“This is a story about hate – an intense, harrowing, and emotional adventure,” stated The Last of Us 2’s artistic director at a 2016 panel. He may need been speaking concerning the game’s themes, nevertheless it may simply be an outline of every part that’s been taking place these previous few weeks.
If you’re lower than pace, right here’s the lowdown. Earlier this 12 months, Kotaku launched a report concerning the working situations at Naughty Dog. The article paints an image of “simultaneously the best and the worst workplace in the world”.
“They do try to take care of you, providing food, encouragement to go take breaks,” stated one former developer. “But for the most part, the implication is: ‘Get the job done at all costs.’”
The foremost symptom of this heavy workload is expertise churn. After work wrapped on Uncharted 4, 70-percent of non-lead designers left the corporate. Even co-lead Bruce Straley departed shortly after the game shipped, apparently burnt out.
There are respectable issues concerning the wellbeing of the employees at Naughty Dog, however these issues have been co-opted and used as an excuse to behave abhorrently by a vocal portion of the viewers.
Just over per week in the past there was a huge leak from The Last of Us Part 2 – essential scenes have been leaked of their entirety and the entire premise of the game was laid naked. Rumours started circulating on the time that this was the work of a disgruntled worker who hadn’t been paid.
Over the final couple of days it’s change into obvious that this isn’t the case in any respect. The leak was the work of hackers who had used an exploit in a patch to a earlier Naughty Dog game.
This tweet thread offers a full rundown of how this occurred:
For these of you curious about TLOU2 leaks and the way it occurred, this is your rundown
I do not know what number of tweets this will likely be so buckle up
— PixelButts (@PixelButts) May 3, 2020
Still, regardless of this proof on the contrary, all tales concerning the leak being the work of hackers are being bombarded with feedback during which folks declare Sony and Naughty Dog are mendacity. Apparently they’re simply making an attempt to cowl up the truth that this alleged former worker didn’t get the bonuses they have been promised.
According to Bloomberg News reporter Jason Schreier, Naughty Dog really did the other of holding again pay. “Most importantly, rumors of this being an act of protest by a contractor whose pay was robbed are not true,” he stated. “(ND actually extended pay and healthcare benefits for contractors due to covid).”
Yet the conspiracy theories soldier on due to whollopers on the web. I consider there’s a singular cause for this: it’s as a result of this vocal minority of offended web infants are pissed off that the story isn’t catered to them, the protagonists of actuality.
Over the years, video games have finished their finest to pander to them. Every little bit of company messaging makes them consider artwork is for them and artists are their servants. “We do this for you, the gamers,” says the company overlord who needs to promote you a product. “Don’t like something? No worries. We’ll patch it out.”
It’s basement dwelling shitlords who complain about characters’ breast sizes. If they’re reasonable, it’s an “SJW” game and it’s “censorship”. If they’re large cartoon tits, that’s simply creative integrity, dude.
Anyone who’s performed The Last of Us is aware of Ellie is homosexual and these shitbirds use that truth as a defend – “I liked the first one, so I’m clearly not mad that the game is progressive,” they’ll say. Except Ellie’s sexuality was solely explored in an elective DLC. In The Last of Us Part 2, it’s clearly part of her character and she or he even has a love curiosity.
I received’t go into spoiler territory, however The Last of Us Part 2 additionally options different types of illustration, and the response to this has been abhorrent. I got here into work this morning and spent the primary hour of my day banning folks within the feedback for being hateful, disgusting human beings. And that is solely a portion of the turd pie that Naughty Dog workers have been served over the previous couple of weeks.
Director Neil Druckmann has additionally shared among the antisemetic feedback he’s been receiving on Instagram. It’s a barrage of bile. Then there’s the unhappy individuals who have created Twitter accounts simply to answer to tweets with spoiler movies and messages. The predictable bastards will do it right here, little doubt. Hell, even the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla stream chat was suffering from spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2.
Yet these folks dare to cover behind the working situations at Naughty Dog. Any criticism of them is shut down they usually declare you don’t care concerning the staff. If you really consider that, ask your self this: how would you’re feeling in case you labored your fingers to the bone on one thing for 5 years, and the dialog round it was probably the most poisonous occasions in video games proper on the closing hurdle? I can solely think about how demoralising these previous few weeks have been for the staff at Naughty Dog.
The worst half is, there’s nothing anybody can say or do to vary their minds. It doesn’t matter that there’s proof this leak was exterior. It doesn’t matter {that a} man on VG247 has written an article declaring the absurdity of all of it. None of it issues. That’s as a result of the anger was by no means actually about that. The anger is there as a result of Naughty Dog dared to make a video game story that seemingly strays from the norm. It’s no marvel most builders play it secure. After all, it by no means was about working situations. It’s about hate.
