The developer behind The Last of Us has admitted that the studio initially expected the game to flop and besmirch the studio’s name.
Speaking during the latest Conversations with Creators session (via GameSpot), Game Director, Bruce Straley, spoke of the internal struggles within Naughty Dog during the game’s development, and that everyone was surprised by the project’s reception.
“We thought it was going to tank,” said Straley. “We thought we were going to ruin the name and image [of Naughty Dog] that’s been so heartily built for years with blood, sweat, and tears. We thought we were ruining Naughty Dog’s image."
“The joke we would say throughout production was that ‘This game is the downfall of Naughty Dog,’” added The Last of Us writer, Neil Druckmann.
Of course, The Last of Us went enjoyed massive critical and commercial success, selling over seven million copies worldwide, garnering numerous ‘Game of the Year‘ awards and receiving a PlayStation 4 re-release a year later.
While a sequel has yet to be formally announced, it is believed Naughty Dog is busy working on a follow-up after The Last of Us 2 appeared on a developer resume. In addition, voice actor Nolan North recently said the studio is indeed working on a sequel.
Read our review of The Last of Us: Remastered here.