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Naughty Dog isn’t ruling out making more Uncharted games, developer says

Hunnybun

Member
Personally feel more creators should realize how important their protagonist is. Especially for a multi-game series. But I'm just not a fan of changing protagonists for stories like this and see no reason to.

I suppose they got themselves into this bind when they made the series into a love story between Nate and Elena. It's a double edged sword because you increase engagement with the characters but also kind of build in their obsolescence.

So they kind of need another character to take over, and this time be careful not to fuck it up. If it were up to me I'd have one more game starring Nate, set relatively soon after the 4th game. Maybe Elena is in peril or something, or their young daughter (yeah, original I know). And I'd introduce some new character as the eventual replacement for Nathan, who could also eventually team up with Cassie. Because I don't think Chloe is going to cut it, and Sam is a bit of a clown.
 

YukiOnna

Member
I suppose they got themselves into this bind when they made the series into a love story between Nate and Elena. It's a double edged sword because you increase engagement with the characters but also kind of build in their obsolescence.

So they kind of need another character to take over, and this time be careful not to fuck it up. If it were up to me I'd have one more game starring Nate, set relatively soon after the 4th game. Maybe Elena is in peril or something, or their young daughter (yeah, original I know). And I'd introduce some new character as the eventual replacement for Nathan, who could also eventually team up with Cassie. Because I don't think Chloe is going to cut it, and Sam is a bit of a clown.
That said, the U4 ending provided a nice gap to add plenty of adventures. Elena's issue with him was not being honest with himself after all, not that he did these things. They can also do prequels.

Chloe and Nadine was a mistake because they didn't realize Chloe was a support character who bounced off well with the rest of the cast, especially Nate. Not solo protagonist material. What could work is Young Sully as the PC w/ Young Drake.
 

Yoboman

Member
On the one hand I want a new Uncharted at times because its just such a fun romp and the characters are great. But after 4 main games plus spin offs it needs a new fresh take and some time asleep as a franchise (maybe another 5 years)

Dont know what that means but they need to go back to the drawing board in every aspect as God of War or RE4 did.

What I want, and I think most people want from Naughty Dog is a new IP

Let the demand for a new one organically generate - because it will eventually
 
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Hunnybun

Member
That said, the U4 ending provided a nice gap to add plenty of adventures. Elena's issue with him was not being honest with himself after all, not that he did these things. They can also do prequels.

Chloe and Nadine was a mistake because they didn't realize Chloe was a support character who bounced off well with the rest of the cast, especially Nate. Not solo protagonist material. What could work is Young Sully as the PC w/ Young Drake.

I'm a bit undecided but overall I just think it would be weird to have a happily married couple where one of them voluntarily goes off on thrill seeking and death defying adventures. It doesn't really scream having an important person in your life. So I think that was a problem.

I think Chloe might have been ok but they fucked it up. She's tough and independent and funny, and not completely selfish: she's basically heroic. But teaming her up with Nadine, a personality vacuum, and this nonsense of pretending she was Indian all along, even going so far as completely changing her appearance, I think has just kind of broken the character.

Personally I'm not too sure about a young Sully. For a start, I'm not sure I'd want it as a period piece. Also, I'm always a *bit* perturbed by having a protagonist who you literally *know* survives the story. I know that functionally we know that in these games the protagonist always wins, but I think you need that scope to suspend your disbelief. At the end of UC4 I had like 1% doubt that Nate wouldn't make it back to Elena. It's only 1% but that's where all the drama is. And I actually positively expected Sam not to make it.

So yeah - I think you need that hazard.
 

Bartski

Gold Member
No thanks. 4 ended just fine, the only way forward seems Drake's daughter as protagonist or prequels. Who wants that?

New IPs, please.
 

kyliethicc

Member
She botched Uncharted 4 and got the sack.

The Druckmann haters use that as some conspiracy that he forced her out, rather than that she poorly managed a multi million dollar project
And shocker her next game got cancelled too.

No thanks. 4 ended just fine, the only way forward seems Drake's daughter as protagonist or prequels. Who wants that?

New IPs, please.
Another Chloe game.

Claudia Black is a better actor than Nolan North too.
 
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Bartski

Gold Member
Another Chloe game.

