Former Naughty Dog Director Bruce Straley has called for video game industry unionization after being omitted from the credits of The Last of Us HBO show. Straley was the director of the 2013 PS3 hit The Last of Us, leading the game's development alongside Creative Director and current Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann.
HBO premiered its live-action adaptation of The Last of Us on Sunday, January 15. The first episode of the much-anticipated series was met with near-universal critical acclaim and fan adoration. Many viewers praised the show's faithfulness to the first Last of Us game, while even non-players had little issues with following the premiere.
Despite the fact that the show is based on The Last of Us world that Straley helped co-create during his time at Naughty Dog, he wasn't given any credit for his previous work. The show's sole writing credits went to Druckmann and veteran Hollywood screenwriter Craig Mazin. Straley believes that not getting any "credit or a nickel" for his contributions to the TV adaptation's setting is "an argument for unionization," having said as much in a recent media statement.
Speaking to Los Angeles Times, the industry veteran revealed that his omission from the show's credits prompted him to "think more about workers' rights" across the gaming industry. One of his most obvious contributions to the show's world will only become apparent in the coming weeks, once HBO airs the previously announced The Last of Us episode that focuses on paranoid survivalist Bill, played by Nick Offerman. Druckmann himself openly credits Straley for fleshing out the game character, while also attributing his show counterpart to Mazin.
Neither Sony nor HBO responded to Straley's somewhat indignant comments about his lack of credit for The Last of Us show. The ex-Naughty Dog director also told LA Times that his relationship with his former employer and its parent company became strained since his studio exit.
Straley left Naughty Dog in 2017 after spending almost two decades at Sony's award-winning studio. He then went on a career hiatus, eventually returning to the gaming industry in mid-2022 as the director and co-founder of Wildflower Interactive, a new developer focused on "evolving the medium." In his original announcement of the studio, Straley noted that he wasn't sure he'll ever make games again following his 2017 industry exit, alluding at a possible burnout and strained relationship with Sony referenced in the newly published LA Times piece.
The Last of Us airs Sunday nights on HBO.
Source: Los Angeles Times