Скриншот із гри Red Dead Redemption 2. Фото: Steam
Long games and photorealistic graphics make development too expensive.
Sean Layden, who has held executive positions at PlayStation for many years, including head of SIE Worldwide Studios
Video game development costs are doubling with each console generation According to According to Leiden, it cost approximately $150 million to create a top game for PS4, excluding marketing. For the PS5, this amount could reach $300-400 million, which he considers a completely unsustainable model.
«We have turned AAA games into a kind of cathedral business. Can we continue to build these massive structures that require incredible amounts of labor and time?”» — reflects the former PlayStation exec.
«I haven’t even opened Red Dead Redemption 2 because I don’t have 90 hours. And this is at the same time as I’m retired,» Leyden admits. According to him, for a long time, the industry has been proud of the «100 hours of gameplay» as a major achievement.
The average age of players has shifted from 18-23 years old to late 20s and early 30s. Young players have a lot of time but limited funds. The adult audience, on the contrary, can afford games but do not have enough free time.
Leyden suggests reducing the duration of games to 18-23 hours, focusing on high-quality and engaging gameplay.
«I want the whole game to be like that moment in Resident Evil when the dogs suddenly jump out the window and you drop the controller in fear,» he explains.
Admitting that he has led the development of 80-90 hour projects, Leyden notes that not all hours of the game were of equal quality. «What would Coppola do if you walked out in the middle of his movie?» — he draws a parallel with cinema.
An additional problem is created by the desire for photorealistic graphics, which requires significant resources, while only 50% of players reach the game’s final.
Nevertheless, The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, and even the aforementioned Red Dead Redemption 2 have achieved significant success despite their length. But how many studios might not be able to compete with such hits?
«I want more people to play games to the end. I want them to be so addictive that players want to see the ending, and I want them to not take three months to complete,» says Leyden.
Source: Eurogamer, Gamesradar