The Last of Us Game Director: No Chance of Mobile Game Version

The studio behind the Uncharted and The Last of Us video games does not believe that the games will come to mobile devices such as smartphones.

Bruce Straley, the game director for The Last of Us, recently took part in an Ask Me Anything thread on Reddit along with The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann. Among the variety of questions concerning The Last of Us, a sequel to the game, and Uncharted 4, one user asked about mobile game development and the possibility of blockbuster game studios going under. Straley shot down the notion that mobile games are causing the death of big budget game studios.

"Well, first off there's a lot of assuming & hypothesizing there - IS the AAA market bubble going to burst? No one knows right?" Straley wrote. "But yes, I do think there is an opportunity for devs to create the 'Journeys' and 'Rayman Legends' that occupy that mid-tier, really well executed, fun games that GAMERS will buy."

The game director added that he feels like one of the main strengths of the video game industry is its diversity, so there will always be a place for developers big and small to find their niche.

"I don't think mobile development is the future though. And I don't think the industry as a whole should put all their eggs into any ONE basket (nor do I think they are honestly). We need diversity. We need indie games, mid-tier games, AAA games, and mobile... I personally like those 2-3 hour experiences like what we just delivered with Left Behind, or the episodes of Walking Dead, but I also love the long form & the stories & adventures we're able to create," he wrote. 

While Naughty Dog has created mobile games for Sony handhelds before, it seems like the company has no interest in bringing their franchises to smartphones and tablets in the near future. Later in the AMA, Neil Druckmann revealed that there is a 50/50 chance for The Last of Us to receive a sequel and addressed some fan theories about the game.

Currently, Naughty Dog is working on Uncharted 4, presumably for the PlayStation 4, but it is unclear what, if any, other projects are in the works from the studio.