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Naughty Dog Had Low Expectations for ‘The Last of Us’
Take away the glamor that’s often associated with it and video game developers have a very tough job. There aren’t many fields where you can invest millions of dollars and several years creating something only to have people shit on it the moment it’s released to the world. I’ll spend a few hours on an article and get bummed when it flops; I can’t imagine how the folks at Naughty Dog felt when they were deep into realizing The Last of Us with no real idea of how it would be received.
Naughty Dog has been more consistent than most in delivering visually stunning, story-driven games with memorable characters and rewarding gameplay. A post-apocalyptic survival game with their uniquely cinematic flair and attention to detail would almost certainly be a success, right?
“Quite the opposite,” revealed co-director Bruce Straley in a recent round table discussion with several of the game’s creators. “We thought it was going to tank.”
“The joke we would say throughout production was that ‘This game is the downfall of Naughty Dog,'” added creative director Neil Druckmann. The team was so worried about how the world would react to The Last of Us that some thought it might ruin their well-deserved reputation as one of the industry’s most respected developers.
Surprisingly, the source of their worries didn’t have much to do with the idea that they might let down fans who have come to expect great things from them, or the hype that Sony spent considerable time building leading up to its release. Instead, it had a lot to do with the challenge of making its many systems work well together.
“A big part of it was on the mechanical side,” explained lead level designer Anthony Newman. “It wasn’t coming together. So it was really a a set of really lucky breaks in terms of gameplay decisions we made that really made everything fall into place and turned it into a fun game.”
The realization that they might have something special on their hands didn’t come until development was wrapping up, some time before it would become unofficial bookend release for the PS3, inspire a live-action movie, possible sequel and PS4 remaster.
Epic’s Fortnite is heading for another crossover, this time with Universal Orlando and Halloween Horror Nights. The title’s annual Fortnitemares Halloween event will be coming to Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort in a new scare zone, kicking off on August 28.
For those not in the know, Scare zones are themed, open-air areas where guests and actors roam around freely.
This is the first time Fortnite will be featured during the after-hours event, which will run from August 28 until November 1. Tickets and packages are on sale now at the official site.
Per the press release, guests will enter Freaky Fields, a Halloween-inspired living battleground that’s been “overcome with a threatening force.” From there, fans will meet up with the Battle Bus, featuring familiar Fortnitemares characters, including “a few new additions exclusive to Halloween Horror Nights.”
And of course, there will be Fortnitemares merchandise available for fans, including a graphic t-shirt, decal set, and an acrylic collectible piece.
Fortnitemares won’t be the only featured property at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Killer Klowns from Outer Space will also be getting its own scare zone. Sinners, Stranger Things, Hellraiser, and Evil Dead Burn will also be part of the event, though they will be relegated to their own specific houses.
And while it’s early yet, gamers can probably expect Fortnitemares to return to Fortnite this October.
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