Naughty Dog is committed to delivering more single-player experiences because they find it closer to their core philosophy and have no forced mandate from Sony.
Naughty Dog co-presidents Evan Wells and Neil Druckmann were recently interviewed by GameInformer and had a lot to share regarding the inner workings of their studio.
In the interview, they were asked various questions including collaboration with other PlayStation Studios like Sucker Punch and Guerrilla Games.
When asked will Naughty Dog follow other studios in creating live service games or single-player is a focus for them in the future, Even Wells said, “Absolutely. Yeah, and it’s sort of in our DNA to tell these stories. I think that’s going to continue. Single-player experiences are near and dear to us. It’s what has attracted a lot of people to Naughty Dog, and that’s what inspires them, so I think we’re going to keep at it as long as we can.”
Neil Druckmann added: “And again, going back to who Sony is, there has never been a mandate like, “Oh, this is where we see the winds shifting. Can you start making these kind of games instead?” We know just as they know that when you work on something you’re excited by, something you’re passionate by, you’re going to do great work.”
In the interview, they also mention how they had asked for help from other internal PlayStation Studios, e.g seeking guidance from Sucker Punch when developing the horse for The Last of Us Part II, or asking them for reference material for Seattle that they developed in inFamous Second Son. PlayStation Studios usually collaborate for each other’s benefit.