The Last of Us Director Vs. HBO: Unionization Demands After Not Getting Credit

Bruce Straley, one of the directors behind The Last of Us, an action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, part of Sony Group Corp SONY, called for unionization within the gaming industry, as per The Gamer.

What Happened: On Jan. 15, 2023, Warner Bros Discovery Inc WBD's HBO released a TV series based on the 2013 video game but Straley was not credited for his contributions to the development of the setting and characters in this highly successful adaptation.

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The other directors of the game, Neil Druckmann and Craig Maizin, were granted official writing credits.

Why It Matters: That’s why Straley published an article in the Los Angeles Times proposing unionization in the video game industry as a means to guarantee creators receive proper recognition for their work.

“It’s an argument for unionization that someone who was part of the co-creation of that world and those characters isn’t getting a credit or a nickel for the work they put into it,” Straley said. “Maybe we need unions in the video game industry to be able to protect creators.”

Straley parted ways with Naughty Dog in 2017, prior to the studio striking up a deal with HBO to adapt The Last Of Us into a TV show.

According to the Los Angeles Times article, Straley's relationship with Sony and Naughty Dog is currently "strained."

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Photo: Courtesy HBO