14 DAY TRIAL // Neil Druckmann, the lead writer and the creative director at developer Naughty Dog, says that AAA development teams like the one he is part of can learn from indie teams, especially when it comes to the creation of characters.
In an interview for GamesIndustry.biz about the future of Naughty Dog, the developer states that Gone Home and Papers, Please are two of the titles that have recently impressed him.
He says, “I think more people are pursuing better narratives, and I hope criticism of games and game narratives is becoming more sophisticated. I think before you would have had a hard time talking about tropes and how women are represented in games, or how characters of color are represented in games.”
Druckmnann believes that solid criticism and the pressure coming from indies will make the entire industry evolve faster and deliver gaming experiences that feel more realistic and engaging for players.
He adds, “I feel like AAA games… we’re on this cusp of at the very least seeing strong, non-sexualized female protagonists starring in games. You’re going to see a lot more of those, and a lot more that are commercially successful.”
The creative director also believes that big teams have a problem with risk because they are often in charge of resources that they cannot afford to squander.
Recently, Naughty Dog has launched The Last of Us, a title that was highly praised for its narrative and for its characters, even if the gameplay mechanics sometimes failed to deliver the same quality.
At the moment, the entire company is working on an unannounced project for the next-gen PlayStation 4 home console from Sony.
Many fans are hoping that the game is linked to the Uncharted series, which has always brought big sales on the PlayStation 3.