The Last of Us Part 2 Naughty Dog 1

One of the big points of forum discussion in recent years is how Microsoft plans to improve its first-party output. The organisation has responded by purchasing a bunch of previously independent teams, such as Ninja Theory and Obsidian. Many of these studios seemed on the precipice of financial ruin, so the Redmond firm’s investment is welcome in that regard.

But can Xbox’s newly acquired subsidiaries compete with Sony’s Worldwide Studios? It’s a question that’s been on the lips of message board dwellers for months, and according to ex-Naughty Dog employee Jonathan Cooper, the answer is fairly straight-forward: not right now. According to The Last of Us: Part II animator, it’ll take long-term support to close the gap.

Of course, the interesting thing here is that the Team in Green does appear to be on a different path. While this generation has seen Sony rely on a handful of tentpole AAA titles every year, it feels like Microsoft is looking for smaller, frequent releases to pad out its Xbox Game Pass subscription. Neither strategy is right or wrong, of course, but it strikes us the platform holders are on potentially different paths.

[source twitter.com]