• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Naughty Dog Explains Why It Likely Won't Make Another Jak and Daxter Game

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

In a recent interview with Game Informer, Naughty Dog co-presidents Evan Wells and Neil Druckmann opened up about the idea of returning to some of the properties that the studio used to work on in years prior. While both executives acknowledged that they still have a lot of love for the studio's properties of yesteryear, the reason that it hasn't created new installments with these franchises simply comes down to time constraints. "If we had endless resources and time it would be super fun to do that. You look at what Insomniac is doing with Ratchet and Clank and it’s exciting. It’s great to see that stuff," Wells said of the idea of potentially making another Jak title. "We’re just limited with time, you know, I’m 48 years-old and how many more games do you get to make, so you got to pick and choose."

Druckmann echoed this sentiment from Wells and said that the notion of returning to some of Naughty Dog's older properties is something that has been considered in the past. "Once we finish a project, we spend quite a bit of time entertaining all sorts of different directions, whether it’s going to be something new or if we’re going back to some old franchise. We really take our time with it, and if you were to see our folders of concept art you’d see unused concepts that are all over the gamut," Druckmann explained. "Then we look at everything and we ask ourselves what are we excited by? What’s something that’s going to challenge us and push us, and push the medium as far as games that can be? Because that inspiration is so important to carry through years of production."
 

Fahdis

Member
This is all bullshit. They could make anything into a masterpiece given time. Druckmann is too busy creating characters like Abb... aaahh fuck it. Lost cause.

All they literally have to do is follow the template from the Precursor Legacy. Its the best one anyways.
 
Last edited:

Great Hair

Banned
SHOCKED, eye em!
iu

they also forgot how to design videogames. it's all about slow walking sequences and cutscenes now.

sneeze GIF
Baby Eww GIF by America's Funniest Home Videos
 
Last edited:

Kokoloko85

Member
they also forgot how to design videogames. it's all about slow walking sequences and cutscenes now.


Considering they make game of the year or runner up everytime they’ve released a game since Uncharted 2 says alot.

Apart from Rockstar not many studios can come close to producing something like Naughty Dog. The facial animation, attention to detail, voice acting. And no1 really comes close to doing action scenes like them. Theres lots of imitators like Tomb Raider but its not the same

And before anyone says Uncharted 4 has pacing issues, its better than most games out there…

Anyone who thinks TLOU or Uncharted are just slow walking sequences hasnt really played them. Theres alot of action, hand to hand combat, shooting, stealth etc
 
Last edited:

TheInfamousKira

Reseterror Resettler
Basically, if you want to play some kiddy shit with no substance, crap graphics, and just regular video gamey shit, there's an entire industry out there for you.

ND only makes visceral masterpieces now, good.

I'm so happy with this direction

You can tell you're doing it right when Jason Schreier compares your work to both the Holocaust *and* a Chinese sweat shop.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
I wish more devs did this. there is zero reason to be making kiddie games when you can make stuff like TLOU. Hell, i think even Uncharted is too kiddie for them.

And by kiddie, i dont mean platformers or games with cartoony art style, I am talking about the subject matter and core gameplay mechanics. Going back to uncharted feels so limiting after tlou2.

ND is a premiere studio like rockstar. it's like asking rockstar to make bully or top down grand theft auto games. no they have graduated. lets move on. lets push the medium. its not like ubisoft, ea and activision are going to do it. there are like 3-5 studios even capable of doing that, lets not have them make games that were made because they were limited by 20 year old tech.
 

Hugare

Member
lol, its obvious why they wont go back

Imagine going from Uncharted, TLOU, to something like fucking Jak and Dexter. Please.

Its like saying that George Miller should stop making Mad Max movies to make Happy Feet or Babe sequels

You dont keep the best artists, tech, animators in the business to make Jak and Dexter. ND aims to push boundaries with each new game.

Like, Rift Apart was cool, but its not and never will be as critically aclaimed or sell as good as Uncharted/TLOU games. These games shake the industry.
 
Last edited:

Kokoloko85

Member
Basically, if you want to play some kiddy shit with no substance, crap graphics, and just regular video gamey shit, there's an entire industry out there for you.

ND only makes visceral masterpieces now, good.

I'm so happy with this direction

While I don’t totally agree because I love games like Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and Jak N Daxter. Im happy they are doing stuff like Uncharted and TLOU. Those games changed alot for the industry and brought alot of new stuff to games. They are masterpieces.

But I still think they can make a good Jak n Daxter game and take it to another level. Or at least another studio can do it which is what Id prefer with Naughty Dog supervision. I wouldnt call them kiddy shit with no substance lol. But I am happy with there direction
 

Mikey Jr.

Member
At the end of the day, a studio should be able to make what THEY want to make.

If they don't feel like they have a desire to make a Jak game, then so be it.

They made 4 Jak games, and there was 2 more Jak games. So 6 in total. Its not like the series was left to wither on the vine.

They always put 100% into everything they do. And as a studio, I hope they keep doing that.

Having said that, I really hope their next franchise is a brand new IP.
 
Shit let Insomniac make another Jak then.
I was just going to come in and say that.

Insomniac seems like the perfect studio to pump out this game alongside Ratchet & Clank.

I'd like ND to focus on big blockbuster AAA titles that push the tech as hard as possible. Give me more Last Of Us 2 type games and I'll be happy.
 

anthony2690

Banned
I personally never liked Jak and Dexter myself.
I never liked Ratchet either, but that furry little muppet got 16 games.
Now a game that deserves more titles and is sorely missed, is Ape Escape :D
Please...

