Long games are dead, says Spector

[Shrygue]

via Eurogamer


Iconic game designer Warren Spector has said he believes lengthy adventure games are "on the way out".

The Deus Ex creator, who now heads Junction Point Studios for Disney, believes game designers need to work out how to meet a new generation of demands.

"I love working with Disney because I'm so tired of making games about guys in black leather carrying guns. I don't want to make those any more," Spector told Gamasutra.

"Building a game is as complex as making as a Hollywood movie. We are in a business that is both software engineer and entertainment, and we have to balance it. It used to be that you could trade off gameplay for graphics, but you can't do that any more.

"100-hour games are on the way out. How many of you have finished GTA? Two per cent, probably. If we're spending USD 100 million on a game, we want you to see the last level!" he added.

However, casual games have their own set of problems, according to Spector, who said, "If you don't make it on the front page, you don't get your game seen."

Spector has yet to put his name to a project since Ion Storm (Deus Ex series, Thief: Deadly Shadows) was closed by Eidos in 2004.

All we've heard of his Junction Point project is a teaser quote from the man on the studio website:

"When we do announce what we're doing, half the world's going to think we're crazy and half the world's going to think it's the coolest thing since sliced bread - how great is that?!"

Read to the full interview to find out what sort of people Spector wants to hire to help him. You'll need to love "chaos" and "change", apparently.

[tophead420]

I totally disagree with this guy. I haven't seen many games that take 100 hours to beat. GTA 4 is mos def not that long. I mean it's the only GTA that i have ever beat. It only took about 50 hours thats counting all missions and me playing around liberty city. Who wants to pay 60 bucks for a game that lasts 10 hours, I'll tell you who NO ONE. I only wished there was longer games to be played so that way i know I'm getting my monies worth. And i don't see disney making a very good game anyways (other than Kindom hearts) I believe this guy took the wrong career turn by working for them. Well anyways I highly doubt that only 2 percent of GTA owners beat it.

[luminouslight]

I don't want to be buying games that I that only play for 10 hours when I bought it for $50.

[eatnooM]

This has been claimed before, and everyone thought it was a load of bull then too.

[Gene]

the real reason 100 hour long games are a dieing breed, is because developers are consistently making games shorter and shorter, and relying on replay value to get them their $60 per copy. I admit that sometimes I get bored with games, but making them shorter is not the answer. I'll eventually pick them back up and finish them, if they are actually good games.

[warsaw]

10 million + subscribers to world of warcraft who play for not only hundreds, but in some cases THOUSANDS of hours would disagree with this guys' view I'd say.

[____anders____]

yeah, i also disagree.
i really want games to be very long so it will keep me from dying of boredom..

i really don't have anything to do exept playing, the school is way too easy (i don't complain) and i got around 5-10 homeworks this school-year, which i did on the classes..
next year is the last year in school for me, then i'm off to work, so i gotta game as much as i can now (i could always play after work though..)

and when i get home, i'm at my computer or wii, doing crazy stuff that you're not supposed to be able to do.
..thanks to twiizers

so long games keep me ockupied

[TVarmy]

If a game is about the length of a movie and has about as much replayability as a good movie, then price it like a good movie. Portal fulfills those specifications, so it's good that it sells independently for $10-20, depending on where you look.

[mike_jmg]

the real reason 100 hour long games are a dieing breed, is because developers are consistently making games shorter and shorter, and relying on replay value to get them their $60 per copy. I admit that sometimes I get bored with games, but making them shorter is not the answer. I'll eventually pick them back up and finish them, if they are actually good games.

Exactly!!

Die damn lazy developers

[sonofsamus]

Wow, Spector is an idiot.

I'm so tired of making games about guys in black leather carrying guns.

Really? So that's why you rushed to milk the Deus Ex franchise with that horrible Invisible War sequel? If the genre's dead, it's because you killed it.