The Happy Medium Of Game Length

1up.com has a piece looking at the changing variable of game length, and current gamer tastes when it comes to time investment. From the article: "For better or worse, one of the main ways gamers size up a game's value is by length. After all, an RPG that promises 40 hours of gameplay must be superior to one that offers a mere 20, right? Not quite. The fallacies here are obvious enough. For example, what good is 40 hours of content if only 20 are worth paying attention to? Or what if a game takes ten hours to run through, but is eminently replayable? Despite these and other valid arguments, many gamers, especially in recent years, have subscribed to the 'longer is better' school of thought, without really considering what 'longer' actually means."

Length is good if it delivers choice...

[Rolling_Go]

One thing that longer games like RPGs lack is the element of freedom. In your typical Square game, you go do the deed you're told, get your reward, and progress to the next part of the linear sequence. However, in a game like Fallout, the freedom they add (not so free as to be near-aimless, like Elder Scrolls games) brings a much needed element to the game. You actually feel like you're involved in the game, rather than just progressing through what the developer intended. In Fallout, your character reflects your choices, and becomes whatever you want him/her to become. Length is good, when you can choose your path...however, adding so many paths that it feels like a pointless maze is just a nuisance. Shorter games can be good as well, but they need to be filled with fast fun...this is really where console games shine. Check out Def Jam: FFNY, Burnout 3, and Katamari Damacy for good examples of a game you can just toss in and play and have fun. I guess games are just like anything else...you have to sift through them to find what's really suited to your needs...whether you're a diehard gamer that spends 10 hours a day playing, or the casual gamer who needs something to kill a bit of time between life's events, there's something there. Just don't play what you don't like, and try demos and the like before spending cash on something you might not enjoy.