Dan Arey on leaving Naughty Dog and more
GamesIndustry.biz recently interviewed Dan Arey on his decision to leave Naughty Dog for Ready At Dawn Studios, the developers who are soon to release God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP. Summing up his decision to leave, he said:
Naughty Dog and Sony were a wonderful ride, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. I was there for almost ten years, the last four as creative director. Really it was just a matter of being the right time for something new. You sometimes just feel it deep down.
Arey explains that he left Naughty Dog after his role on Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was already over so the game will not suffer anything with his departure. He lauds the game, saying, “People will be happy they have a PS3 once they’ve played Drake’s Fortune.” He also explains how the Jak and Daxter series shouldn’t stop on his account, saying that Sony knows it’s a great franchise.
When asked whether his decision to leave has anything to do with the PS3 not doing so well in sales, he responds by saying that he is very optimistic about the future of the PS3, especially with their first and third-party support. Arey finishes on a rather dramatic note, worthy of a veteran in the industry:
I’ve been around a long time (don’t ask) and I’ve been through at least four major hardware transitions, and it is always the same fears – worry about rising costs, worry about team sizes, worry about price points, worry about whether the consumer base will be there this time. It always works out fine.
Games are here to stay as the primary source of entertainment and artistic expression for the 21st Century. When asked about the future, I say we just need to concentrate on making great games with passion and expertise, games people want and can’t wait to play, and experiences that move the mind emotionally and all the rest will follow.
That’s what Ready at Dawn is all about, and that’s why I’m here.
GamesIndustry.biz recently interviewed Dan Arey on his decision to leave Naughty Dog for Ready At Dawn Studios, the developers who are soon to release God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP. Summing up his decision to leave, he said:
Naughty Dog and Sony were a wonderful ride, and it was an experience I’ll never forget. I was there for almost ten years, the last four as creative director. Really it was just a matter of being the right time for something new. You sometimes just feel it deep down.
Arey explains that he left Naughty Dog after his role on Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was already over so the game will not suffer anything with his departure. He lauds the game, saying, “People will be happy they have a PS3 once they’ve played Drake’s Fortune.” He also explains how the Jak and Daxter series shouldn’t stop on his account, saying that Sony knows it’s a great franchise.
When asked whether his decision to leave has anything to do with the PS3 not doing so well in sales, he responds by saying that he is very optimistic about the future of the PS3, especially with their first and third-party support. Arey finishes on a rather dramatic note, worthy of a veteran in the industry:
I’ve been around a long time (don’t ask) and I’ve been through at least four major hardware transitions, and it is always the same fears – worry about rising costs, worry about team sizes, worry about price points, worry about whether the consumer base will be there this time. It always works out fine.
Games are here to stay as the primary source of entertainment and artistic expression for the 21st Century. When asked about the future, I say we just need to concentrate on making great games with passion and expertise, games people want and can’t wait to play, and experiences that move the mind emotionally and all the rest will follow.
That’s what Ready at Dawn is all about, and that’s why I’m here.