Some Like It Short: Why Gamers Don't Finish the Job
Earth is under attack. Your favorite football team is waiting to win their division. There are more than 60 remaining stars to collect. And yet the gamers charged with overcoming the odds couldn't care less.
They rarely finish their games, it seems.
alt="End Screen Mario Bros."/>Be honest, who has seen this screen with your own eyes? (Warping doesn't count!)According to an investigative Crispy Gamer survey of 2,000 players conducted this month, less than 25 percent of games are played to completion (i.e. the rolling of credits). What's more, an alarming number of the same percentile say they finish less than 10 percent of their games, purchased, rented, or otherwise.
"Excluding work-related projects, I finish my games maybe 23 percent of the time," admits Dan Hsu, former editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly.
Why is it that so many gamers, including critics, finish only a fraction of their games? The most obvious reason is time.
"The average gamer is now in their late 20s or early 30s," says Hsu. "So you're talking about a lot of people who are working, who have families to take care of, or have significant others to keep significant. They don't have the time to game like they used to."
Indeed, the average gamer is 33 years of age, according to the Entertainment Software Association. So the days of after-school frag-fests and marathon gaming sessions often required to complete games are long gone for most.
alt="Sad gamer" style="width:200px;"/>Long games got you down?
What's more, videogames require more time "to finish" than movies, books and records. That commitment is amplified by the fact that upwards of 70 new videogames are released during peak holiday weeks -- a higher volume than new movie releases and similar to the number of books and albums released.
"There are too many games to choose from," says gamer Mark Ormond of Salt Lake City, the unofficial videogame capital of America. "If you buy a ton of games, there is no way you can finish them all," he says, adding that the quantity problem is further compounded for multi-system owners.
Another reason for high levels of game abandonment is repetitive gameplay. "A lot of games are fun to play for the first few hours, but some become so repetitive they start to bore me," says Clint Furse, a full-time software developer and avid gamer. "If the second 10 hours are exactly like the first, why bother playing the entire thing?"
Most gamers don't bother, and readily view repetitive gameplay for what it really is: filler to inflate the perceived value of a game.
Perhaps the biggest reason for not finishing a game, however, is that there are a lot of lemons out there. "Plain and simple, a lot of games just aren't worth completing," says Hsu. No one will deny that.
It's no surprise then to learn that publishers are using the evolving demands of gamers to their advantage when releasing shorter games.
"The costs of game creation are skyrocketing and the influx of new gamers leaves the door wide open for the eight-hour game," says Steven Kent, author of "The Ultimate History of Video Games." But the door is not only open for shorter games, many gamers have already given their stamp of approval.
alt="Gears of War"/>In 2006, Epic Games announced that Gears of War would require only 10 hours to complete on the default difficulty. The announcement caused a mini-uproar on Internet forums and gaming blogs, but when push came to shove, gamers forked over the $60, applauded the game, and rallied to make it a monster seller that year.
Part of what made Gears of War a success is its compelling online multiplayer mode, which helps many gamers overlook the brevity of the single-player experience. "Good online multiplayer can more than make up for single-player shortcomings," says Hsu.
Often times, online multiplayer alone is enough to define the experience of the game. "Gamers I know seem more focused playing others online," says gaming blogger David Cole. " 'Yeah, I haven't unlocked anything on Mario Kart Wii,' they say. 'I'm too busy playing online with my friends.' "
alt="Grand Theft Auto IV"/>This isn't to say that lengthy single-player games no longer exist. In the same year that Gears of War was released, both Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess debuted, requiring around 80 to 100 hours to complete. Grand Theft Auto IV demands 100 hours to complete as well, excluding loitering.
But in the eyes of many publishers, it doesn't make sense to make an 80- to 100-hour game and sell it for $50 to $60 when a 10-hour game will suffice, especially if it costs less to develop. It's only fair then to assume the number of shorter single-player games will likely increase, but so will additional features like online multiplayer and downloadable content to ensure value.
"It's smart for publishers and developers to watch consumer playing habits," says Hsu. "If people don't have time for 50-hour epics, then perhaps shorter, more episodic content is necessary."
alt="Aging gamer" style="width:200px;"/>Aging gamers like shorter games.
How do gamers feel about the trend? They're fine with it -- provided the shorter experience remains compelling. So instead of complaining, many of today's older players even express approval.
"Ten hours for single-player is just about right when you're married, have kids and work a gajillion hours a day," says Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku, who is a father.
"If a developer creates an awesome experience, then length really doesn't matter," adds Furse, who's been gaming for 27 years.
Another gamer, Casey Willis of Atlanta, Georgia, may have put it best: "Make a game worth my time and money, and I'll be happy," he says. "After all, 10 hours of awesome is better than 20 hours of boring."
