Interview: Neil Druckmann & Bruce Straley on The Last Of Us

My most fun interviews in my gamer correspondent career were held at a British bar during the Premier Press Event of Last of Ass.

A week later, the game was released in 2013, and two people, Nile Darkman (Creative Director) and Bruce Street (Game Director), were in the room in the room. I just completed the game review for the Edge magazine, and actually achieved US access to this IRGE before other publications for printing, and I had already held the game. It turned out to be a single correspondent at a British event.

An estimated turn of many pages I did during our last passing to review the game for the edge magazine.

DRUKMANN and STRELY could not accept the consideration of any person who passed through the game, as a result, they passed with them at the end of the event to consider my reaction to the game. I asked if I could do it. This was not an official interview. I was already planning 15 minutes. I promised the strare in the evening of that day. It was a gravy train.

We found a room in the back of the vacant facility with a relaxed chair and left himself. In a conversation in the room, I once looked at Ashley Johnson (Ellie) from an important role artist. He also wanted to hear the critics who felt the play enough.

Until the number of seconds, this conversation has revealed that interesting information about creators can be obtained. I didn't have any questions. However, it was just a deep curiosity for this Iloi. No public relations officer gave a signal of the end due to the out of time. We talked within an hour. It was an empty and wandering campaign through the production of the game.

In the light edge problem, there was no room for such a wide range of conversations, and as a result, website records were published on the website. Unfortunately, since I left the magazine in 2013, the edge website was immediately closed, and all the materials posted there were suddenly taken up with the sudden death of Nautodog's main developers. 。

In relation to the fact that the release of the Last of As Part II is imminent, I brought out this conversation out of the web arc and cut off the noydog fans here who had the opportunity to overlook the essence. I did. The conversation dreamed of raising a salary. You will surely like it.

[Note: The following conversations include a significant spoiler of scenaries, so if you care about such things and haven't finished the game yet, leave them later).

How did you come up with the name of the last of ass?

Bruce Strayley: The title of the title is the worst, let's make it look like everyone. Because it is serious responsibility. Write it on paper and say it's important, and you have to live on your back. So the name is very important. Obviously, people read a lot from their names. The dilemma you are experiencing is complicated, but the process is very simple. We literally open Word documents, think about 50 names, Neil thinks 50 names, investigates the company to get more 50 names, Sony contributes, and we open it. This is the source, so use this, so I wanted to open it.

I think this title was originally on Neil's list, but we returned to this title many times separately. And I and Neil chose "The Last of US" respectively. I don't think everyone liked this title, but I think it's a work that can be read in various ways. He mentions Joel and Ellie's personal background and who they are. You can read this as a story about the world and people. You can also read moral dilemma. Just like the other in this game, when I looked at the list of words, it was the other that realized what we wanted. < Span> [Note: The following conversation includes a significant spoiler of scenario, so if you care about such things and haven't finished the game yet, keep it later).

How did you come up with the name of the last of ass?

Bruce Strayley: The title of the title is the worst, let's make it look like everyone. Because it is serious responsibility. Write it on paper and say it's important, and you have to live on your back. So the name is very important. Obviously, people read a lot from their names. The dilemma you are experiencing is complicated, but the process is very simple. We literally open Word documents, think about 50 names, Neil thinks 50 names, investigates the company to get more 50 names, Sony contributes, and we open it. This is the source, so use this, so I wanted to open it.

I think this title was originally on Neil's list, but we returned to this title many times separately. And I and Neil chose "The Last of US" respectively. I don't think everyone liked this title, but I think it's a work that can be read in various ways. He mentions Joel and Ellie's personal background and who they are. You can read this as a story about the world and people. You can also read moral dilemma. Just like the other in this game, when I looked at the list of words, it was the other that realized what we wanted. [Note: The following conversations include a significant spoiler of scenaries, so if you care about such things and haven't finished the game yet, leave them later).

How did you come up with the name of the last of ass?

Bruce Strayley: The title of the title is the worst, let's make it look like everyone. Because it is serious responsibility. Write it on paper and say it's important, and you have to live on your back. So the name is very important. Obviously, people read a lot from their names. The dilemma you are experiencing is complicated, but the process is very simple. We literally open Word documents, think about 50 names, Neil thinks 50 names, investigates the company to get more 50 names, Sony contributes, and we open it. This is the source, so use this, so I wanted to open it.

