The President of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe has spoken out against criticisms of the latest The Last of Us Part 2 trailer, saying that it is “a game made by adults to be played by adults.”
Jim Ryan, who oversees Sony’s PlayStation division, was asked by The Telegraph to give his thoughts on the negative reception the trailer has received among some circles, who have condemned its use of violence against a child for shock value. Addressing these complaints, Ryan replied:
“[The Last of Us Part 2] obviously is a game made by adults to be played by adults. I should never prejudge this but it will probably be rated ’18’, I think it’s fair to say. And there’s that market for those people who like that sort of game. Adults who like that sort of game. And I think we cater for that, and at the other end of the spectrum there was Concrete Genie, which my 8 year old decided was the game she would like to play very much.”
Also: The Last of Us Part 2 and its Excessively Violent Trailer Made a Bad Impression
Ryan also confirmed that Naughty Dog had decided that the clip should be shown during the conference, and that as a platform holder Sony didn’t want to interfere with their decision:
“I think a platform holder provides a platform and the people who make games, whether they’re our own studios or third-party publishers, they bring the content to the platform. We provide the platform. We have to ensure the right content is played by the right people – of appropriate ages in particular. I thought The Last of Us Part 2 was a great way to end the show and I feel very good about it.”
Ryan concluded that while he cannot speak for Naughty Dog in regards to the intention behind using this particular clip for its trailer, he believed that it was the right decision on their behalf. While Naughty Dog’s heavy-handed approach may have divided gamers, it seems that the developer has received Sony’s full backing for their marketing choices.
