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[cormack12]

Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-the-initiative-new-staff-naughty-dog

Microsoft’s secretive AAA studio, The Initiative, has added more former Sony first-party studio employees to its ranks. This time the new employees are an ex-Naughty Dog animator who worked on the Uncharted series and both The Last of Us games, plus one of Naughty Dog’s former technical directors.

Lee Davis, formerly Naughty Dog’s Head of Melee Animation, has been appointed as The Initiative’s Lead Gameplay Animator. Lauren Garcia, who was previously Naughty Dog’s Character Shading Technical Director, is now Senior Shading Technologies.

Both Davis and Garcia worked on The Last of Us: Part 2, which was critically acclaimed for both its animation and the visual fidelity of its characters. Davis also worked on Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4, and the original The Last of Us.

Davis and Garcia are the latest additions to The Initiative, and not the first from a major Sony studio; back in 2018 the developer hired former God of War producer Brian Westergaard. Alongside these ex-Sony developers are staff who previously worked at Crystal Dynamics and Bungie. These latest hires point to The Initiative potentially looking to replicate the high standards of animation found in Naughty Dog’s games.


Quite a pool of talent getting assembled there. Will be interesting when they finally reveal what they are working on.

 

[jigglet]

This could be big. Remember when Retro hired ex-Naughty Dog talent? We got FUCKING DONKEY KONG. This almost guarantees The Initiative's game is going to have some serious Funk.

 

[Liamario]

People change jobs. What's so special about this.

 

[AJUMP23]

Hopefully they hired the good ones.

 

[Dogman]

People change jobs. What's so special about this.

Xbox fans are hoping it means Naughty Dog will now suck and the Initiative will be good

 

[Allnamestakenlol]

Game over, Sony. Game over.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Can't wait to hear about the anonymous reports of toxic culture at this studio. Get to it Kotaku.

 

[_SAKY_]

Xbox fans are hoping it means Naughty Dog will now suck and the Initiative will be good

More likely they simply want The Initiative to be good.

 

[Monkeygourmet]

Can’t wait to see this In 8 years

 

[Wizz-Art]

Can't wait to hear about the anonymous reports of toxic culture at this studio. Get to it Kotaku.

Wrong site?

 

[Dogman]

More likely they simply want The Initiative to be good.

So they admit that Naughty Dog's "movie games" are actually good then

 

[Ellery]

Nice. Good luck to everyone involved. Former Naughty Dog talent can bring a lot to the table and I hope those people at The Initiviate can create that special extra that Xbox struggled to bring in the past.

Very excited what is to come of this

 

[NullZ3r0]

Hopefully PD doesnt become a sad dad game.

 

[VectorVictor]

This could be big. Remember when Retro hired ex-Naughty Dog talent? We got FUCKING DONKEY KONG. This almost guarantees The Initiative's game is going to have some serious Funk.

So you're confirming a merger between Nintendo and Microsoft and implying a sequel to Donkey Kong 64?

#MEGATON

 

[Beer Baelly]

 

[DonJuanSchlong]

Hopefully it wasn't Druckman... We'll see more people jumping ship from all companies this gen.

 

[tommycronin]

As a Sony fan this makes me concerned.

 

[R6Rider]

We'll see more people jumping ship from all companies this gen.

You mean just like every generation ever?

 

[The_Mike]

Hopefully they hired the good ones.

So Druckmann is still at Naughty Dog?

 

[DonJuanSchlong]

You mean just like every generation ever?

Yeah but even more-so now than ever.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

 

[martino]

studio adn is a sum of people and atmosphere imo so it doesn't tell anything....

 

[AgentP]

I love these clickbait news stories.

Reality check: Developers are not owned by companies and flow endlessly between companies. Like when the talent from the newly acquired MS studios runs out like rats off a sinking ship.

 

[iamvin22]

Doesn't mean anything if you don't have the same tool sets as the last provider. Also they can't go into what made their individual jobs work so good because they are still under nda

 

[Jigsaah]

Nice pickup, hope they can bring the pedigree to whatever The Initiative is working on. It's rumored to be Perfect Dark...I'd love to see a perfect dark with more realistic graphics.

 

[Hudo]

That's quite naughty but I like that MS are taking the initiative.

 

[El Pistolero]

How are these tidbits news worthy? I just do not get it...Thousands of people move between projects and studios on a yearly basis, with nobody, except for Xbox fans when it comes to previous Sony WWS studios’ employees, giving a shit.

 

[lastmessiah]

Shouldn't come as a surprise, Sony doesn't pay their developers.

 

[Moses85]

AAAA combined with Microsoft and Rare sounds like:

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

AAAA combined with Microsoft and Rare sounds like:

It's not Rare. It's The Initiative.

 

[_SAKY_]

.

 

[turtlepowa]

Xbox fans are hoping it means Naughty Dog will now suck and the Initiative will be good

Or they hope the Initiative won't make a cineamtic 3rd person action adventure.

