Bruce Straley, the director of the original The Last of Us game and head of Wildflower Interactive, sparked controversy on Twitter after saying “linear games are easier to make”. This has led to a debate among fans between those who agree with the statement and those who think the quality of the game is more important. Some say linear games aren’t that interesting, while others say they’re generally better and less time-consuming.
Straley thinks his comment isn’t “controversial” to begin with.
Linear games are easier to do.
there. I said it.
—Bruce Straley (@bruce_straley) March 2, 2023
Straley says he didn’t mean to make comparisons between linear and non-linear games when he wrote his comment on March 1. Today he responded to the growing controversy in another peep:
HAHAHA! They are all crazy! I didn’t think it was such a hot topic or saying that one style of design is better than the other, but fools…
In fact, to say that linear games are easier to create makes sense from a production standpoint. Non-linear games tend to require more story branches, a lot more work to create an open world, and generally more moving parts.
That being said, many thread users say they wish there were more linear experiences in today’s games because they’re easier to complete, have better pacing, and allow the developer to focus more on the details.
This isn’t the first time Straley has found himself embroiled in controversy, having called for unionization after failing to appear in the credits of HBO’s The Last of Us.