I am concerned about the base time needed to finish a game, not how long I could hypothetically spend playing it. For example How Long To Beat clocks Skyrim at 32 hours, I think I put in about 60 before I had enough and made a beeline for the ending. Similar thing happened with Breath of the Wild and the same is happening with Final Fantasy XV. Finishing a game is important to me and if all ~60 hours suddenly become mandatory then I'm out.
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You know what? Intense, time-sink games are still good for people with jobs.
- Thread starter Boss Doggie
- Start date
For a while I had thought I couldn't play long games because I'd drop them before, get bored or lose the will to play etc. Then I got a Switch + Zelda and noticed that two things actually matter to me:
- Sense of accomplishment: even in a 15 minute session, I quickly get the sense of accomplishing new things and improving my game (completing shrines, getting new weapons, finishing a quick side quest)
- Being able to play it on the go: a lot of times you're traveling for work, commuting etc. When that happens for a long period of time, you might find hard to get back to a game that has a steeper learning curve. Portability solves it.
ILoveMcChickens
Member
Same here! Especially with Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine. Great way to save money too - playing one long game for an extended amount of time vs. multiple shorter games.
Tyraniboah
Member
Have a little boy that was under one a year ago. Finished the Witcher 3 last year. Took from about February to August to cover all of the DLC. A lot of Overwatch was mixed in with that too though. Finished Final Fantasy XV and Titanfall 2 after that. My son is older and more mobile now and I have a daughter as well. So I don't play as much, but I'm getting an hour or two of Xenoblade every day so I do agree that a job and kids aren't the end. I prefer handheld to TV or monitor play right now though because it is much easier
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Yep, this also helps. Spreading a game session throughout a long week really helps you do chunks too.
Yeah, last "long games need to die! i have no time for them!" thread here on gaf i was there saying how i game 2h-8h per week tops and i still enjoy long games nonetheless. Took more than one year to beat base witcher 3 and loved every second. saved me quite some money too.
a good game is a good game regardless if you play it in one sitting or over one thousand sittings. i like short games too but i don't want them to become the only standard in gaming
a good game is a good game regardless if you play it in one sitting or over one thousand sittings. i like short games too but i don't want them to become the only standard in gaming
The_Darkest_Red
Member
I have a wife, 2 small kids, and a full time job. I'm also a homeowner. My day to day life keeps me pretty busy. That said, I still find time to game at night when the kids are asleep. I am heavily into competitive Rocket League and still manage to get through a decent amount of other games each year. It's all a matter of what you prioritize in your free time really.
Of course, my love for games has caused me to sacrifice in other areas like exercising and sleeping.
Of course, my love for games has caused me to sacrifice in other areas like exercising and sleeping.
I never finish games because of time. Playing an hour here and there over the course of months takes me out of it. I typically just play fighting games. Been playing nothing but Tekken since release. Rocket League is also great to fire up and play. Long single player games are the issue. I simply lose interest because of how they take to beat and how little time I can play a day.
I'm always up for trying new games. I just don't have any urgency to beat them as fast as i can
You're not forced to do the meaningless quests. Reminds me of the people complaining about the tasks in andromeda, yeah, they're boring fetch quests, but they're completely optional. I'd rather have the option to do them if i feel like it or just go linear if i want than a "corridor walking simulator" like FFXIII
ehh let the dude play what he wants. the justification might be off, but maybe he just doesnt like long, commitment required games and don't know how else to put it
A friend of mine allways says he can't play long games because of his lack of time but the reality is he's playing every day, sometimes for more than an hour, small indie games or mobile games. I can't stand it. He could use that time to play more fulfilling games, imo. Hope he reads this thread.
Theslammer
Member
My shift is such that I work Monday through Friday 5-1 or 5-2, and with no family demands, it's actually the best shift I've had for game-playing. Who knew I'd have more time now versus college?
Conversely, if he used that time playing a handful of longer games, he could have used all that time playing a shitton of varied indie and mobile games.
Of course, what i mean is i can't stand the excuses. He can play whatever he wants. But he is allways whinning because "he can't" play longer games. And yes, he could.
