Logan and I have been overwhelmed with the response to Chapter Select in its first week. Particularly here in the Chasing the Stick podcast feed! So, I wanted to pop back in one more time to properly share the Season 1 announcement and share a little tease of the full episode.
Which, is out right now! Check out the links below to listen to S1E1 – Paper Mario and subscribe to Chapter Select!
In this inaugural test season of Chapter Select, Max and Logan dig into Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us. Hot off the heels of its release in 2020, we sink our teeth into Naughty Dog’s divisive sequel. Did PlayStation’s top team capture earn the “Part II” in the title? How does The Last of Us Part II affect the legacy of the first game?
In this inaugural test season of Chapter Select, Max and Logan dig into Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic series The Last of Us. Weeks before the release of the sequel, Logan and Max replayed the PS3’s swan song to explore how it aged and explore its impact on the video game industry in the past seven years.
Welcome to Part VI of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode talks about the future of Naughty Dog with the PlayStation 5 and what could lie ahead. I hope you enjoy.
Continue reading “Part VI: Conclusion”
Welcome to Part V of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode focuses on the tumultuous and generation-long development cycle of The Last of Us Part II. I hope you enjoy.
Continue reading “Part V: The Last of Us Part II”
Welcome to Part IV of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode dives into the rapid, slammed development of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. From pre-production to release in just 15 months, The Lost Legacy is a marvel to explore. I hope you enjoy.
Continue reading “Part IV: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy”
Welcome to Part III of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode is all about the non-stop development of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. I also dig into how the team designed Nathan Drake’s final game. I hope you enjoy.
Continue reading “Part III: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End”
Welcome to Part II of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode discusses how Naughty Dog managed developing for two console generations, as well as how much of an impact The Last of Us had for the studio. I hope you enjoy.
Continue reading “Part II: The Last of Us”
Welcome to Part I of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
I decided to break-up the six parts of my history into individual episodes as well, for more choice for you, the listener. This episode explores the genesis of this project and the scope of Naughty Dog’s work from 2013-2020. I hope you enjoy.
Continue reading “Part I: Naughty Dog by the Numbers”
Welcome to the audiobook version of Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era.
What started out as an idea to explore the history of The Last of Us Part II has (in a Naughty Dog-like fashion) turned into something more ambitious than I anticipated. I want to take a look at Naughty Dog’s PS4 legacy; analyze their game design, explore their developmental history, and compile it all in one place. The Last of Us Part II didn’t just happen out of thin air. It is a sum of years of hard work, lessons learned, and the tireless pursuit of perfectionism.
How did Naughty Dog actually pull it off though? What lessons did they learn, implement, and explore on the PS4? What did it cost their team, both personally and professionally? How has their PS4 catalog defined the studio in a way no previous generation has?
Chasing the Stick is also available online at MaxFrequency.net and as an e-book. Check out the links below to download your preferred format for free.
Chasing the Stick: The History of Naughty Dog during the PS4 Era
• Sony First Party Releases
• Sony First Party Metacritic Scores
• Sony First Party Metacritic Averages
• Sony First Party Metacritic Averages with Three or More Releases
Raindrop.io Bookmark Folder with all cited sources
You may reach out to me on Twitter @MaxRoberts143 or via e-mail at max@maxfrequency(dot)net
