Summary

• Former Starfield developer Will Shen observes growing player fatigue with excessively long AAA games.
• This fatigue, he suggests, contributes to the rising popularity of shorter gaming experiences.
• Despite this trend, lengthy AAA titles like Starfield remain prevalent.

Will Shen, a former Bethesda developer who contributed to Starfield, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, recently shared his insights on the current gaming landscape. He believes many players are experiencing "fatigue" from the extensive playtime demanded by numerous modern AAA titles.

Starfield, Bethesda's 2023 release and their first new IP in 25 years, exemplifies this trend. A massive open-world RPG, it's typical of Bethesda's commitment to lengthy, content-rich experiences, a formula also seen in successful titles like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While Starfield's success demonstrates the appeal of expansive games, Shen notes a growing preference for shorter, more focused experiences.

In an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot), Shen stated the industry is reaching a point where a significant portion of players are tiring of games requiring dozens of hours to complete. He described adding another lengthy game to an already saturated market as a "tall order." He cited the success of titles like Skyrim as contributing to the normalization of "evergreen" games, comparing this trend-setting impact to Dark Souls' influence on high-difficulty combat in third-person games. Crucially, he highlighted that most players don't finish games exceeding ten hours, emphasizing the importance of completion for meaningful engagement with the story and overall product.

Starfield Dev Discusses Long Games, Highlights the Demand for Shorter Experiences

Shen attributes the resurgence of shorter games, in part, to the saturation of the AAA market with lengthy titles. He points to the popularity of Mouthwashing, a relatively short indie horror game, as a prime example. He argues that Mouthwashing's concise runtime was a key factor in its success, suggesting that a longer version with extensive side quests and additional content would have been less well-received.

Despite the growing appeal of shorter games, longer experiences like Starfield are far from disappearing. Starfield's 2024 DLC, Shattered Space, expanded on the already substantial base game content, and further expansions are rumored for 2025.