John Garvin, the creative director of Days Gone, has voiced his concerns regarding the broader issue of creators not receiving due credit when their intellectual properties are adapted into new forms of media. Garvin recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express his enduring connection to Days Gone and to highlight a related commentary by another former PlayStation creative who faced a similar experience.
Garvin shared a heartfelt message with fans, stating:
“Even though I am not currently connected in any way to Sony or Bend Studio, Days Gone will always be mine and I appreciate all of you who have played it and support it and who ride the broken road with me… as Iron Mike would say, the world’s not gonna save itself … ride hard!”
His comments come at a time when Days Gone has seen a resurgence through a Remastered edition, which features updated visuals for PC and PlayStation 5 alongside the new Broken Roads DLC. Despite no longer being affiliated with Bend Studio or Sony, Garvin continues to maintain a personal and emotional bond with the world and characters he helped create.
In addition to his own statement, Garvin shared a post from Kim MacAskill, a former narrative director at Sony Interactive Entertainment. MacAskill, who contributed to the early development of Until Dawn, voiced her frustration on LinkedIn about the erasure of original creators in adaptations. She recounted how her work was never officially credited due to her salaried status, which excluded her from royalties, ownership rights, and public recognition.
In her words:
“As a former Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation Narrative Director who was firmly told that the IP I personally created would NEVER be credited to me as I was salaried (no royalties, no control, no ownership, no acknowledgement) I am struggling with the difference between Neil Druckmann’s favour and that of others in your company.
I have just left Until Dawn where the film director, writers etc were all credited but instead of you mentioning the leading game dev(s) who created this ICONIC game you’re clearly proud of, you just wrapped it as ‘based on the Sony game.’
They spent years breaking their brains to make something incredible and the world DESERVES to know their names… instead…
No credit. No thanks. No honour.”
MacAskill’s frustration highlights a growing concern within the industry: while adaptations often celebrate the new creative teams involved, the original developers who laid the groundwork for these properties are frequently left unacknowledged. This practice stands in contrast to the film and television industries, where original creators are typically credited, even when a work is adapted or reimagined.
Days Gone Remastered is now available on PC and PlayStation 5.
