The Last of Us co-creator and former Naughty Dog developer Bruce Straley says mentioning God of War Laufey in a wider discussion about AAA gaming problems was a mistake.
Well-known game dev Bruce Straley was recently caught up in a controversy where it looked like he was poking fun at God of War Laufey, the next major release from Sony Santa Monica. In the latest issue of Edge magazine #428, Straley commented on the wider games industry, ultimately saying that the AAA space needs new innovations, but specifically saying that AAA experiences are "boring" these days. Laufey, a game that already faced steep criticism, was cited shortly after.
Popular Now: Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes recreate PlayStation's famous disc-sharing meme, this time with no physical gameNow the ex-Naughty Dog game director clarifies what he meant, saying that it was a mistake to mention Laufey when discussing the AAA space.
Here's what Straley said in Edge #428:
"I think the verbs and experiences we're delivering in the triple-A space are...I wanna say boring."
"God Of War Laufey, I look at that game, and every pixel is mindblowing. The amount of work and skill that's gone into every single frame... I've made those kinds of games, and I'm still blown away. But when I actually look at what you're doing in the game? I'm not excited. And that's nothing against the God Of War team.
"Just, across the board in triple-A, it feels like there's no opportunity to inject fresh, innovative ideas."
And here's Straley's response and clarifications, complete with a hot take:
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"I want to apologize to the Laufey team for dragging you all into this uninvited & unnecessary negative attention. I was trying to illustrate an industry concern & my mistake of naming your game is being used out of context & for clickbait. You don't need this. I'm sorry.
"A journo asked me about the state of our industry. I mentioned a few concerns. One being the lack or innovation & risks taken in the AAA space. Tho this isn't the team's fault!
"My fear is that our player base is getting tired of playing the same verbs for the last 20 years.
"My hypothesis: Our medium is unique because players are doing a thing. There's a different physiological response than viewers who just WATCH a movie. This requires us creators to continue to push & create new experiences, or we run the risk of diminishing players' dopamine.
"Unfortunately the platforms that need to bring stability have eroded the ability to innovate. The quest for GaaS & wanting to recreate the next Overwatch, Fortnite, Roblox, etc is not a viable strategy & frankly shows these "industry leaders" don't know their own brand.
"Hot take: There's a lack of good leadership, clear direction & conviction from the ppl at the top, in charge of the money. (Money = stability) I believe if they understand their brand, they could have honest, inspiring conversations w creators to steer our medium to innovate.
"Anyway, I have thoughts about what's wrong & the possible serious harm done to our industry & how we might be able to fix it. But in trying to have a thoughtful conversation I stuck my foot in my mouth & mentioned Laufey, and that was my mistake."
