Video game creator Neil Druckmann on ‘The Last of Us’ and new HBO series

Neil Druckmann is the co-president of the video game development company Naughty Dog and creator of the game “The Last of Us,” which he has co-developed into an HBO series. Druckmann joins Gene Park, video game reporter for The Washington Post, for a conversation about the new television series, his work in video game development and the larger state of the industry. 

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[MindOfJigsaw]

The Last of Us Part II came out the weekend my grandfather, the epitome of my world passed away suddenly. That game took my mind off of everything. Thank you Neil.

[yeahiguessman]

Happy to see Gene back and healthy. Great convo!

[apictureoffunction]

Gene looks so wonderful and healthy, so glad to see!

[tubbs]

19:46 is where he talks about Elden Ring

[seaica]

I experienced a lot of loss before and during my first playthrough of The Last Of Us Part 2 and the game really hit me in my core, I felt that intense anger, guilt and grief that Ellie felt but I understood how dangerous and degrading that is to hold on to. How Ellie physically and emotional felt on that beach was a perfect representation of how destructive those intense feeling can be when you hold onto them. It saddens me a lot that not everyone could experience TLOU2 in the same way but I think that it was a perfect and very complimentary follow up to the first game.

[jakerubino]

Blown away- two reasons - this is probably the first video around ND and TLoU that hasn’t attracted the super vocal minority constantly bagging anything related to the franchise all because they didn’t get their way in part 2 and it’s so refreshing. It’s about time they let it go and matured in how they perceive media and learned to give initial criticism and opinions when appropriate and move on. Secondly, it has to be the commitment and passion to grow the franchise from the initial “father” of the whole story! Here’s to a long successful future of this beloved tale!

[jjmahoney]

Watching this was kind of emotional for me. Gene and I both fought cancer around the same time (my surgery was 6 weeks before his) and seeing him back at work makes me so happy. And hearing Neil talk about how music has such a big effect on his creative process was interesting to hear. Music has always played such a big part in my life, and I often feel a little weird that no one I know really "feels" music the way I do. Hearing Neil talk about music the way he did was great.

[everettenjeze]

Neil druckmann was my inspiration growing up and the reason why I became a game designer. My hero in the gaming industry and the path I want to follow as a game designer. Someone who writes deep emotional stories, backed up by brilliant voice acting, and badass gameplay. Neil druckmann is him👏🏿🖤

[TMV]

thank you Gene and Neil for answering my question!! I can not wait until Sunday!

[roberthood]

Just like Neil said. This game stuck with me for years. Especially TLOU2. I don't think i've ever felt such strong emotions in my entire life as I felt playing that game. That game will stay with me until the day that I die. It taught me a lesson in life. And that's how you know you've created a magnificent piece of art.

Sunday can't come soon enough.

[parlin]

Great interview, great job by Gene for the questions and Neil with the great answers !

[MiguelJackson]

You destroyed the greatest story in video game history.

[scottmatlock]

The man who single handedly brought down Naughty Dog.

[kaseigunsou]

For all the unjustified hate Neil Drunckmann (and to some extent the whole cast, including the amazing Laura Bailey) has been getting for the Last of Us part 2, I just want to go on record stating this man is one of the most passionate directors of our generation. We love your art Neil, keep up the good work and please dont let any bad review drag your vision down.

[zachhorvath]

What a great interview! Vampire Survivors getting a callout is awesome

[budoshi-fl]

I love what he's created, the last of us is so important to me it is not just a game to me, But a part of my life .

[joelorozco]

Crash Bandicoot changed my outlook on life and shaped me into the piece of sh*t I am today. Thank you Neil.

[kaseigunsou]

20:50 super interesting. Watching a cutscene makes your players be passive. Giving them the opportunity to understand the story through exploration of a space and connection of the different dots make them active. I like how Drunckmann refers to this process as gameplay. Just like pushing the right buttons to do something, finding the right clues, to Drunckmann, is a whole part of the game world design and gameplay loop.
Given how stellar games which have incorporated that philosophy (Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, Read Dead Redemption, even Final Fantasy XIV to name a few which come to mind) have been, it's safe to say Drunckmann is onto something with pushing that process even further.

[tbxvividos]

Great interview.
TLoU2 is one of the greatest games ever made, for many reasons, but most of all because it pushed the entire medium of video games forward and used the medium to tell it's story in a way that is unique to video games themselves.
Adapting it for television is going to be a challenge, for sure.

[MikeLeed]

Never seen Gene before. but that little slip up there at the end made me feel he is a genuine dude.