The former PlayStation head explains in an interview that modern games have become far too long. He himself is now retired and does not have the time to complete a big game. However, he also sees the problem with the developers: They develop their big titles without considering the players.
Shawn Layden, former head of PlayStation and chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios from 2014 to 2019, explained that the development of games has skyrocketed in recent years.
The reason for this is also that games have become very long and extensive. And according to Layden, such long games have nothing to do with reality. Because many people today no longer have the time to invest hundreds of hours into a game.
Layden believes: “You are definitely short on time”
What does Layden say? In an interview with Eurogamer.com, he explained that games are getting longer and longer. He himself is now retired, but cannot even spare 90 hours of leisure time to fight his way through one of the games.
He adds that the numbers studios work with today have nothing to do with reality anymore. Previously, 100 hours of gameplay would have been great, but today, no one wants that anymore. He suggests:
I think part of the answer is – and this sounds very simple, but listen to me – I think games are too long. I haven’t even opened Red Dead Redemption 2 because I don’t have 90 hours. And I’m retired and don’t have 90 hours either.
For the longest time we talked about 100 hours of gameplay fun. ‘This is going to be crazy. There are 100 hours of gameplay fun!’ As if that were the most important thing you need to know. That was a metric in the early years when the average player was between 18 and 23. And when you’re 18 to 23, you have a lot of time and little money. But as the average age of gamers progressed into their late 20s, early 30s – well, it was the exact opposite, right? You might not be rich in money, but you are definitely short on time.
So I think our approach does not align with this market and reality.
Games with long playtime have been very successful in recent years
Why is this interesting? The most successful games of recent years include titles that can absorb hundreds of hours of time. These include The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, and even Layden’s own example, Red Dead Redemption 2. Some games even discover new content in Baldur’s Gate 3 after 1,400 hours. But these are probably peak play times that the fewest players can realistically achieve.
On the other hand, Layden’s argument is understandable. Many people who used to play a lot were still in school, were studying, or had plenty of free time. Nowadays, many of them have a job, a structured daily routine, and possibly even a family. And all these things take time. The time for hobbies, including gaming, becomes smaller compared to earlier youth.
Individual players are certainly unique when it comes to their playtime. One player has gathered particularly curious playtimes. A streamer now reveals his time – and comes to over 40,000 hours: WoW: Player plays 40,000 hours, doesn’t even use a mouse
