Starfield Developer: Players Crave Concise Experiences

A former Starfield developer reveals player fatigue with excessively long AAA games. This saturation of the market with lengthy titles, the developer argues, is contributing to a rise in popularity of shorter gaming experiences. While long games like Starfield remain prevalent, a shift in player preference is emerging.

Will Shen, a veteran Bethesda developer who worked on Starfield, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, voiced concerns about the length of modern games. He suggests that players are overwhelmed by the significant time commitment required for many AAA titles, leading to a sense of fatigue.

Starfield, Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years, exemplifies this trend of lengthy open-world RPGs. While the game's success demonstrates the appeal of expansive content, Shen points out that a significant portion of players fail to complete games exceeding ten hours. He highlights the importance of game completion for meaningful engagement with the narrative and overall product.

In an interview (via Gamespot), Shen observed a growing trend of player dissatisfaction with games requiring dozens of hours to complete. He attributes this to market saturation and suggests that adding another lengthy game to an already crowded landscape is a significant challenge. He cites the success of games like Skyrim as a contributing factor to the prevalence of "evergreen" titles, but notes that this trend, like the Dark Souls influence on high-difficulty combat, may be evolving.

The rise of shorter games, Shen suggests, is a direct consequence of this AAA market saturation. He uses the example of the indie horror game Mouthwashing, whose concise playtime was a key factor in its success. He believes extending Mouthwashing's playtime with additional side quests would have negatively impacted its reception.

Despite the growing demand for shorter games, the era of lengthy AAA titles isn't over. Starfield's 2024 DLC, Shattered Space, and a rumored 2025 expansion demonstrate the continued investment in expansive content for established franchises.