After reading a very interesting article in a Dutch games magazine I would like to know what you guys think that should be done in the future concerning the lenght of videogames.
 At the Games Education Summit (Dallas) in July, Warren Spector (known for games like Wing Commander, Thief and Deux Ex; see picture) stated that 100-hours singleplayer games are a thing of the past. He also said that only 2% of the people who have played GTA4 actually finished it. If he means by "finished it" getting 100% complete, I'm sure it's even less.
RPGs are probably the "worst" kind of games when it comes to being overly lengthy. Recent games like The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion or Final Fantasy 12 come to mind. They often take up 60 hours to finish the main storyline alone and go well over 100 hours if you want to finish all sidequests, defeat all monsters and get that strongest weapon. (Don't get me wrong, I love RPGs)
As you all know, making videogames is no longer cheap. Especially with the next generation consoles and their fabulous physics and visuals, production times get longer and the costs are getting higher. Spending $40.000.000 to develop a videogame isn't anything spectacular anymore and companies are strugling to make a profit like they used to do 5-10 years ago. Especially when your game stands in the shadow of a Triple A title, sales can't always make up for the costs.
If most gamers stop playing GTA4 at 40%; that basically means 60% of the game's content is money down the drain.
Would you like to see shorter games, knowing that most (read: the not-so-hardcore) gamers don't finish these games? Wouldn't it be great if companies could make games for less money and therefor take some more risks? It would mean more diverse games for us for sure.
Do you really want the Full HD graphics and 7.1 surround? Maybe some gamers do, but the rest of us are forced to walk the same path. I wonder why nobody seems to have the guts to make an HD 16-bit style 2D RPG for Xbox360 or PS3. If the story was good and the gameplay rock-solid, wouldn't that make for an amazing game?
Note: I've reposted this on the forums because I wanted to make a poll about it. You can find the poll here.
So, we are back! Feels good to see the homepage again. So why not start up with a new weekly article, Shadowfortes 100 Best Games of All Time. So I will post 5 a week. Here we go!
100 – Sonic The Hedgehog (Genesis, Game Cube)
So, I was never a big Sega fan when I was a kid, because Nintendo ruled my house. I think the first time I played a Genesis was after I got my PS1, so I was a bit behind. One game though that will always stick out will be Sonic. It had something that Mario would never have: Speed. It was fast and had amazing colors and graphics for it's time. And IMO, Genesis had the best controller of that time, so that helped.
99 – Phozon (Arcade, PS1)
So many things I could say about this game. The only thing the strikes me as odd though is that everyone I have asked about this game has never played it or only played it on PS1. I can also say that this is one heck of a hard game to play. But the awesome tactful game play and replay value make me keep coming back for more.
98 – Burger Time (Arcade, NES, Game Boy)
Burger Time spawned a whole new type of game play for us that played it on the NES. Who thought making burgers by walking over them could be so much fun? With funny, yet hard to fight hot dogs, falling patty's and a little chef, how could you go wrong?
97 – Rock Band (360,PS2,PS3,Wii)
What's Rock Band you say? Take the GH games, whip out four friends and Rock Band, and feel like you are on your first world tour. Rock Band steps it up to the next level with one of the best party games of all time, yet it is also a great single player game. With the options to create your band members, play online, and download new tracks each week, this game is a must have.
96 – Dig Dug (Arcade, PS1)
Dig Dug is not a game I can just pick up and play. Matter of fact, I need to be in the mood for it. So why is it on my list? Because once you are in the mood to play it, you can't put it down. This game is so much fun, you just can't get enough. I mean, whats better the blowing air into a dragon until it blows up? Priceless.
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