I think this title was originally on Neil's list, but we returned to this title many times separately. And I and Neil chose "The Last of US" respectively. I don't think everyone liked this title, but I think it's a work that can be read in various ways. He mentions Joel and Ellie's personal background and who they are. You can read this as a story about the world and people. You can also read moral dilemma. Just like the other in this game, when I looked at the list of words, it was the other that realized what we wanted.

In most games, the player is obliged to lay everything out in order and clearly declare with a big, bold sign, "This is what's actually happening right now, and this is how I feel!" And then you can subtly tilt the characters and skills, including the title, and we basically felt that this was the right conclusion for us. Still, we analyzed a certain number of other breeds. In true Naughty Dog style, we have ideas that resonate with us, and during this time, we continue to research other ideas that don't work to intentionally integrate the ideas that we see as true to us. We can't invent something more than anything else, but every day we think about it, for example, actually our last one worked for us and I'm actually proud of this title. It stands out, it's unique, and it's different as a title.

What about the other nominees?

BS: Humanity was one of the nominees for a while. American was also nominated. There were many thoughts with one text, but our last one was rudimentary. [At Naughty Dog, we sometimes compare ourselves to other media, and sometimes the name of the book consists of the first text. Some movie names consist of whole shifts. Sometimes, movie titles have the ability to indent everything. Why, given such richness, should video games simplify everything to such silly Neanderthal polish?

The Pittsburgh Quarter in this work reminded me of the staff who was broadcasting the destruction of Fresh Orleans by Hurricane Katrina on the news. It was cold to watch Joel make his way through waist-deep water and remember the frame of the post-9th quarter survival flood below. Was Fresh Orleans, and Katrina, the reference point in unfolding this particular scene?

BS: Absolutely. There is a picture book by a writer called Robert Polidori called After the Flood. He has written many fascinating books. One is dedicated to Chernobyl and Pripyat. He went into house after house in the aftermath of Katrina and took these amazingly beautiful, monstrous photographs. And also the comparison between mundane life and the shock of seeing a child's teddy bear thrown on a trash heap, moldy drywall, a child's soccer trophy lying on a mattress that is no doubt soaked. It's not just crisis or decay or apocalyptic simplicity, it's the human world we play in that depicts destruction. If this is just nature destroying nature, then nature has always done that. For example, nature renews itself. It's only because we have the precedent of the universe we developed being destroyed that we can say something close to reality is happening here and that we can trust it.

The conflict between the known and the unknown is what interests me about the little backstories. Now the water is not so high, but there is a water line at another level, and when the water line goes down, you see something being thrown over the side of the hill, and you can put the pieces together. During this time, you think: Here is a situation, I see someone bring out a bag with luggage and supplies, and I see them looking for it. And then you realize that someone is visiting here. From these little situations and vignettes, the skill of not being seen as a witness is formed. But Hitchcock basically explains that this is because it allows for huge situations that you can't see in other things. It's interesting to talk about this data.

Presentations are the worst, aren't they? You don't want to hit everyone over the head every day. Let everything be vulnerable, let everything rest, let them pick up these little pieces. I guarantee there's a lot of things that you missed that someone else will understand. Here are the fun moments. Different things come out of the environment around you depending on how you play, what skills you have, what time you're in, where you are.

No tea dogs have been synonymous with the Ancharted for many years, but have broken the marketing tradition by releasing the new work, The Last of US, which is absent from Drake's advertising tower. Instead, a bearded man in a flannel shirt appears. Moreover, Joel and Ellie are equal partners, so there is no clear central character. How much of such a creative decision did you worry about the potential effects of commercially commercially?

BS: The experience we wanted to convey was better than the question we had. We poured everything into the story and character development. Neil and I were talking about this idea in the room together and thought what would happen to this game. Experience in my head and think, "I want to play this game." No one can play such a match, but we have such a chance. We have one of the most talented, most talented teams in this industry. There are many tools we have built, including the engine born from Ancharted. And how can the knowledge of the story collected from the Ancharmed series be applied to this new genre?

Neil earlier, you mentioned that "The Last of US" is both extreme games. Why?

Neil Dracman: When I went to E3, I remember telling Blues, "I didn't think I could get the usual evaluation." In the "Ancharmed", I realized that there was something that surprises people, such as spectacle productions and collapse of buildings suitable for summer super masterpieces. In this game, I was not more convinced. < SPAN> No tea dog has been synonymous with the Ancharted for many years, but has broken the marketing tradition by releasing a new work "The Last of US" without Drake's advertising tower. Instead, a bearded man in a flannel shirt appears. Moreover, Joel and Ellie are equal partners, so there is no clear central character. How much of such a creative decision did you worry about the potential effects of commercially commercially?

