Naughty Dog has been making video games since 1984. Known as JAM Software, Inc. before formally changing its name, Naughty Dog worked on games such as Math Jam and Rings of Power before finding success with its first exclusive PlayStation title: Crash Bandicoot. The company was acquired by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001, and has since been a part of the PlayStation Studios family.
Naughty Dog games are almost synonymous with the PlayStation name. From the first PlayStation to the current-generation PlayStation 5, the company always strives to create titles that help push sales of Sony's video game consoles. But with a lack of a new IP in the last console generation, it might be time for Naughty Dog to bring out something new and inventive to stand apart.
New PlayStation Releases Used to Signify New Naughty Dog IPs
Taking a look at Naughty Dog's portfolio shows that the company does its best to create new IPs whenever possible. Naughty Dog was able to create Crash Bandicoot, a 3D platformer, using the power of the original PlayStation. Once the company got a feel for 3D game development on sequels and spin-offs, it upped the ante with the Jak and Daxter series on the PlayStation 2. Not only did Naughty Dog increase the size of the playable areas in Jak and Daxter, it also started experimenting with telling compelling stories through cutscenes and gameplay.
The company fine-tuned its gameplay and storytelling chops with sequels before moving onto the PlayStation 3 with Uncharted. The Uncharted series was a natural progression for Naughty Dog, as not only did the series make full use of platforming and gunplay mechanics from previous works, the storytelling was on a different level. It helped prove that video games could tell stories that rival movies and other forms of media, introducing characters who were just as compelling.
All of this culminated with Naughty Dog's latest IP: The Last of Us. Whereas the company's past works were either cartoony or humorous, The Last of Us was set in a post-pandemic world filled with many grim stories. It covered very mature and human topics, the likes of which no one knew Naughty Dog was capable of. When taken as a whole, Naughty Dog's portfolio showcased the growth of the company and how far PlayStation tech has come.
Naughty Dog Is In a Sequel and Remaster Rut
Naughty Dog hasn't made a new IP since 2013. After The Last of Us ended the PlayStation 3's lifespan with a bang, Naughty Dog spent the PlayStation 4 era developing sequels and remasters. Uncharted sequels include 2016's Uncharted 4 and its 2017 expansion, The Lost Legacy. In 2018 came a remastered compilation called Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection.
The Last of Us also received a remaster in 2014 for PlayStation 4, followed by a full-fledged sequel in 2020. As for the current console generation, Naughty Dog's most recent endeavors include Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, a PlayStation 5 and PC remaster of Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy, as well asThe Last of Us Part 1, a remake of The Last of Us.
This focus on remasters, remakes, and sequels may be great for those who never played the original releases, but it can be disheartening for others who want something new. Naughty Dog hasn't announced a new IP in almost 10 years, which is a shame because a lot of its work tends to become renown classics. While this can be attributed to development becoming more costly, having a parent company like Sony should allow Naughty Dog some freedom to take risks.
The only confirmed title coming from the company right now is an ambitious The Last of Us multiplayer game, which doesn't have many details out beyond some concept art. There is a chance that Naughty Dog is already working on a new IP and waiting for the right time to announce it to the public. If this is the case, it would be best to show it sooner rather than later. Considering the PS5 will supposedly become more available in 2023, Naughty Dog could jump in and create something unique that makes full use of the console's capabilities.