

Druckman did a good job by the ps4 gen but his leadership caused quite a few issues in the company and has left them stranded this gen really. I hope they get backon track and deliver their standard raisers this gen but dont try to act like them selling lazy remasters of remasters as next gen showcases is brilliant work.
 
Last edited:

rofif

Banned
I have to diagree with you about 4 its a great game but 2 is still the peak and the game that elevated the franchise to the next level. I mean you can claim that u4 is better than 2 and 3 sure but its 10x better...comeon man thats insane hyperbole and youre better than that.

Tlou2 is divisive when it comes to the story and pacing but no doubt it has great gameplay, best ever...probably not but hard to argue it was a great success.

Druckman did a good job by the ps4 gen but his leadership caused quite a few issues in the company and has left them stranded this gen really. I hope they get backon track and deliver their standard raisers this gen but dont try to act like them selling lazy remasters of remasters as next gen showcases is brilliant work.
We don't know if it's his leadership that's destroying the company this gen. Maybe so, hard to say.
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
I have to diagree with you about 4 its a great game but 2 is still the peak and the game that elevated the franchise to the next level. I mean you can claim that u4 is better than 2 and 3 sure but its 10x better...comeon man thats insane hyperbole and youre better than that.

Tlou2 is divisive when it comes to the story and pacing but no doubt it has great gameplay, best ever...probably not but hard to argue it was a great success.

Druckman did a good job by the ps4 gen but his leadership caused quite a few issues in the company and has left them stranded this gen really. I hope they get backon track and deliver their standard raisers this gen but dont try to act like them selling lazy remasters of remasters as next gen showcases is brilliant work.
I do not think TLoU Part I is a lazy remaster, anything but that actually. The problem is that it is the only thing they have done this gen (on PS5) so far really…
 

Hudo

Member
Uncharted 4 is 10x better than the trilogy before it. Both gameplay and narrative.
Tlou2 is one of best games ever made. Probably best gameplay ever. Technological marvel too.

Druckman did amazing.
Well, I have to disagree on both U4 and TLoU2. U4 is good but falls flat in comparison to the games before it. However, TLoU2 was so bad (for me) that it actively killed all the interest I had in the franchise (and to note: TLoU1 is still an amazing game).

ND's best game is still Uncharted 2, though.

But on topic: The guy leaving doesn't mean everyone is now doomed. ND have still a lot of very knowledgeable people around.
 

Hypereides

Gold Member
Hard to differentiate passion from aggressiveness on a message board. I was being the former.

And to answer your question, he didn't "ruined my life". A huge portion of what I loved about this hobby though? Yes, he did.

I'll just paste an old post on the matter:

"I know this will trigger some people but personally, Neil Druckmann really did single handedly destroyed what I loved the most in this industry.

Uncharted was my favorite series during the whole 360/PS3 era, The Last of Us 2013 my favorite game ever, Naughty Dog my favorite company.

Fast forward today and Uncharted is dead, The Last of Us stuff only pisses me off, and I'm not looking forward to ND future projects.

I've always been an avid Making Of kind of guy, and so ever since 2007 I've always felt Amy, Straley and Balestra brought real magic to that studio.. that studio no longer exists."
I'm becoming less and less interested in whatever Naughty dog is going to offer. It wasn't always the case and the fact that Neil is so absurdly adamant on injecting/shoehorning socio-political BS into their games makes me sour. He seems really egoistic about it too and possibly neglects that not every gamer beyond the US wants to be subjected to his views on that front. It would be great if he could confine them to himself.

/rant

they been delivering non stop since ps1 era. very few studios have had reinvented themselves as many times and was as successful as Naughty Dog. you truly don’t understand the weight carry is this industry. they aren’t on your schedule.
I legitimiately do not understand why the management, or whoever decided this, thought it was necessary. They used to have an established identity and image, then proceeded to throw it all away. Their games used to have this otherworldly and whimsical feel. They got too invested in realism instead of a stylized approach.
 
Last edited:

StueyDuck

Member
Yes, we love the Druck and the direction ND has taken since his gradual takeover.

Please, no more beautiful, fun globe throtting adventures every two years.

Let's have remakes of the remasters of the same game... let's destroy, subvert, shock and alienate.

No fun allowed. F the fans.
man some people really fall for the incel 4chan conspiracy.

