The Last of Us Remastered: Neil Druckmann on 'Hellish' PS4 Port

In an exclusive chat with The Last of Us' creative director explained how tough it has been to port one of 2013's most beloved and celebrated game to Sony's next gen machine.

[1OddWorld]

It's interesting that now [compared to when there were technical limitations] the bottleneck is 'Can we fit all this on the disc?'"

/s BluRay always holding us back.

[majiebeast]

Time for 500 gig discs.

[Muzikguy]

And $200 games :/

[pedrof93]

Two discs ?

[Regis]

Well Sony has recently developed a tape that can hold 179 gbs of data in one square inch and it like 7 feet long or something. Google it. Looks pretty interesting to be honest.

[USA007]

@Regis
179gb wouldn't be that impressive, hopefully you meant GB

[randomass171]

@majiebeast Forget that! Bring on the TB discs!!

[Dirtnapstor]

Sony (with Toshiba I think) was developing a 500 GB dual layered Blu-ray Disc. It'll come about!

[Godmars290]

And when there are 2 and greater terabyte discs floating around in labs, neither MS and especially Sony have said if the the XB1 or PS4 can handle 100GB.

Nevermind MS only saying BR wasn't needed last get as they pushed their digital-only future.

[UltimateMaster]

PS5 with 500Gb Discs.

[xilx]

@Regis

It's actually a 185 *TB* tape, though it's totally not feasible for games. It's really something that's only going to be used for archiving, because it's going to be comparatively very slow.

[Benchm4rk]

Id actually be surprised if we are still using physical media for games in 7-8 years when the new consoles come out.

[showtimefolks]

really excited to replay this and happily spend another $60. Its my most favorite game of last generation. I hope a lot of people who passed on it or didn't have a ps3 will give this newer/better version a chance

Its one of those special games that should be played by as many as possible

[Bruce_Wayne]

My friend from school exploded in his pants when he heard this game was being released for PS4. He only played 360 last gen.

[starchild]

I have it on PS3, but I will happily buy the remastered version for my PS4. The game is just that good.

[joab777]

The reason they are doing this is b/c it will sell consoles...especially to the many ppl who never owned a ps3. Its kinda brilliant actually.

[randomass171]

Having maxed out my old New Game+ I gave my PS3 copy to a friend who makes even less than I. So I'm thinking I'll get the game on PS4 and by then it will surely be cheaper for me. :)

[Benchm4rk]

@showtimefolks and joab777

I have a ps3 but mainly used it for a blu ray player last gen and gamed mostly on 360. I almost bought TLOU twice but held off. I had my suspicions that they would release it for ps4. As soon as they announced it I pre ordered it and will grab that and a ps4 the same day. Excited to play it. Months of avoiding spoilers and not joining in conversations with my friends about the game will be over soon :)

[Future_2015]

PS4 games do not exceed more than 60-70g so I have no idea what person would say you need a 500gb blue ray disc

[chrono1205]

Xbox 360 games do not exceed more than 7-8g so I have no idea what person would say you need a 50gb blue ray disc

And we all see how that ended.:)

[randomass171]

More space is never a bad thing. MGSIV would have spanned a bunch of discs if it was still on DVD.

[mo241]

This is a true system seller.
Even being avaible on the ps 3.
I always wanted to buy the game on the ps 3, but for some reason I always postponed it. Glad I did.

[Benchm4rk]

Im with you man. Resisted buying the game a couple of times. Will be the reason I grab a PS4

[mrbojingles]

A bit off topic but I'd like to point out that Nintendo has been spending money on the development of HVD, Holographic Discs which store up to 300GB and theoretically 1TB on a single disc for like 10 years now. I think Japan got a few HVD players but it hasn't really taken off coz its still thousands of dollars

[StoneyYoshi]

Honestly considering how almost everything is going digital, idk if a new type of physical media is necessary. You also forgot to add that the discs alone are a couple hundred bucks each.

[marloc_x]

DVD sold alot of Playstations but the format is all but dead. Shed some weight Sony..

[HeWhoWalks]

This doesn't make any sense at all. None.

OT: Can't wait for this! Just "shed some" light on the date, ND.

