Game director Bruce Straley has said farewell to Naughty Dog after 18 years and the development of two iconic game franchises.
Bruce Straley is credited to have worked on many games series in his long tenure with the game development company: Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, and The Last of Us. Both Uncharted and The Last of Us have been taken under serious consideration for big screen adaptations. If that doesn’t speak volumes for the clout behind these game titles, then I’m not sure what will.
The Last of Us, in my opinion, was the best swan song for the long life-cycle of the PlayStation 3 and a great early title for the PlayStation 4.
Uncharted, though, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic series across the full library of PlayStation games and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is the first Naughty Dog title to earn the title Game of the Year.
In a recent post by Evan Wells, President of Naught Dog, he talks about Straley’s involvement in Among Thieves and The Last of Us:
“[Bruce Straley] stepped up to co-art direct ‘Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’ and was so involved with all aspects of production that when it came time to kick off ‘Uncharted 2: Among Thieves’, he was given the Game Director role. He made it his stated goal that ‘Uncharted 2’ was going to win Game of the Year awards, and for the first time in Naughty Dog history, it did just that and the studio’s efforts were commended across the industry.
But he wasn’t satisfied with achieving that goal – he wanted to build a franchise from scratch. He got that opportunity, and went on to co-direct ‘The Last of Us’ which won an unprecedented number of Game of the Year awards and would further establish Naughty Dog’s reputation for quality.”
We did learn late in 2016 that Straley would not be returning to direct The Last of Us 2, so his departure from the company doesn’t come as a complete shock. In an open letter on the Naughty Dog website, Straley says that he realized being pulled in a new creative direction after taking time away from the company following the launch of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
“I’m leaving Naughty Dog with the strongest team it’s ever had, and that’s saying a lot. But more than the talent, it’s the people that I’ll miss the most. The work culture at Naughty Dog is about getting out of your seat and solving problems together. It’s what has allowed me to build so many friendships and gain so much respect for this stellar group of people. I get it —“it’s just work” — but when you spend as much time as we do together, in the pressure cooker of creative work and deadlines, you really get to know a person.
And I’ve had my share of difficult and humbling moments. But having the privilege to see people grow beyond their concept of what’s possible for themselves technically, creatively, and personally has been the most rewarding aspect of my job and continues to motivate me to do the same. I’m so proud to have been a part of this team. I can’t wait to see what they create in the future.”
It's my moving out day at Naughty Dog…
??????
Here's a bunch of #uncharted2 reference. pic.twitter.com/k6lDopjbHz— Bruce Straley (@bruce_straley) September 15, 2017
At the end of the touching letter, Straley signs off with the excited note that “now I, too, get to anticipate the next Naughty Dog masterpiece!”
I’m curious to see what Naughty Dog has in the pipeline besides the Last of Us sequel now that their latest title, Uncharted: Lost Legacy, launched in June. And now I’m doubly (well maybe quadrupilely) curious to see what the vague new creative directions are that have pulled Bruce Straley away from Naughty Dog.
Some proud moments in here… pic.twitter.com/caDqOvgARw
— Bruce Straley (@bruce_straley) September 15, 2017