Starfield Dev: Many Players Tired of Lengthy Games

A former Starfield developer reveals player fatigue with excessively long AAA games. This saturation of the market with lengthy titles, the argument goes, has fueled a resurgence of shorter gaming experiences.

Will Shen, a veteran Bethesda developer who contributed to Starfield, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, observes a growing segment of gamers tiring of the dozens of hours required by many AAA titles. He suggests that adding another lengthy game to an already extensive backlog is a significant challenge. Shen points to the success of games like Skyrim as a contributing factor to the prevalence of "evergreen" games, comparing this trend to the impact of Dark Souls on the popularity of challenging third-person combat. He highlights the fact that many players don't complete games exceeding ten hours, emphasizing the importance of game completion for meaningful engagement with the narrative and overall product.

The Rise of Shorter Games

Shen connects the abundance of lengthy AAA games to the recent rise in popularity of shorter titles. He cites the success of Mouthwashing, a game lauded for its concise playtime, arguing that its reception would likely have been different had it been significantly longer and included extensive side quests.

Despite the growing appeal of shorter games, longer experiences remain a significant part of the industry landscape. Starfield's 2024 DLC, Shattered Space, extended the game's already substantial content. Further expansions are rumored for 2025, suggesting that Bethesda, and likely other AAA studios, are not abandoning the long-form game format.