[BG11579]

In case you didn't know, Sony is already working in a new support that could handle around 300 gig.

[marloc_x]

Perhaps PS5 will use cassette tapes?

[OrangePowerz]

@Marloc

Like those?

http://www.backupworks.com/...

[randomass171]

DVD is most certainly not dead. They sell DVDs with all Bluray movies because not everyone wants a Bluray player.

[Hyper_Tension140]

Who doesnt have a blu-ray these days.

Now that both next gen consoles have it, more people will likely buy more of those movies.

[breakpad]

Sony said that they will support PS3 parallel with the PS4..the only thing i see is ports of successfull games(or not-GOW aAcension is lame descision to be ported) of PS3 which lessen even more the reasons to buy the previous console and also augments the library of PS4 with lame ports of already played games and not with AAA new ips ...if you think that half of the games (or incoming games) of PS4 are sequels of milked , not-so-successfull franchises (Killzone , Infamous, GOW (incoming), Uncharted (incoming) Last of US (the only that deserves a sequel))(the other half is indies) and non new IPs the console does not conveinces to buy it yet

[SoapShoes]

Uh I see ports being used to fill the gaps during the usual summer drought but it's clear you are a troll as anyone who has done their research knows it's not the case and historically new consoles get games that are cross generational.

[breakpad]

the pro- mentioned franchises were the main reason that PS3 struggled hard against X360 ..not so successful very generic games in which Sony relied a lot and didnt care to attract exclusivities from Japanese companies (who were the main reason of PS2 success) ..now it seems that repeats the same mistakes with ports and recirculating these average games (ok to be fair TLOUS is an excellent game but for that reason shouldnt be ported to PS4)

[jmac53]

I just lost brain cells reading gamepard's comments.

[WeAreLegion]

If you think ports are a new thing, you haven't been gaming very long. Every generation sees ports of games from the previous generation.

[candy_mafia]

Exactly!

"well said" ;)

[randomass171]

Very, very true. That is a very common thing. I remember when I saw a Tarzan game on the GCN and thinking "Wait, wasn't that also on 64?" Sure enough, it was.

[Magicite]

Yes, atm Im not convinced to buy PS4 because my PS4 backlog is extremely huge and with upcoming games (tales of zestiria, kh2.5, persona 5) it only grows, but Im actually glad it is the way it is, it means I can finish my backlog no rush and buy PS4 when Im ready.

[mo241]

the games will come. We need something for now filling up the library.

[LKHGFDSA]

it's ONE GAME.
and it's one of the greatest games of all time.

all 3 of the consoles are spouting out sequels to well known titles, that's how the game industry works.

I can see why this guy only has 2 bubbles.

[The_Sneauxman]

Do you even English bro?

[Muzikguy]

I'm anxiously awaiting this game even though I have the PS3 version too. Awesome game, definitely one of my favorites!!

[Solid_Penguin-64]

Not long now before we see the fruits of their labour then.

[xander70769]

They want to add the option for the triggers to be used for shooting...

I'm all for adding additional optional features, I think it's great to let players customize the experience (and honestly, button mapping should be a STANDARD feature in games now...).

That being said, am I the only one who prefers using L1 and R1 still? The ps4 R2 and L2 are certainly better than the ps3 counterpart, but it still doesn't feel as good to me as L1/R1. Infamous second son felt weird, and so did ground zeroes. I don't like using those buttons for aiming and shooting.

[waltyftm]

Well said, i always user the L1 and R1 for aiming and shooting, and every game should have button mapping in this day and age.

[Clown_Syndr0me]

L2 and R2 feel more natural to me, theyre more trigger-shaped. Also Ive played alot more Xbox than PS over the last 7 years so its what Im used to.
But youre right, no reason why games cant have button mapping, atleast to a certain extent like swapping back buttons around.

[xander70769]

I actually play Xbox 360 a lot, and I have to say it isn't even comparable. The triggers on 360 are boss. They feel totally natural and I love that controller. The ps4 feels good in my hands too, though. Everything about it is about on-par, but even the improved R2/L2 aren't the same as xbox's triggers.

