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 difficult for another lengthy title to gain traction. He cites the success of games like Skyrim as contributing to the prevalence of "evergreen" games, but notes that most players don't complete games exceeding ten hours, impacting overall story engagement.
This trend, according to Shen, is fueling a resurgence of shorter games. He points to the success of Mouthwashing, a short indie horror game, as a prime example, arguing that its brevity was key to its positive reception. Longer games, however, remain a significant part of the AAA landscape, as evidenced by Starfield's continued support with DLC like Shattered Space (released in 2024) and a rumored 2025 expansion. The article concludes that while player preference for shorter experiences is growing, lengthy AAA titles are not disappearing anytime soon.
