Is Bigger Better? The Importance of Game Length - SESSLER'S ...SOMETHING

On this week's Sessler's ...Something, Adam addresses the oft-debated issue of how long a game should be. Does more playtime equal more value?
Watch more Sessler's ...Something right here:
• 5 Small Requests for t...
Subscribe to Rev3Games:
www.youtube.com...
Follow Rev3Games on Twitter:
/ rev3games

[@Enochian_Tomfoolery]

I'm so glad i found this channel! It's great to see Adam doing his thing!

[@Whitechapelfiend]

It's good to see again, Adam. Been following you since your first season of X-play and it's good to see you're back.

[@Laetteralus]

I love the idea for the next video series. That is going to rank up there very highly with Casual Fridays for me. I just love that round table discussion feel where anyone says what they want and there is no telling where that can lead the videos.

[@MakoHazard]

I think the idea of the team at Rev3Games having a round table discussion on games is a great idea! I love listening to a group of gamers talk about what they think about certain games. Can't wait!

[@bobbrossify]

Really starting to love this channel. Glad their sub count is jumping up rather consistently.

[@Ishmaille]

I first heard about this channel when Sessler joined, who I had watched since the fairly early days of Extended Play. But I've grown to appreciate all of you guys- you're all clearly pretty smart and have your own personalities. An yes, KZbin people, Max is smart, if you think his self-deprecating "immature" humor means he is dumb then you're an idiot. Seriously. I wish you all success in the future and thanks for actually reading these comments (usually)- I greatly appreciate it.

[@SpicyNacho87]

Glad Adam is back reviewing and talking about games. He busy guy Rev3games is as a whole is great to have.

[@Taziod]

This guy is one of the only people on this planet I truly give my respect to. I haven't heard you say something without proper judgement, and when it comes to games nowadays, that's hard to do. Bravo

[@maxbyer]

It is great to see you on here Adam, reminded me of the extended play days of yore, but as soon as it was announced that you were gonna be on Rev3 though, I had a feeling everyone would want Sessler everything always.

[@squirreludecker]

ive supported Revision 3 since it existed. Mainly because ive supported the channel through all 3 revisions (ever since it was called ZDTV, to TechTV, then Revision 3) and i LOVE that the people who stuck out the TechTV to G4 conversion have come back home now that G4 died. (and especially loved that G4's ending featured Leo and Patrick having a dream sequence, then showed the TechTV logo)

[@Ethan_DM]

I appreciate and respect your bringing this subject to the forefront of game player's attentions and hope that a more verbose exchange can be had between those within the industry that are most influential and affected by this.

[@bizophone]

To be honest I only subscribed to this channel because I've seen Adam Sessler on Tech TV/G4 and have enjoyed his views on games/gaming. I've seen the other folks' reviews on Rev3 and so far I've enjoyed them too. The discussions are mostly mature and focused and the reviews are fair. Keep up the quality content, kudos to all at Rev3.

[@Ilregard]

Im excited about the new show. I the like "roundtable" discussion-like segments on this channel. If Spoiled Games has something like that, I think it will be very interesting to watch. Good stuff.

[@constantrespawn1481]

I totally agree with you about many games being too long. That's one of the many things I loved about Dishonored. Yes it's short, especially if you do a high chaos play-through, but it has an incredible amount of re-playability. Although most of the levels may seem small, they are built in an extremely thoughtful manner. I'm on my fourth play-through and I'm still finding sneaky paths through the levels I missed the first 3 times. The depth is there if you want to take the time to explore it.

[@jacksepticeye]

Portal, the original game is the perfect example of a short game done right. It never overstays its welcome, continuously builds upon itself and gets better and better and ends right when it should. It's almost perfect.

[@jdsco37]

I started watching Rev3 because of Sessler, but I'm enjoying all of the videos even if he isn't in them.

[@katamari84]

I'm just glad to see Adam Sessler back in gaming related show after Xplay,I've been followed Adam since Extended Play where he was animated then,talk about back in the day.

[@bertkamp16]

Don't always agree with everything Adam says but he really nails this topic. On another note, I love this channel. It feels like a gaming channel for a mature audience. I dig it.

[@Mormodes]

This is why I love games like Skyrim. You get the best of both worlds. The main storyline isn't all that long, but you can literally play a different character for every "major" story arc (each different guild) and have a very different experience, or you can do them all on one character. I really like creating new characters because I feel weird doing the thieves guild quests as a mage, though, but the point is that the game has many different paths and you can stop whenever you are satisfied.

[@dalveal01]

looking forward to that channel, Sess

[@GeneH339]

Well said (as always), Adam. Could not agree more. To the Moon is a lovely example of a beutiful story told at a perfect length (about 5 hours).

[@XDependent]

Is that a bad thing? I mean this a pretty well done channel. And the other guys on Rev3Games are all really good at what they do too.

[@gplex86]

Adam, I do feel a little disappointed when a video doesn't have you in it, but that's just because you're the best at what you do. That said, I still enjoy the other videos.

[@EmoryM]

I haven't had cable (or watched television) for a long time and it's great to be able to see you talking about games again. Oh, right, playtime... when you're a kid, getting 80 hours for $60 is a great deal - you've got more time than money. At some point you get a little older, you've got more money than free time and games that you can tackle in a few sessions over the weekend get infinitely more attractive. That's my take.

[@riverjoefro]

Goddamn Sessler... It feels so good to see you doing your thing again.

