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Gamespot: Last Of Us Dev Is Hiring An Economy Designer For A Multiplayer Game With Live Service Elements


"The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog is hiring an "economy designer" to help the team with a multiplayer game that includes live operations and player progression.

The job ad states that the successful candidate will help Naughty Dog "create avenues for self-expression for our players, ensure robust longevity to our games, and give our players great rewards to strive for." This all sounds like Naughty Dog is working on a new multiplayer game with cosmetics that players can unlock to personalize their characters.

None of this would be a surprise, as Naughty Dog confirmed more than a year ago that it's working on a standalone Last of Us multiplayer game. However, Naughty Dog has kept very quiet about this in recent months. Many studios are now adopting and embracing live services for their new games, so it would be no shock to see Naughty Dog follow suit in some capacity."
 
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Geez, this is going to be some multiplayer game with the insane attention to detail of this developer.

Give me a multiplayer survival game in the mould of State Of Decay and I'm in there.
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
tenor.gif



I'm reading everything in the most generous way possible.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
I really think people are over estimating how popular factions was. Especially at £70 for multi only. There's just too much competition in that space (for time mainly) and the first game only had a moderate sized player base (albeit loyal). It was also bundled in with the single player by default. You don't already have that established player base to maybe try the mode (assuming it isn't free DLC at this point). And that's not even thinking if a heavy hitter like the day before comes to console with great word of mouth from PC.

I'd say building on the Uncharted multiplayer would be much safer, and it's actually a decent action/mp game. Factions is very specific in its play style and it seems every week we hear of other titles failing to break into that live service genre. I personally think it's a decent size gamble from primarily a single player studio who's multiplayer modes - to date - have been more 'party/arena' style. They might make a decent multiplayer game but it doesn't equate to one that sells or has popular appeal.

I guess the proof will be in the pudding. They might hit it out the park, who knows?
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Props to the writer who turned nickel and dime into this "create avenues for self-expression for our players, ensure robust longevity to our games, and give our players great rewards to strive for."......................
.................. Players have the generous option at their free will to offer Sony monetary contributions in the form of local currency, to be sent digitally to attain triumphant accessories to turn the tides of battle into personal victories.
 

Andodalf

Banned
Props to the writer who turned nickel and dime into this "create avenues for self-expression for our players, ensure robust longevity to our games, and give our players great rewards to strive for."


Two words for you


Pride

And

accomplishment
 

yurinka

Member
Please someone call ND and tell them microtransactions are cultural appropiation, racist and fascist. And maybe sexist, homophobic and transphobic too.

Live service is now a synonym for shit.
Live service means to have someone taking care about the servers to make sure if a server goes down they fix it quickly, in addition to rebalance the gameplay taking player feedback into consideration, and to release post launch updates to fix and tweak other stuff. Like in this case, the game economy. And with game economy I don't mean microtransactions, I mean 'prices' of in-game unlockable stuff/purchasable stuff using a coin you earn in-game, how fast do you level up or how frequently and in which amount do you get rewarded, etc.

Especially at £70 for multi only.
Who said it's going to be a £70 multi only game? Maybe it's just a free game mode for TLOU2 as the one they added to GoT. Or maybe it's a $30 standalone DLC.

live service genre
Life service isn't a genre, it just means post launch support.
 
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Concern

Member
So microtransactions and rainbow flags for your fans to express themselves. Hope the superstraight flag is at least included as well.

If its f2p, I don't mind the microtransactions but we'll have to see how they go about it.
 

Zeeed

Member
My dream is that ND made an open world game as a service in the world of The Last of Us.
-Present day environment that has been at a stand-still for 20-25 years
-Many varieties of enemies mutated from the virus
-We also know from both game that humans might be the nastiest of enemies
-I hope they concentrate on single and PvE group game play.
-Personally not interested in PvP.
-I hope they litter the whole open world with houses and buildings that tells a story when you go in them
-Hopefully there are more lore about how the virus got started
-Maybe put some flashback missions from the day the outbreak started with different perspective of people
-Prioritize exploration as much as confrontation
-I hope they don't focus on survival management (eat/drink/etc.)

Man, if ND does this right, it will be something I have been waiting/looking for in a game.
A post-apocalyptic PvE game as a service that is story driven with beautiful vistas(don't stay in the city!).

If it is just another Battle Royal, then sadly, I am not interested ;(
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
I really think people are over estimating how popular factions was. Especially at £70 for multi only. There's just too much competition in that space (for time mainly) and the first game only had a moderate sized player base (albeit loyal). It was also bundled in with the single player by default. You don't already have that established player base to maybe try the mode (assuming it isn't free DLC at this point). And that's not even thinking if a heavy hitter like the day before comes to console with great word of mouth from PC.