Claudia Black is a better actor than Nolan North too.
Sure, there could be more spin-offs. I just think there is too much potential in the studio and many avenues they could explore sticking to their action-adventure formula that are much more interesting... dark fantasy, sci-fi, and so on.
 

Vick

Member
Problem with young Drake is that will cut out Nolan North. And its really not Nathan Drake without him
695319e6c5d67b3010b8411c656c4c50.png


This is the young Nate we need, and deserve.

He was a treasure hunter already at this point, you don't mess with Elena's story nor the perfect ending, you get Nolan North but especially bring back the character who saved Sony and Playstation and loved by 50 million people around the world.

Bring back Eddie for fan service, bring back the good female character which is Rika, give us Sully and you got a fucking system seller.
 

Yoboman

Member
Any source for this?
Some say the Uncharted 4 team didn’t get the staff and resources it needed to survive, because The Last of Us and Left Behind had vacuumed up so much of Naughty Dog’s attention. Others say that Amy Hennig had trouble making decisions and that the nascent game wasn’t shaping up very well. Some who were working on Uncharted 4 wished that there was a more cohesive direction. Others thought it was perfectly understandable, considering how small the Uncharted 4 staff was, that the game hadn’t coalesced yet.


Seems like it was a collection of issues as it normally is, but fact is that Henigs vision of Uncharted 4 just wasn't coming together

Also the reports that Druckmann forced her out was fake news created by IGN for clicks:


 

kyliethicc

Member
If they want to keep Uncharted going, might as well just reboot the whole thing like GoW in 2018.

New Nate, new timeline.

Expand the wide linear idea and build a hub world like GoW's lake. Use vehicles, bigger levels, lil non-linearity bits, etc.
 

Dick Jones

Gold Member

Also the reports that Druckmann forced her out was fake news created by IGN for clicks:


I'm confused how was she forced out when the writer of said forcing out article claimed it was all bullshit?

Listen, leave that rubbish "Cuckmann" shite at the door. People actively stop reading when they see that. No one wants to read the ramblings of a lunatic. I wrote my comment open ended specifically to give you enough rope, which you took in spades. Posters are dunking on you because you are talking absolute bollix.

Either provide genuine proof and not the subreddit message of an unknown user who obviously has no real proof. To make it easier, shit or get off the pot.
 

plushyp

Member
Some say the Uncharted 4 team didn’t get the staff and resources it needed to survive, because The Last of Us and Left Behind had vacuumed up so much of Naughty Dog’s attention. Others say that Amy Hennig had trouble making decisions and that the nascent game wasn’t shaping up very well. Some who were working on Uncharted 4 wished that there was a more cohesive direction. Others thought it was perfectly understandable, considering how small the Uncharted 4 staff was, that the game hadn’t coalesced yet.


Seems like it was a collection of issues as it normally is, but fact is that Henigs vision of Uncharted 4 just wasn't coming together

Also the reports that Druckmann forced her out was fake news created by IGN for clicks:



This site has more of the except from Schrier's book about UC4 without removing the sequential paragraphs:

What you said earlier about poor management isn't the case since no one is privy to the full details about what happened behind closed doors. Some more information states there was a creative disagreement where not just Hennig but many other senior members from ND left which wouldn't be the issue if it was solely Hennig's fault:
One part of the story is indisputable, however: in March 2014, after meeting with Naughty Dog’s copresidents, Wells and Christophe Balestra, Amy Hennig exited the studio and didn’t come back. Hennig’s creative partner Justin Richmond left shortly afterward, as did a few other veterans who had worked closely with Hennig. “It’s something that happens at different levels,” said Wells. “It happened to happen at a fairly high level. But we have turnover for various reasons throughout the studio. And Amy’s a friend of mine, I really miss her and I wish her well -but things weren’t working out. So we went our separate ways, and we had to pick up the pieces.

It's a matter of a disagreement regarding the direction of the series. Naughty Dog made Hennig sign a non-disparagement agreement as well which isn't as uncommon but still gives pause regarding what truly occoured. Moreso since Hennig declined to interview for the book.
Several people who have worked for Naughty Dog say Druckmann and Straley stopped seeing eye-to-eye with Hennig, and that they had fundamental disagreements on where to take the Uncharted series. When Hennig left, she signed a nondisparagement agreement with the studio that would prevent both her and Naughty Dog from making negative public comments about what had happened, according to people familiar with the arrangement. (Hennig declined to be interviewed for this book.)