Zen_Arcade
Banned
When people say "I don't have time for time sink games like this." what they really mean is "I only have a limited time to game, and I don't want to put all of that time into one game for months on end when I could play multiple things and have more varied experiences instead."
zelhawks37
Member
This is pretty much me in a nutshell.
That's like me saying I can't buy a new car this month. Sure I can, by not paying rent.
There are inherent conditions to nearly any statement, and they shouldn't always need to be explicitly qualified.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
the hell are you walking in zelda
The conditions aren't really stated though. What stops him from playing a single long game?
honestly I dislike the notion of pop culture nowadays where you must consume everything so quickly without letting them to be digested
Not the same scenario. You don't buy a new car because you preffer to pay the rent. .He preffers to play longer games before mobile or small indie games, but he doesn't because a lack of time that is not real since he is already using that time to play those other games.
I know the conditions aren't stated. But that was my point. It would be exhausting to qualify all statements in such a manner. It can be generally assumed that almost nobody has literally no time for something. It's that they don't won't prioritise more than a given chunk of their time to something, if they feel it'll be at the expense of other things that they may find to be a better use of that time. Hell, even if they are willing to slowly play through The Witcher 3 over a period of 2 months, using their allotment of 2 hours each day... if you then ask that person why they aren't playing Persona 5 (but maybe did play The Journey), chances are it's because they now don't have the time.
It's no different to someone saying they don't have the money for something. Nobody wants to see their bank statements to ensure that it's not a result of some other purchase... that's just something that it makes sense to assume is the case.
That depends... paying rent is technically optional, so long as you're willing to not live in a house/flat/etc. But feel free to substitute with basically any reason someone may not be able to afford something without the sacrificing the purchase of a number of other things.
SciencePilot
Member
Totally agree with you. I just played 240 hours of Bravely Default and Bravely Second back to back, and most of that time was when riding the bus to work.
Portables are great because if you're in the middle of a boss fight or something and have to go, you can just put it in sleep mode and resume the next day. Doesn't bother me at all.
Portables are great because if you're in the middle of a boss fight or something and have to go, you can just put it in sleep mode and resume the next day. Doesn't bother me at all.
Deadpool_X
Banned
I work about 48-52 hours a week, then come home. My wife usually works a few hours later each day then me, so I'm Mr Mom, getting my kids snacks after school, helping with homework, and getting dinner going. By the time my wife is home and dinner is ready, it's usually 6:30-7. We finish by 7:30-8, get the kids their baths/showers and ready for bed by 9. Once that's done, I have all of about an hour to actually spend with my wife(who is also my best friend), talking about our days, the week, and just spending time together before we inevitably have to get to sleep so we can do it all over again the next day. So, yes, please tell me about all the gaming time I have available for an intense, time-sink experience...
shawnbuddy
Member
I still like long RPGs, the only problem is that it takes me months to get through them. I played Dragon Age: Inquisition over the course of most of a year.
Okami Haundo
Member
OP, I think it's just a matter of preference. I work two jobs and honestly kind of hate the idea of games like the ones you mentioned. Playing an hour or two at a time makes me feel like I'm not getting anywhere at all. After a bit I then just lose motivation for the game I was playing because I'd rather move on to something newer.
It doesn't help that Switch came along, as the hardware facilitates shorter play times. I just bring it with me everywhere and get in a few minutes to an hour wherever I can. It feels rather freeing for me and makes my other consoles feel restrictive by comparison.
It doesn't help that Switch came along, as the hardware facilitates shorter play times. I just bring it with me everywhere and get in a few minutes to an hour wherever I can. It feels rather freeing for me and makes my other consoles feel restrictive by comparison.
7DollarHagane
Banned
The idea that one is "too busy" for one type of game but not "too busy" for another is false and dumb.
If you're "too just" for games your just too busy for them. That's fine.
But an 80 hour rpg played over 6-10 months in 1hour sessions vs playing 8 10 hour shooter campaigns in that same time is no different. Or 80 hours of overwatch or call of duty.
