Starfield Developer Says Players Are Sick of Long Games

A former Starfield developer reveals player fatigue with excessively long AAA games. The saturation of the market with lengthy titles has, according to Will Shen, a Bethesda veteran who worked on Starfield, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, led to a growing preference for shorter gaming experiences.

Starfield, Bethesda's ambitious 2023 release and its first new IP in 25 years, exemplifies the trend of expansive, open-world RPGs demanding significant player time investment. While this formula has proven successful—Starfield's launch was a triumph—Shen highlights a segment of players experiencing "fatigue" from these extensive commitments.

In an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot), Shen observed a shift in player preference. A significant portion of gamers, he claims, are tiring of games boasting dozens of hours of content. He argues that the sheer volume of lengthy games already available makes adding another to the list a difficult proposition. He points to the success of titles like Skyrim as contributing to the prevalence of "evergreen" games, likening this trend-setting influence to Dark Souls' impact on high-difficulty combat. A key observation is that most players don't complete games exceeding ten hours, making completion crucial for story engagement and overall product satisfaction.

This trend, Shen suggests, is fueling the resurgence of shorter games. He cites the popularity of Mouthwashing, emphasizing its concise playtime as a significant factor in its success. He believes that extending Mouthwashing's playtime with side quests and additional content would have negatively impacted its reception.

Despite the growing popularity of shorter games, longer titles like Starfield, with its 2024 DLC Shattered Space and a rumored 2025 expansion, appear firmly entrenched in the industry. The preference for shorter experiences, however, signifies a noteworthy shift in player expectations within the AAA landscape.