After Hennig's exit, Druckmann and Straley wanted full creative control which they did get.
Immediately after Hennig’s departure, Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra called Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley into a meeting to tell them that she was gone. Both Druckmann and Straley wanted to work on other games they’d been playing around with prototypes for a sequel to The Last of Us and Straley in particular was feeling burned out. But when asked to lead the development of Uncharted 4, they said they’d do it on one condition: they needed full creative control. They weren’t interested in finishing the story that Hennig had started, and while they’d try to salvage some of the characters (like Sam and Rafe) and environments (big areas in Scotland and Madagascar), they’d also have to throw out a lot of work that Uncharted 4’s team had done so far.

Sadly many people in favour of Hennig or Druckmann seem to be hung up on making either side the villain without knowing all the details.
 

Yoboman

Member
This site has more of the except from Schrier's book about UC4 without removing the sequential paragraphs:

What you said earlier about poor management isn't the case since no one is privy to the full details about what happened behind closed doors. Some more information states there was a creative disagreement where not just Hennig but many other senior members from ND left which wouldn't be the issue if it was solely Hennig's fault:


It's a matter of a disagreement regarding the direction of the series. Naughty Dog made Hennig sign a non-disparagement agreement as well which isn't as uncommon but still gives pause regarding what truly occoured. Moreso since Hennig declined to interview for the book.


After Hennig's exit, Druckmann and Straley wanted full creative control which they did get.


Sadly many people in favour of Hennig or Druckmann seem to be hung up on making either side the villain without knowing all the details.
I dont buy that Druckmann had anything to do with it. He had literally moved on to his own franchise that he had created from the ground up. Then he had to be taken away from the Last of Us because they needed a director to finish Uncharted, and he somehow ends up copping the blame for the Henig situation

Any number of things could have led to Henig leaving. Maybe it was creative direction, maybe she got drunk and hooked up with an intern at the Christmas party. We probabky won't ever know.

But the fact she really has struggled to do anything else since and her only single director credit is on the first Uncharted which had a bunch of problems makes me think there were definitely some issues stemming from the project direction

Im any case, people keep going around saying Druckmann forced her out like its a fact when it is anything but
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
This site has more of the except from Schrier's book about UC4 without removing the sequential paragraphs:

What you said earlier about poor management isn't the case since no one is privy to the full details about what happened behind closed doors. Some more information states there was a creative disagreement where not just Hennig but many other senior members from ND left which wouldn't be the issue if it was solely Hennig's fault:


It's a matter of a disagreement regarding the direction of the series. Naughty Dog made Hennig sign a non-disparagement agreement as well which isn't as uncommon but still gives pause regarding what truly occoured. Moreso since Hennig declined to interview for the book.


After Hennig's exit, Druckmann and Straley wanted full creative control which they did get.


Sadly many people in favour of Hennig or Druckmann seem to be hung up on making either side the villain without knowing all the details.
I am not buying that Neil and Bruce forced her out because of forced diversity, but they definitely forced her out because they inserted themselves into Uncharted which by then was HER game. They were taken off the series after U2 and given their own team while Amy shipped U3 with Justin Richmond then prepped for TLOU which Neil and Bruce took the main production team to finish up TLOU. Then they come back and start fucking with her game? No fuck that. You dont do that. Amy didnt go to the TLOU team and start fucking with their game now did she?

This is on Neil and Bruce. THat part of the whole story is indisputable. She also quit on the spot after a bad meeting which basically shows that she told them you either get me or Neil and they chose Neil. So in that sense, the IGN story was half true. She left on her own but it was because of Neil and Bruce meddling with her game.

You can watch the original trailer for the game they revealed at the Launch night party. Sam was bitter, angry and forces Drake to join him. You OWE me. I dont know if it was the better story but to me, everything with Sam and Nate in that game had ZERO energy. No conflict. No real stakes. And when the twist does come, Sam is taken away for the rest of the story. It felt rushed. I like Amy's version better. If Nate left him to die for 15 years then any man wouldve been pissed. I also didnt care for the stupid forced angry nagging wife storyline. Elena is an adventure junkie just like Nate. Shes not a housewife. It makes no sense that she would be against any of this.
 

