Over a decade ago, Naughty Dog became one of gaming’s most respected developers with their breakout hit, the zombie survival horror The Last of Us. Before then, they made other classics such as Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted. However, few gamers know that the company sold itself to Sony in 2001. After announcing their divisive upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, the company’s co-founder, Andy Gavin, came forward to explain why the decision was made for the developer’s future. Overall, their choice was a necessary one within the industry’s economy.
Why Sony Bought Naughty Dog
According to Game World Observer, Naughty Dog’s co-founder Andy Gavin opened up about why the company sold itself to Sony in 2001. The main reason was the rising costs of video game development. Starting with a $50 thousand budget in the ’80s, these costs swiftly doubled in the ’90s with their games like Rings of Power. With the PSX’s technology, these costs grew exponentially. He said the sale to Sony was about giving their team the resources to create the best games possible.
He gave this interview in response to “skyrocketing” prices within the video game industry as technology advances. According to him, many AAA games now cost hundreds of millions to produce, larger than many Hollywood blockbusters. Fortunately, given the success of the Last of Us duology, this at least paid off for them. However, he also said these mounting costs have been a rising issue for many developers as they must sell more and more copies to stay afloat.
The Company’s History
Naughty Dog has been in the ring since the 1980s, and its first big game was the fantasy RPG Rings of Power on the Sega Genesis. During the PlayStation era, it became famous with the mascot platformer Crash Bandicoot and the action-adventure classic Jak and Daxter. Its next success was the Uncharted series, which followed treasure hunter Nathan Drake. These games are widely regarded as some of the most cinematic experiences in gaming.
Of course, when most gamers think of Naughty Dog, they immediately think of The Last of Us. Gamers and critics praised the game as one of the most emotional stories told by the medium. While far from the first profound story told in gaming, it woke many people up to the potential video games have for storytelling. It was popular enough to earn an acclaimed, big-budget show from HBO.
Their Uncertain Future
While the developer was once a household name, it’s earned mounting criticism over the years. The last entry for The Last of Us became one of history’s most controversial video games for its shocking story developments and flimsy writing. As for their latest big project at The Game Awards, Intergalactic, the trailer got three times more dislikes than likes, with criticism for its art direction and product placement.
Furthermore, many longtime fans believe Naughty Dog forgot about its earlier franchises. For example, two of its latest projects were PS5 remasters of The Last of Us I and II, the latter barely four years old. Like many other major game companies, the team laid off a huge section of its staff in 2023. While Naughty Dog was a longtime subsidiary of Sony, many modern gamers have grown suspicious of larger corporations’ mass purchase of smaller teams. Many companies, such as EA, became infamous for buying up smaller developers only to kill them off. Furthermore, Microsoft recently got into hot water with the FTC with their monopolistic purchase of Activision-Blizzard.
Conclusion
While gaming has become a worldwide industry over the past few decades, it has faced its fair share of hurdles. In addition to widespread layoffs, rising costs have also become an issue. As such, Naughty Dog’s decision to become a subsidiary of Sony was a fair tradeoff to get the necessary resources to make their hit games. As stated earlier, major developers must work extra hard to regain their budgets. Hopefully, Intergalactic can overcome the suspicion surrounding it and become another PlayStation classic for this legendary developer.
