Neil Druckmann Clears the Air Around Recent Interview Controversy

Naughty Dog

By Priye Rai

Published May 25, 2024

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Naughty Dog

Highlights

Naughty Dog co-president Druckmann clarified a controversial statement about redefining gaming perceptions in a recent interview with Sony.
The transcript shared by Druckmann shows the original response edited by Sony, causing confusion over future game details and impact claims.

Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann has cleared the air surrounding a recent interview. In a move to address the controversy, the Naughty Dog head shared a transcript of his interview with Sony, showing everyone what he really said.

Earlier this week, Druckmann's interview published by Sony, in particular the part where he reportedly defined his next game as something that could "redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming," sparked controversy. While some people actually grew curious about the project, others found the wording of the statement to be self-important and hence off-putting.

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In a Twitter post, Neil Druckmann clarified that the controversial statement from his interview with publisher Sony was "not quite what I said." The Naughty Dog co-president suggested that, in the process of editing one of his answers from the interview, his original "words, context, and intent" had been "unfortunately lost." In addition to that, he shared a transcript of his actual answer which talked about the studio's future game, rumors of which are already abuzz based on Naughty Dog's recent job listing.

Druckmann Reveals Editing by Sony Altered His Original Statement

On Sony's blog, Druckmann's answer to the final question of the interview, which revolved around his dream project, made lofty claims about the developer's forthcoming game. The website states that the Uncharted 4 co-director defined his new project as something that can potentially redefine "mainstream perceptions of gaming." However, taking the original transcript into account, it's clear that isn't exactly what he said.

The transcript verifies Druckmann's statement about games outgrowing the stigma of being a niche interest and attracting non-gamers through projects such as the notably successful The Last of Us TV series. But, it also confirms that he didn't give any description of his future project whatsoever, let alone make bold claims about its potential impact on how people view gaming.

In the past, Sony and Naughty Dog have partnered to bring blockbuster games, such as The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, primarily for the PlayStation. Given its track record, there's no doubting the veteran developer's ability to create a game that challenges most people's perception of gaming. However, as yet, there's no official statement from Naughty Dog that makes any such promise to the fans.