A former Starfield developer, Will Shen, has voiced concerns about the increasing fatigue among players regarding excessively long AAA games. Shen, a veteran with experience on titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, suggests player burnout stems from the significant time investment required by many modern games.
Starfield's 2023 release, Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years, exemplified this trend of lengthy, open-world RPGs. While the game's success demonstrates the appeal of extensive content, Shen highlights a growing segment of players who prefer shorter, more focused experiences.
In an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot), Shen stated the industry is reaching a point where many players are tiring of games exceeding dozens of hours. He argues that the abundance of such games makes adding another lengthy title a challenging proposition. He cites the success of games like Skyrim as contributing to the normalization of "evergreen" games, similar to how Dark Souls popularized challenging combat in third-person games. Shen emphasizes that most players don't complete games longer than ten hours, impacting overall story engagement and product satisfaction.
Shen connects the saturation of the AAA market with longer games to the resurgence of shorter titles. He points to the success of Mouthwashing, highlighting its short playtime as a key factor in its positive reception, suggesting a longer version with added side quests would have been less well-received.
Despite the growing popularity of shorter games, longer titles like Starfield, with its 2024 DLC Shattered Space and a rumored 2025 expansion, remain prevalent. This suggests that while player preference for shorter experiences is increasing, the demand for expansive AAA titles persists.
