Starfield Developer Says Players Are Sick of Long Games

A former Starfield developer, Will Shen, observes a growing player fatigue with excessively long AAA games. This sentiment, shared in an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot), suggests a market shift potentially driven by the sheer volume of lengthy titles already available. Shen, a veteran with experience on titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, points to the success of games like Skyrim as contributing to the prevalence of "evergreen" titles, but argues that this trend might be reaching its limit. He highlights that many players don't complete games exceeding ten hours, emphasizing the importance of completion for story engagement and overall product satisfaction.

This saturation of the AAA market with lengthy experiences, according to Shen, is contributing to a resurgence of shorter games. He cites the indie horror title Mouthwashing as a prime example, emphasizing its success was partly due to its concise playtime. He suggests that extending Mouthwashing's length with additional side quests would have negatively impacted its reception.

Despite this shift towards shorter games, the dominance of longer titles like Starfield, with its 2024 DLC Shattered Space and a rumored 2025 expansion, indicates that lengthy AAA experiences remain a significant part of the industry landscape. The market appears to be diversifying, catering to both players seeking extensive gameplay and those preferring more focused, shorter experiences.