Tone Control: Neil Druckmann

[Jake]

Tone COntrol

 

 

Neil Druckmann

Steve sits down with Neil Druckmann at the Naughty Dog offices to talk about his long and winding path to becoming Creative Director of The Last of Us. Explore the origins of the critically acclaimed game's world and characters. It's possible Joel, Ellie, Hartigan from Sin City, and a certain ottsel share more history than you'd expect...

 

Games Discussed: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Team Racing, Jak & Daxter, Uncharted, Uncharted 2, The Last of Us

• Listen on the Episode Page
• Listen in iTunes
• Subscribe to the RSS Feed

[Coods]

The biggest takeaway from these podcasts for me is how every developer origin story sounds crazy. Druckmann's rise to Creative Director makes him look like a video game Straw Millionaire. Because college is still considered (at least on paper) as the prerequisite for any profession, its fascinating to hear about people getting jobs in an industry that has virtually no credible academic backing at all (tighten up those graphics).

[Problem Machine]

Hey I feel like kind of a weenie for asking but are there The Last Of Us spoilers in this? It's one I'd like to play at some point if I can see my way towards getting a copy and a PS3.

[Brannigan]

Last 30ish minutes are the last of us.

[Max Ernst]

The biggest takeaway from these podcasts for me is how every developer origin story sounds crazy. Druckmann's rise to Creative Director makes him look like a video game Straw Millionaire. Because college is still considered (at least on paper) as the prerequisite for any profession, its fascinating to hear about people getting jobs in an industry that has virtually no credible academic backing at all (tighten up those graphics).

I am jealous of those that make games for a living, but I am so glad I am not in the industry. The whole thing sounds terrifying, career wise. 

[Jake]

Hey I feel like kind of a weenie for asking but are there The Last Of Us spoilers in this? It's one I'd like to play at some point if I can see my way towards getting a copy and a PS3.

I think all tone control episodes are spoiler filled.

[Steve]

Yeah all Tone Control episodes should be assumed to be Spoiler Hell for Gone Home and the games of the guest.

 

The Last of Us started out at a Jak & Daxter reboot, I can't get over it.

[Problem Machine]

Aw nuts.

Fuck poverty.

[sclpls]

I appreciate that for a game as "cinematic" as TLoU, Neil & co. spent as much time as possible trying to tell the story without cut scenes, and then after that exercise adding everything in where it was deemed necessary. That sort of economy of narrative exposition really goes a long way towards keeping your players engaged I think. The story of TLoU wasn't one that I found interesting, but I really admire how Naughty Dog told that story, and that's the more interesting half of the equation really, so a lot of credit is due there.

[Steve]

I appreciate that for a game as "cinematic" as TLoU, Neil & co. spent as much time as possible trying to tell the story without cut scenes, and then after that exercise adding everything in where it was deemed necessary. That sort of economy of narrative exposition really goes a long way towards keeping your players engaged I think. The story of TLoU wasn't one that I found interesting, but I really admire how Naughty Dog told that story, and that's the more interesting half of the equation really, so a lot of credit is due there.

 

Yeah, it's one of the huge things that divides Uncharted and TLOU for me, and obviously it aligns way better with my own personal sensibilities. I could never get into Uncharted because it felt like they saw a big expensive cutscene as a cool reward for you to just sit back and enjoy, whereas in TLOU I always felt like they served a specific narrative/experiential purpose, ie that part of the story couldn't have been told any other way, ie cutscene as last resort. Which I totally accept/respect.

[Berzee]

I didn't expect this to interest me very much because I've never played any Naughty Dog Games, but apparently convoluted career stories and insider looks at game development are good listening regardless of familiarity with the end product. The stories about his badgering a boss into letting him do extra work were especially entertaining.

 

Looking forward to the next episode, especially because it involves NOLF. I was excited because it will be the first Tone Control that isn't infested with zombles; but then I remembered it involves F.E.A.R. so I guess there will still be scaryghosts involved. Ah well, it's a step up.

 

(I'm still hoping that someday I will start up a new episode of Tone Control and hear

music, but this week's was nice too; what is it music of?)

[Steve]

(I'm still hoping that someday I will start up a new episode of Tone Control and hear

music, but this week's was nice too; what is it music of?)

 

It's the theme song for Bad Cat for Commodore 64. The themes for Tone Control will always be the theme song for Bad Cat for Commodore 64.

[Gormongous]

It's the theme song for Bad Cat for Commodore 64. The themes for Tone Control will always be the theme song for Bad Cat for Commodore 64.

 

I get it. If you change the future, you change the past!

[Berzee]

It's the theme song for Bad Cat for Commodore 64. The themes for Tone Control will always be the theme song for Bad Cat for Commodore 64.

 

Oho! You tricked me by using a slightly different segment. I hear it now, of course, yes.

[melmer]

Been listening to this over the week, finally finished it today. really great listening to you guys.

I'm super excited for TLoU single player DLC, fingers crossed that it'll somehow make its way on to the PS4 as a stand alone download

[jmbossy]

This cast is phenomenal. As someone who partly aspires to join the games industry it is actually an incredible resource hearing how some of my idols made their way. Thanks Steve =D

[Justin Leego]

Really appreciated your comments, Steve, about creating a main character that you'd want to spend time with.

[feelthedarkness]

edit! WRONG THREAD. 

[Steve]

This cast is phenomenal. As someone who partly aspires to join the games industry it is actually an incredible resource hearing how some of my idols made their way. Thanks Steve =D

 

Thanks man! Yeah, that is actually part of my motivation for making the cast-- when I was first realizing I wanted to make video games, I read some GameSpot profiles of notable game developers, and a lot of it was about how they were just normal dudes who had no idea what they were doing at first, and just had to figure it out, and try, and then ended up doing awesome stuff. So I try to get that into the cast as much as I can. Thanks for listening!

[Steve]

Really appreciated your comments, Steve, about creating a main character that you'd want to spend time with.

 

Yeah! For me that was really important. For my own sanity if nothing else. You know you're going to be hanging out with these people a LOT, for a long time, and have to want to share that headspace. I've been really happy to see comments by people saying that they wanted to hang out with Sam, or wished they could have had a friend or little sister like her, just because I feel like it at least means I succeeded in creating that kind of character that I was hoping for.

[Donk]

Yeah all Tone Control episodes should be assumed to be Spoiler Hell for Gone Home and the games of the guest.

 

FUUUU saw this too late. I did enjoy Gone Home but knowing the ending did take away from the experience.

[Teddyzipper]

By happy coincidence started this episode not having played gone home yet, I stopped about haft way through to let my brother on our PC, proceeded to play through gone home on his Laptop., i went to bed right after finishing it with hopes of Gone home dreaming was not disappointing (As far as games influencing dreams this one was less disturbing then MMO dreams), Chris Remo's sound track was also full blast. Also just like to thank every one at The Fullbright company you folks made a great game.

[Steve]

By happy coincidence started this episode not having played gone home yet, I stopped about haft way through to let my brother on our PC, proceeded to play through gone home on his Laptop., i went to bed right after finishing it with hopes of Gone home dreaming was not disappointing (As far as games influencing dreams this one was less disturbing then MMO dreams), Chris Remo's sound track was also full blast. Also just like to thank every one at The Fullbright company you folks made a great game.

 

Ahh, thank you so much!! (For listening, and playing!) So glad you enjoyed it.. sorry for invading your dreams