Sony pulls fabricated 'interview' with Naughty Dog head Neil Druckmann
Sony's Fake Interview Scandal: Who's to Blame?
Sony recently retracted an interview published on their site with Neil Druckmann, head of Naughty Dog, after it was revealed that his statements were significantly misquoted. Druckmann clarified on social media that the edited responses did not accurately reflect his words or intentions, particularly regarding AI and gaming. Sony has since removed the interview and issued an apology, acknowledging the inaccuracies and potential negative impact on Druckmann and Naughty Dog.
What specific statements did Neil Druckmann allegedly make in the Sony interview regarding AI and its impact on dialogue and character creation in games?
In the Sony interview, Neil Druckmann was quoted as saying that AI could "create nuanced dialogues and characters" in games, which would "expand creative possibilities." However, Druckmann later clarified that he had been misquoted and that his actual words and intent were lost during the editing process of the interview. Sony eventually removed the interview entirely, stating that they had found "several significant errors and inaccuracies that don't represent his perspective and values."
What discrepancies did gaming reporter Stephen Totilo highlight between Druckmann's actual words and the published interview?
Gaming reporter Stephen Totilo highlighted several discrepancies between Druckmann's actual words and the published interview. In the original transcript shared by Druckmann, he did not make the statement that Naughty Dog's new game "could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming2." Instead, he discussed the growing appreciation for gaming and the potential for games to reach a wider audience due to successful adaptations like The Last of Us TV show.
Totilo's comparison showed that Sony's published interview included words and phrases that were not present in Druckmann's original response. The majority of the quote in the published interview was not said by Druckmann, resulting in a misrepresentation of his perspective and values.