Naughty Dog's creative director Neil Druckmann has told Eurogamer that after the release of The Last of Us' only single player DLC, Left Behind which launches next Friday, the team will take a breather but they're already considering what to do next.
"We just wrapped up Left Behind, and Bruce Straley, the game director, and I have been doing this for over four years now. So it's just time for a break, and to recharge the batteries."
Commenting on what they might do next, Druckmann said:
"We have started brainstorming some stuff. To be honest, some of them are sequel ideas, and some of them are brand new IP – we've spent the last few weeks brainstorming new IP. So we have to get some good steps and see… It's kind of like how we approached Left Behind. Can we tell people a story that's really worth telling, and that's not repeating itself? And if we can't, where can we get inspired – what is something that's really going to challenge us, and push storytelling in this medium forward?"
Quizzed on the possibility of bringing original The Last of Us to PS4, Druckmann said, "We have such limited resources, and it's a question of where you put the resources. It's something where we can have a feel of where the demand is, and where our time is best spent. It's something that we'll figure out as we move forward."
The Last of Us broke PS3 sales' records for exclusive titles Sony will no doubt want to make the most of the franchise but given that success they'll likely bankroll whatever Druckmann and his team comes up with next.
Naughty Dog is a two team studio now and the other part of the developer is currently working on Uncharted for PS4. Yesterday, The Last of Us won 10 awards including Game of the Year at DICE.