Naughty Dog praises Sony as the best boss: even if it is controversial, it will support it
In the latest interview, Neil Druckmann, creative director of Naughty Dog Studios, emphasized Sony's consistent support for studio creative autonomy, even though these creative decisions have caused widespread controversy.
Druckmann pointed out that Sony always adheres to the principle of "trust first" and gives studios the freedom to make bold decisions at key creative nodes. Whether it is choosing to end Drake's adventure story at the peak of Uncharted 4 series, or risking the development of the new IP "The Last of Us", or even the controversial narrative choice in "The Last of Us 2", Sony never interferes, but encourages the team to "create the most perfect version of the work." Druckman admitted that if it were another publisher, it would likely require "squeezing the final commercial value of the Uncharted Seas", but Sony values the enthusiasm and innovation potential of creators more.
这番表态揭示了索尼与顽皮狗长达二十余年的独特合作模式：在资本与艺术间寻求平衡。 Since its acquisition in 2001, with the financial support of Sony (the single-player development budget has jumped from tens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars), Naughty Dog has completed a gorgeous transformation from an independent studio to a 3A gaming benchmark.
Although in recent years, Sony has encountered public opinion turmoil due to the narrative controversy of "The Last of Us 2" and the character design of the new work "Star: The Prophet", Sony still adheres to the principle of "not interfering in core creativity". Druckman revealed that the two sides are currently cooperating to develop a new IP project and continue to uphold the development concept of "creative passion-oriented".
The game industry generally believes that this unique support model not only breeds classics such as "Unknown Seas" and "The Last of Us", but also highlights the deep dilemma faced by the contemporary game industry - how to find the best balance between player expectations, social issues expression and business returns, this is still the challenge that Naughty Dog and Sony need to face together in the future.