I'd say building on the Uncharted multiplayer would be much safer, and it's actually a decent action/mp game. Factions is very specific in its play style and it seems every week we hear of other titles failing to break into that live service genre. I personally think it's a decent size gamble from primarily a single player studio who's multiplayer modes - to date - have been more 'party/arena' style. They might make a decent multiplayer game but it doesn't equate to one that sells or has popular appeal.

I guess the proof will be in the pudding. They might hit it out the park, who knows?

A team based, round based, multiplayer game is not safe in today's market.

Battle Royale + Survival games are multiplayer now. The market has drastically shifted.
 
Please someone call ND and tell them microtransactions are cultural appropiation, racist and fascist. And maybe sexist, homophobic and transphobic too.


Live service means to have someone taking care about the servers to make sure if a server goes down they fix it quickly, in addition to rebalance the gameplay taking player feedback into consideration, and to release post launch updates to fix and tweak other stuff. Like in this case, the game economy. And with game economy I don't mean microtransactions, I mean 'prices' of in-game unlockable stuff/purchasable stuff using a coin you earn in-game, how fast do you level up or how frequently and in which amount do you get rewarded, etc.


Who said it's going to be a £70 multi only game? Maybe it's just a free game mode for TLOU2 as the one they added to GoT. Or maybe it's a $30 standalone DLC.


Life service isn't a genre, it just means post launch support.
It's not just post launch support, the game itself changes over time. It's why I hate live service games.
 

Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Every game shouldn't be the same style, how is everyone going to be playing the same style simultaneously?

I'm not sure what you mean by "Everyone playing the same style"?

The next big thing in multiplayer isn't going to be a 5 v 5 game with 4 minute rounds. There's plenty of those types of games on the market. The next big thing in multiplayer is a AAA Rust, or a gen II Battle Royale.
 

MiguelItUp

Member
A team based, round based, multiplayer game is not safe in today's market.

Battle Royale + Survival games are multiplayer now. The market has drastically shifted.
That's not entirely true. It depends on the IP and its mechanics to warrant success. BR and Survival games are just incredibly "safe" in today's market. But while some are loving it, others feel it's grown stale.

It's why games that aren't Battle Royale or Survival games exist and are still popular and successful. Sure they may not be #1 or #2, but that doesn't mean they're unsuccessful.

We've seen these kind of fads for decades. At some point people will be over them and move onto the next "thing". Especially if it's free, which has been the biggest driving point with these games as children don't have income.

Honestly, I feel like TLOU is such a large IP they could get a good amount of success no matter what path they follow. As long as it's a solid experience.
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
That's not entirely true. It depends on the IP and its mechanics to warrant success. BR and Survival games are just incredibly "safe" in today's market. But while some are loving it, others feel it's grown stale.

It's why games that aren't Battle Royale or Survival games exist and are still popular and successful. Sure they may not be #1 or #2, but that doesn't mean they're unsuccessful.

We've seen these kind of fads for decades. At some point people will be over them and move onto the next "thing". Especially if it's free, which has been the biggest driving point with these games as children don't have income.

Honestly, I feel like TLOU is such a large IP they could get a good amount of success no matter what path they follow. As long as it's a solid experience.

Does anyone actually think survival games or Battle Royale games have "grown stale"? I'm skeptical.

There's a relatively small number of each on the market and significantly fewer attempts of each from AAA developers.

In reality, certain people bemone (is that a word?) their popularity, and do their best to discredit them.

These types of games signify a maturation of the market. The industry spent 30 years figuring out basic gameplay mechanics. Now we're moving on to fitting all these mechanics together to explore a higher level of game design. One that encourages building, creating, socializing, strategizing, planning etc...

Multiplayer is leaving it's cacoon phase and becoming a butterfly.
 
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Concern

Member
That's not entirely true. It depends on the IP and its mechanics to warrant success. BR and Survival games are just incredibly "safe" in today's market. But while some are loving it, others feel it's grown stale.

It's why games that aren't Battle Royale or Survival games exist and are still popular and successful. Sure they may not be #1 or #2, but that doesn't mean they're unsuccessful.

We've seen these kind of fads for decades. At some point people will be over them and move onto the next "thing". Especially if it's free, which has been the biggest driving point with these games as children don't have income.

Honestly, I feel like TLOU is such a large IP they could get a good amount of success no matter what path they follow. As long as it's a solid experience.


Tbh he isn't wrong. Look at cod for example. Nobody cares about black ops. Most players from mw and even blops migrated to warzone.

Hence why Activision now said Warzone will be supported for awhile (probably another year imo). Now maybe someone can offer something to bring in player. But it can't be some basic tdm.
 

Dabaus

Banned
Sony’s so out of touch that they day MS seals the deal with zenimax they drop crumbs about naughty dog hiring a gaas coordinator. Enjoy your Abby dlc and gaas tlou2 golf simulator.
 
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