Current Events > CNN: "Why most people don't finish video games."

(+) Yeah! (+)

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/08/17/finishing.videogames.snow/

This article is 7 years old and yet it's still pretty relevant.

Let that sink in for a minute: Of every 10 people who started playing the consensus "Game of the Year," only one of them finished it.

"The amount of digital distractions now is far greater than it's ever been before," he says. "People need time to check their Facebook, send a Twitter (tweet), be witty on their blog, play with their phone -- oh, and that game you made. If they feel as though the end is far away, they'll simply say, 'I don't have time for that' and stop playing."

send a Twitter (tweet)

"There are more players today, but there are also more games per player. Since you can't spend as much time on each game, you're less likely to finish the one in front of you."

What's really happened is that with their change in lifestyle, gamer tastes have evolved. Instead of "Zelda"-like games that take longer to start and resume, they're more inclined to play stop-and-go titles in bite-size games.

For me, the problem isn't so much lack of time as it is lack of funds. As such I tend to only buy games I know I'll enjoy/finish/replay. Sadly, this of course means I tend to play the same types of games over and over, which is why lately I've been making an effort to branch out into other franchises/genres (Bayonetta is fun, btw. Thank you SSB for sparking an interest)
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Yeah, iOS 12 will allow people to set max times on their social media apps to manage their time. I personally haven't had the issue of being distracted by social media too much in recent years but in the past I could definitely relate. What eats into my game time is mainly work and other hobbies.
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I've finished 15 games so far this year.... so.... yeah.
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No shit lol

Games become more difficult to finish the more games you buy. This is obvious and generally why gamers run into backlog problems, they didn't need a fucking news article to point that out
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let's not forget the well beloved game design philosophy that games must increase in difficulty, sometimes even dramatically

so not only is it a daunting task in terms of time required, but skill must also improve simultaneously while the game must provide enough rewards to make it worthwhile
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I usually play a long game alongside a quickie.
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Fight_The_Power posted...

No shit lol

Games become more difficult to finish the more games you buy. This is obvious and generally why gamers run into backlog problems, they didn't need a fucking news article to point that out

The article doesn't say it's just backlogs. More that we have so many things that divide our attention these days.

It's probably worse these days thanks to games as a service titles that appeal to both people who constantly want more out of a single game and people who don't want to commit to an end goal.

Jeff AKA Snoopy posted...

I've finished 15 games so far this year.... so.... yeah.

I'm up to 28! I've started to record them since last year.
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Part of the reason is because you can't really finish online mode. You just play until everyone else stops and moves onto the next big thing. A lot of kids don't even play story mode.
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I have a hard time finishing games that released in the last 5 years because they suck compared to games from last gen and before. IMO.
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I only finish games I like.... So maybe it's a shot at the way games are made today, but what do I know?
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HylianFox posted...

"There are more players today, but there are also more games per player. Since you can't spend as much time on each game, you're less likely to finish the one in front of you."

I'll admit that there has been a few times where I quit playing a game cause I got a new one that I wanted to play more but

HylianFox posted...

What's really happened is that with their change in lifestyle, gamer tastes have evolved. Instead of "Zelda"-like games that take longer to start and resume, they're more inclined to play stop-and-go titles in bite-size games.

This hasn't happened at all. Even now when I have less time to play games than I ever have I still play full-length and generally long games

I mostly buy less and less but I beat what i start if I enjoy it.
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It always weirds me out that the first level or whatever achievement is like 99% then it drops to like 10% and less for everything else in games I complete.
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catboy0_0 posted...

It always weirds me out that the first level or whatever achievement is like 99% then it drops to like 10% and less for everything else in games I complete.

When you get towards the end of Recore you start getting Rare Achievement notifications lol.
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Video games are way too blasted long. It takes a whole month to make it to the end of most of them these days.
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This has been a thing for me since the PS1.

So many rpgs played through over a dozen times, but never all the way to the end.
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One day I'll beat WoW
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Yeah, for me it's definitely other interests and hobbies eating into the time that I would normally spend playing games. That's also not to mention my lack of free time. I'm starting to think I'll never make a dent into my backlog.
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I think the biggest problem is that games today on average are like 10 times longer than they should be.
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Pus_N_Pecans posted...

I think the biggest problem is that games today on average are like 10 times longer than they should be.

Shoot, if you're going for 100%, the last few Metal Gear games have been well over 100 hours.

I just don't understand it.
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Axiom posted...

This hasn't happened at all. Even now when I have less time to play games than I ever have I still play full-length and generally long games

Agree--rather, it's that people who were more into social media are also gaming.
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Pus_N_Pecans posted...

I think the biggest problem is that games today on average are like 10 times longer than they should be.

Some of it is this. I don't really finish a lot of open world stuff or I'm not interested in Ubisoft copy-paste.
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catboy0_0 posted...

It always weirds me out that the first level or whatever achievement is like 99% then it drops to like 10% and less for everything else in games I complete.

I feel the same way. There has to be something terribly wrong with a game for me not to finish it if I get into it.

If I wasn't compelled to 100% Resident Evil 4 every year I'd have way more games done instead
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Ive brought this up many a time on the PS4 boards in regards to the majority of PS4 owners not finishing their single player only exclusives. Games like Uncharted, TLOU, Detroit, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, you name it and not a single one has over a 40% completion rate for beating it on the easiest difficulty. And to avoid a console war, Microsoft isnt better. I would be willing to bet if Nintendo had a trophy/achievement system not a single exclusive game would have an over 40% completion.

Most dont care, but as I argue if im Naughty Dog and I see only 32% of gamers who loaded up Uncharted 4 actually finished the game I spent years making then i would think about how long should TLOU 2 be. Trophies and achievements are fun, but its definitely a tool used by devs and publishers to gauge when drop off points are. We are already starting to see it with BLOPS4 and whats been cut and expanded upon, and sure there are outliers such as myself who complete most SP experiences but sadly im part of the minority that does.
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