Are Video Games TOO Big These Days?

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[MrSJPowell]

Here's how you sell it: "Refining our storytelling with a focused narrative. We're putting the same amount of love and attention into the new game as we did the last, but this time each moment of gameplay gets more focus"

[christopherclayton]

You absolutely can tell your investors that, you just have to use different words. Rather than "smaller" your next game is "more focused."

[pleaseclap]

I’d much rather play a game with a few fully baked ideas instead of a game with dozens of half baked ideas.

[RespawnM]

Because "100 weapons" sounds better to investors than "10 incredible fighting styles" even if the second is better than the first

[ZachTheZip]

At least FromSoft has recognized that Elden Ring was at the very limit of what they could do and that they plan to scale back in the future. The two most recent Remedy games are just the right length for major productions. Any more, and it feels overwhelming.

[SplotchyInk]

I think part of it is just, some games are 'built' to be added upon. Like, if your going to be using the same engine, with a majority of the same assets, you already have 1/4 of the game already made.

But at that point its also like... why not make the same 'scale' of game but now you can do it quicker and with more care. Like Majoras Mask.

[HaragothNAR]

The problem with making the games smaller is that they can't excuse raising the game price. Additionally, people would expect the experience to be more polished.

[Isharne]

I feel hit by stray shots as I am currently plowing through Rebirth and laughing my ass off at certain character moments while almost crying at others

[timmyreobed]

The games industry is basically doing the equivalent of overinflating a balloon. The games themselves are bigger than ever, but the massive scale and strict deadlines combined with all the levels of quality assurance results in most games ending up rupturing from the pressure.

[percivaldotburgers]

Gonna be real: I didn't play Rebirth because it looked too big and too long. Might just watch an LP of it, which is sad but I just can't jam such a huge game in my schedule.

[KHfanz]

This was one of my big issues with Jedi Survivor, it’s like Fallen Order covered what I wanted and needed. I don’t want “open world” or “gardening”, I would rather go to 6 planets that are very linear and filled with soul and personality, than 2 soulless “open world” ones.

[SlaghathortheGreat]

The last smaller game I remember I played was xcom chimera squad

[PelenFuzzlefurr]

Eventually, the "too big" games will either be a second job to keep up on (MMOs), a game that you won't have enough time for other games because of so much to do, or a collection of unplayed-and-few hours in each in libraries.

[Sharkofspace]

People will say 80 hours is simply too long for a video game, then put over 500 hours into BG3.

The size of the game isn't the issue, it's the quality.

[Rockalanche]

The problem I have with these big open-world games is that they have too much content. I rarely ever finish them because after I'm 20-30 hours in, I've had my fill. I've explored and felt like I got what I wanted out of the game.

[Syroderick]

Tell that to whoever made the sims 4. "Y'all remember being able to explore and interact with entire towns / cities alongside pets? Well we're cutting back to a single house in a neighborhood and taking away your pets until a new expansion comes out."

[MonsoonMike]

Many times I have said that I want developers to give me a game that I *want* to play for 100 hours, not a game that I *have* to play for 100 hours.

[Sable_Soup]

the way I'd do it is "we've expanded on the narrative and gameplay of our previous entries, while also redirecting our focus to make those aspects as best we possibly can. as such, many aspects from our previous entries have been scaled down and refined into this entry, cutting away aspects that would lead the game to feel bloated or overwhelming, and allowing players to focus on a finely honed and perfected narrative and gameplay experience."

[jennyinutil]

I beat Lies of P like 5 times in 60 hours
Absolutely jarring

[BlubirdJay]

PirateSoftware uploaded a short talking about this the other day. The issue with a lot of devs these days is they think they have to keep going bigger, and eventually the scaling becomes too much and they just CAN'T. However, putting out smaller game releases in between the big ones creates a more balanced release schedule and benefits both the players and the people working on the games. Players consistently have new games to play from said studio, and said studio cuts down on crunch.