Bend Studio animator Robert Morrison responds to The Last of Us 1 Remake regarding 'Cash Grab'

Status
Not open for further replies.
Topher said:
Dude.....you just got off being banned. You might want to slow down your trolling.

Jimmy Fallon Reaction GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Click to expand...
Lol I could have done without the last line, but I really do expect a bundle by November. Sony isn't bundling every game. Tlou seems like one they would bundle
 
PropellerEar said:
They need your opinions?
The Office Reaction GIF by NETFLIX
Click to expand...

sadly no, which is why modern AAA gaming is a joke and targeting casual players that barely know how to hold a controller... as seen in this game :)

but the casuals are dominating, even on this forum a sizable amount of users are pretty much casual players
 
Last edited:
01011001 said:
sadly no, which is why modern AAA gaming is a joke and targeting casual players that barely know how to hold a controller... as seen in this game :)

but the casuals are dominating, even on this forum a sizable amount of users are pretty much casual players
Click to expand...
Have you played the game? 🤔 specially on the highest difficulty settings?
 
The question shouldnt be is this a cash grab but is this something that needs to exist and are the resources spent creating it better soent elsewhere
 
Swift_Star said:
Have you played the game? 🤔 specially on the highest difficulty settings?
Click to expand...

I did (if I play a Naughty Dog game I always go for the highest settings, which was a big mistake in Uncharted 4 tbh because the game is just really shit above normal), the gameplay is very simplistic and it's littered with what I find to be the cardinal sin of gamedesign... FORCED SLOW WALKING with ARBITRARILY RESTRICTED ABLITIES.
I didn't finish it, I played like 2h on my own and at a friends I played a bit more of the later sections.

it's like rudimentary stealth meats sub par shooting, with the same "move plank/ladder" puzzle repeated 1000 times 🤷‍♂️
 
Last edited:
Venuspower said:
But all this stuff with remakes and remasters has always existed. So it is not even a new trend. So it does not even have to become a new trend. After all, it already is one.

Just two examples:
Shadow of the Colossus:
PS2: 2005/2006
PS3 Remaster: 2011
PS4 Remake: 2018


PS2: Ratchet & Clank 1: 2002
PS2: Ratchet & Clank 2: 2003
PS2: Ratchet & Clank 3: 2004
PS3: The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy: 2012
PS4: Ratchet & Clank Remake (only R&C 1): 2016

Well, with The Last of Us, we have ve now had the remastered version a year after release. And if you like, the remastered version was remastered again when the PS4 PRO update came. (2013 - 2014 - 2016)

But the time gap between the original releases in 2013 and 2014 (8/9 years) are not even unusual time gaps compared to other remasters/remakes. Demon's Souls is just another example. (2009/2010 vs. 2020). This clearly shows that remasters/remakes are neither something new nor something unusual after this period of time.
In the case of The Last of Us, I simply believe that the game is still much more present in people's minds. There are certainly many reasons for this. On the one hand, the sequel only came out in 2020, which is why many people only played the game again then. On the other hand, TLOU was just so good that it was talked about intensively again and again. And the internet has also changed over time. People are much more involved with certain games. Be it through subreddits, Discord, YouTube or other social networks. These were things that were nowhere near as intense 10+ years ago.
Click to expand...
The problem is that the technical evolution has been diminishing each generation, the difference between RE1 1996 vs 2002 remake is massive as it was the difference between generations as a whole, but nowadays its harder. Also they're reusing the original game structure, SoTC, Halo and Gears remasters were priced at 40 bucks, since reusing it saved money and development time.
 
01011001 said:
I did (if I play a Naughty Dog game I always go for the highest settings, which was a big mistake in Uncharted 4 tbh because the game is just really shit above normal), the gameplay is very simplistic and it's littered with what I find to be the cardinal sin of gamedesign... FORCED SLOW WALKING with ARBITRARILY RESTRICTED ABLITIES.
I didn't finish it, I played like 2h on my own and at a friends I played a bit more of the later sections.

it's like rudimentary stealth meats sub par shooting, with the same "move plank/ladder" puzzle repeated 1000 times 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
So you haven't played the game are are trolling. Got it.
 
Swift_Star said:
So you haven't played the game are are trolling. Got it.
Click to expand...

