A former Starfield developer, Will Shen, reveals player fatigue with excessively long AAA games. This sentiment, shared in an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot), suggests a growing preference for shorter gaming experiences. Shen, a veteran with credits on titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, points to the saturation of the AAA market with lengthy titles as a contributing factor.
While the success of games like Skyrim established the "evergreen game" norm, Shen argues that many players don't complete games exceeding ten hours, impacting overall story engagement and product satisfaction. He cites the popularity of shorter games as evidence of this shift, highlighting the success of Mouthwashing as a prime example of a shorter game's appeal. The game's concise playtime, unlike longer titles burdened with extensive side quests, was crucial to its positive reception.
Despite this trend towards shorter games, the prevalence of longer AAA titles, such as Starfield, persists. Bethesda's continued support for Starfield with DLC like Shattered Space (2024) and a rumored 2025 expansion demonstrates the ongoing appeal of expansive game worlds. The industry, therefore, seems poised for a continued coexistence of both shorter and longer gaming experiences.
