Everyone has their own reason for playing video games. Some value great gameplay above all else, while others will refuse to play games that have subpar graphics, and others will only pick up a game after hearing its soundtrack. Some greatly appreciate the tiniest of details. Game developers normally work under time pressure, and often developers skimp on certain details, citing that “you can’t have everything.” At Naughty Dog, that is not the case.
Character Concept Artist Richard Lyons and Environment Artist Andrew Maximov discussed what they do at Naughty Dog for Uncharted 4 during a livestream for Operation Supply Drop, and it involves a lot of teamwork. There’s a phase in development that Lyons referred to as “blue sky,” where they try out everything. This leads to the phase he calls “closing doors,” where the developers figure out which things they really want to include. Every door they close begins to define what they will eventually put out; this is the game in its earliest stages of formation.
Maximov admits that, while he starts out as the Environment Artist for projects, he finds himself assisting the art team with their technical issues. According to Maximov, technology tends to work across the board, and what started out as tech for the grass was used for Drake’s hair. The same wind blows through the grass and through Drake’s hair, after all. This small detail did not escape the Director’s eye, and was promptly emailed to the entire company, praising it for being “next gen.”
If it costs next to nothing to do it, “might as well do it,” says Maximov. Small things like this don’t affect the game performance, and if the opportunity to improve the player’s experience presents itself, you can rest assured they will not pass it up. At Naughty Dog, they don’t say “we can’t have everything.” They’re going to give it everything they’ve got.