Starfield Team Addresses Lingering Game Length Concerns

A former Starfield developer, Will Shen, reveals player fatigue with excessively long AAA games. This sentiment suggests a potential shift towards shorter gaming experiences, driven by market saturation with lengthy titles. While games like Starfield, with their extensive content, remain popular, a significant player base is expressing preference for more concise gameplay.

Shen, a veteran with credits on titles including Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, observed in an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot) that the industry is reaching a saturation point where many players are weary of games demanding dozens of hours of commitment. He argues that the success of games like Skyrim established a trend of "evergreen" titles, but this has led to an overabundance of lengthy experiences. He highlighted that most players don't complete games exceeding ten hours, emphasizing the importance of completion for story engagement and overall product satisfaction.

This trend, according to Shen, contributes to the resurgence of shorter games. He cited the success of Mouthwashing, an indie horror game, as an example. Its relatively short playtime was a key factor in its positive reception; a longer version with added side quests, he suggests, would have been less successful.

Despite this growing preference for shorter games, longer experiences like Starfield, with its 2024 DLC Shattered Space and a rumored 2025 expansion, continue to be developed and released, indicating that both styles of game will likely remain prevalent in the industry.