Bruce Straley, the game director for the original The Last of Us and the head of Wildflower Interactive, has started a controversy on Twitter after declaring that “linear games are just easier to make.” This has whipped fans into a debate between those who agree with the statement and those who believe that the quality of the game is more important. Some state that linear games are not as interesting, while others say they are generally better and less time-consuming.
Straley believes his comment isn’t “a controversial topic” to begin with
linear games are just easier to make.
there. I said it.
— Bruce Straley (@bruce_straley) March 2, 2024
Straley says that he didn’t mean to make any comparisons between linear and non-linear games when he wrote his comment on March 1. Today, he responded to the growing controversy in another tweet:
LOL! Y’all are nuts! I didn’t think this was such a controversial topic nor did I say one design style was better than the other, but you fools…
Indeed, saying that linear games are easier to make just makes sense from a production standpoint. Non-linear games tend to require more branches in the storyline, a lot more work creating an open world, and just more moving parts in general.
That said, many users in the thread say that they wish there were more linear experiences in gaming today, because they are easier to finish, are better paced, and allow the developer to focus more on the details.
This isn’t the first time that Straley has been embroiled in a controversy, as he has called for unionization after not being credited in The Last of Us HBO series.