BS: The experience we wanted to convey was better than the question we had. We poured everything into the story and character development. Neil and I were talking about this idea in the room together and thought what would happen to this game. Experience in my head and think, "I want to play this game." No one can play such a match, but we have such a chance. We have one of the most talented, most talented teams in this industry. There are many tools we have built, including the engine born from Ancharted. And how can the knowledge of the story collected from the Ancharmed series be applied to this new genre?

Neil earlier, you mentioned that "The Last of US" is both extreme games. Why?

Neil Dracman: When I went to E3, I remember telling Blues, "I didn't think I could get the usual evaluation." In the "Ancharmed", I realized that there was something that surprises people, such as spectacle productions and collapse of buildings suitable for summer super masterpieces. In this game, I was not more convinced. No tea dog was synonymous with Ancharted for many years, but has defeated the marketing tradition by releasing a new work, The Last of US, which is absent from Drake's advertising tower. Instead, a bearded man in a flannel shirt appears. Moreover, Joel and Ellie are equal partners, so there is no clear central character. How much of such a creative decision did you worry about the potential effects of commercially commercially?

BS: The experience we wanted to convey was better than the question we had. We poured everything into the story and character development. Neil and I were talking about this idea in the room together and thought what would happen to this game. Experience in my head and think, "I want to play this game." No one can play such a match, but we have such a chance. We have one of the most talented, most talented teams in this industry. There are many tools we have built, including the engine born from Ancharted. And how can the knowledge of the story collected from the Ancharmed series be applied to this new genre?

Neil earlier, you mentioned that "The Last of US" is both extreme games. Why?

Neil Dracman: When I went to E3, I remember telling Blues, "I didn't think I could get the usual evaluation." In the "Ancharmed", I realized that there was something that surprises people, such as spectacle productions and collapse of buildings suitable for summer super masterpieces. In this game, I was not more convinced.

Now I'm in a totally different position. Standing up makes me feel less confident. But it was a much more intimate and subtle experience, and I wasn't sure if people would understand it, how they would read it. Maybe they'd interpret it the same way we did. But I was pleasantly surprised. Now, before we started, I feel the same way. Some of the games are very flimsy, and I wonder if it was worth hitting them over the head a little harder. But in the end, we do it as casually as we want. In the end, Bruce and I set ourselves the following challenge: Let's make a game that we really want to play. Let's make a game that's not there yet, but that we really want to play.

I think that's the best work of art, isn't it? Because the author or director just wanted to express something personal.

ND: There's something very unique -- I think Bruce feels the same way, but I'll just speak for myself -- I'm very lucky to be in the position I'm in, because Sony gives us complete freedom. Their attitude is, we're going to support you in whatever you want to do. And at the same time, my bosses, Evan and Christoph, who run the studio, have given me more creative freedom than I ever had. So I don't have the burden of making money for the studio. I don't see the budget. I don't do anything about this. My job is to make the best game possible. So I think that comes with a certain responsibility. Even if we're making a triple-A level game, let's make the game that we want to make, let's do something unique, let's go out on a limb and put a 14-year-old girl on the cover. It's a weird risk to take, but at the same time we love Joel and Ellie and we love that we're going to play for her. And, this is something we just talked about, I can't wait to hear people's reactions to you making this transition. Also, this was one of the things we decided, let's do it subtly, we're not going to have a big moment where we do something crazy when the camera changes perspective.

Even when talking about killing, it was important to do it very casually. For example, Tess dies behind the scenes. In the next episode, he was very small and very short in the scene where Joel fell from the horse. It was important not to be too prolonged. Maybe except for the first death at the beginning. It was important to prolong.

It was the first time that I lost my calm just before the end of the match, but I was so impressed in the start 20 minutes. Perhaps he was foreseeing a tragedy, but he was still surprised.

ND: Why? Perhaps because there are few games where children die and children are dangerous. If you look at the GTA, you can exclude children from the equation. Look at Oblivion. Certainly there is room for discussion and I know it is cruel. But it was part of the world, part of the story we were trying to convey, and it was very important to show it. I always told Evan that Sony's leader was waiting for Sony to say, "This scene should be deleted, should be cut, it's overkill." But that didn't happen.