 

[rofif]

two out of two thousand. And these are former employees

 

[_SAKY_]

So they admit that Naughty Dog's "movie games" are actually good then

Smh, you are too obvious. As with ANY game/media that is a matter of preference. Hopefully one would not disregard or dislike a game solely due to it's affiliation to a single platform as that would be disservice to one's self. Naughty Dog is renowned for producing world class titles.

 

[kretos]

An employee leaves a job and moves to a job at another company, i wonder if people at microwave forums make threads about employees moving from a microwave company to another company

 

[Moses85]

AAAA combined with Microsoft and Perfect Dark sounds like:

Fixed

 

[Senua]

I knew it

 

[cormack12]

An employee leaves a job and moves to a job at another company, i wonder if people at microwave forums make threads about employees moving from a microwave company to another company

Owners of Hitachi microwaves probably arent the equivalent of console warriors who get fear sweat between their piss flaps when they read gaming articles. By all means keep bumping the thread though. Bwahahahahhaa. Nice tag by the way.

 

[kretos]

Owners of Hitachi microwaves probably arent the equivalent of console warriors who get fear sweat between their piss flaps when they read gaming articles. By all means keep bumping the thread though. Bwahahahahhaa. Nice tag by the way.

did i touch a nerve sweets? my comment because this is worthless news and doesn't mean anything and i certainly have no fear but i guess you got your orgasm for today after reading this news, damn you xbox people are desperate

 

[Piku_Ringo]

Drats was hoping to see Neil druckmann name as one of the employees hired

 

[Fake]

Abby for everyone.

 

[Bladed Thesis]

The new list war.

 

[DonJuanSchlong]

did i touch a nerve sweets? my comment because this is worthless news and doesn't mean anything and i certainly have no fear but i guess you got your orgasm for today after reading this news, damn you xbox people are desperate

Let me guess, you got excited about a tweet of a basic power cord, but wants to shut down any possible good news, for any company, that YOU don't like? That sounds desperate. If you don't like the thread, there's an ignore button.

 

[Riky]

Next Gen Perfect Dark, sign me up.

 

[mckmas8808]

So................is Naughty Dog hiring people in their place? You never hear them hiring anybody. Just people leaving lol.

 

[WhiskeyDiver]

Either they hit gold and got two great talents that can help reinvigorate games with quality ideas from the outside.

Or they got the guys who put low sodium, sugar free peanut butter on their balls only to never have the dog slurp up that peanut butter on a lonely Saturday.

 

[cormack12]

did i touch a nerve sweets? my comment because this is worthless news and doesn't mean anything and i certainly have no fear but i guess you got your orgasm for today after reading this news, damn you xbox people are desperate

"You people", lol. You should get to know who you're talking to. It wont be as embarassing in threads like this. Or you can make assumptions and still remind us all of that little girl who stamps her feet and think she knows best. You're too far gone in the head mate, you see xbox fans more than alex jones sees chem trails.

Anyway as youve completely.made a tit of yourself with your assumptions and it's public to everyone I can leave you with this

Some people share news because GAF is known for news and we want GAF to be the place for this kind of stuff. Even if it hurts your feelings my little purple haired face picker.

 

[Nikana]

I still find it hard to believe they are putting this many resources into Perfect Dark if the rumors are true.

 

[ripeavocado]

Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-the-initiative-new-staff-naughty-dog

Microsoft’s secretive AAA studio, The Initiative, has added more former Sony first-party studio employees to its ranks. This time the new employees are an ex-Naughty Dog animator who worked on the Uncharted series and both The Last of Us games, plus one of Naughty Dog’s former technical directors.

Lee Davis, formerly Naughty Dog’s Head of Melee Animation, has been appointed as The Initiative’s Lead Gameplay Animator. Lauren Garcia, who was previously Naughty Dog’s Character Shading Technical Director, is now Senior Shading Technologies.

Both Davis and Garcia worked on The Last of Us: Part 2, which was critically acclaimed for both its animation and the visual fidelity of its characters. Davis also worked on Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4, and the original The Last of Us.

Davis and Garcia are the latest additions to The Initiative, and not the first from a major Sony studio; back in 2018 the developer hired former God of War producer Brian Westergaard. Alongside these ex-Sony developers are staff who previously worked at Crystal Dynamics and Bungie. These latest hires point to The Initiative potentially looking to replicate the high standards of animation found in Naughty Dog’s games.


Quite a pool of talent getting assembled there. Will be interesting when they finally reveal what they are working on.

Great for them, the bar is really low but I hope they will find a much better work environment at The Initiative

 

[oldergamer]

did i touch a nerve sweets? my comment because this is worthless news and doesn't mean anything and i certainly have no fear but i guess you got your orgasm for today after reading this news, damn you xbox people are desperate

Compared to some sony fans like in that thread yesterday proclaiming xbox wont have RT when it clearly will. Not close no.

So we already saw something from the new game in the power your dreams commercial