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Zaire Lanier is now a writer at Naughty Dog

Neoxon

Neoxon

Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst
Member
Oct 25, 2017
85,433
Houston, TX
​


For reference, she wrote a stellar article on how poorly Naughty Dog treats their Black characters. Here's a link to that thread if you're curious, though the actual article link is in one of the tweets above.
www.resetera.com

Zaire Lanier: And She was Less Than a Dog [On Naughty Dog's Treatment of Black People in The Last of Us] (UPDATE: Zaire Lanier hired as writer at ND!) Spoiler - Sony

The topic has been discussed before here on Era, & I'm glad that Naughty Dog's anti-Blackness is being covered more often. And even then, this is a great article that's worth the read. Check the link below for the rest of the article. Source: Medium
www.resetera.com www.resetera.com
Either way, I hope this leads to real & meaningful positive change regarding Naughty Dog's Black characters going forward.

Source: Zaire Lanier (Twitter)
 
Pai Pai Master

Pai Pai Master

Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,304
Atlanta GA
Yeah it's amazing that they've seemingly heard her extremely on-point writing on the matter she ended up joining them. They're so much better for it with people like her on board.
 
AuthenticM

AuthenticM

Son Altesse Sérénissime
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
30,142
So happy for her.

Hopefully this is the start of a significant change at Naughty Dog in the writing department, because they need it.
 
Messofanego

Messofanego

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,223
UK
Really hope there's not just better and more conscious writing in their games now but also more diversity in the makeup of the company.
 
Spinluck

Spinluck

▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
28,502
Chicago
Huge shout out to Nex battling trolls and complainers every time he brings awareness to these issues.

And congrats to Zaire!!! Dreams do come true.
 

ffframe

alt account
Banned
Nov 29, 2021
407
AuthenticM said:
So happy for her.

Hopefully this is the start of a significant change at Naughty Dog in the writing department, because they need it.
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Same. I hope she feels supported in making some very harsh but fair suggestions and that studio leadership are receptive to it. Hiring is one thing, retaining is another.
 
s y

s y

Member
Nov 8, 2017
10,433
The rehire of Escayg and now Lanier does bode well for the next ND IP having a black male protag rumors
 
PeakPointMatrix

PeakPointMatrix

Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,120
Thank god. And don't stop there, hire more PoC. My eyesight is still recovering from their last blindingly white crew photo. As a latino I still can't believe they got away with a latin lover stereotype in that game, can't imagine how black people felt with how they were portrayed in both titles. Good on them for acknowledging all that with this hire.
 
RoboPlato

RoboPlato

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,811
The situation makes me really happy. Her piece was wonderful and I was hoping that ND had seen it and taken it into account moving forward. Seeing someone so passionate about their games but also able to produce strong, focused critique getting an actual writing job there is the best possible result.
 
Blackbird

Blackbird

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,497
Brazil
This is great news.

Hope they treat her well and she has all the best wishes coming from me.

Go get'em.
 
Trey

Trey

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,036
finally some black folks might make it to the end credits of a last of us game
 
Gwynbleidd

Gwynbleidd

Member
Oct 27, 2017
942
Hell yeah!! Great article I stumbled upon while replaying through the first game again for the girlfriend. She had very valid criticism of something she loves and I can't wait to see what she contributes to the franchise or anything else naughty dog makes. Congratulations!!
 
The_R3medy

The_R3medy

Member
Jan 22, 2018
2,848
Wisconsin
Wow, kudos to Naughty Dog for bringing someone in who criticized them like that. Bodes well for their willingness to grow, change, and become better.

Really wonder what they might have cooking over there.....
 
Rogote

Rogote

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,606
Exceedingly rare to hear someone HIRE someone who wrote a pretty scathing critic about them.
 
Byronic Hero

Byronic Hero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
890
That's really awesome. I'm really happy for her and can't wait to see her work in their future titles. Good shit.
 
Hailinel

Hailinel

Shamed a mod for a tag
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Oct 27, 2017
35,527
I'll wait and see if her contributions amount to anything or if they're kneecapped by Druckmann's ego.
 
toomanyalmonds

toomanyalmonds

Member
Dec 2, 2021
833
Good. Hopefully her being in a writer position means she'll get listened to and not ignored like when an employee pointed out to Neil that it was problematic to cast a white actress to play Nadine.
 
Ruisu

Ruisu

Banned
Aug 1, 2019
5,535
Brasil
Props to OP for the full context of the news. So many times threads like this are created with a weird expectation that everyone just knows who the people in question are.

Congratulations to the new writer as well. Must be really fulfilling to be able to directly work on the studio that you want to get better.
 
OP
OP
Neoxon

Neoxon

Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst
Member
Oct 25, 2017
85,433
Houston, TX
SolidSnakex said:
He's literally the co-President of the studio, if he had the ego you think he does then she wouldn't have been hired in the first place.
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A lot of his recent games have been the source of criticism for many marginalized groups, TLoU2 especially. I'd say the concern is justified.
 
B.O.O.M.

B.O.O.M.

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,764
Hailinel said:
He literally runs it now.
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Yes and we are seeing some great changes already. You still haven't answered the question ..guessing because there is no credible answer you can give.

