The Last of Us 2 Being Considered by Naughty Dog

[Steven Bogos]

The Last of Us 2 Being Considered by Naughty Dog

Naughty Dog is mulling around ideas for its next game, and a The Last of Us sequel is on the table.

While Brazilian magazine "Omelete" Eurogamer [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131769-Report-The-Last-of-Us-2-Is-Under-Production-For-2015-Release].

"We have started brainstorming some stuff. To be honest, some of them are sequel ideas, and some of them are brand new IP - we've spent the last few weeks brainstorming new IP. So we have to get some good steps and see... It's kind of like how we approached Left Behind. Can we tell people a story that's really worth telling, and that's not repeating itself? And if we can't, where can we get inspired - what is something that's really going to challenge us, and push storytelling in this medium forward?"

Although he does admit that if it is a sequel they decide to pursue, we probably won't see it for quite some time. "We just wrapped up Left Behind, and Bruce Straley, the game director, and I have been doing this for over four years now. So it's just time for a break, and to recharge the batteries," said Druckmann.

As for a The Last of Us HD remix for the PS4 a-la Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Druckmann says to not hold your breath. "We have such limited resources, and it's a question of where you put the resources. It's something where we can have a feel of where the demand is, and where our time is best spent. It's something that we'll figure out as we move forward."

Naughty Dog now has two development teams, with the other team currently working on Uncharted 4 for the PS4.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-07-naughty-dog-mulls-the-last-of-us-2]

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[schrodinger]

...or don't consider TLOU2 and instead continue on making new IP.

I know ND, it might seems easier to make a sequel, but a new IP isn't a bad thing every now and then. Oh, and scale back on the movie focus; cinematic is fine, but 20 hour movies aren't.

 

[BrotherRool]

We'll have to wait to see if Uncharted 4 suffers or not, but otherwise I like this two team system they've got working. There's room for some flexibility and they can push out the reliable well loved titles whilst having space for thinking about other areas

 

[Casual Shinji]

Oh it'll come. Something that made money before will make money again. This is the creed of every corporation. But maybe by now Naughty Dog has earned some clout with Sony to do things their own way.

I'm kinda sad we won't get to see a Last of Us: Definative Edition. That game in 1080p, 60fps, and uncompressed... *drool*

 

[BrotherRool]

...or don't consider TLOU2 and instead continue on making new IP.

I know ND, it might seems easier to make a sequel, but a new IP isn't a bad thing every now and then. Oh, and scale back on the movie focus; cinematic is fine, but 20 hour movies aren't.

Um...

To be honest, some of them are sequel ideas, and some of them are brand new IP - we've spent the last few weeks brainstorming new IP

?

I kind of feel like you're responding to the title of the article and not what Naughty Dog are actually saying. They seem pretty reluctant to make a sequel.

We just wrapped up Left Behind, and Bruce Straley, the game director, and I have been doing this for over four years now. So it's just time for a break, and to recharge the batteries,

And all the talk is that they'd only want to do it if they had a genuinely new idea that they could push through with it

Can we tell people a story that's really worth telling, and that's not repeating itself?

 

[AidoZonkey]

I thought it would, the ending is of the original lends its self to a sequel of sorts. Personally, it might be better if they picked some new characters in the same world so that there is still room for a character ark but if they did go with the characters from the first one it wouldn't be too bad

 

[Nemusus]

I hope there isn't a sequel to The Last of Us, it was a great game that wrapped everything up rather nicely, as far as I'm concerned. If there absolutely has to be a sequel, then maybe something far removed from Joel and Ellie's story... only if there ABSOLUTELY has to be another game. I'd prefer a new IP though, as good as TLoU was, the whole zombie thing just feels really stale these days.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

I'm honestly pleasantly surprised they have reluctance. Sorry if my cynicism is getting the best of me here, but I'd figured in this day and age, a sequel to a game with the popularity of The Last of Us would be a no brainer.

I'm also pleasantly surprised they're weighing the possibility of that over a new IP, considering a lot of devs are more than happy to avoid new IPs altogether because of how "risky" they are, and instead focus on shoveling the same thing out the door yearly.

Can we tell people a story that's really worth telling, and that's not repeating itself? And if we can't, where can we get inspired - what is something that's really going to challenge us, and push storytelling in this medium forward?"

I like this thought process Naughty Dog, it's awesome to have a focus on story telling. I love playing games for the story, but a word of caution, you're making a game, not a movie. Games have massive potential for story where movies can't even begin to scratch, use that and run with it.

Don't for example do like Square and completely forget that fact.

 

[ShakerSilver]

What, no love for Jak and Daxter?