I literally had to explain this to someone else in another thread like a few days ago.

Druckmann has only been promoted to President this year and Co-president only after TLOUp2 launched (mid 2020, which was during Covid, there was no chance as co-president he was making sweeping strategic decisions that lead the company in a new direction).

these conspiracies that he personally fired Amy Hennig and has somehow taken over all of naughty dog is just so moronic and stupid, just because he killed a character you liked (they also had Westworld woke writers so lets be honest it was probably them).

We literally have no evidence of what his leadership of the company will be because he has barely been the president for a year.

if you wanna complain about someone then complain about Evan wells who has been in charge of Naughty dog for all these Remasters you hate so much.
 
Last edited:

midnightAI

Member
People usually don't abandon their career at a company after such a long time if things are going swimmingly. Him leaving may indicate that either things are bad or the company is heading in a direction that doesn't align with his goals anymore. This could be because his own priorities have shifted, but from my own experience, in most cases people quit when the workplace that they previously liked suddenly changes for the worse.
Yes, but people are piling on Naughty Dog before we know why.

It's all hearsay up to that point, people leave their jobs for all kinds of reasons.
 

Drizzlehell

Banned
Yes, but people are piling on Naughty Dog before we know why.

It's all hearsay up to that point, people leave their jobs for all kinds of reasons.
Well, you know what they say...

joker-arthur.gif
 

Stooky

Member
I'm becoming less and less interested in whatever Naughty dog is going to offer. It wasn't always the case and the fact that Neil is so absurdly adamant on injecting/shoehorning socio-political BS into their games makes me sour. He seems really egoistic about it too and possibly neglects that not every gamer beyond the US wants to be subjected to his views on that front. It would be great if he could confine them to himself.

/rant


I legitimiately do not understand why the management, or whoever decided this, thought it was necessary. They used to have an established identity and image, then proceeded to throw it all away. Their games used to have this otherworldly and whimsical feel. They got too invested in realism instead of a stylized approach.
Stop lying. They still have a great identity. Plenty of people still rock with ND. Are you really suggesting should not reinvent themselves, from what you are they should be making Crash 8 right now.
Look at the track record.
4 crash games
4 jak and dexter game,
4 uncharted uncharted games,
3 TLOU ) i'm counting dlc.

most gaming companies don't get to make their second game.
All of ND games are good games and a good number of them are GOTY and some are on very many gamers GOAT list. And you guys crying about 1 friggin game. you aren't serious people, i dont believe you.
 
Last edited:

Hypereides

Gold Member
Stop lying. They still have a great identity. Plenty of people still rock with ND. Are you really suggesting should not reinvent themselves, from what you are they should be making Crash 8 right now.
Look at the track record
4 crash games
4 jak and dexter game,
4 uncharted uncharted games,
3 TLOU ) i'm counting dlc.

All are them good games. And you guys crying about 1 friggin game. you aren't serious people,i dont believe you.

What, where's the lie? I'm expressing an opinion, dude. I honestly think they're very distant from what they used to be. I just don't see much of their original identity left in what they do now. You might disagree, but you just have to accept a difference of opinion on that point.

EDIT: I wasn't trying to imply they should continue doing Crash. But, anything new in the same vein between that and Uncharted would've been great. I'm just saying their latest original entry doesn't inspire much confidence.
 
Last edited:

Vick

Member
I'm expressing an opinion, dude. I honestly think they're very distant from what they used to be. I just don't see much of their original identity left in what they do now.
That ain't an opinion, it's called a fact.
Some prefer "The New Dogs"..

1IxWNlK.jpg


Others don't.
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
People usually don't abandon their career at a company after such a long time if things are going swimmingly. Him leaving may indicate that either things are bad or the company is heading in a direction that doesn't align with his goals anymore. This could be because his own priorities have shifted, but from my own experience, in most cases people quit when the workplace that they previously liked suddenly changes for the worse.

He was head of tech for five months. So if you want to get analytical maybe he wasn’t suited to being head of tech and there was no way he was getting demoted. Or he got a big offer from some place.
 
Last edited:

Hypereides

Gold Member
That ain't an opinion, it's called a fact.
Some prefer "The New Dogs"..

1IxWNlK.jpg


Others don't.
I dunno, man. Pardon if I'm being too pedantic, I believe people have the right to think Naughty dog has remained unchanged. Personally, I just don't see it. I wouldn't call it a fact. Its more a matter of taste, I guess. People can admire what the studio is doing for various reasons.