I think that because they've been improved from ps3 controller, devs are going to shift focus to those buttons and I think it's a mistake. They are probably great for racing and stuff though. Obviously I'm nit picky though, and I just really hope devs feature button mapping or at least a few varied control schemes to choose from more often.

[Destrania]

I was playing BF4 quite a bit on my PS4 for a while, but a week or so ago I started playing TLoU MP again using my DS4, and I have to say, I reeaallyy wanted to use the L2 and R2 buttons to aim and fire. They feel so damn good for shooting games imo. If they allow custom controls for the remastered version on PS4 I think it's a win-win.

[LakerGamerEnthusiast]

I see where you're coming from. It took me some time to get used to using them as my aiming and shooting triggers but I've got acclaimed with them already. When I play BF4 I love the ergonomics they have because rarely do my fingers slip anymore..

With that said, I still kinda would prefer the traditional controls from ps3 for TLOU. If they decide to change it, I'll still either way get accustomed eventually.

[Locknuts]

Wow it sounds like really hard work. Hardly worth it IMO for a game that was pretty much perfect already. I would have preferred they put the time and effort into another game.

[DoesUs]

Perfect on PS3 would and is not perfect on PS4.

[sonerone]

I`m sure I`ll play it trough once with them commentaries on :)

[LKHGFDSA]

always interesting to read into how they go about porting games from console to console.
sounds like alot of work was put into this game and it's not just a "cash in".
part of my still wishes they added new things (such as new enemies or just some surprises for people who already played the original) but I guess they're right in saying additions could have a negative impact.
looking forward to playing it, all those high detail assets!

[jay2]

Sony fed. Up not providing 100gb+ discs

[Joe913]

There are 100GB blu ray disk they are double layer blu ray disks they have been out since the early ps3 days but were to thick for the ps3 I thought I read somewhere that even though the disk were not out for consumers yet those disk could work on the ps4 and since the Xbox one has a blu ray drive I am sure it can work on that as well.

[Gamoc]

A dual layer bluray is 50GB, not 100GB, that's four layers. I did read somewhere that the PS4 can read them but I can't find an official source.

[RevXM]

http://www.techradar.com/ne...

It was ps3 compatible, data bleed supposedly no issue with the 16 layer prototypes. shouldn't be a problem to make reliable discs now half the capacity for a reasonable price.

Hopefully Sony is preparing for the future.
I suppose its the lack of demand that have kept them from offering higher capacities. 25-50GB was plenty enough last gen and a few odd ones squesed in, but now there may soon be a demand for even more. Surely I dont ever want to see multiple disc releases on PS4 when I know the old Ps3 technically is compatible with 400GB discs lol.

[uth11]

Good to hear they invested time in this, it wasn't just a quick port for a cash grab!

I can't wait for it!

[rivencleft]

Can't wait, definitely one of the best games to date, and I am more than glad to shell out another $60 for this game, well worth the money, the experience was jaw dropping, awe inspiring greatness.

[CocoWolfie]

i remember hearing how difficult creating a new ip was for them.. i really hope this pays off <3

[MYDEATH21]

I really wish trolls would stay under their bridges.

[n4g_someone]

@Regis

I think the new archive tapes hold 185 TB man.

[Dynasty2021]

You know, I understand newcomers buying this, but I don't understand the logic behind those that have played it already, maybe even platinumed it, BUYING IT AGAIN.

People were pissed at what "message" was being sent by MGSGZ being a "demo" (which turned out to not be the case as I got more hours out of the game than I did with Infamous for example), so what the hell kind of message does THIS release send?

"Don't give us anything new or different, just give us the same game with a "Remastered" on the end and the same content, here's my money, because grafix."

[zero_gamer]

I'll buy this on eBay or Amazon. Not supporting remasters for the sake of double dipping but I am down for playing them.

[MNGamer-N]

Playing a 2nd play through right now on survivor mode. Great game, but not worth buying again. I am satisfied with the PS3 version. Who's got that kind of money anyway to buy the same game twice? Seems kinda silly to me. Unless you are Mr. Moneybags of course.

[jay2]

REMOVE PLEASE DOUBLE POST.

[Aquariusgamer]

TLOU was the last game I purchased on ps3, and it will be the first game I purchase on ps4.

I'm hoping the rumors of a bundle are true.