{"id":1879784,"date":"2026-04-13T12:02:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1879784"},"modified":"2026-04-13T12:02:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:02:53","slug":"former-xbox-veteran-says-canceling-the-last-of-us-online-was-the-right-call-criticizes-naughty-dog-and-sony-for-green-lighting-it-in-the-first-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1879784","title":{"rendered":"Former Xbox Veteran Says Canceling The Last of Us Online Was the Right Call, Criticizes Naughty Dog and Sony for Green-lighting It in the First Place"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-28683165 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The closure of Naughty Dog\u2019s The Last of Us multiplayer game sent shockwaves throughout the video game industry, and surprised even the developers who were making it. But for one former Xbox veteran, it was the right call \u2014 despite how painful it was.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/the-last-of-us-multiplayer-game-cancelled-will-focus-on-single-player-games-going-forward\"><u>Naughty Dog stopped development on The Last of Us Online<\/u><\/a> in December 2023, saying it would have needed to put all its resources into post-launch content for years to come \u2014 an approach that would have severely impacted its ability to develop future single-player games, including what we now know is <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/intergalactic-the-heretic-prophet\"><u>Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Earlier this month, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/it-killed-me-that-people-couldnt-play-it-director-of-the-last-of-us-online-only-found-out-it-was-cancelled-24-hours-before-the-public-says-it-was-80-complete\">the director of <u>The Last of Us Online<\/u> spoke out on the \u201cdevastating\u201d impact of its cancellation<\/a>, which he said he only found out about 24 hours before Sony made it public.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Every IGN Naughty Dog Game Review<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1996\/11\/22\/crash-bandicoot&quot;&gt;Reviewed by IGN Staff&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;November 21, 1996&lt;br&gt;\nCool perspectives aside, Crash really shines when it comes to the graphics. Gorgeous backgrounds and silky smooth animation make this one of the best-looking titles available for the PlayStation. The control is generally pretty good, though it is a little sluggish in some of the levels. Generally, though, Crash is a great game. Sure it can be a tough sometimes, but isn't that what platform games are all about? A must have. \" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 28 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1997\/11\/05\/crash-bandicoot-2-cortex-strikes-back&quot;&gt;Reviewed by IGN Staff&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;November 4, 1997&lt;br&gt;\n Crash 2's best asset, though, is the control. Any platform games needs spot on control, and this game definitely has it. The Sony Analog Controller is a must for the game, but I needed to switch back and forth between analog and digital depending on the make-up of the particular level. This, of course, as easy as hitting a button, and is not a slight on the game. The high-res graphics are, of course, beautiful as well.\n\nUltimately, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a splendid game. It's tremendous fun, but it also could've used a little more variety. On to Crash 3!\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1998\/11\/05\/crash-bandicoot-warped&quot;&gt;Reviewed by Randy Nelson&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;November 4, 1998&lt;br&gt;\n So what if the game may not offer the most innovation I've ever seen from a sequel? It still brings enough freshness (in the form of its semi free-roaming portions and new play mechanics) and refinement to the table to suit my tastes just fine. Not only that, it's an incredibly fun game.\n\nCrash fans, I've got good news: Warped is a winner. Anyone who enjoyed the first two games won't be disappointed, and if you've never played a lick of Crash before, you're in for a serious treat. Highly recommended.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1999\/10\/30\/crash-team-racing&quot;&gt;Reviewed by Doug Perry&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;October 29, 1999&lt;br&gt;\nWell, if you haven't already gotten a sense of what I thought about Crash Team Racing, I'll make myself even clearer. I feel a little like Crash and Lara Croft have something in common, which is that I've seen too much of them in the last four years. I know it's terrible to say, but I'm kinda of sick of Crash Bandicoot, and I could take a big long vacation from him and his comical dance for a long while. It took me a long time to get into this game because every time I look at Crash can see dollar signs blinking in his eyes. Once I got past that major obstacle, I faced the game's all too familiar feel and structure, which depressed me. Finally, after getting about 50% into the game, through sheer force, I started liking it.