I'm not saying you need to play long games but the excuse of not having time for them is nonsense. Either you have leisure time or not, how you choose to use it or what you prefer is up to you.
If you're "too just" for games your just too busy for them. That's fine.
But an 80 hour rpg played over 6-10 months in 1hour sessions vs playing 8 10 hour shooter campaigns in that same time is no different. Or 80 hours of overwatch or call of duty.
I'm not saying you need to play long games but the excuse of not having time for them is nonsense. Either you have leisure time or not, how you choose to use it or what you prefer is up to you.
As I said before though, saying you don't have time for something makes sense, even if there are choices you've made resulting in you not having time. It doesn't matter whether this time goes to other games, watching TV shows, going to concerts, whatever... when people say they don't have enough time, they're basically saying they don't have enough time remaining, and it's likely true.
I don't see why this is such an issue when talking about time, whereas if something similar is stated for money, the implications are understood and accepted easily. We constantly talk about people maybe not having the money for top spec PCs, with awesome monitors and VR headsets... but I'd imagine there are very few people posting on these forums that couldn't make these purchases a reality by sacrificing other quite comparable things (are you paying for cable channels? do you eat food more lavish than instant noodles? are you going on holiday this year?)... you don't need to lack any resources entirely to say that you're opting out due to not having enough of it.
A person that played 8 10 hour shooters also may not have known they'd even manage to play 5 of them in that timeframe, so starting a game where they expect to need 80hrs isn't actually "no different" from their point of view, because they may not know where the next 80 hours of time is coming from.
Rodolink
Member
I've finished many RPGs in my commutes (45 min in the train or bus) I find this genre ideal for portable gaming specially because grinding doesnt need a lot of attention (as in an action game which is better suited for home gaming). I use mainly 3DS and PSVita (dont like mobile). And hopefully soon a Switch 
baberunisei
Member
I agree with you, OP. I've been playing Horizon Zero Dawn for 4 months (I'm on the last quest now) and I'm still loving it.
Well, I'll use an example that's more applicable to me. I don't watch The Walking Dead or Game of Thrones. The time required for watching them up to their current standing is probably the largest factor as to why. The Walking Dead apparently has 99 episodes at approximately an hour each. So let's say I'd need 100 hours to watch it all.
On the other hand, let's imagine that in the same window of time I could watch 40 movies lasting approximately 2.5hrs each. When did I last watch a movie? Wonder Woman a couple of weeks ago. Let's imagine I watch a movie today (I won't) and that's my average movie watching habits. So I watch a new 2.5hr movie every two weeks. This means it'd take me almost 2 years to have actually watched the equivalent amount of movies that equals the time required to have watched just The Walking Dead alone. Do you think the prospect of watching the next 2.5hr movie weighs similarly in my mind to starting The Walking Dead from episode one right now? Really?
Now obviously if I did choose to watch The Walking Dead, I'd likely either watch episodes far more regularly than I do movies, or I'd watch for a lot longer each time... either way though, the time prospect is completely different to spending the same amount of time with movies that are in isolation to one another. I can watch one movie, and then not watch another all year, and it doesn't matter. Do that with a 100hr TV show, and you got as far as episode 3. Now consider that games aren't generally designed to wrap themselves up in neat and tidy episodes at each play session, and this lack of commitment likely leads to you returning to the game with no idea what you were even doing last time you played.
I started Horizon: Zero Dawn a few months back, before getting distracted by other games. What did I do last? No idea... What are the names of anyone that's not Aloy or Rost? No idea... Can I name a single location I've been to? No. I don't have these problems with shorter games, because I'm unlikely to have gotten sidetracked by something else without actually wrapping it all up.
jipewithin
Member
Never understood why you couldn't play long games when you have a job. Yeah maybe not MMOs but no problem playing single players.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
but games lets you save, and from my memory ZD lets you recall certain things
curiouscharles
Member
hunh?