I played the game, I actually still own the remaster on disc as well. it just isn't in any way special, and feels like a really dumbed down stealth game.
hence I stopped playing it after 2h, and what I have played from the last levels of the game didn't change my opinion

"you haven't played it" is the worst defense for a game btw. that means you have no real arguments
 
Last edited:
01011001 said:
I played the game, I actually still own the remaster on disc as well. it just isn't in any way special, and feels like a really dumbed down stealth game.
hence I stopped playing it

"you haven't played it" is the worst defense for a game btw. that means you have no real arguments
Click to expand...
There's nothing else to discuss.
You're trolling.
Keep trolling. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
cash_longfellow said:
Extra extra! Industry guy backs up other industry people and doesn't down play a game that's already been re-released, remastered twice, and now getting a remake within about ten years….if it isn't a cash grab, idk wtf is anymore 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...
Everyone should buy it and celebrate buying it. The industry needs to receive a clear signal that people want more full-price remasters, fewer upgrade paths, endless rehashing of whatever worked the first time and of course a focus on graphical upgrades which require a side-by-side comparison to be noticed.

This is a giant leap in the right direction.
 
Might be true, but still: story map and story's already there, characters already there and written, basic level design and layout and concepts are already there, character designs are already there, basic combat and crafting mechanics, weapons, locations, interface design etc.

Practically all that stuff that takes at least one year or two from the concept phase is there and no "remade from the ground" claim is gonna change that.

It's not a new game no matter how new it looks. So the price they're asking is not justified in my opinion.
 
Don't want to pay £70, easy, don't.

I won't be. I just recently played through the remaster again and it's fine. I am in ZERO rush to play this but I'll eventually get it. It's a smart move by Sony with the show coming out, it's a no brainer. And now ND can focus on something else, please don't go straight for TLOU3
 
Chukhopops said:
Everyone should buy it and celebrate buying it. The industry needs to receive a clear signal that people want more full-price remasters, fewer upgrade paths, endless rehashing of whatever worked the first time and of course a focus on graphical upgrades which require a side-by-side comparison to be noticed.

This is a giant leap in the right direction.
Click to expand...
I even read this in my head in amazing sarcastic tones, well played 😂
 
Certainly doesn't bode well for ND's future PS5 projects if TLoU2 assets at 1440/60 is the "most meticulously built and crafted project" they've worked on. Sounds like tacit confirmation their in development stuff is just more PS4 assets at 60fps.
 
Last edited:
giphy.gif


No thank you. This is a waste of resources as far as im concerned. And the nerve to charge $70 for it. Have fun those wanting to go through yet again.
 
Guys it's really not rocket science.

If you think it's a cash grab... Don't buy it !
If you think $70 is too expensive... Don't buy it !
If you the think the game is dumb/not special... Don't buy it !
If you think you already played it too many times and don't want another remake... Don't buy it !

Others people may have different opinion (surprise !).
Some people never played the game before and may want to discover it with the best tech.
Or any other reason, who cares ?
If there's not a public for this remake it will just be a failure and ND will move on. Or there's enough people interested, it's a success welcome to capitalism... anyway i don't get the drama about it.
 
Venuspower said:
But all this stuff with remakes and remasters has always existed. So it is not even a new trend. So it does not even have to become a new trend. After all, it already is one.

Just two examples:
Shadow of the Colossus:
PS2: 2005/2006
PS3 Remaster: 2011
PS4 Remake: 2018


PS2: Ratchet & Clank 1: 2002
PS2: Ratchet & Clank 2: 2003
PS2: Ratchet & Clank 3: 2004
PS3: The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy: 2012
PS4: Ratchet & Clank Remake (only R&C 1): 2016
Click to expand...
I know it's probably not intentional, but all you are showing is remastering this hard is a thing Sony has always done.

Sony are not the only one rolling out remasters, but come on man, this is the third remaster of this game.

Just leave it as a BC game and make something new.
 
To respond more seriously to his tweet; he seems to be responding to the IGN article and the general sentiment that some people are not happy about the price of the game. I think his response is honestly gaslighting and not helpful, but what he's saying is probably true also from a limited perspective.

