Neil Druckmann said ‘not quite’ that Naughty Dog’s next game ‘could redefine the mainstream perception of gaming’ – IGN

Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann has clarified on can redefine”. of gaming.”

While we don’t yet know what Naughty Dog’s next game will be, Druckmann discussed his excitement about it with Sony. However, according to Druckmann, his answer was a little different than what was in the original interview.

Unfortunately, in editing my extended responses in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were lost. Well, here’s the full long answer to the last question about our future game… pic.twitter.com/tVuxX3LYJF

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) May 25, 2024

“This isn’t quite what I said,” Druckmann said regarding the line “it could redefine the mainstream perception of gaming.” “While editing my extended answers in my recent interview with Sony, some of my words, context and intent were unfortunately lost. Well, here is the full, long, extended answer to the last question about our future game.”

You can read Druckmann’s full response below after he was asked, “As we discuss future innovation, is there a personal vision or dream project that you hope to see realized in entertainment right now?”

“Well, I’ve been very lucky, because I’ve already had that,” Druckmann said. “I’ve had the opportunity to realize some of my dream projects. I’m working on a new project now. And it might be the most excited I’ve ever been for a project. I can’t talk about it, otherwise get our bosses I think in general there’s something happening right now that I think is really cool, which is that there’s a new appreciation for gaming that I’ve never seen before.

“Just like when I was growing up, gaming was more for kids. Now it’s obvious to everyone. But it’s like as a gamer you know the potential of games, and non-gamers don’t. I really know what they’re missing. But when we Making The Last of Us as a TV show, we hoped that we could change that. And why I got so involved with it, I wanted it to be good so badly, because I wanted this to happen, that’s as someone who watches the show and really likes it and falls in love with those characters the way we fell in love with those characters and their story and then realizes at the end, ‘wait, that’s based on a video game?’ and then go check out the game and see the wealth of stories and everything that happens in the 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 that’s really exciting to me. Not because games have to be movies, or because they have to do that they’re TV shows, but I think it just opens the eyes of a group of people who just weren’t aware of the kind of experiences that exist in games.

“I think we’ve reached a tipping point now where it’s about to take off and people are realizing, ‘Oh my God, there are all these incredible moving experiences in games!’ So not only am I excited about this game that we’re making – and it’s something very new for us – but I’m also excited to see how the world reacts to it, and the success of the show, people are watching us even outside of gaming to see what it is that we release next. I’m very excited to see what the reaction to this will be – and I’ve already said too much about it. So you’re asking me about it my dream projects. I have been lucky to work with great collaborators on my favorite games and I am very grateful to them.”

Below you can read the answer that appeared in the interview to the question: “Can you share a personal vision or dream project that you hope to see realized in the future of entertainment?”

“I have been fortunate enough to work on several dream projects and am currently excited about a new project, which may be the most exciting yet. There is a growing appreciation for gaming that transcends all age groups, unlike when I 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 put a spotlight on gaming and illustrates its rich, immersive experiences it offers.

“The visibility excites me not only because of our current project, but also because of gaming’s broader potential to captivate a global audience. I’m curious to see how this new game resonates, especially after the success of The Last of Us, as it changes mainstream perceptions of gaming.”

So while Druckmann said this new project “might be the most excited” he’s been for yet and “something very new for us,” he didn’t quite say “it could redefine the mainstream perception of gaming.” What he also said was that he’s “very excited to see what the reaction to this will be – and I’ve already said too much about it.”

Naughty Dog confirmed in March 2023 that it was working on a new project, and this will be the studio’s first new game since 2020’s The Last of Us: Part 2. Naughty Dog also confirmed in 2023 that it would be The Last of Us: Part 2 had been cancelled. Our multiplayer game and would focus on single player games in the future.

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Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and further TikTok.

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