Bruce Straley Wasn't Credited in HBO's The Last of Us, Calls for Unionization

[Kane99]

Source - https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/01/bruce-straley-wasnt-credited-in-hbos-the-last-of-us-calls-for-unionization

Bruce Straley, who was the co-director of the first Last of Us game, wasn't credited in the new show adaptation for the story. It only mentions Neil Druckmann and Craig Maizin as writers. I hear that Straley is responsible for a lot of the story and ideas in the original game. 

On top of that, he was with Naughty Dog for 18 years, working on even the Uncharted series in a big capacity as well. 

Due to this exclusion from the credits, Straley thinks its more obvious we need unionization in gaming, and I agree. 

Do you think Bruce Straley should be credited in the show going forward? I think he just wants to be recognized for helping create this universe. And it's the least they can do. Even if he's not involved with the show itself. 

What do you think?

[Crazycrab]

If he wasn't involved with the production of the show, then he shouldn't really have a credit in my opinion, at least not as a writer for the show.  You could apply the same logic to anyone whenever any adaptation is made.  Should the original authors of the Gospels in the New Testament get a mention in the credits Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ?  Does the first guy that drew a Goomba deserve a "Character Design" credit in the new Super Mario Movie?  I'm sorry, but with so many adaptations coming out these days for years, decades and even centuries old material you gotta draw a line in the sand somewhere.

 

For me at least this line should be did this person contribute directly to this production?  The answer to that question in this case is no, even if we were to assume that the show does use some of the lines that he wrote for the original game.  The credits do mention Naughty Dog and PlayStation in credits:

 

 

I think it would be fair to have his name here next to Neil Druckmann as a writer and/or Director for the game, but there's no way he should have a writers credit for the show.  If he did then every single person at Naughty Dog and PlayStation who had a hand in creating or publicising the game deserves their name in there too right?  Actually I just thought of something else, the game was developed using the Havok engine right?  I guess everyone who works there deserves a spot as well!  NO!  It's ridiculous.

 

I am all for unionisation in the games industry but for different reasons that I'm not going to bother to get into right now.  I think Straley is just chasing money here.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Crazycrab

[Shagger]

This will probably not be a popular opinion, but no, I do not think he should be given a credit for the TV show without being actively and directly involved with the TV show. A lot of the ideas, concepts, plot lines and characters used in the TV show would have come at least in part from him through his work on the game, and I truly understand that, but that's true of every adaptation. There will always be people who had input on the original movie, TV show, game or whatever it is who's idea's inevitably get utilised in an adaptation without a direct credit, that's just how it works. This is just set up to open a can of worms. For example, what it somebody from Naughty Dog's graphics designed team says " I was the one who made Joels shirt that colour in the game, and he's wearing the same coloured shirt in the show, so surely I deserve a credit and appreciate reparations from HBO's costuming department.".  Sorry, but there has to be a line drawn between credit for actually working on the adaptation and having something you imputed into the original project being used in said adaption.

 

I do 100% support unionisation, but that case gets weaker when someone tries to push for it with what is, quite frankly, rather petty and self-centred motives. If Bruce Staley actually cared about people getting recognised and fairly compensated for thier work on video games, he wouldn't have been co-director at a company with a history of crunching thier employees and do nothing about it. Honestly, Bruce is petty, childish and selfish hypocrite. This actually reminds me when Andrzej Sapkowski sold the licence to CDPR to make The Witcher series of video games based of his books for a pittance because he hated video games and had no faith the games would actually be successful. When the games were successful, he sued CDPR, and worst of all he won. Bruce is basically doing the same thing, he's after money and is using the unionisation narrative as a step up to mount the high horse he has no right to ride. Trust me, he does NOT care about employee's rights, only his own.

[Empire]

Played and enjoyed the first game. Refuse to play the second because it's narrative is dogshit.

Watched the first episode of the show with trepidation, but except for a couple inconsequential character changes, it is a solid entry.

[Shagger]

13 minutes ago, Empire said:

Played and enjoyed the first game. Refuse to play the second because it's narrative is dogshit.

Watched the first episode of the show with trepidation, but except for a couple inconsequential character changes, it is a solid entry.

 

First things first, you're on the wrong thread. This is a news topic discussing the recent comments made by Bruce Straley on credits for the The Last of Us TV series and unionisation, it's not the thread to express your thoughts on the TV show or the games themselves. There a thread been created for discussion on the TV show here, so please direct your comments about the show there and there are a number of threads discussing the game out there and ample opportunity to start your own if the existing threads don't fit. Don't reply to thread unless you're prepared to address the topic at hand.

 

But since we're here, I must ask with all due respect, how can you say the narrative in the second game is "dogshit" without having even played the game? And no, the "I know because of the leaks" excuse does not work because they weren't 100% accurate and clued nothing into the ambiance and atmosphere of the game in those key moments. That's the long way of saying you haven't got a clue. I can say what I want, though, as I did play the game, even reviewed it if you want to check that out.

 

The point is, stick to the topic, please.

[killamch89]

I'd say he should be credited because he's one of the main reasons why this fantastic series graced our lives and his calls for unionization are justified.

[Kane99]

Yeah I think it's fair to include a credit saying he helped with the original game, I don't think he deserves a writing credit for the show itself, as he technically had nothing to do with the show. I just want to see him credited for being one of the creators of the original game. I think that would be fair, considering they do credit Neil and Naughty dog for creating the game. It's not like it'll hurt them any to include one of the original creators. 

But yeah, no credit for writing on the show itself. I think the concern was him not being recognized as an original creator of this massive franchise. If I was in the same boat and I saw something I created blow up huge, I would want to be tied to it in some way at least.