The Last of Us dev had to specifically request female focus-testers

"The research group wasn't planning on focus-testing female players - it's something we had to specifically request." - Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann explains how his company had to step in during focus-testing for The Last of Us .

As part of the focus-testing for the upcoming title, Druckmann discovered that the research firm the company had brought in to handle the focus groups wasn't planning to poll a single female player.

"Players are rounded up and are asked to view materials and answer some quantitative and qualitative questions about it," he noted.

However, it came as a "big surprise" to find that he had to specifically request that the firm polled women as well as men.

"I hope this is a relic of the past that will soon go away," he added. This same marketing firm also told Naughty Dog that it would be best to put The Last of Us ' female protagonist Ellie on the back of the box rather than the front, although Naughty Dog refused this advice.

This latter point echoes the words of Jean-Max Morris, creative director on upcoming Capcom adventure game Remember Me , who recently said thatpublishers were against having a female character as the main protagonist in video games.

Another recent focus testing case centred around Uncharted 's female protagonist Chase, who focus-testers saidwas too much of a wimp. Sony Bend subsequentally made Chase a stronger character who could carry herself in situations.