\n\nBut most folks have only a few choices come the winter the winter holidays. So, here's the bottom line, all cynicism aside. Like I said in the beginning, once you get past the insanely capitalistic smile of Crash, the game is rock solid in playability and graphics. Hell! It's a four-player kart game that's on the PlayStation. Isn't that enough? I mean, not only that, but none of the problems of the other kart games even exist in this one. So what's all the fuss about? If you want a pure party game -- and the best kart game on PlayStation or Nintendo, for that matter -- get Crash Team Racing. \" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/2001\/12\/05\/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy&quot;&gt;Reviewed by David Zdyrko&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;December 4, 2001&lt;br&gt;\nIt's kind of funny thinking back to the day that we were heading down to Sony to play Jak and Daxter for the very first time. On the way, we were talking about how we've all grown tired of the 3D platformer genre and thought that the design philosophy of continuously collecting stuff had been done to death and needed to be done away with completely. And then upon seeing that Jak and Daxter was just another straightforward game of this kind, albeit a gorgeous one, we couldn't help but be at least somewhat disappointed by Naughty Dog's mystery game.\n\nThis disappointment would soon change to wonderment and excitement with each subsequent time that I got to play the game. The more I played Jak and Daxter, the more that I realized that this game was really something special. It has that magical feeling that not all games can possess and it's just flat out a joy to play. This is one of the few games that I can't help but smile and have fun when I'm playing. Jak and Daxter is a true 3D platform\/adventure masterpiece and one of the top games ever released in the genre, easily on par with some of the all time greats released by the likes of Nintendo and Rare. \" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Vinit Agarwal, who was game director on The Last of Us Online, spoke openly about why The Last of Us Online was canceled despite being \u201cvery very close to done,\u201d blaming it on a combination of factors including the widespread industry pullback following COVID lockdowns, and Sony\u2019s subsequent reassessment of its live service push. Naughty Dog had to make a choice between The Last of Us Online and single-player adventure Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Agarwal said. The decision, as we know, was to go with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cAnd so one of the casualties of that was this game I was directing,\u201d he said. \u201cBasically, at one point, a decision had to be made. \u2018Okay, make this game or make the next game that Neil Druckmann was directing, the president of the company.\u2019 And so, kind of naturally, you can understand what happened there. They had to pick the game that was kind of the soul, bread and butter of the studio, rather than this experimental game that I was working on that I believe was going to be really big, but unfortunately couldn&#8217;t see the light of day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Now, Laura Fryer, who has extensive experience working for video game publishers under her belt, has suggested that the real mistake was Sony and Naughty Dog greenlighting The Last of Us Online in the first place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2021719738 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Fryer, a founding member of Xbox and one of Microsoft Game Studios\u2019 first employees, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/LjNQzykPh7o?si=fwJ4LK_SFYCCq8b9\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">released a new video<\/a> in which she expressed sympathy with the team at Naughty Dog who had to see their project canceled, but criticized the lack of planning.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cA lot of people are saying they should have just finished the game and shipped it because it was so close, and I understand how frustrating it must be for the players who were looking forward to this game,\u201d Fryer, who also spent four years as general manager of WB Games Seattle, where she oversaw game development for Warner Bros.\u2019 internal studios in the Seattle area, including Monolith, creator of the Gotham City Impostors and Guardians of Middle Earth, said.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cBut I think that&#8217;s missing the bigger picture because the truth is that this is a classic example of the sunk cost fallacy. And I&#8217;ve seen it play out many times before where you have a studio that&#8217;s already spent many years and millions of dollars and they feel like they have to ship the game anyway, that they have no choice, even when they know the long-term live service support will be brutal. Then the game comes out halfbaked, the team burns out on endless updates, and it usually ends badly.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cNaughty Dog didn&#8217;t do that. They made the harder choice. They looked at the road ahead and they realized that they should stop instead of risking turning the entire studio into a live service operation that was only going to be able to support one big title for years. In my opinion, that was the right call, even though it hurt the team that worked so hard on it. They chose to go back to what the bread and butter of their studio was, single-player narrative games.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Fryer\u2019s criticism was aimed at leadership who not only allowed Naughty Dog to develop a The Last of Us live service game, but to continue to do so for seven years.