He's an animator, and it looks like he's worked on God of War (2018), Resident Evil 7, Injustice, and other games. From the perspective of literally just the animation work alone, I'm sure it's very meticulously crafted. Everyone knows that Naughty Dog basically have the most attention to detail on animations of anyone in the industry other than Sonic Team. Of course if he's never worked on a Naughty Dog game, then the animation work is going to be on a level of detail he hasn't previously worked on.

But I just don't think he is personally saying that this game is the most impressive and difficult thing he's ever worked on as a whole when considering the whole project, when compared to other fully original, new video games like God of War (2018) or even Resident Evil 7 rebooting the entire series in a new perspective and having VR (both games were $60). I don't think anyone is claiming Last of Us is going to be a shoddy, cheaply made product without AAA production values. It'll have top tier production values. People are just being critical of the price in comparison to previous remakes, the reusing of the voice acting and motion capture work, the lack of multiplayer, and repeated releases for this game and the TV show even. His response pretends none of this exists and just narrowly focuses on his animation work, and is kind of missing the forest for the trees.

The game will still sell millions and I think it'll be a huge hit. But people have a right to be critical of aspects of the project if they want, and his tweet does nothing to negate that.
 
Last edited:
I don't understand the logic behind devaluing the game because it was remastered already. Yeah, it was remastered with underlying PS3 engine. A PS3 to PS5 remake is significant and presumably goes beyond graphics. The remake will have features that TLOU2 couldn't pull off. Speaking as someone who wants more next gen experiences, I say bring it on.

Also these are strong words coming from him, considering he worked on God of War 2018. His reputation is on the line. What reason is there to not give him benefit of the doubt?
 
Venuspower said:
But all this stuff with remakes and remasters has always existed. So it is not even a new trend. So it does not even have to become a new trend. After all, it already is one.

Just two examples:
Shadow of the Colossus:
PS2: 2005/2006
PS3 Remaster: 2011
PS4 Remake: 2018


PS2: Ratchet & Clank 1: 2002
PS2: Ratchet & Clank 2: 2003
PS2: Ratchet & Clank 3: 2004
PS3: The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy: 2012
PS4: Ratchet & Clank Remake (only R&C 1): 2016

Well, with The Last of Us, we have ve now had the remastered version a year after release. And if you like, the remastered version was remastered again when the PS4 PRO update came. (2013 - 2014 - 2016)

But the time gap between the original releases in 2013 and 2014 (8/9 years) are not even unusual time gaps compared to other remasters/remakes. Demon's Souls is just another example. (2009/2010 vs. 2020). This clearly shows that remasters/remakes are neither something new nor something unusual after this period of time.
In the case of The Last of Us, I simply believe that the game is still much more present in people's minds. There are certainly many reasons for this. On the one hand, the sequel only came out in 2020, which is why many people only played the game again then. On the other hand, TLOU was just so good that it was talked about intensively again and again. And the internet has also changed over time. People are much more involved with certain games. Be it through subreddits, Discord, YouTube or other social networks. These were things that were nowhere near as intense 10+ years ago.
Click to expand...
Shadow of Colossus really had that old hit on him, original game was on PS2 and had a lot of slowdowns, and also not even playbale or availble in any modern PS console, so remaking this game for PS4 made perfect sens. While TLOU 2013 already had a 4K/60 remaster that already and perfectly fine and palyble across PS4 and PS5. The only and main reason they're remaking this is because of the TV show.
 
Last edited:
All the hand wringing over a well produced advertisement for the HBO Show. Literally no one is forced to buy this if you've already bought the game before. If 70 bucks is too much for a game you've already played. . .don't play it. Who are the obsessives so fixated on TLOU, that we need to be "worried" about SONY publishing a remake of this that matches more closely the work they've done on TLOU II?

. . .honestly I feel like this was just a happy project for SONY that now lets them package a complete experience for folks on PS5 for fans or folks who just haven't played the games yet. It also means there will be visual cohesion between TLOU I and II as well as the upcoming FACTIONS multiplayer.
 
SSfox said:
Shadow of Colossus really had that old hit on him, original game was on PS2 and had a lot of slowdowns, and also not even playbale or availble in any modern PS console, so remaking this game for PS4 made perfect sens. While TLOU 2013 already had a 4K/60 remaster that already and perfectly fine and palyble across PS4 and PS5. The only and main reason they're remaking this is because of the TV show.
Click to expand...
They're clearly wanting graphics parity for part 2. This being controversial is really stupid tbh.
 