Also, in the Ancharmed series, under the influence of the genre of pulp fantastic, the audience is usually protected from his favorite characters.

ND: By the way, this is very important for this genre. If you start in this direction, you will break this tone and commit an unknown thing.

Playing for Joel's daughter at the beginning of the game completely reinforce a part of us, which is the name of the game. Rather than just playing for one character, you can immediately sympathize with all the suffering people. And when you go back and forth between Joel and Ellie at the end of the game, you are convinced by your experience how much you depend on the other person and care about the other person.

ND: It's strange to say that. One of the things we can't talk about is how to play with prospects, and how the outlook is useful for sympathy with the character. We know that it is much easier to sympathize with the character you are playing. So, I don't know if I thought that Joel might die by changing this and suddenly gaining power to Ellie.

I didn't like his abilities when he was clearly amplified.

ND: Yes, and ultimately, I had you act on purpose. To help her, objective him, and see him from the outside. How did you feel when you actually played it?

It's great to see him in such an defenseless position, especially in consideration of the fact that he actually played the role of the goalkeeper in most of his travels. Joel is an interesting character because he does not pay attention to being the protagonist and has all the elements that indicate that he is not a popular person and is anxious about himself. In this IRGE, there is a little conversation that he recognizes Tess. "Where are you going?" In short, he confesses that he doesn't know where to get closer. Almost all creators were trying to understand how to implement the "Ray Motif", but you finally unraveled this code.

ND: This evolution is really exciting, and I can only add many awards for the fact that I was really a (actor Joel) Troy Baker. Initially, I was thinking about Joel specifically, like Josh Buronrin in the movie "The Old Man", who was rather cautious, vulnerable to pressure, and had no soul. However, Troy began to play as a character that overturns that impression. When he is angry, he does not want this, but Ellie distinguishes the nobles. And there is a scene of talking to her in a ranch house, but she is not his daughter. At this time, he tries to insult her as a result of being pulled out by her. But in a way, at this point it was already very slow to him.

Let's talk about the latest exchange of opinions between Joel and Ellie in this IRGE. In plot games, there are many questions about how to end the curtain, but in the last of ass, the balance between final nature and ambiguity is well balanced. Ashley died as an artist, but what did you like when you read this scenario for the first time? < SPAN> When he was clearly amplified, I didn't like his abilities.

ND: Yes, and ultimately, I had you act on purpose. To help her, objective him, and see him from the outside. How did you feel when you actually played it?

It's great to see him in such an defenseless position, especially in consideration of the fact that he actually played the role of the goalkeeper in most of his travels. Joel is an interesting character because he does not pay attention to being the protagonist and has all the elements that indicate that he is not a popular person and is anxious about himself. In this IRGE, there is a little conversation that he recognizes Tess. "Where are you going?" In short, he confesses that he doesn't know where to get closer. Almost all creators were trying to understand how to implement the "Ray Motif", but you finally unraveled this code.

ND: This evolution is really exciting, and I can only add many awards for the fact that I was really a (actor Joel) Troy Baker. Initially, I was thinking about Joel specifically, like Josh Buronrin in the movie "The Old Man", who was rather cautious, vulnerable to pressure, and had no soul. However, Troy began to play as a character that overturns that impression. When he is angry, he does not want this, but Ellie distinguishes the nobles. And there is a scene of talking to her in a ranch house, but she is not his daughter. At this time, he tries to insult her as a result of being pulled out by her. But in a way, at this point it was already very slow to him.

Let's talk about the latest exchange of opinions between Joel and Ellie in this IRGE. In plot games, there are many questions about how to end the curtain, but in the last of ass, the balance between final nature and ambiguity is well balanced. Ashley died as an artist, but what did you like when you read this scenario for the first time? I didn't like his abilities when he was clearly amplified.

ND: Yes, and ultimately, I had you act on purpose. To help her, objective him, and see him from the outside. How did you feel when you actually played it?

It's great to see him in such an defenseless position, especially in consideration of the fact that he actually played the role of the goalkeeper in most of his travels. Joel is an interesting character because he does not pay attention to being the protagonist and has all the elements that indicate that he is not a popular person and is anxious about himself. In this IRGE, there is a little conversation that he recognizes Tess. "Where are you going?" In short, he confesses that he doesn't know where to get closer. Almost all creators were trying to understand how to implement the "Ray Motif", but you finally unraveled this code.

