Corrinne Yu On Why Naughty Dog Is Great For A Dev
While recently there have been a number of layoffs inside the Sony Worldwide Studios, causing a lot of buzz and (false) rumors, the firm has also been constantly hiring talent such as Corrinne Yu, as we reported earlier.
You may not recognize her name at first, but rest assured that her previous work has been very important, as outlined by Kotaku’s inclusion of her in their 10 Most Influential Women In Games Of The Past Decade list.
She created the engines for Borderlands and Brothers in Arms when she was Studio Wide Director of Technology at Gearbox, and then she moved on the Halo team at Microsoft where she was Principal Engine Programmer for five years, before leaving for Naughty Dog.
Even though Corrinne Yu is primarily a programmer, she wanted to create games that caused people to think. This is why, as explained in an interview with EDGE, she chose Naughty Dog, as they actively gather everyone’s opinion on the narrative process, including programmers.
"One of the stereotypes is that all graphics programmers are a certain type; it’s a stronger stereotype than gender. People see limitations when they think of graphical engineers. They don’t think we have a creative inclination or talent. You’re dismissed as a math nerd.
I want to make games that cause people to think. I want to inspire people to have a discussion about things they hadn’t considered before. That’s important for me as someone who started out wanting to make something in the world. How do I turn my talent into something that’s more productive than simply making technological progress.
If I can increase player agency by making things less static and more reactive to what the player does, then I am contributing to the narrative that games are trying to tell, and the emotional resonance.
[At Naughty Dog] Two weeks ago, I was involved in a design discussion and narrative, despite the fact I am a programmer. I can contribute to the direct conversation itself: what do I want players to think about and feel? I can add to that. It’s crucial to me to have that personal opportunity to make a difference. The next thing is what I want to do right here and right now in this company."
This sounds great from the perspective of a developer and, judging by Naughty Dog’s results, it’s paying off greatly. I can’t wait to see what Corrinne Yu and the rest of the team can do with the next Uncharted, which will be the company’s first PlayStation 4 game.