 

[IndomitableSam]

More stories in the same world I'd be good with. Maybe a story about it first happening - instead of the timeskip we had with the first.

I'm all for 'sequels' in the sense of using the same world and setting... but new characters. It's a really interesting concept, and I'd love to see some people trying to survive while dodging the military, the infected, the desperate, crazy civilians and trying to build/find a place to survive in the 'new world' type thing. Maybe a large group of people trying to survive, or maybe just a couple people trying to find somewhere safe. Maybe trying to hunker down in the city and fortify and gather supplies, or trying to hack it out in the wild. Or hearing about a 'safe zone' and trying to get there. That kind of thing - keeps true to the heart of the first game.

Elly and Joel are done. Seeing them again would really destroy the last scene between the two, I think. It was a brilliant ending to a brilliant story, and leaving it alone is the best thing they could do.

 

[StormShaun]

What, no love for Jak and Daxter?

You have the correct idea sir.
In a recent gaming thread I posted my love for Jak and Daxter.
One thing that Naughty Dog SHOULD be doing is making Jak 4 and getting Crash Bandicoot from the clutches of evil. Those two deserve so much more, heck there is so much more to be done with them.

I only hope Naughty Dog gives some love towards Jak & Daxter and rescues Crash.
Ahhh, I doubt it though.

As someone who acknowledges that The Last of Us was a good game to the world, but personally doesn't like it, I think that a sequel wouldn't be good and could not match the original. It would be nice to see them not make it a new IP and just keep it as an original game ... we don't have many of them these days. :/

 

[Lightknight]

...or don't consider TLOU2 and instead continue on making new IP.

Oh no, sequels are evil...

*sigh*

Sequels are not evil. TLOU provided an entire world of possibilities that don't have to touch the main characters of the first at all. I do think a sequel containing Ellie and Joel may cheapen the ending a bit but even that isn't necessarily the case considering that the power plant isn't impregnable. If the sequel didn't revolve around Ellie's "condition" then it wouldn't necessarily cheapen it. I'd personally rather they left them alone and instead make an entirely new cast in the same world. Sequel or not, it's their IP and it's their prerogative to handle it as they so choose.

 

[Simalacrum]

I have to go in the "no sequel please" camp here. The ending was, as controversial as it is, perfect, I think. It was a brilliant gem... on its own. I'm almost tempted to say I don't even want the DLC stuff either.

 

[DataSnake]

Here's an idea for what they could do in a sequel:

Spoiler

You play as the only survivor of the hospital massacre. You need to hunt Joel and Ellie down, both for killing all your friends and so that you can collect Ellie's brain in the hopes of making a cure.

 

[Sanunes]

I like the idea of not making a sequel and moving to a new IP. Its one of my issues with gaming anymore because of trying to get games out faster new IPs are being abandoned so they can release a game more frequently by not having to create a new world from scratch.

 

[Mik Sunrider]

What is this feeling I have ... so strange ... could it be ... hope? I had assumed that there would be a TLOU2, giving everything that has happened since it TLOU was release, to see that ND might not make one is really great news. Ellie and Joel, love them but their story is done, if anything TLOU2 should be new characters and new quest. A new IP would mean a longer development time but hey they proven that they can do it so as a fan I can wait. I just hope Sony and the shareholders sees it that way.

As far as not re-making it for PS4, I don't really care; I wouldn't have bought the same game twice anyways.

 

[Machine Man 1992]

The Last of Us 2: No Wait, There's Some of Us Left Over Here!

God, I'm terrible.

 

[oldtaku]

'The Even Laster of Us'

If you're going to do it, do it about new people at least.

 

[erbkaiser]

Just put a story elsewhere in the country, or do a prequel from the decade+ between Sarah and Ellie.

I'd play it.

Please not a sequel. Joel and Ellie's story should be complete.

 

[Lightknight]

We could consider this, that the people who wrote the gold that turned out to be TLOU could possible create a tasteful sequel.

Hell, I've got an easy one.

Ellie figures out Joel's lie or simply admits that it was a lie since she likely knew it all along and decides to go out on her own. Maybe there's a catalyst like a boyfriend gets infected or even Joel's brother and she can't handle being selfish when she's got the cure.

There's no telling what they could do with that. Maybe the power plant gets overrun. Maybe the fireflys fight back. Maybe it doesn't involve those two at all?

The point is, if they were good enough to write the first story, you've got to have a little faith that they'd be good enough to write a second. Sure, it could end up being a cash grab and often does end up being one. But Naughty Dog has been putting out gold on a regular basis now. They're one of the few studios I actually trust with IPs and that's saying a lot since they are Sony owned which kinda means I generally trust Sony. It's weird to trust a company that large but they seem to understand entertainment in several ways that the others miss.