Game director of the original The Last of Us and head of Wildflower Interactive, Bruce Straley, started the controversy on Twitter after declaring that “linear games are easy to make.” This sparked a debate among fans, those who agreed with the statement and those who believed the quality of the game mattered more. Some say linear games aren’t that fun, others say they’re generally good and don’t take long.
Straley believes his comments aren’t “controversial topics” to begin with.
Linear games are easy to create.
There. I said it
— Bruce Straley (@bruce_straley) March 2, 2023
Straley said that when he wrote his comment on March 1, he did not intend to compare linear and nonlinear games. Tweet:
smile! you are crazy! I didn’t realize this was such a controversial topic, and I didn’t say one design style was better than another, but you idiots…
It certainly makes sense from a production standpoint to say that linear games are easier to make. Non-linear games tend to require more branching in the storyline, require more work to create an open world, and generally require more moving parts.
That said, many users in the thread have said they wish there was a more linear experience in today’s games. Because it’s easier to complete games, it’s faster-paced, and it allows developers to focus more on the details.
This isn’t the first time Straley has been embroiled in controversy, with him calling for a union after being uncredited on HBO’s The Last of Us series.