Short Games, a problem?

[Ajay1986]

Ask me years ago and id have said long RPG's all the time. But now i just dont have the time to play them anymore, so shorter action games and sports games make up the bulk of what i play.

[fallenangle]

It should go without saying that there should be games available of varying longevity to suit all gamers' lifestyles and tastes. But I think that short games should be priced accordingly.

If I buy a full price game (which now could be ?40+) I want a week's play out of it minimum. That means, for me,10+ hrs but even then it would have to be 10 hrs of intensely enjoyable gameplay or I'd feel badly short changed.

I'm not a fast player, I love sprawling, epic action/adventures and being able to explore and experiment as I go. In that way I found Ico was not a short game for me but TR: Legend was - 100% done on hard in under 8 hrs = rip off.

I do prefer longer games ie. those with genuine longevity not just because I prefer to dawdling. Through the years I've settled on my satisfying ideal being anywhere in the 18 -24hr range (10 days - 2 weeks game play time).

I'm also not averse to far longer if it is good enough with games like Shadow Man, Deus Ex, and Fable LC where I measure the playthrough time in weeks rather than hours and still feel sad the game had to end.

[J0e Musashi]

Biohazard 4 I just cannot get on with. It's too long I think. Too much running away from/shooting standard enemies. I can 100% the first game in under 2 hours, but this one I've hardly dented despite being 4 hours in already. It's too different to the early games for me, and I don't like it. I've let it gather dust for so long that I reckon I'll have to start again when I go back to it too

FFX however, is different. I spent over 200 hours on this, but all the time I was making progression. Always ticking things off a massive list. I don't mind games being long provided it's time well spent.

[Concrete donkey]

I don?t like padding in games making them long for the sake of being long but I?m in no means opposed to long games. I?ve spent over two hundred hours in Oblivion and still want to play more, but the other games like Knights of the Old Republic 2 that just felt stretched to last and lost my interest fairly early on.

A game should last as long as the story or concept takes it. Portal was the perfect length for the concept despite its short length and I wish there were more quick fire games like that and there a plenty of concepts that could use it but wouldn?t work as a twenty or even eight hour game.

Games should be treated like any other medium when it comes to creation and editing. In movies plenty of scenes are cut to keep the flow going, the fat is cut out of novels and television shows and comics have to pack a lot in to a limited space. Games should be created with a similar mindset. If its not fun, wasting space or serves nothing but to add hours on the clock developers should question what it?s doing there. The original Metal Gear Solid is a perfect example of well paced game and Oblivion is a good example of setting your own pace and involvement.

[Geoff D]

For narrative-type games, then I prefer 6-10 quality hours; I'm usually put off whenever I read '50 hours plus', although of course there are longer games that are exceptions - Zelda games for example.

[honeymustard]

I think it's okay as long as the price roughly reflects that.

[Goemon]

For me personally, it's all about 'windows'

Because I work, I can afford to buy and collect a few games. As I am into games, I am also always wanting to play the next new thing. However, I don't have as much time as I used to.

This is where the window comes in...

If I haven't finished a game by the time the next thing comes along the window closes and I move on, regardless of where I was in the game.

Back when I was a student I used to smash through games, doing everything, easily spending 50+ hours but I don't have that luxury anymore.

Nower days I'm just happy to get something finished!

Some games get longer windows than others, it just depends how much I'm liking the game and what else is kicking around at the time. When a few games come out at the same time, some unfortunately get very small windows

I've noticed the crunch a lot more with the 360, I think there has always been a good stream of games on this system, which unfortunately means some games don't get the air time.

I have a m8 that still trys to convince me that he will play through Dead Rising! (he bought it when it was released and never got around to playing it) I'm like, 'The windows gone! forget about it' and he's all 'I will, I will...'

Yep, sure you will. LOL

[Lyris]

It should go without saying that there should be games available of varying longevity to suit all gamers' lifestyles and tastes. But I think that short games should be priced accordingly.

I agree if it's something like Wii Play, but otherwise, I'd rather price games depending on their enjoyability. Not that we'll ever see that.

[moonwhistle]

I thoroughly dislike games with storylines in general. For that reason I avoid long winded narrative driven games. As soon as I see an opening involving reading text and talking to bloody villagers I switch off, both literally and figuratively. I stay the hell away from rpgs in general.
For all these reasons I end up playing games that are shorter in length. Or playing games that have no defined length but can be played forever like 2D shooters and fighters.

[fallenangle]

I agree if it's something like Wii Play, but otherwise, I'd rather price games depending on their enjoyability. Not that we'll ever see that.

But how would you quantify "enjoyability" it's a totally subjective concept?

As moonwhistle ^ has just said he avoids story led games whereas I enjoy those games above most others. Give me an epic scale action/adventure with an involving or amusing, well presented storyline and you have a perfect description of the type of game that I took up this business to be able play.