Developing a great video game can be a long, arduous task. That endeavor can grow even more daunting when you’re a larger studio expected to deliver one of the industry’s most beloved characters.

In a recent Twitter Q&A, Naughty Dog Technical Art Director Teagan Morrison, Art Director Erick Pangilinan and Environment Artist Todd Foster had a lot to say for aspiring game designers. On the seemingly sisyphean task of breaking into the industry, they offered insight such as “having an awesome portfolio is much more important than having experience.” (other advice from the Q&A has been collected for your education, and can be found here)

When the conversation turned towards game development time-frames, it was pointed out that levels in The Last of Us took over a year for a single hour of gameplay.

More importantly, Teagan Morrison noted that Nathan Drake’s face from Uncharted 4’s E3 2014 trailer is not yet a complete rendering, saying “Some of the amazing artists involved in crafting his face are STILL perfecting it,” and it has already taken “years” to get to what we’ve already seen.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is expected to be released sometime in 2015 for PlayStation 4. For those attending the PlayStation Experience event this December, you may get an early taste of Naughty Dog’s “perfect” Nathan Drake.

My Opinion:

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is one of my most anticipated games for 2015. After seeing Drake running on PS4 hardware earlier this year, it’s hard to imagine an artist could add any more detail. But over the years, I’ve learned not to question Naughty Dog’s method. They are a talented studio, and I’m certain they will continue to impress.

Jordan Loeffler is an Associate Writer for MONG who drives a 2006 Pontiac Vibe with Minnesota license plates even though he lives in Portland, OR. She’s seafoam green, and she drives like a wave. You can follow him on IGN.