I would ever consider a £70 remake at this point, no promises I wouldn't wait for it to be £50 though.
 
Last edited:

EDMIX

Member
While I don’t totally agree because I love games like Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and Jak N Daxter. Im happy they are doing stuff like Uncharted and TLOU. Those games changed alot for the industry and brought alot of new stuff to games. They are masterpieces.

But I still think they can make a good Jak n Daxter game and take it to another level. Or at least another studio can do it which is what Id prefer with Naughty Dog supervision. I wouldnt call them kiddy shit with no substance lol. But I am happy with there direction

Agreed.

If they don't have any ideas for one, let it die until they do. I'd rather they focus on what they are doing right now, then go backwards.

Have Bluepoint remake Jak 1-3 and maybe if people really, REALLY care and the sales are deep, then ND will think about it lol
 

Woggleman

Member
Nothing against these kinds of games but leave the kiddie stuff to others.

Also a game with some of the best third person combat I have seen in years is clearly much more than walking and cutscenes. I sometimes wonder if people even play certain games.

Another thing is a game does not need to be bright, colorful and cartoonish to be fun.
 
Last edited:

sainraja

Member
they also forgot how to design videogames. it's all about slow walking sequences and cutscenes now.
I disagree. I think you are being disingenuous here. If you don't like their style, that's fine but to say they are just walking sequences and cutscenes is just false. And there are so many other studios making other styles of games so you don't need to be into what ND does. It's perfectly OK not to like something — their games are far from being 'walking sequences & cutscenes' and I think you DO know that.
 

sn0man

Member
"Then we look at everything and we ask ourselves what are we excited by? What’s something that’s going to challenge us and push us, and push the medium as far as games that can be? Because that inspiration is so important to carry through years of production."
Agree and disagree. Nobody talks about the story and narrative of J&D like TLOU so yeah maybe that isn’t pushing the narrative part of the medium of games to do J&D.

However pushing the medium could also include pushing the graphics and engine and hardware. They aren’t pushing anything by making TLOU and Uncharted which admittedly share a relatively tight third person camera with a wide linear world.

but I’ve never played J&D so I don’t care as much.

ND are talented enough that I kind of just want something brand new from them. Where is a 4-player co-op experience or a local couch party game. What about a really tight sports game like rockstar pinball.

also what about pushing the medium as far as genre? Try mashing up or doing something like that.
 
Insomniac is two studios. And been going back to Rachet after every failure. Its dependable. These are the games between Resistance 3 - Spiderman ( a licensed game, that follows the batman formula)

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault Outernauts
Fuse
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus
Sunset Overdrive
Slow Down, Bull
Fruit Fusion
Bad Dinos
Digit & Dash
Ratchet & Clank
Song of the Deep
Edge of Nowhere
The Unspoken Feral Rites

Ratchet games created were from necessity. There could have been a world where Naughty couldnt get anything off the shelfs so they kept releasing Jak games. Until they released Spiderman game.

Santa Monica has only released GOW for the past 17 years. There is a world where Santa Monica released this. Instead they are going to make 2 more GOWs.
rjbQ239.jpg

IfPPEr6.jpg

 
S

SpongebobSquaredance

Unconfirmed Member
To the people that correlate "kiddy stuff" to something negative that can't possibly be visceral, substantial and groundbreaking... that's super pretentious and quite frankly false.
You can absolutely take something that is light hearted and turn it into a groundbreaking showpiece technically, gameplay- and content-wise, and also make it immersive and visceral.

Not to mention you can also take a IP and change the tone. It has been done plenty of times.

Example:

This was Batman in the 60's


goofy, funny, not really serious, silly

This was Batman in 2008


the exact opposite

Thats reminiscent of pretty much all Batman movies: They're either epic or silly, but point is that it's still the same IP, meaning you can take the source material of something and turn it into pretty much anything you desire.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

EDMIX

Member
To the people that correlate "kiddy stuff" to something negative that can't possibly be visceral, substantial and groundbreaking... that's super pretentious and quite frankly false.
You can absolutely take something that is light hearted and turn it into a groundbreaking showpiece technically, gameplay- and content-wise, and also make it immersive and visceral.

Not to mention you can also take a IP and change the tone. It has been done plenty of times.

Example:

This was Batman in the 60's


goofy, funny, not really serious, silly

This was Batman in 2008


the exact opposite

Thats reminiscent of pretty much all Batman movies: They're either epic or silly, but point is that it's still the same IP, meaning you can take the source material of something and turn it into pretty much anything you desire.


Thats too much logic for them.

The gaming community can't accept shit.

ND makes a darker Jak title (never mind that is the fucking direction it was headed in with 2, 3 etc) "oh woooooow they've ruined it"

ND makes light hearted Jak title "WTF is this kiddie shit?, now its WOKE everyone"

They will bitch regardless of whats done lol
 
Jak was always easily overshadowed by R&C imho, so it's all good. TLOU and Uncharted are also much better imho. Not that I disliked Jak, it's just not on the level of the other stuff they've worked on recently and the competition of its own day.
 
Ironically, some of the most in-depth, imaginative and most fun games I played recently have been Nintendo games and they make a lot of family or “kiddie” games. Naughty Dog moving into a more mature direction is perfectly fine, but why are people acting like more family-friendly games can’t be relatively visceral as well?
 
Top Bottom