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Naughty Dog considered a PS3 Jak & Daxter, passed on it  photo

The new second team at Naughty Dog is now working on The Last of Us, but before they started on that they "extensively" explored the idea of a PS3 Jak & Daxter game. According to the latest issue of Game Informer the team wanted to use what they've learned from the Uncharted series to make a new Jak. Wouldn't that have been fantastic? I'm playing the Jak & Daxter Collection  collection now for review, and I'm absolutely loving getting back into these classics.

Unfortunately, they eventually decided not to do it. Co-president Even Wells explains: 

"Even if we felt like we’re going to give the fans another Jak & Daxter, we felt we weren’t going to give them the game that they wanted. We would end up limiting the direction that the company had this passion for while simultaneously not creating the game that fans wanted. We just realized we were going to just do everybody a disservice. So at that point, the conversations started to move in a new direction."

Before you start crying, know that Wells did note that the Uncharted team could still handle a new Jak and Daxter game. Don't get your hopes up, though:

"I guess there’s a possibility the Uncharted team could move on to Jak & Daxter. It’s still up in the air, but I wouldn’t think that’s going to happen because I think we’d run into all of the same problems with that team that we did with this team."








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Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools. Meet the rest of the team



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29 comments | showing # 1 to 29
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Gorescream's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:33
Gorescream
ITT: Sales were underwhelming, no new Jax & Daxter

Shamefur dispray!
Corduroy Turtle's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:36
Corduroy Turtle
I think they made the right choice.
The Silent Protagonist's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:39
The Silent Protagonist
Even if they made another Jak and Daxter game, its true they'd never make the game fans wanted, mostly because they couldn't decide what they wanted this series to be in the first place.

First a derivative platformer, then a open-world wannabe with a "dark" voiced Jak that swears and then a mild recovery, then a shit racing game, a decent Daxter spin-off and a shitty sequel done by another team.

They had no idea what they were doing with this series aside from listening to focus groups.
Zerix's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:43
Zerix
I'd say it's because their new breed of fans are the graphic hungry action junkies who want their games to look and feel like something they are going to the movie theater to see.
MasterBalls's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:43
MasterBalls
""But before full-blown work could begin on the game Naughty Dog would have to create new, more realistic versions of the titular heroes.""

I never thought someone could miss the point of their own creation so massively.

Basically, they wanted to reskin Uncharted. Fuck that, Jak deserves better. Let him and Daxter die a peaceful death unlike certain other orange, ND created platformer heroes.
youngskeletor's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:44
youngskeletor
... Womp womp.
ThrashingLimbsEd's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:57
ThrashingLimbsEd
I would be pretty happy if they left jak and Daxter alone. It was a fun trilogy but I don't see all that much point revisiting it. Uncharted could do with a few more games but way further down the line.

Last of us and more new IPs are what they should focus on.
Perro's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:58
Perro
I can understand if they'd rather a new jak game not be a carbon copy of Uncharted, but I seriously wouldn't mind.
accidentprone88's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 11:58
accidentprone88
Thank god. The first Jak and Daxter was one of the most overrated games on PS2. Easily the weakest of the PS2's platforming big three.
Foggle's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 12:03
Foggle
Thank god. I absolutely love Jak 2 and 3, and an Unchartedized version of those games would make me violently ill.

They made the right choice.
Nitex's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 12:11
Nitex
Can't wait for the last of us. It was smart to leave Jak alone.
warezIbanez's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 12:20
warezIbanez
I'd love to see another installment, but since the Lost Frontier seemed to veer off canon, I'm not really sure where Jak and Daxter could go; I'm sure that's exactly how ND feels.
Termadoyle's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 12:42
Termadoyle
Oh well :(
Maybe on the PS4?
BrowneyeWinkin's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 12:45
BrowneyeWinkin
Move on, do bigger and better things.

I can dig it.
cockaroach's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 12:52
cockaroach
the first is still my favorite. I would be upset if it became like enslaved. The platforming segments in Enslaved didn't really feel like platforming, more like "press jump to continue" segments. I'm upset i wont get to see these characters (anytime soon) in bigger and better games, I'd be just as fulfilled with the HD remakes. Now to get a ps3.
Max-'s Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 13:30
Max-
They still need to make Uncharted Racing to complete their trilogy+racing game trend!
hushlorentz's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 13:37
hushlorentz
Agree with everyone else in this thread. I enjoyed the PS2 games, but it's time to move on with new ideas! Just like Insomniac moving on from Resistance, these are the companies who should be given the freedom to explore new ground.
jboking's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 13:58
jboking
What with that one outside company making Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, I'm gonna argue that the series isn't really all that salvageable anymore. I don't know how I'd feel about a J&D in the style of Uncharted. It would be interesting to see that kind of cinematic gameplay, but I don't think it would satisfy my wishes for a new Jak. I think the best option really is just to leave the past in the past. Jak was great, it's time to move on. (Side note: I feel ND's partner Insomniac, could have done a lot more with the Resistance series if their studio hadn't split focus on maintaining Ratchet and starting Resistance #opinion)
Vyruz's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 14:12
Vyruz
I can understand the underlaying thought, but I was really pining for a new J&D game, so I'm a bit disapointed.
ctg867's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 14:17
ctg867
I'd personally like to see them make something different... so long as Jak & Daxter can still get some love on the Vita or something. Just make sure it's better than that PSP game. Daxter was great, but that Lost Frontier nonsense was garbage.

