Long games are dead, says Spector

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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..:D
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:p (i could always play after work though..:D)

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:)

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.

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Originally Posted by 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.

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Exactly!!

Die damn lazy developers

Wow, Spector is an idiot.

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

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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.

I agree that while shorter games and "party games" are important and may be easier to develop and sell, they're normally a fad unless they're absolutely state of the art, and there's only so many ideas for this field. There is still a large market for long games with deep storylines and mechanics that keep the game fun for all those many hours. In other words, if the game's good, the market's there.

Really, it breaks my heart to hear this come from Spector. Deus Ex was such a perfect game, and I actually liked the sequel, although it wasn't perfect. I really wish the guys who made Deus Ex would get back together, do a proper Deus Ex sequel, preferably written from the ground up for the PC using a reliable engine like the Source engine, but I guess Deus Ex was just a random blip on the radar.

**** deus ex

its like one of those movies

1 hour 15 min of biulding up boring, fall asleep who cares anymore crap, to the climax

just to end it all in less than 15 min of half assed nonsensical bullcrap (black dilaia im looking at you)

quit being a tool then you might have an opinion, other than the fact you made a 15 second fad almost 10 years ago

I enjoy a shorter more cinematic experience than a long drawn out boredom fest. I think a lot of people consider the playtime:money ratio as well and maybe why you see "over 45 hours gameplay!!" on the back of a lot of game boxes.

But also sometimes it takes a lot of time to develop a character.

you can develop the character all you want, in the end its just a stupid looking hand with a gun in it

yeah 4 hour games dont apeal to me, thats why i hardly buy any games these days, there all the same and boring, i just got crisis core for the psp today, 50 odd hours they say, THATS WHAT I WANT.

take your time with making games and dont rush them, rushing them only makes things worst .... but dont take 5 years either :P

I respect Warren Spector, because he has made some of the best games ever. In this case though I think he might be just a bit off his rocker.

Crap, Spector, just give us some good ol' Ultima goodness!

the longer the better ;)

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Originally Posted by Shrygue

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

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I get the feeling Mr. Spector is the one who's "on the way out." Spending $60 for a game that can be beaten in 24 hours will certainly drive up business for Blockbuster, but I doubt it will go over well with the gaming community.

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Originally Posted by Shrygue

"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.

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He's probably now where he needs to be, then. He can start making Flash games for Disney's web site. Disney's target audience probably loves to have short games to match their short attention spans. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by luminouslight

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

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hah, that is so true dude.

i would rather much buy some game that cost 50 bucks and would take me 100 hours to beat, than some game that i got for the same price that i can beat in only a couple of hours.

what would be the point in that? it better have some damn good replay value if they know its short and they are charging me the same price as other games that are actually worth getting.

I think this would be a good and bad thing to happen because obviously as hardware gets more powerfull it would be too expensive to develop big games but that could mean they have to make games that focus more on gameplay it's like in the 8 and 16 bit era they had to focus on gameplay because did'nt have graphics to rely on now it is the same because graphics are too good

I'm too old, don't have much time to play games. 7 to 10 hours seem great to me. I remember when games used to cost $70.

Hmmm, I'm not sure. I find myself preferring a shorter game these days. I just don't have the time to invest in massive epic adventures. Call Of Duty 4 was a perfect length for me. Really was. I just never get round to completing long games any more, the boredom sets in and I start other games. There are too many good games to play and not enough time, I welcome shorter games to be honest. I have a pile of about 6 at home I haven't even started yet that I want to play through. Okami, The Darkness, Lost Planet, loads...

I only really get to play games on the weekend these days anyway.

lol. ive been playing okami for forever and still havent beaten it.

Sometimes I feel like playing a long epic adventure while relaxing on the weekend and sometimes I feel like playing a mini game or two while waiting for a bus. Both long and short games have their applications and both are necessary for true entertainment value.