Starfield Developer Says Players Are Sick of Long Games

A former Starfield developer, Will Shen, reveals player fatigue with excessively long AAA games. Shen, a veteran with experience on titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, suggests that the market is reaching a saturation point with lengthy experiences, making it increasingly difficult for new, similarly long games to find an audience. This observation follows Starfield's 2023 release, a massive open-world RPG adding to Bethesda's portfolio of time-intensive games.

While the success of games like Skyrim and Starfield demonstrates a strong market for expansive content, Shen highlights a growing preference for shorter, more focused experiences. In an interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot), he stated that a significant portion of gamers are tiring of games requiring dozens of hours of investment, noting that many players don't complete games exceeding ten hours. He emphasizes the importance of completion for meaningful engagement with a game's narrative and overall product.

Shen connects this player fatigue to the rise of shorter games. He cites the success of Mouthwashing, a popular indie horror title, as an example of a game whose brevity contributed significantly to its positive reception. He argues that extending Mouthwashing's playtime with additional side quests would have negatively impacted its overall impact.

Despite the growing popularity of shorter games, Shen acknowledges that longer titles, like Starfield, remain prevalent. Bethesda's continued support for Starfield with DLC like Shattered Space (2024) and a rumored 2025 expansion underscores this trend. The industry, therefore, seems poised for a continued coexistence of both lengthy and shorter gaming experiences.