Bruce Straley, a director known for his work on Naughty Dog's Uncharted and The Last of Us franchises, has issued an apology to Santa Monica Studio following comments he made about God of War: Laufey. Straley had previously expressed that he was "not excited" by aspects of the game, despite acknowledging its impressive visual presentation.
In a statement shared on social media, Straley apologized for drawing the Laufey team into negative attention. He explained that his intention was to discuss broader concerns about the AAA games industry and that naming the PlayStation exclusive was a misstep. "I have thoughts about what’s wrong & the possible serious harm done to our industry & how we might be able to fix it. But in trying to have a thoughtful conversation I stuck my foot in my mouth & mentioned Laufey, and that was my mistake," he stated.
Straley elaborated on his view that the industry is stagnant, citing games like Half-Life 2, Gears of War, and BioShock, along with his own past projects, as having established the "modern AAA" mold. He believes these earlier titles represented an effort to create new experiences within the AAA space, a characteristic he feels is now lacking.
Furthermore, Straley criticized the pursuit of "games-as-a-service" models, particularly when aimed at replicating the success of titles like Overwatch or Fortnite. He views this strategy as unsustainable and indicative of a lack of understanding of brand identity among industry leaders. Straley attributed these issues to a "lack of good leadership, clear direction, and conviction from the people at the top," whom he believes control the financial stability of the business. He expressed confidence that with a better understanding of their brands, leaders could foster more innovative conversations with creators.
Straley is now focused on developing smaller-scale projects. His independent studio, Wildflower Interactive, is working on the puzzle-platformer Coven of the Chickenfoot. The game features players controlling an elderly witch named Gertie who must decipher the intentions of her non-verbal creature companion through environmental storytelling. Xbox had initially planned to publish the title, but later dropped it; it remains in development with backing from an undisclosed financier.