ChiefDada said:
I don't understand the logic behind devaluing the game because it was remastered already. Yeah, it was remastered with underlying PS3 engine. A PS3 to PS5 remake is significant and presumably goes beyond graphics. The remake will have features that TLOU2 couldn't pull off. Speaking as someone who wants more next gen experiences, I say bring it on.

Also these are strong words coming from him, considering he worked on God of War 2018. His reputation is on the line. What reason is there to not give him benefit of the doubt?
Click to expand...
reason to shit on the game...............
MiserlyGlitteringHamster-max-1mb.gif
 
Last edited:
Werewolf Jones said:
The first Uncharted needs a remake over this.
Click to expand...

I actually agree. Would have been the perfect excuse to organically bring back the IP for another game and simultaneously fix the weakest Uncharted game. It felt janky back in 2007 can't imagine what it plays like today.
 
ManaByte said:
Does this confirm that Bend Studio was indeed reduced to a support studio on the remake, which was originally denied?
Click to expand...
No. Bend studio is still the same Bend Studio and they are working on a new IP. They did worked with Naughty Dog, and this dosent confirm nothing, cuz they already confirmed long ago that they worked with Naughty Dog during a down time. We just didnt knew what they worked on at the time.
 
Last edited:
Swift_Star said:
They're clearly wanting graphics parity for part 2. This being controversial is really stupid tbh.
Click to expand...

This goes beyond graphics. 80gb of kraken formatted install for a game half the size of TLOU2 should get people's antennas up (even more so if oodle texture is being used). I can't wait to be petty and bump all of the silly comments underestimating TLOU and GoW Ragnarok when Sony shares more info. Shouldn't be long now...
 
SSfox said:
It's not about if the remake is gonna be polished or not, the issue here is that the game ain't that old, and still hold to this day, so didn't really need a remake, just imagine the disaster if this becomes a trend and so every game will be remade every 9 years after its release...
Click to expand...
Funnily enough if you ask in this forum what are the best remakes ever, many will put REmake in the list without doubts. A game remade after only 6 years and one generation, but still loved and praised.

A pretty pointless fear my friend, if there is a market there will be more ramakes. Easy. However not every game has the same audience or notoriety as TLoU, and not every company can afford the same scope of the TLoU Remake. Remastered after few years will still be the cheapest and easiest way to make bank over old software. Very few franchises and companies can put full, high budget remakes on the market.
 
Last edited:
An AUD$125.00 remake of a 10 year old game, that already had 60FPS remaster, that's not shipping with all of its content, can be the most meticulously crafted thing in the world, and it would still read as a cash grab.
 
Last edited:
They should give people who own the ps3/4 games a discount if it's not a cash grab.

LOVE TLOU 1/2. Some of the best games ever IMO, but no,this is 10000000000000% a cash grab. I'll pick this up when it's 20 or less
 
01011001 said:
"you're trolling" yeah, sorry I think a game is bad that you think is good... I must be trolling if I am not one of the sheep that just eats everything ND shits out

and still no arguments I see
Click to expand...
Dude. He's pretty much admitted it's his job to defend Sony. He said he'd been super busy after the gow release date was announced. Kid has issues
 
SSfox said:
It's not about if the remake is gonna be polished or not, the issue here is that the game ain't that old, and still hold to this day, so didn't really need a remake, just imagine the disaster if this becomes a trend and so every game will be remade every 9 years after its release...
Click to expand...
I finished 2 recently and tried replaying the original. Didn't age well at all. The remake is justified imo. Compared to 2, 1 looks like smashed ass.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Former Bend Studio Game Designer Outlines 'Multiple Canceled / Unannounced Projects' (Linkedin)
18
93
Rocinante618 replied
The Last of Us Complete Edition Announced
News  3 4 5 6 7
309
17K
ArtHands replied
  • Poll
Neil Druckman is stepping down from The Last of Us - HBO Show
2 3 4 5
232
903
Outlier replied
The Last of Us Part II Remastered Chronological Experience Update Announced
News  2 3 4 5 6
252
690
TheGrat1 replied
  • Locked
The Last of Us Season 2 trailer
2
479
Orpheus replied
Top Bottom