Mahalagang impormasyon
Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios head Shawn Layden recently argued that the gaming industry should prioritize tight, high-quality experiences over the current trend of massive, hundred-hour titles. Speaking on The Expansion Pass podcast, Layden suggested that developers should focus on creating 20 to 25-hour games that maintain constant excitement.
Layden criticized the industry's reliance on padding, noting that many long games include repetitive tasks, such as fetching keys to open doors, rather than consistently high-quality content. He compared his ideal game design to the pacing of a John Woo action film, where the experience remains engaging and intense from beginning to end.
The former executive attributed the prevalence of long games to 1990s rental culture, where developers extended playtimes to prevent players from finishing titles in a single weekend. He noted that while long playtimes were once used as a metric for value, this approach now imposes unnecessary burdens on both developers and time-constrained players.
Layden highlighted that as players age, they transition from being time-rich to time-poor, making hundred-hour games less accessible. He cited his own experience with Red Dead Redemption 2, which remains unopened due to his lack of time. He advocates for a shift toward manageable, memorable experiences that players can actually complete.
