i think the reason why they are so successful is because they only work on one ip per generation on the psx they only made crash games, on the ps2 only jak & dexter games and now on the ps3 only uncharted titles. which allows them to focus on one IP/product/brand and it allows them to make the most of it !
Well done to them, definitely deserve it, like Penny Arcade said, Naughty Dog created the Dragon's Lair niche for themselves in 2011. Love it or hate it. Personally I thought it was awesome and a lot of fun.