Also: Looking forward to the Jak & Daxter Collection. Yet again Sony proves that they're the best at updating the classics you loved in a value filled $40 product, unlike Ubisoft and their bullshit Splinter Cell Collection which looked and ran like shit and didn't even have inverted fucking aiming. Really, really? Lazy bastards.
CaimDark's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 14:36
CaimDark
The HD remake will be the first time I'll play Jak & Dexter, hopefully it's so good I'll be disappointed they didn't make another one.
Armoured Badger's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 15:59
Armoured Badger
I'm upset that there won't be another, but I'm glad they gave it some thought and realised it wouldn't be the same, they'd try but I think it would come across as a bit odd.

I'm glad that's their stance, not the, 'it wouldn't be worth our money to make a shitty little kids Game! we're all about the hardcore uncharted now!'
CommanderMeaty's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 17:12
CommanderMeaty
LOL THEY SHOULD MAKE JAK 4!! I DON'T CARE IF THIS WILL BE DIFFERENT I AM AT LEAST SURE THAT NAUGHTY DOG CAN DELIVER A FUN JAK GAME, it's all that matter. "FUN"
KingSigy's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 17:24
KingSigy
Good. Most modern games lose steam after their second iteration, so why keep making them? Just go on to new pastures and let other devs try to emulate you.
MasterMS's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/06/2012 17:55
MasterMS
I'm more than fine with this. I love Jak, but I'm more interested in seeing what else the team can do.
jackdan594's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/07/2012 01:10
jackdan594
This is why I love Naughty Dog. If it wont do the series justice, they just wont do it, rather than cash-in
Sweaty Dungus's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/07/2012 01:14
Sweaty Dungus
I'd rather play The Last of Us.
XpAcErX's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/08/2012 12:53
XpAcErX
PS1 - Crash Bandicoot
PS2 - Jack and Daxter
PS3 - Uncharted
PS4 - ?
jeffydimwitt2nd's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2012 20:30
jeffydimwitt2nd
Okay, i don't see how naughty dog can say that they wouldn't be satisfied with what they make if they satisfy the fans... i mean honestly you don't have to make jak scale walls and temples and stuff, just update the graphics and put in some uncharted sized set peices. the voice acting can come back, use the mo-cap studio you bought for jak. but i think they will have the toughest time trying to go from a point and shoot game to a jak style shooter. I would absolutely love for either one, i feel like jak could be a great aiming, gun skill game but with the option to fire like you could in the ps2 versions, like a little lombax we all know. and i've seen suggestions of weapon and vehicle upgrades, that would be awesome as well. and them saying that it wouldn't feel like a jak and daxter game, i mean honestly how can they say that after the transition from the first to second game... i mean HONESTLY. they really almost have nothing in common. except the characters and a few miniscule story bits. i saw someone somewhere suggested they have jak use the uncharted hand to hand combat, whoa i'd like to say slow your role, because what makes jak and daxter is that signature combat of spinning and punching! now if there are little sections where you get into bar fights (like the opening of UC3) that would be acceptable for some hand to hand combat mechanics. infact i think that would be cool to see jak fight like that. then be his old self fighting what ever creatures are out in the world. SO IF TRUTH BE TOLD, IF NAUGHTY DOG REALLY WANTED TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES THEY WOULD UPDATE JAK AND DAXTER AND PICK UP FROM JAK 3, NOT THE SHITTY SPIN OFFS FROM OTHER SHITTY DEVELOPERS. (I mean seriously guys, daxter can't gain dark powers because he is a precursor and fell into a pool of dark eco in the first game, then don't even get me started on jak losing his dark powers, and then what happened to his light jak power? wtf...) i feel like when i saw this news that they chose this new ip instead of a jak and daxter sequel (witch is all i have wanted all this console generation) i felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart, they were GOING TO DO IT! then, nope, "too hard". FML i get way to worked up about this, but i feel like it would complete my life to have a new jak game on ps3, continuing the lore and story of a game that literally got me started on ps2 and games in general, that game is why i want to become a game designer, (and currently attending classes to set myself up for college at the art institute of pittsburgh) so thats all i want from life is another jak game, something fun! not uncharted 3, that was not fun, NOT FUN. now it could have been but they took out the bonuses, THERE AREN'T EVEN SKINS! WTF! and then a side note, how many of us would pay good money to play uncharted with a jak and daxter skin? i would literally shell out 20 dollars to play uncharted with an HD fully rendered Jak and Daxter skin, with daxter moving and stuff. damn that would be awesome. OH then dear lord if they had his voice too. i'd be pretty satisfied with that. yupp. i'm done, i've just raged for like 10 minutes typing this. too bad i can't write an english paper with that much passion.
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