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cI keep coming back to the bigger question of why did they start this game in the first place,\u201d Fryer said. \u201cWhere was the planning? Live service games are not a mystery. There&#8217;s plenty of data out there that they could have looked at to understand what it would take to do this type of game. You&#8217;ve got new maps. You&#8217;ve got new modes, weapons, seasons, balance patches. It&#8217;s an infinite treadmill. Any studio leader could have run the numbers on what a team Naughty Dog size could realistically support. They could have seen pretty clearly that a team the size of Naughty Dog could never support a live service game and all of their amazing cinematic single player games. It wasn&#8217;t possible.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cBut instead of doing that analysis, they went ahead and let the game go forward. They let it run for seven years. Eventually, Bungie was brought in to do an analysis in 2023, and their reality check on player retention and what it really takes is what finally convinced people that it might be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">That\u2019s a reference to comments from former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, who, speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/posts\/sacred-symbols-122597374\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>Sacred Symbols+<\/u><\/a> last year, said feedback from Sony-owned developer Bungie helped to convince Naughty Dog to scrap The Last of Us multiplayer.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cThe idea for The Last of Us Online came from Naughty Dog and they really wanted to make it,\u201d Yoshida said. \u201cBut Bungie explained [to them] what it takes to make live service games, and Naughty Dog realised, \u2018Oops, we can\u2019t do that! If we do it, we can\u2019t make Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.\u2019 So that was a lack of foresight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cThe ambition was there, but the realistic upfront planning wasn&#8217;t,\u201d Fryer continued. \u201cNaughty Dog ultimately protected what they do best: good cinematic single-player games. That&#8217;s good leadership, even when it hurts. And sometimes the bravest thing a studio can do is to admit that something isn&#8217;t going to work before it drags the whole company down with it.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cSo when people get mad about the cancellation, I think we&#8217;re focusing on the wrong thing. The pain for the team is real and I feel for them. That is a lot of time to put into a game to ultimately not have it ship. But pulling the plug, that was not the real mistake. Okay, the real mistake was in greenlighting this experiment in the first place without doing the homework upfront. That&#8217;s my take.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The closure of Naughty Dog\u2019s The Last of Us multiplayer game sent shockwaves throughout the video game industry, and surprised even the developers who were making it. But for one former Xbox veteran, it was the right call \u2014 despite how painful it was.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/the-last-of-us-multiplayer-game-cancelled-will-focus-on-single-player-games-going-forward\"><u>Naughty Dog stopped development on The Last of Us Online<\/u><\/a> in December 2023, saying it would have needed to put all its resources into post-launch content for years to come \u2014 an approach that would have severely impacted its ability to develop future single-player games, including what we now know is <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/intergalactic-the-heretic-prophet\"><u>Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Earlier this month, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/it-killed-me-that-people-couldnt-play-it-director-of-the-last-of-us-online-only-found-out-it-was-cancelled-24-hours-before-the-public-says-it-was-80-complete\">the director of <u>The Last of Us Online<\/u> spoke out on the \u201cdevastating\u201d impact of its cancellation<\/a>, which he said he only found out about 24 hours before Sony made it public.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Every IGN Naughty Dog Game Review<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1996\/11\/22\/crash-bandicoot&quot;&gt;Reviewed by IGN Staff&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;November 21, 1996&lt;br&gt;\nCool perspectives aside, Crash really shines when it comes to the graphics. Gorgeous backgrounds and silky smooth animation make this one of the best-looking titles available for the PlayStation. The control is generally pretty good, though it is a little sluggish in some of the levels. Generally, though, Crash is a great game. Sure it can be a tough sometimes, but isn't that what platform games are all about? A must have. \" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 28 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1997\/11\/05\/crash-bandicoot-2-cortex-strikes-back&quot;&gt;Reviewed by IGN Staff&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;November 4, 1997&lt;br&gt;\n Crash 2's best asset, though, is the control. Any platform games needs spot on control, and this game definitely has it. The Sony Analog Controller is a must for the game, but I needed to switch back and forth between analog and digital depending on the make-up of the particular level. This, of course, as easy as hitting a button, and is not a slight on the game. The high-res graphics are, of course, beautiful as well.\n\nUltimately, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back is a splendid game. It's tremendous fun, but it also could've used a little more variety. On to Crash 3!