ND: This evolution is really exciting, and I can only add many awards for the fact that I was really a (actor Joel) Troy Baker. Initially, I was thinking about Joel specifically, like Josh Buronrin in the movie "The Old Man", who was rather cautious, vulnerable to pressure, and had no soul. However, Troy began to play as a character that overturns that impression. When he is angry, he does not want this, but Ellie distinguishes the nobles. And there is a scene of talking to her in a ranch house, but she is not his daughter. At this time, he tries to insult her as a result of being pulled out by her. But in a way, at this point it was already very slow to him.

Let's talk about the latest exchange of opinions between Joel and Ellie in this IRGE. In plot games, there are many questions about how to end the curtain, but in the last of ass, the balance between final nature and ambiguity is well balanced. Ashley died as an artist, but what did you like when you read this scenario for the first time?

Ashley Johnson: It is interesting that the interpretation of this end is different for each person. In my opinion, Joel and Ellie come this far, and if Ellie is basically death, it means death. But in the end, the fact that you have finally connected in this world, and you need to do business with someone and do business. If you choose to help me, not everyone in this world, that's great. That's great. I trust you.

At this point, she allowed Joel to lie.

BS: It's nice to be able to recite anyway. As I mentioned earlier, only the two small systems that Ellie told Joel, "OK", how much you commit to your head, Joel and his goal, and Joel. It depends on how much you agree with, Ellie and her chance, and how much you have committed to the commitment she had. She was ready to go to the end of the earth. This can really be written in any way, an open end, and a bit ironic. This is not a normal ending, but not a bad ending. It's a good way ... I see, wonderful.

ND: "Oh, we left the possibilities of the sequel! And we're basically talking about everything going well without taking a continuation photo. For us, the trip is over. I am.

A podcast I heard a while ago discussed whether parents could lie or need to their child who was not mature enough to understand the subtle nuances of life. However, Ellie, who succumbed to Joel's persuasion in the last few minutes, is very reasonable. She clearly understands what is and why she has penetrated the principle.

ND: Yesterday, we talked about this. Ellie has a nonsense sense and has noticed that something of David is strange from the moment he meets him. I don't understand exactly what it is, but I understand that something is wrong. < SPAN> Ashley Johnson: It is interesting that the interpretation of this ending varies from person to person. In my opinion, Joel and Ellie come this far, and if Ellie is basically death, it means death. But in the end, the fact that you have finally connected in this world, and you need to do business with someone and do business. If you choose to help me, not everyone in this world, that's great. That's great. I trust you.

At this point, she allowed Joel to lie.

BS: It's nice to be able to recite anyway. As I mentioned earlier, only the two small systems that Ellie told Joel, "OK", how much you commit to your head, Joel and his goal, and Joel. It depends on how much you agree with, Ellie and her chance, and how much you have committed to the commitment she had. She was ready to go to the end of the earth. This can really be written in any way, an open end, and a bit ironic. This is not a normal ending, but not a bad ending. It's a good way ... I see, wonderful.

ND: "Oh, we left the possibilities of the sequel! And we're basically talking about everything going well without taking a continuation photo. For us, the trip is over. I am.

A podcast I heard a while ago discussed whether parents could lie or need to their child who was not mature enough to understand the subtle nuances of life. However, Ellie, who succumbed to Joel's persuasion in the last few minutes, is very reasonable. She clearly understands what is and why she has penetrated the principle.

ND: Yesterday, we talked about this. Ellie has a nonsense sense and has noticed that something of David is strange from the moment he meets him. I don't understand exactly what it is, but I understand that something is wrong. Ashley Johnson: It is interesting that the interpretation of this end is different for each person. In my opinion, Joel and Ellie come this far, and if Ellie is basically death, it means death. But in the end, the fact that you have finally connected in this world, and you need to do business with someone and do business. If you choose to help me, not everyone in this world, that's great. That's great. I trust you.

At this point, she allowed Joel to lie.

BS: It's nice to be able to recite anyway. As I mentioned earlier, only the two small systems that Ellie told Joel, "OK", how much you commit to your head, Joel and his goal, and Joel. It depends on how much you agree with, Ellie and her chance, and how much you have committed to the commitment she had. She was ready to go to the end of the earth. This can really be written in any way, an open end, and a bit ironic. This is not a normal ending, but not a bad ending. It's a good way ... I see, wonderful.