OP this makes no sense.
no, I absolutely do NOT have time for intense time sink games... this isn't some attitude shift problem, i just don't have the fucking time.
by the time i have a full uninterrupted hour to go back to BotW [for example], it's been weeks [nigh on a month] since i last had 30mins to an hour to play and i have no fucking clue what i'm doing.
i tinker for 10 mins, and say fuck it, load up halo 5, play 2 or 3 matches, retire for the evening.
glad you still have time to play time-sink games, which, um, completely defeats what you're trying to say.
worst thread ever.
OP this makes no sense.
no, I absolutely do NOT have time for intense time sink games... this isn't some attitude shift problem, i just don't have the fucking time.
by the time i have a full uninterrupted hour to go back to BotW [for example], it's been weeks [nigh on a month] since i last had 30mins to an hour to play and i have no fucking clue what i'm doing.
i tinker for 10 mins, and say fuck it, load up halo 5, play 2 or 3 matches, retire for the evening.
glad you still have time to play time-sink games, which, um, completely defeats what you're trying to say.
worst thread ever.
They let you save yes, but that's not the same as having well designed "jump off" points (and is actually why I'm fond of some of the recent "episodic" games). I could bookmark where I am in a movie also, but regardless of what scene I choose to make my last, returning to it won't be similar to watching it through.
Didn't know that about HZD, but it's a common problem in longer games in general, and a "previously on HZD" still doesn't return me to the state of mind I'd have had by playing it in a more consistent manner (as per the TWD example). The main point is, that experience a bunch of complete shorter experiences in isolation, and investing that same time into something longer isn't actually the same. You can pick up a short game with no consideration of the time required for any other games that will follow. That isn't true for a game that you from the start is going to require a large amount of time to fully experience.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
it means games that are long and supposedly you "should invest time playing on them", e.g. classic JRPGs
you can still play them in bursts of 30 mins or so without having to "invest" playing long hours in one sitting
I feel that's more to do with the package and medium though. Games generally don't have that "I'll miss out the feel" styles shows have. Like say, a tv show's episode is made with the build-up/stakes of a tv show's episode running time, whereas games don't have that.
pretty done
Member
I don't know why the full time job excuse is even a thing. Having a girlfriend/wife/kids is where you lose your gaming time, not by having a job.
Good thing I don't have a girlfriend.... :|
Good thing I don't have a girlfriend.... :|
MugiwaraCole
Member
/thread
titiklabingapat
Member
The Switch made it possible for me. Got close to 100 hours into Zelda already with just ten to twenty minutes here and there. Freeze mode is a godsend.
Picking up Skyrim for Switch when that comes out. I should be finishing Zelda by then.
Picking up Skyrim for Switch when that comes out. I should be finishing Zelda by then.
Norris1020
Member
That's what Destiny was to me. The ultimate kick back and relax game. Just ran patrols, public events, strikes. It was my equivalent to having a cold one after a long day's work.
shawnbuddy
Member
That's what my brother does. He has a job and two kids. To fit in his gaming, and we're talking hardcore MMO stuff, he just straight up stopped watching TV.
I think we also need to discard the idea a longer game is inherently more fulfilling. And I love long games.
You're more likely to remember all the things you did in a couple short games than the journey of a long one, simply because the individual games would've been more distinct experiences.
You're more likely to remember all the things you did in a couple short games than the journey of a long one, simply because the individual games would've been more distinct experiences.
MugiwaraCole
Member
Not really. If a long game is a good one that you really enjoyed, it'll stick with you. I remember more side quests in Witcher 3 than I do main plot lines in a ton of games.
The whole "I won't watch this TV show because it has too many episodes" bit never made a lick of sense to me either. Television is entertainment. It's something to be enjoyed. Not a checklist to just get through. Start Game of Thrones from episode one. If you like it, you won't mind watching the 6 seasons you're behind on because you'll be *gasp* enjoying watching. Watch an epiosde or so a week if that's all you have time for TV-wise.
The beauty of games compared to most art forms is that there's a HUGE variance in breadth of time. I love super short games that get the point across in 15 minutes, and I love gigantic behemoths that make you spend 500 hours just to understand the underlying mechanics enough to get the full experience.
God I love games.
God I love games.