\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1998\/11\/05\/crash-bandicoot-warped&quot;&gt;Reviewed by Randy Nelson&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;November 4, 1998&lt;br&gt;\n So what if the game may not offer the most innovation I've ever seen from a sequel? It still brings enough freshness (in the form of its semi free-roaming portions and new play mechanics) and refinement to the table to suit my tastes just fine. Not only that, it's an incredibly fun game.\n\nCrash fans, I've got good news: Warped is a winner. Anyone who enjoyed the first two games won't be disappointed, and if you've never played a lick of Crash before, you're in for a serious treat. Highly recommended.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/1999\/10\/30\/crash-team-racing&quot;&gt;Reviewed by Doug Perry&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;October 29, 1999&lt;br&gt;\nWell, if you haven't already gotten a sense of what I thought about Crash Team Racing, I'll make myself even clearer. I feel a little like Crash and Lara Croft have something in common, which is that I've seen too much of them in the last four years. I know it's terrible to say, but I'm kinda of sick of Crash Bandicoot, and I could take a big long vacation from him and his comical dance for a long while. It took me a long time to get into this game because every time I look at Crash can see dollar signs blinking in his eyes. Once I got past that major obstacle, I faced the game's all too familiar feel and structure, which depressed me. Finally, after getting about 50% into the game, through sheer force, I started liking it.\n\nBut most folks have only a few choices come the winter the winter holidays. So, here's the bottom line, all cynicism aside. Like I said in the beginning, once you get past the insanely capitalistic smile of Crash, the game is rock solid in playability and graphics. Hell! It's a four-player kart game that's on the PlayStation. Isn't that enough? I mean, not only that, but none of the problems of the other kart games even exist in this one. So what's all the fuss about? If you want a pure party game -- and the best kart game on PlayStation or Nintendo, for that matter -- get Crash Team Racing. \" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/2001\/12\/05\/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy&quot;&gt;Reviewed by David Zdyrko&lt;\/a&gt;\n&lt;br&gt;December 4, 2001&lt;br&gt;\nIt's kind of funny thinking back to the day that we were heading down to Sony to play Jak and Daxter for the very first time. On the way, we were talking about how we've all grown tired of the 3D platformer genre and thought that the design philosophy of continuously collecting stuff had been done to death and needed to be done away with completely. And then upon seeing that Jak and Daxter was just another straightforward game of this kind, albeit a gorgeous one, we couldn't help but be at least somewhat disappointed by Naughty Dog's mystery game.\n\nThis disappointment would soon change to wonderment and excitement with each subsequent time that I got to play the game. The more I played Jak and Daxter, the more that I realized that this game was really something special. It has that magical feeling that not all games can possess and it's just flat out a joy to play. This is one of the few games that I can't help but smile and have fun when I'm playing. Jak and Daxter is a true 3D platform\/adventure masterpiece and one of the top games ever released in the genre, easily on par with some of the all time greats released by the likes of Nintendo and Rare. \" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Vinit Agarwal, who was game director on The Last of Us Online, spoke openly about why The Last of Us Online was canceled despite being \u201cvery very close to done,\u201d blaming it on a combination of factors including the widespread industry pullback following COVID lockdowns, and Sony\u2019s subsequent reassessment of its live service push. Naughty Dog had to make a choice between The Last of Us Online and single-player adventure Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Agarwal said. The decision, as we know, was to go with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cAnd so one of the casualties of that was this game I was directing,\u201d he said. \u201cBasically, at one point, a decision had to be made. \u2018Okay, make this game or make the next game that Neil Druckmann was directing, the president of the company.\u2019 And so, kind of naturally, you can understand what happened there. They had to pick the game that was kind of the soul, bread and butter of the studio, rather than this experimental game that I was working on that I believe was going to be really big, but unfortunately couldn&#8217;t see the light of day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Now, Laura Fryer, who has extensive experience working for video game publishers under her belt, has suggested that the real mistake was Sony and Naughty Dog greenlighting The Last of Us Online in the first place.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2021719738 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Fryer, a founding member of Xbox and one of Microsoft Game Studios\u2019 first employees, <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/LjNQzykPh7o?si=fwJ4LK_SFYCCq8b9\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">released a new video<\/a> in which she expressed sympathy with the team at Naughty Dog who had to see their project canceled, but criticized the lack of planning.