'The Last Guardian' has been hit with yet another delay

By Gabe Gurwin September 12, 2016

After several lengthy delays and rumors of its cancellation, The Last Guardian is finally making its way to the PlayStation 4 this year, but fans are going to have to wait a little longer than they anticipated.

Writing on the PlayStation Blog, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida revealed that the teams at Japan Studio and GenDesign have run into a number of bugs that have slowed the development process, and Sony does not want to release the game in its current state, lest it fails to meet expectations.

“Fumito Ueda, GenDesign, and Japan Studio have a wonderful vision for The Last Guardian‘s touching, emotional journey of friendship and trust, and we want to deliver the most polished experience possible for our fans who have supported us for so long,” Yoshida adds. “Our development continues to push itself to the fullest and we look forward to revealing new content toward launch.”

Hands On: The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian, Fumito Ueda’s long-in-development adventure, is a spiritual successor to both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, with an emphasis on the bond between a young boy and his flying companion Trico. It was shown off at E3 2009 as a PlayStation 3 exclusive, and its more recent gameplay appears strikingly similar.

In 2012, after missing its 2011 release window and being firmly placed in “development hell,” Yoshida revealed that the development team had run into significant technical issues with The Last Guardian and that they were “much harder to solve” than originally thought. At the time, he remained adamant that the game was a PlayStation 3 exclusive. Its cancellation was erroneously reported a few years later, and Yoshida admitted that Sony would likely have canceled the game completely if fan interest had not remained so high for so long.

The Last Guardian now hits PlayStation 4 on December 6.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

The Last of Us Part I should launch on PlayStation Plus Premium

Ellie looking concerned.

The Last of Us Part I is one of the most notable PlayStation 5 games to launch this fall. It’s also one of the year’s most controversial titles.
Despite the acclaim associated with The Last of Us series, there is heated debate surrounding the remake’s $70 price tag, which is more than the original release and The Last of Us Remastered cost at release -- even though it's lacking the multiplayer mode that came with both. This situation turned what should be a certified slam dunk for Sony into a divisive release, and Sony could fix it with one key change: making The Last of Us Part I a day-one title on PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium.
This isn’t because The Last of Us Part I isn’t worth $70. In fact, its improved visuals and the vast amount of new accessibility features clearly warrant the price tag in the eyes of some. That said, even defenders of the heightened price can recognize the controversy arising from charging more than ever for a remake of a twice-released game. The Last of Us Part I is in a rough situation, and being a PS Plus game would ease some of those concerns.
Why being on PS Plus would work
As The Last of Us is one of Sony's most popular modern franchises and has a TV show on the way, it's understandable why Sony and developer Naughty Dog eagerly want a modernized version of The Last of Us Part I on store shelves at full price. Still, those who've already bought the game twice and aren't impressed by the visual and accessibility overhaul don't seem as compelled to pick up the game for the third time. Sony would remove this significant roadblock plaguing The Last of Us Part I by putting the game on a subscription service.
The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 - Features and Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games
There are plenty of examples showing why this would be a wise idea. The Age of Empire series' Definitive Edition games showed how well remakes work on subscription services. Several years after their original release, many players are still actively engaged with the first three Age of Empire games. While interested players can still purchase the remakes individually, putting those games on Game Pass for PC on day one ensured that the community didn't have to pay full price for a game they were already playing daily. Instead, they could just get the remake through their subscription and continue.
The Last of Us Part I is in a similar situation, even with the multiplayer content removed. This demonstrates why a subscription service release could lessen some of the negative stigmas around the game. The successful Stray, which was included in PS Plus at launch, shows that day one PlayStation Plus games can still generate plenty of positive buzz. The game's subscription service availability ensured that the conversation stayed on the game's cute cats, not the fact that it was a $30 game that only lasted about five hours.
Sony has recognized the power PS Plus can have on embattled games before. Destruction All-Stars was originally a $70 PS5 launch title, but ultimately launched as a PlayStation Plus game that was free to subscribers. Although The Last of Us Part I seems like it’ll be a better game than Destruction All-Stars, a day one game makes even more sense on PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra now than it did on PS Plus in February 2021.

Despite all of those factors, Jim Ryan made it clear that he does not want AAA PlayStation Studios games on PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra on day one during an interview with Games Industry.
“We feel like we are in a good virtuous cycle with the studios where the investment delivers success, which enables yet more investment, which delivers yet more success,” Ryan said. “We like that cycle and we think our gamers like that cycle … We feel if we were to do that with the games that we make at PlayStation Studios, that virtuous cycle will be broken. The level of investment that we need to make in our studios would not be possible, and we think the knock-on effect on the quality of the games that we make would not be something that gamers want."
His argument makes sense from a business standpoint, but data from Microsoft shows that people play more games (and games they might not have played initially) when they are available on a subscription service. Even if it seems unfair to judge, many people weigh the amount of new, entertaining content a game offers to its price tag. Sony's can't truly say whether The Last of Us Part I is worth $70, but it can shift the discussion in its favor with an act of goodwill.
The Last of Us Part I will be released for PS5 on September 2, 2022.

Gaming

The Last of Us Part 1 boasts a groundbreaking accessibility feature

Ellie pets a giraffe in The Last of Us Part I.

Naughty Dog and Sony have released a new 10-minute video featuring gameplay footage of The Last of Us Part 1. The video includes interviews with some of the game's developers, shedding light on many of the remake's improvements, including a range of accessibility features. Most notable is a detailed audio description feature built into the game, which narrates cutscenes, allowing more players to enjoy the experience.

The Last of Us Part I Rebuilt for PS5 - Features and Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games

Gaming

Last of Us Part I coming in September, multiplayer spinoff in development

the last of us part 1 tlou1

Sony has officially announced The Last of Us Part I, a remake of 2013's The Last of Us for PS3. The game launches on September 2 for PlayStation 5 and it is in development for PC. The game's existence was leaked via the PlayStation Direct store earlier today, though the listing didn't spoil that a new standalone Last of Us multiplayer game is in the works.

According to the Naughty Dog's blog post, The Last of Us Part I is a complete overhaul of the original game that has modernized gameplay mechanics, including controls and combat as well as accessibility options. The remake uses the PS3's original performances but with improved graphical details and effects.