In any case, I'd like to see them do a 180 on some stuff. Maybe that will happen, maybe it won't.
 

Majormaxxx

Member
man some people really fall for the incel 4chan conspiracy.

I literally had to explain this to someone else in another thread like a few days ago.

Druckmann has only been promoted to President this year and Co-president only after TLOUp2 launched (mid 2020, which was during Covid, there was no chance as co-president he was making sweeping strategic decisions that lead the company in a new direction).

these conspiracies that he personally fired Amy Hennig and has somehow taken over all of naughty dog is just so moronic and stupid, just because he killed a character you liked (they also had Westworld woke writers so lets be honest it was probably them).

We literally have no evidence of what his leadership of the company will be because he has barely been the president for a year.

if you wanna complain about someone then complain about Evan wells who has been in charge of Naughty dog for all these Remasters you hate so much.
I don't read 4chan.

Here are the facts. Druck is very ambitious - if you don't agree, read up on his biography. Amy got fired. With an NDA. He got her job. He steered U4 in a different direction from what Amy would have liked. He steered LOU2 in a different direction from what Charles would have liked.

From all these facts we can predict he will continue being extremely ambitious and after conquering ND will aim for head of Sony or similar. We can predict he will continue to champion the ideals of the grifter Anita (who is not interested in games herself - just in ruining them), of whom he is a self proclaimed fan. He will likely continue favoring being a navel gazing auteur as opposed to creating fun, entertaining experience like the ones before him. ND: No fun allowed.
 
why do people make it seem like naughty dog havent released a game in 9 years or something? its been 3 years since their last game. yeah i would have expected an announcement by now but they could still announce next year and release in 2025. which would make it 5 years since their last game. thats pretty normal these days for any studio that isnt called insomniac games.
 
why do people make it seem like naughty dog havent released a game in 9 years or something? its been 3 years since their last game. yeah i would have expected an announcement by now but they could still announce next year and release in 2025. which would make it 5 years since their last game. thats pretty normal these days for any studio that isnt called insomniac games.

The problem is you take them seriously. No other studio is held to a higher standard than them.

I asked and not a person responded.
 

Thirty7ven

Banned
why do people make it seem like naughty dog havent released a game in 9 years or something? its been 3 years since their last game. yeah i would have expected an announcement by now but they could still announce next year and release in 2025. which would make it 5 years since their last game. thats pretty normal these days for any studio that isnt called insomniac games.

They are under fire from two groups, console warriors who identify ND as an extremely talented studio and want them to fail, and then butt hurt simple jacks who are still mourning Joel.
 
Last edited:

StueyDuck

Member
I don't read 4chan.

Here are the facts. Druck is very ambitious - if you don't agree, read up on his biography. Amy got fired. With an NDA. He got her job. He steered U4 in a different direction from what Amy would have liked. He steered LOU2 in a different direction from what Charles would have liked.

From all these facts we can predict he will continue being extremely ambitious and after conquering ND will aim for head of Sony or similar. We can predict he will continue to champion the ideals of the grifter Anita (who is not interested in games herself - just in ruining them), of whom he is a self proclaimed fan. He will likely continue favoring being a navel gazing auteur as opposed to creating fun, entertaining experience like the ones before him. ND: No fun allowed.
well you sure spread conspiracies like you do, do you write "cuckman" alot on twitter also?

Oh no, not ambition, how dare a prominent developer have ambition! :messenger_tears_of_joy:

yes he is a soy boy, but spreading nonsense FUD that he has some sort of stranglehold over Naughty Dog for the last 15 years or so is still just a silly statement to make and is incredibly incorrect.

Amy Hennig was let go because she couldn't deliver, there was no conspiracy and it's been proven evidently so with the plethora of cancelled projects and dissolved studios since that she has been a part of, with her only actual credit since U3 being Forspoken.

The only reason to blame Druckmann for with anything naughty dog is his game TLOUp2 (which is where I assume all your pent up gamer rage is coming from).

yeah i'm gonna wait and see how it all pans out first and see how his decision making legitimately effects the company since we have literally nothing tangible to go on currently, again Evan Wells was in charge when all that you apparently hated occured unlike your original theory that Neil "Controlled Naughty Dog" he just straight up didn't and he always has had someone above him.
 