OT: This is fantastic news. I wonder if those rumors of a black lead being in the next ND game is true. I hope it is. More representation is always welcome....also please let it be Sci Fi or Steam Punk new IP
 
SolidSnakex

SolidSnakex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,427
Neoxon said:
A lot of his recent games have been the source of criticism for many marginalized groups, TLoU2 especially. I'd say the concern is justified.
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The point i'm making is that if he were some egomaniac as Halinel implied, then why would he agree to have someone hired at the studio he runs that wrote an article criticizing the games he worked on? It makes zero sense.
 
OP
OP
Neoxon

Neoxon

Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst
Member
Oct 25, 2017
85,433
Houston, TX
B.O.O.M. said:
Yes and we are seeing some great changes already. You still haven't answered the question ..guessing because there is no credible answer you can give.

OT: This is fantastic news. I wonder if those rumors of a black lead being in the next ND game is true. I hope it is. More representation is always welcome....also please let it be Sci Fi or Steam Punk new IP
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SolidSnakex said:
The point i'm making is that if he were some egomaniac as @Halinel implied, then why would he agree to have someone hired at the studio he runs that wrote an article criticizing the games he worked on? It makes zero sense.
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But considering that a lot of those problematic elements happened on his watch, with Neil now being the president of the company, it's understandable that Hailinel is concerned about how much of an impact Zaire will actually have. And even then, it's not just Black folks who have raised criticisms against Neil.
 
nonoriri

nonoriri

Member
Apr 30, 2020
4,246
This is awesome. Really hope it indicates positive changes at the studio. Her article was fantastic and a great example of how having harsh criticism isn't the same as hating something.

ffframe said:
Same. I hope she feels supported in making some very harsh but fair suggestions and that studio leadership are receptive to it. Hiring is one thing, retaining is another.
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Are video game writers usually hired to write on a specific game that the studio thinks is a good fit for their skills or are they long term employees that would oversee multiple projects? (Genuinely asking, I don't know).
 
JoJo'sDentCo

JoJo'sDentCo

Unshakable Resolve
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Oct 25, 2017
8,539
Hope she is able to have a positive influence on the next games treatment of minorities.
 
Rogote

Rogote

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,606
nonoriri said:
This is awesome. Really hope it indicates positive changes at the studio. Her article was fantastic and a great example of how having harsh criticism isn't the same as hating something.


Are video game writers usually hired to write on a specific game that the studio thinks is a good fit for their skills or are they long term employees that would oversee multiple projects? (Genuinely asking, I don't know).
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Seems the usual is that writers move from project to project in different dev houses. Some become inhouse writers (for lack of better word).
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

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Oct 25, 2017
115,923
nonoriri said:
Are video game writers usually hired to write on a specific game that the studio thinks is a good fit for their skills or are they long term employees that would oversee multiple projects? (Genuinely asking, I don't know).
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Depends on the studio and the role. A lot of the time, writers are one-time contractors, but some studios keep them in-house, especially lead writer roles.
 
B.O.O.M.

B.O.O.M.

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,764
Neoxon said:
But considering that a lot of those problematic elements happened on his watch, with Neil now being the president of the company, it's understandable that Hailinel is concerned about how much of an impact Zaire will actually have. And even then, it's not just Black folks who have raised criticisms against Neil.
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Why attribute that to ego and not having better representation among the writers (regarding minority representation)? If ego was such an issue they won't be hiring those who criticize them.

As you say there has been criticisms against writing in TLOU ..but afaik it was co-written by Neil. He wasn't the only writer (Halley Gross). While not everyone agrees on all elements of TLOU characters, it is also one of the games that has starred main characters representing minority groups. Can they be better at it? OF course! No argument from me there. Especially when it comes to black characters. It was also under Neil's watch that they became one of the go to examples of accessibility in gaming.

All I am saying is, they can be better, no arguments there from me. I am also a minority citizen. However, this step is a good step. While we criticize their shortcomings, let's also recognize good actions these dev teams take...without settling for lazy unsubstantiated claims. Fair no?
 
OP
OP
Neoxon

Neoxon

Spotlighting Black Excellence - Diversity Analyst
Member
Oct 25, 2017
85,433
Houston, TX
B.O.O.M. said:
Why attribute that to ego and not having better representation among the writers (regarding minority representation)? If ego was such an issue they won't be hiring those who criticize them.

As you say there has been criticisms against writing in TLOU ..but afaik it was co-written by Neil. He wasn't the only writer (Halley Gross). While not everyone agrees on all elements of TLOU characters, it is also one of the games that has starred main characters representing minority groups. Can they be better at it? OF course! No argument from me there. Especially when it comes to black characters. It was also under Neil's watch that they became one of the go to examples of accessibility in gaming.

All I am saying is, they can be better, no arguments there from me. I am also a minority citizen. However, this step is a good step. While we criticize their shortcomings, let's also recognize good actions these dev teams take...without settling for lazy unsubstantiated claims. Fair no?
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I do agree that this is a step in the right direction, but it's also understandable to have concerns about Zaire's potential impact given that the source of the initial criticisms is at the head of Naughty Dog. We shouldn't be dismissing such doubt, especially considering past instances.
 
s y

s y

Member
Nov 8, 2017
10,433
Neoxon said:
But considering that a lot of those problematic elements happened on his watch, with Neil now being the president of the company, it's understandable that Hailinel is concerned about how much of an impact Zaire will actually have. And even then, it's not just Black folks who have raised criticisms against Neil.
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I dont want to sound quick to defend druckmann but how can you attribute that to ego?
 
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