Why most people don't finish video games

[Fivel]

Interesting article I found on CNN: Why most people..

It is an international site so if you are not able to view then I'll post the test of the article.

[Necuno]

or shorter working hours.

The future? Shorter games

So it's come to this: People have less time to play games than they did before. They have more options than ever. And they're more inclined to play quick-hit multiplayer modes, even at the expense of 100-hour epics.

Is that a problem?

Not at all, Fuller says. "They're lucky to find the time to beat a 10-hour game once or twice a month," he says of the average-age gamer. "They don't feel cheated about shorter games and will just play a longer game for as many hours as their schedule allows before moving on to another title.

Steinberg agrees: "Just because you don't slay the final boss or rescue the princess doesn't mean you can't see most of, if not all, of what a game has to offer in the hours leading up to it."

Not only that, but gamers are already warming to the idea of shorter games.

"Completion rates are actually on the rise," Lee says. "Many games now have a 40% to 50% completion rate, thanks to 10-hour campaigns instead of the 20-30 hour ones of yesteryear. Of course, that's good or bad depending on how you look at it. It's better than before. But it still means that more than half of all game content never gets appreciated."

To counter that, Airey says extended play content will increasingly come from expansion packs, a sort of best-of-both-worlds approach.

"We're at a stage now that we're trying to find ways to keep mind share (consumer awareness about a product)," he says. "When the consumer is not playing our game, their friends aren't either. So games will trend toward being shorter and then support the need for 'more' via downloadable content."

No matter, says Casey Willis, an avid gamer from Atlanta. "Make a game worth my time and money, and I'll be happy. After all, 10 hours of awesome is better than 20 hours of boring."

[Crzwaco]

Hahha I fall into that 1 person who finish my games. True story the late game seems to suffer since so many peeps don't finish it so why spend all that money/time into a epic finish.

ps go play bioshock 2 early game is bit boring but the ending is so fking worth it

[czc]

So it's come to this: People have less time to play games than they did before.

Easy, stop watching super duper reality show no. 79

"Completion rates are actually on the rise,"

Deceptive statistic if they make games easier, with not much content or even actual control over your character.

No matter, says Casey Willis, an avid gamer from Atlanta. "Make a game worth my time and money, and I'll be happy. After all, 10 hours of awesome is better than 20 hours of boring."

I am in agreement with this thinking.

[Isengard]

I've actually been making an effort to go back and finish games that I haven't yet. But it is a losing battle.

[Lupus]

I am attempting that, problem is I have to restart 80% of them thanks to a robbery 2 years ago, and the thought of restarting some of them is what's left me with the stalemate. If more games hook me like the Uncharted Series did then wham I'd finish them quickly.

[Alan]

@ czc

I agree. Also so many games have such poor story lines and shallow characters there is no compulsion to find out what the conclusion of the saga is.

[Aapdans]

@ czc

I agree. Also so many games have such poor story lines and shallow characters there is no compulsion to find out what the conclusion of the saga is.

I agree! Or if you get too frustrated with the game.. GRRR

[Ichigo]

On DS related side I finish all my main pokemon games story line. All I have left normally are side line quests and to complete the pokedex.

On PC games I try and also finish the main story then I try and defeat things on a harder difficulty, Starcraft II and Diablo as example.

[BlaZing]

Me personaly, if I start a game I want to see what happen in the end