Last edited:

kaizenkko

Member
People are not irreplaceable and if they were every company would be in trouble. All this drama about Naughty Dog and they haven't even released a game yet for we to proper judge. While that not happen I will stand confident, because the track for this studio still is amazing.

Also, their release their last game in 2020, with the value production of Naughty Dog it's completly normal to expect their next game in 2025~2026 at least.
 
Last edited:

Vick

Member
They are under fire from two groups, console warriors who identify ND as an extremely talented studio and want them to fail, and then butt hurt simple jacks who are still mourning Joel.
Imagine being a cultured well adjusted and hormonally balanced adult loving TLOU Part II and enjoying every minute of Druckmann fetishes, politics and vision of the world oozing from every pore of his work..

giphy.gif


While fully swallowing the subversion and revision of one of the most beloved and well received IP in history, calling names those who don't.

I agree though, pathetic fanboys made impossible to have a mature discussion about the game.
 

Fake

Member
Honestly gives of narc vibes but who knows. It's impossible to assess without knowing him personally..

This just show how hypocrites fanboys are. Kojima is bad for putting his name all over the place, aka sights of narcisism, but no, Neil showing like he is OP not at all.
 

Drizzlehell

Banned
He was head of tech for five months. So if you want to get analytical maybe he wasn’t suited to being head of tech and there was no way he was getting demoted. Or he got a big offer from some place.
Also true. I've seen this happen a lot. It's pretty common in tech to get pushed into taking a vacant position or get hired for it internally because there was no better choice at the time, and soon enough you find out that it's not for you or you can get better money for it somewhere else, at which point it's time for an exit strategy.
 

Stooky

Member
Heh, you seem pretty convinced it’s a completely undisputable fact. Good for you, I guess. Hope you enjoy their next game.
it is undisputable it’s backed by numbers and not your feelings. oh i will enjoy it just like enjoyed all their other games. it won’t be horrible, the end of ND and gaming for ever as some of y’all like to make it be. it will be a good game 8 and up. also i don’t have to agree with the story for it to be a good game.
 
Last edited:

DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
Imagine being a cultured well adjusted and hormonally balanced adult loving TLOU Part II and enjoying every minute of Druckmann fetishes, politics and vision of the world oozing from every pore of his work..



While fully swallowing the subversion and revision of one of the most beloved and well received IP in history, calling names those who don't.

I agree though, pathetic fanboys made impossible to have a mature discussion about the game.

Most people enjoyed the game and moved on.

However, you have a small group of people who cannot seem to move on. These people clearly have some issues if a gamer bothers them this much.
 

Hypereides

Gold Member
it is undisputable it’s backed by numbers and not your feelings. oh i will enjoy it just like enjoyed all their other games. it won’t be horrible, the end of ND and gaming for ever as some of y’all like to make it be. it will be a good game 8 and up. also i don’t have to agree with the story for it to be a good game.
Excuse me? With all due respect, have you ever heard of a subjective opinion? I really don't care about industry certified GOTYs, especially those coming from gaming media press, (its all fluff) or how many people rank their prior games in their top ten lists. That was besides the question anyway.

Dude, you seem to sound like some guy who can't handle a nuanced/different viewpoint. Its almost like you're stanning for them. Hardcore. I'm sorry, I still disagree with you about their identity.
 
Last edited:

_Ex_

Gold Member
I can understand if the guy's tired of working on Uncharted and The Last of Us games. That's all Naughty Dog has been working on for the past 18 years, since the released of 2005's Jak X: Combat Racing. Maybe he's really wanting to work on a different/new IP.
 

Trunim

Member
Druckman has nothing to do with gameplay and technology in this game. There are others (very competent) directors for that. Druckman is there to push is marxist agenda through his convoluted stories. He forever ruined the beautiful story and world of TLOU1 with his politics.
What did he ruin? Such load of bullshit. It's a world he created, so he can do what he sees fit with it. You're pissed because he killed off your favourite character? Cmon. Go write a fanfiction then.
 
Last edited:

Trunim

Member
lmao. This looks like a parody reply.
It's the truth. People crying about fictional characters being killed off in a story or there's a character that is not acting like how they want, and they proceed to insult the creator. Let's figure out who's doing the parody 🤣
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom