Naughty Dog
Notable Games
Company History
Naughty Dog, LLC was founded in 1984 as JAM Software by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, two high school students in California. The company became Naughty Dog in 1989 and evolved from creating licensed games for various publishers to becoming one of Sony's most prestigious first-party studio developing groundbreaking story-driven experiences.
Early years saw games for Apple II and other platforms. Rings of Power (1991) for Sega Genesis marked a significant release. The partnership with Universal Interactive Studios led to Crash Bandicoot (1996), a PlayStation launch-era mascot platformer that became one of the console's defining franchises. Crash Bandicoot 2 and 3 refined the formula, selling millions.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (2001) demonstrated technical ambition — a seamless open world without loading screens on PlayStation 2. The series evolved through Jak II and Jak 3, incorporating darker themes and open-world gameplay elements.
The Uncharted series (beginning 2007) established Naughty Dog's cinematic direction. Nathan Drake's adventures combined third-person shooting, platforming, and movie-quality storytelling. The Last of Us (2013) achieved critical acclaim for its emotionally devastating narrative. The Last of Us Part II (2020) generated debate over narrative choices while winning numerous Game of the Year awards.
Sony Computer Entertainment acquired Naughty Dog in 2001. Since then, the studio has operated exclusively as a PlayStation first-party developer.
Behind the Scenes
Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin founded Naughty Dog as teenagers, learning game development through hands-on creation. This self-taught background fostered engineering creativity — unconventional approaches to hardware challenges.
Crash Bandicoot's development involved extensive reverse-engineering of PlayStation hardware. Gavin developed custom tools that enabled graphics quality exceeding competitors. The character design created a memorable mascot for an era when console identity depended on exclusive characters.
The transition to Jak and Daxter showed technological ambition. Eliminating loading screens required streaming technology that PlayStation 2 wasn't designed to support. The engineering team solved problems through creativity rather than compromise.
Uncharted represented a studio transformation. Story became primary; spectacle served narrative. Mo-cap performances from actors (including Nolan North as Drake) brought cinematic quality previously unseen in gaming. The studio invested in talent capable of delivering dramatic performances.
The Last of Us elevated this approach further. Joel and Ellie's relationship developed through interactive experience rather than cutscenes alone. Player actions created emotional weight. The brutality of combat reinforced the world's desperation.
The studio's development process involves extensive iteration. Levels are built, tested, rebuilt multiple times. Animation polish receives enormous attention. This commitment to quality extends development timelines but produces experiences that define PlayStation generations.
Naughty Dog's culture emphasizes "crunch" — extended overtime periods during development. Industry discussions about working conditions have highlighted the personal costs of the studio's quality standards, prompting ongoing conversations about sustainable development practices.
About Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog is an active game development company founded on January 1, 1984 and headquartered in .
Known for creating iconic titles such as The Last of Us, Uncharted 2, Crash Bandicoot and more, Naughty Dog has left an indelible mark on the video game industry.