Develops a Multiplayer Game in Japan: Naughty Dog Veterans Pursue Cinematic Action with a Twist of Breaking Bad's narrative, Already in Playable State.
A new indie game studio, founded by former Naughty Dog developers Vinit Agarwal and Joe Pettinati, is currently developing an unnamed multiplayer game that blends cinematic action with a Breaking Bad-influenced story.
The duo, who spent a decade each at Naughty Dog, have cited the influential game studio as a strong influence on their approach, worldview, and story. Agarwal, who served as game director on The Last of Us Online, left Naughty Dog earlier this year to pursue independent game development in Japan. Pettinati, who progressed from editor to creative director at Naughty Dog, joined Agarwal in their new venture.
Their new studio, based in Japan, is intentionally small to maintain speed, flexibility, and individual ownership of the creative process. The game they are developing is being labeled as a "triple-indie," with the story and gameplay being influenced by AAA studio work but with the fast-paced feel of an indie game.
The game aims to bring cinematic action from previous works to the multiplayer format, with a deep story inspired by Breaking Bad, blending dark themes with lighter aspects common in Japanese works. Agarwal appreciates the show's deep story and interesting character motivations, and aims to create a game with similarly complex characters and a narrative.
The game has been in development for a few months and is currently playable in prototype form. Playtesting for the new game is scheduled for the near future. Agarwal recently spoke to Hidetaka Miyazaki from FromSoftware, reinforcing his admiration for directors with a strong vision.
The developers want to ensure that the story, action, worldview, and gameplay are all on the same level, blending cinematic action familiar from their Naughty Dog days into a multiplayer experience. Their new studio's debut title is still unnamed, but fans of cinematic action and Breaking Bad-influenced stories are eagerly awaiting its release.
[1] Agarwal moves to Japan to pursue independent game development [2] Former Naughty Dog developers form new studio in Japan [3] New game from former Naughty Dog developers aims to blend cinematic action with Breaking Bad-influenced story [4] Vinit Agarwal talks about his admiration for directors with a strong vision [5] Playtesting for new game from former Naughty Dog developers scheduled for near future
[6] New indie studio's debut title has a "triple-indie" feel, influenced by AAA studio work and fast-paced indie games[7] The game is currently being playtested and is being developed for multiplayer formats on PlayStation 5[8] TV show Breaking Bad serves as a significant source of inspiration for the game's story and characters[9] From Software's Miyazaki discusses the new game with Vinit Agarwal who appreciates Miyazaki's strong vision as a director[10] Technology enthusiasts are excited about the innovative blend of cinematic action, RPG, MMO, adventure, and deal elements featured in the game[11] **Video game news outlets are following the progress of this new indie game closely, eager to learn more about its release on console and potential appearances at gaming expos.
