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Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 21st, 2017, 12:10 pm
by Retro STrife
GTS wrote:Saying "Few adults with real lives have 40+ hours to dedicate to a game" is denigrating.


No it's not. No one is denigrating your lifestyle. Apparently you just qualify as one of the "few" with real lives that do have 40+ hours to dedicate to a game. If anything, we're jealous.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 21st, 2017, 5:00 pm
by SpaceGuitarist
Not sure I agree with this.
Of course I dislike games that take hundreds of hours to complete - mostly because I know that these games are based on repetition and grinding. But I would never say I prefer short games. As an adult, I am extremely concerned about how I spend my hard earned money, and I don't like forking out €€€ for a game that I can beat in a handful of hours.

There has to be a certain balance between the price I pay for it and the hours I can squeeze out of it. Usually, if I can get one hour for every euro I paid for it, I consider it a sound investment. Sounds brutal, but I don't like videogames nearly as much as to consider them pieces of art that transcend the old time/money rule.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 21st, 2017, 7:42 pm
by VideoGameCritic
I think it also has to do with how many games you like to play. The World of Warcraft people seem to sink 100's (1000's?) of hours into the game with no desire to play anything else. Likewise there are people who sit around playing Madden or Call of Duty every day.

The people on this site tend to appreciate a variety of games from multiple generations, which limits the amount of time they can dedicate to any particular game.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 21st, 2017, 9:37 pm
by ptdebate
I, like GTS, see no conflict between having a full life and playing lengthy games. If a 10-hour shooter campaign takes a week to complete, then a 40-hour RPG will take four weeks! It's not that hard to finish long games if you just stick with it. But it shouldn't be hard work. If a game isn't holding your interest, don't force it. Good games will sustain your interest throughout the entire runtime.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 22nd, 2017, 2:11 am
by Paul Campbell
Atarifever wrote:
GTS wrote: Perhaps I know how to manage my time better. Think of all the other lengthy behaviors people engage in, such as time online, time staring at their phones, time binge-watching TV shows.

Sorry if you feel shamed.


Don't feel sorry that he decided to feel "shamed" instead of automatically thinking "I am an exception to the rule." I'm tired of not being allowed to speak on generalities or make general assumptions based on my observations because a person who doesn't fit the narrative decides to take offense. Get over it.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 22nd, 2017, 10:45 am
by Retro STrife
SpaceGuitarist wrote:But I would never say I prefer short games. As an adult, I am extremely concerned about how I spend my hard earned money, and I don't like forking out €€€ for a game that I can beat in a handful of hours. There has to be a certain balance between the price I pay for it and the hours I can squeeze out of it.


I was going to mention something along these lines earlier... specifically, that I almost always wait til a game drops significantly in price before buying it, which allows me to not expect a lot of time out of it. I understand if people paying $60 have higher expectations. But personally, I don't need $60 games the minute they come out. Jeez, I still have games that I wanted to play in 1998 that I haven't finished yet, so why am I going to hurry to buy the latest $60 game in 2017?? I throw it in my Amazon watchlist, and watch it drop in price over the months/years. Then I snag a good used copy when I'm ready..whether it be $30, $20, $10... At those prices, I can live with a 7 hour game.


ptdebate wrote:I, like GTS, see no conflict between having a full life and playing lengthy games. If a 10-hour shooter campaign takes a week to complete, then a 40-hour RPG will take four weeks! It's not that hard to finish long games if you just stick with it.


My problem is it takes me 1 to 2 months to finish that 10-hour shooter campaign and over a year to finish that 40+ hour RPG....

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 22nd, 2017, 11:17 am
by matmico399
Totally agreed Retro. I have so many games I never pay full price. With the exception of a few collectors gems I don't pay more than $20 for a game. I don't have to have it as soon as it's released. I have plenty to play until the price hits that magical number.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 22nd, 2017, 12:11 pm
by pacman000
It took me about a decade to beat Super Mario Land's 12 levels. Put me in the short game camp.

I also have trouble convincing myself a $9 game is worth it; there's almost no way I'd buy one at $60.

I would like to try more RPGs tho.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 22nd, 2017, 4:32 pm
by jon
I think there's a reservoir of great short games from the 80's-90's. Games that are short can have a lot of replayability. A game that takes 30 minutes to complete can have a number of playable characters offering different playing experiences. That can contribute to a game like that having 20-30 hours of playing.

Re: I Like Short Games

Posted: July 23rd, 2017, 8:39 am
by Voor
I'm a real life dad, and my issue is that I have other hobbies that also fill up my down time--music, biking, swimming, reading, movies, etc. Video games used to be #1, but as I get older, it slides down the list.

Same with the $$ part--with kids, mortgage, I just don't have tons of cash to sink into games/systems.

It very common for me to go for 1-2 weeks without playing ANYTHING, and then I'm using craving some Mario Kart or something easy to jump in and out of.

That another issue. I need a game that I can turn off at a moment's notice, not something with a checkpoint every 30 mins. "Daaaaaaadddddd!!!" Sure, I can play zelda 15 minutes at a time, but it takes me a while to remember what I was doing and what I'm trying to do next.