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cA lot of people are saying they should have just finished the game and shipped it because it was so close, and I understand how frustrating it must be for the players who were looking forward to this game,\u201d Fryer, who also spent four years as general manager of WB Games Seattle, where she oversaw game development for Warner Bros.\u2019 internal studios in the Seattle area, including Monolith, creator of the Gotham City Impostors and Guardians of Middle Earth, said.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cBut I think that&#8217;s missing the bigger picture because the truth is that this is a classic example of the sunk cost fallacy. And I&#8217;ve seen it play out many times before where you have a studio that&#8217;s already spent many years and millions of dollars and they feel like they have to ship the game anyway, that they have no choice, even when they know the long-term live service support will be brutal. Then the game comes out halfbaked, the team burns out on endless updates, and it usually ends badly.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cNaughty Dog didn&#8217;t do that. They made the harder choice. They looked at the road ahead and they realized that they should stop instead of risking turning the entire studio into a live service operation that was only going to be able to support one big title for years. In my opinion, that was the right call, even though it hurt the team that worked so hard on it. They chose to go back to what the bread and butter of their studio was, single-player narrative games.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Fryer\u2019s criticism was aimed at leadership who not only allowed Naughty Dog to develop a The Last of Us live service game, but to continue to do so for seven years.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cI keep coming back to the bigger question of why did they start this game in the first place,\u201d Fryer said. \u201cWhere was the planning? Live service games are not a mystery. There&#8217;s plenty of data out there that they could have looked at to understand what it would take to do this type of game. You&#8217;ve got new maps. You&#8217;ve got new modes, weapons, seasons, balance patches. It&#8217;s an infinite treadmill. Any studio leader could have run the numbers on what a team Naughty Dog size could realistically support. They could have seen pretty clearly that a team the size of Naughty Dog could never support a live service game and all of their amazing cinematic single player games. It wasn&#8217;t possible.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cBut instead of doing that analysis, they went ahead and let the game go forward. They let it run for seven years. Eventually, Bungie was brought in to do an analysis in 2023, and their reality check on player retention and what it really takes is what finally convinced people that it might be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">That\u2019s a reference to comments from former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, who, speaking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/posts\/sacred-symbols-122597374\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>Sacred Symbols+<\/u><\/a> last year, said feedback from Sony-owned developer Bungie helped to convince Naughty Dog to scrap The Last of Us multiplayer.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cThe idea for The Last of Us Online came from Naughty Dog and they really wanted to make it,\u201d Yoshida said. \u201cBut Bungie explained [to them] what it takes to make live service games, and Naughty Dog realised, \u2018Oops, we can\u2019t do that! If we do it, we can\u2019t make Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.\u2019 So that was a lack of foresight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cThe ambition was there, but the realistic upfront planning wasn&#8217;t,\u201d Fryer continued. \u201cNaughty Dog ultimately protected what they do best: good cinematic single-player games. That&#8217;s good leadership, even when it hurts. And sometimes the bravest thing a studio can do is to admit that something isn&#8217;t going to work before it drags the whole company down with it.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cSo when people get mad about the cancellation, I think we&#8217;re focusing on the wrong thing. The pain for the team is real and I feel for them. That is a lot of time to put into a game to ultimately not have it ship. But pulling the plug, that was not the real mistake. Okay, the real mistake was in greenlighting this experiment in the first place without doing the homework upfront. That&#8217;s my take.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The closure of Naughty Dog\u2019s The Last of Us multiplayer game sent shockwaves throughout the video game industry, and surprised even the developers who were making it. But for one former Xbox veteran, it was the right call \u2014 despite how painful it was. Naughty Dog stopped development on The Last of Us Online in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-1879784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1879784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1879784\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1879784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1879784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1879784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}