Earlier this week, Sony revealed an interview with The Final of Us director Neil Druckmann about the way forward for gaming. The president of Naughty Canine was quoted as saying the PlayStation studio’s subsequent sport “might redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.” In a stunning twist, Druckmann now says he by no means truly mentioned that.
The interview in query went up alongside a method briefing by Sony to its traders. Along with praising the potential for generative AI to rework how video games are made, Druckmann appeared to make a grand pronouncement about Naughty Canine’s subsequent, highly-anticipated PlayStation 5 sport. “I’m wanting to see how this new sport resonates, particularly following the success of The Final of Us, because it might redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming,” the interview learn.
Along with getting picked up by a number of media shops, together with IGN which known as it “massive phrases,” the quote additionally went viral on social media, the place it acquired widespread criticism. The response has now prompted Druckmann to appropriate the document.
“This isn’t fairly what I mentioned,” the veteran gaming artistic tweeted late on Could 24. “In modifying my rambling solutions in my current interview with Sony, a few of my phrases, context, and intent have been sadly misplaced. Properly, right here’s the complete lengthy rambling reply for the ultimate query about our future sport.”
Druckmann then proceeded to share an excerpt of the uncooked, unedited transcript from his dialog with the nameless interviewer. In it, he talks about how gaming was very area of interest and siloed off from the remainder of the tradition when he was rising up, and the way that has since modified, partially because of hit TV exhibits like HBO’s adaptation of The Final of Us and Amazon’s adaptation of Fallout.
“I’m not solely excited for this sport that we’re making—and it’s, it’s one thing actually contemporary for us—however I’m additionally excited to see how the world reacts to it,” the transcript reads. “Due to The Final of Us, and the success of the present, folks even exterior of gaming are taking a look at us to see what it’s that we put out subsequent. I’m very excited to see what the response for this factor will likely be.”
Whereas interviews are sometimes edited down for readability and size, the one revealed on Sony’s web site made a stunning variety of cuts and, what’s worse, made up a bunch of issues Druckmann didn’t truly say, together with phrases with very totally different meanings from something contained within the authentic. It raises the query of what number of different components of the interview aren’t correct paraphrases of what the sport designer mentioned or are fully made-up, although presumably if there have been extra errors Druckmann would have corrected these as properly.
One factor that Sony lower from his response was a second of humility and graciousness. “I’ve been very fortunate to have labored on my favourite video games with unimaginable collaborators and I’m very grateful for them,” Druckmann mentioned. It was a tacit reminder that Naughty Canine’s video games are made by a whole lot of individuals.
Sony didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
