Neil Druckmann Did 'Not Quite' Say Naughty Dog's Next Game 'Could Redefine Mainstream Perceptions of Gaming'
Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann has taken to X/Twitter to clarify that some of what made it into his interview with Sony was “not quite” what he said, including that the next game from The Last of Us developer could “redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.”
While we don’t yet know what Naughty Dog’s next game will be, Druckmann did discuss his excitement for it with Sony. However, according to Druckmann, his answer was a bit different than what made it on the original interview.
In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here’s the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game… pic.twitter.com/tVuxX3LYJF
— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) May 25, 2024
“This is not quite what I said,” Druckmann said in regard to the “it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming” line. “In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with Sony, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here’s the full long rambling answer for the final question about our future game.”
You can read the full response below from Druckmann after he was asked, “As we discuss future innovation, is there like a personal vision or dream project, you hope to see realized in the realm of entertainment at this point?”
“Well, I’ve been very lucky, in that I’ve already had that,” Druckmann said. “I got the chance to make several of my dream projects. I am working on a new one right now. And it’s maybe the most excited I’ve been for a project yet. I can’t talk about it or our bosses will get very made at me. And I guess in general, there is something happening now that I think is very cool. Which is there’s a new appreciation for gaming that I’ve never seen before.
“Like when I was growing up, gaming was more of a kid’s thing. Now it’s clearly for everyone. But it’s like, if you’re a gamer, you know about the potential of games, and non-gamers, they don’t really know what they’re missing out on. But my hope was, when we made The Last of Us as a TV show that we could change that. And why I became so involved with it. I wanted so badly for it to be good, because I wanted this to happen, which is like someone who will watch the show and really like it. And fall in love with those characters the way that we have fallen in love with those characters and their story. And then realize at the end, ‘wait, that’s based on a video game?’ and then go and check out the game and just see the wealth of narratives and everything that’s happening in game.
“So now I feel like there’s kind of a spotlight on gaming. And you know, Fallout just came out. And that’s a big success for Amazon. And I find that really exciting. Not because games need to be movies, or they need to be TV shows, but I think it just kind of opens the eyes of a bunch of people that just weren’t aware of the kind of experiences that exist in games.
“I think right now we’ve hit a tipping point where it’s about to take off where people realize, ‘Oh my God, there’s all these incredible moving experiences in games!’ So, I’m not only excited for this game that we’re making — and it’s, it’s something really fresh for us — but I’m also excited to see how the world reacts to it. Because of The Last of Us, and the success of the show, people even outside of gaming are looking at us to see what it is that we put out next. I’m very excited to see what the reaction for this thing will be — and I’ve already said too much about it. I’ll stop there. So, you’re asking me for my dream projects. I’ve been very lucky to have worked on my favorite games with incredible collaborators and I’m very thankful for them.”
Below, you can read the answer that appeared in the interview from the question, “Could you share a personal vision or dream project you hope to see realized in the future of entertainment?”
“I’ve been lucky to work on several dream projects and am currently excited about a new one, which is perhaps the most thrilling yet. There’s a growing appreciation for gaming that transcends all age groups, unlike when I was growing up. This shift is highlighted by our venture into television with The Last of Us, which I hoped would bridge the gap between gamers and non-gamers. The show’s success has spotlighted gaming, illustrating the rich, immerive eperiences if offers.
“The visibility excites me not only for our current project but for the broader potential of gaming to captivate a global audience. I’m eager to see how this new game resonates, especially following the success of The Last of Us, as it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.”
So, while Druckmann said this new project is “maybe the most excited” he’s been for one yet and “something really fresh for us”, he didn’t quite say, “it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.” What he did additionally say was that he is “very excited to see what the reaction for this thing will be — and i’ve already said too much about it.”
Naughty Dog confirmed that it was working on a new project in March 2023, and this will be the first new game from the studio since 2020’s The Last of Us: Part 2. Naughty Dog also confirmed in 2023 that it had cancelled its The Last of Us Multiplayer game and would focus on single-player game going forward.
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Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
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