Hunnybun

Member
How's it indisputable that Druckmann and Straley were meddling in the process? Genuine question, not saying it didn't happen, I'm just wondering what I've missed.

Isn't it possible that it had nothing to do with them and that the project was just a mess? Or has that been debunked?
 

Killer8

Member
They should just make something new. After the direction they took with The Last of Us 2, I used to think maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they returned to just making Uncharted games. But then I also liked the way U4 wrapped up the story, so I don't want them to retroactively ruin that series like they did The Last of Us.

They also can't really go back to Jak considering they are a typical 'mature' and 'cinematic' Sony developer now devoid of fun.
 

Vick

Member
I dont buy that Druckmann had anything to do with it. He had literally moved on to his own franchise that he had created from the ground up. Then he had to be taken away from the Last of Us because they needed a director to finish Uncharted, and he somehow ends up copping the blame for the Henig situation

Any number of things could have led to Henig leaving. Maybe it was creative direction, maybe she got drunk and hooked up with an intern at the Christmas party. We probabky won't ever know.
The thing with Hennig's Uncharted 4, is that it would have probably sucked. Entire first half of the game without a single shot fired... that was her plan.

I guess she really took to heart the whole "Drake's mass murderer" nonsense spread by salty trolls and downright IMBECILES, unfortunately.

since and her only single director credit is on the first Uncharted
Which is my favorite..

awkward-black.gif
 
Any source for this?
Of course not. That piece of shit got rid of Hennig and it’s obvious to anyone that’s a fan and not just a fan of ND because it’s a sony studio…

Druck obviously wanted to go in a political direction and many in the studio must have agreed.
 
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kyliethicc

Member
Of course not. That piece of shit got rid of Hennig and it’s obvious to anyone that’s a fan and not just a fan of ND because it’s a sony studio…

Druck obviously wanted to go in a political direction and many in the studio must have agreed.
Druckmann and Straley had nothing to do with Hennig left ND.

The writers from IGN even admitted it was a fake story.
 

Boss Mog

Member
I think the movie is going to do better than people think, it looks like stupid fun:



I can see it leading to more game, maybe even a game with a younger Nate and Sully, kinda like the movie, their earlier adventures.
 
Druckmann and Straley had nothing to do with Hennig left ND.

The writers from IGN even admitted it was a fake story.
Yes IGN, a beacon of integrity and intelligence. If you reference Jason I will be beyond done with you.

You don’t leave a job because you hate it and then immediately get into the same line of work, esp. when she made uncharted what it was. You leave a job like that because of toxic fucks out to get you.

In the end everyone will believe what they wish but I know for sure the day she left was the death of the studio as a game developer and the beginning of a propaganda developer.
 
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Vick

Member
I mean.. we know Nadine is straight, and Chole was literally the protagonist's love interest.
These kind of arts are obviously not canon, and only made to entertain that peculiar crowd.

I guess Uncharted, the series known for the attractive and good-hearted straight alpha catholic caucasian super hero, is not exactly the ideal target for this kind of criticisms..

Nadine is gross… Chloe has a nice ass and that’s it lol.
Chloe had a nice ass. In Uncharted 2, 3 and first phase of U4 Multiplayer.
 

kyliethicc

Member
Yes IGN, a beacon of integrity and intelligence. If you reference Jason I will be beyond done with you.
That's the point. They admitted the lied and wrote a fake story years after they had quit their jobs.

You don’t leave a job because you hate it and then immediately get into the same line of work, esp. when she made uncharted what it was. You leave a job like that because of toxic fucks out to get you.

In the end everyone will believe what they wish but I know for sure the day she left was the death of the studio as a game developer and the beginning of a propaganda developer.
Explain why Amy Hennig got her next game cancelled too and hasn't made anything since?
 

Yoboman

Member
The thing with Hennig's Uncharted 4, is that it would have probably sucked. Entire first half of the game without a single shot fired... that was her plan.

I guess she really took to heart the whole "Drake's mass murderer" nonsense spread by salty trolls and downright IMBECILES, unfortunately.


Which is my favorite..

awkward-black.gif
I loved it but it was janky even on release. Uncharted 2 really elevated the gameplay when Straley co directed
 
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