Starfield Studio: Gamers Crave Concise Experiences

A former Starfield developer, Will Shen, suggests player fatigue is growing with the abundance of lengthy AAA titles. This saturation, he argues, is contributing to a resurgence of shorter games. Shen, a veteran with experience on titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, highlights that many players don't complete games exceeding ten hours, impacting overall engagement with the narrative and product.

Shen's comments, made in an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot), indicate a significant portion of the gaming community is tiring of the dozens of hours required by many modern AAA releases. He cites the success of shorter games, using Mouthwashing as an example, where the concise playtime was a key factor in its positive reception. A longer version, burdened with side quests and extra content, likely wouldn't have achieved the same success, he suggests.

While shorter games are gaining traction, the dominance of longer titles like Starfield persists. Bethesda's continued support for Starfield with DLC like Shattered Space (released in 2024) and a rumored 2025 expansion, demonstrates the ongoing appeal of expansive RPG experiences. The industry, therefore, seems poised for a continued coexistence of both long and short-form game experiences.