[@importman25]

adam is the man wish he did all the reviews I have bought games just on his reviews keep ip the great work adam

[@01MaverickTen10]

Great job as always. The Spoiled Games feature sounds fantastic. Looking forward to it.

[@karlklein2263]

Video game length takes me back to something one of my professors told me. He said "You should never ask how long your dissertation should be". What he means by that, is if you focus on condensing or extending whatever it is you're creating, you'll lose perspective on what matters in the creation. It's about quality content. I also think of Egoraptors explanation in the castlevania sequelitis has a place being mentioned here. Don't have enough characters left to talk about it though.

[@MrSiloterio]

I miss this Adam. Please good Adam come back.

[@georgiakyle1988]

First saw Adam on Tech TV now G4 on extended play now X-Play when it was just him sitting down with arcade cabinets around him reviewing games. Have been a fan ever since.

[@onitenshi]

The idea I sent in transformed into a whole show? THAT'S FANTASTIC! I like where this is headed already

[@Vranir]

The only thing I saw that I thought, "Why isn't Adam doing this" was one thing Casual Friday videos, seriously Adam please start joining them, have a beer and chit-chat. I find myself enjoying the Casual Friday vid's alot and feel you could add alot to them.

[@Skyscraper125]

Questions for Sessler! Something I have noticed with gaming these days is the toxicity level of each community of players different titles have. Many times, games like HoN, LoL, CoD, etc are considered having toxic communities. While games such as TF2, or even Chivalry has been mentioned to bring a good community of players. 1. Do you think toxic communities has something to do with the game itself or the people in which it attracts? 2. Are there any ways to help adopt of good community?

[@clai83]

Good point. Assuming we are talking about games that have a story, as oppose to games that have none at all (like a lot of racing games or sports games). Journey I think is a good example of a story driven game with exemplary direction. All elements of the game are so well woven together: Graphics, sound, story, gameplay. Even far less of these types of games.

[@90CRXGSR]

Adam, you in my age group and I usually agree with your most of what you say and your vision of the gaming industry. You really need to start your own business, consulting or whatnot, because most gamers young and old know who you are and respect you. Hell, Id love to see you own your own Webcast/TV video game (journalist) company, become the most trusted and revered in the industry, and be located in the Bay Area so I could apply for a job and work side by side with ya. That would be pure WIN!

[@keenfrizzle]

For an example of a short but effective "game", one that features a definite beginning, middle, and end, check out Passage. It's a 5-minute game that symbolically represents the core message of the story in its design. And it is currently being presented at the Museum of Modern Art for it.

[@elliottditman]

Love this. A lot of my favorite games are very short and I play them over and over.

[@0ring0]

While you can never have too much Sessler. The rest of Rev3 game's staff are nothing but bros(and sisters) covered in boss sauce. I can honestly say that this is the first gaming site/magazine/etc staff that I like everyone in. Keep up the god work, everyone.

[@squigglychris8396]

Noticed the Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery LP framed in the background and realized how that game fits his point about games having an ideal length for the gameplay, and the experience.

[@withey11]

I like this channel, he feels like the last in a generation of proper journalists that got into gaming

[@jsc315]

Well said Adam. I've felt many games these days often artificially extend games just to feel like we're getting out money worth. Just because there is more does not necessarily mean it's better. Quality or quantity always wins.

[@KPol0]

I only subscribe to this channel because of this guy. Man , Adam is awesome!

[@BarbsBasement]

I missed this dude so much!

[@mahmoudf3]

Adam sassler and a new show OMG Cant wail ,,,, Thanks Adam you are the man

[@techmonkey74]

The point is we do not need people leaving comments like "I wish Adam did this review" or "MORE SESSLER!!" on other reviewers work. IF you have a valid point to add to someone's review then do it. If you dislike Max's reviews then simply skip his reviews instead of clogging the comments section with nonsense.

[@ShanePlew]

Exactly. That was the example I was going to give. That is among, if not the shortest game I've ever played, yet it is also among the best.

[@RawkManX]

I totally agree on the discussion of length. Being long isn't necessarily a bad thing, nor is being short; it's about how the length affects the experience. Skyrim, for example, isn't a narrative-driven game, so having tons of content really improves the experience. In contrast, like the infamous fetch-quest in Wind Waker, some games just stick "filler-content" where it doesn't belong, and bogs down the experience.

[@09011994]

I'm excited for the Spoiler series. Any ideas on how long and in depth they will get? I always enjoy the more lengthy talks from you guys.

[@maggot9454]

We love you, Adam!

[@Chasewillis820]

I miss this channel. fuck.

[@cjching3]

i was a big fan of xplay and extended play on techtv. i'm glad that i can watch your reviews again and hear about your opinions editorial column style. also i wish morgan webb did this video

[@thenomoredead]

There is a difference in wanting more content, and feeling like content was left out, or unrefined. I think that's what he was getting at, that it fell short in what the game had to offer. But then that leads in to it's replay-ability, and that game certainly ha it.

[@techmonkey74]

Opinions and even constructive criticism are absolutely fine. My point is when people (not necessarily yourself) will make a comment on a review done by Max that says "Only Adam should do reviews!" Those type of comments are what I mean by nonsense.

[@SeriousLark]

I think to a large extent it all comes down to personnel preference. For example, I didn't really like Skyrim because it was hard to keep track of what I was doing as there was so much to do, whereas, lots of ppl loved the game for the freedom of being able to do whatever they wanted. So all in all I think it mainly depends on your mind-set, some would rather have a story driven game with a steady progression, while some would instead like the freedom to do whatever they want at their own pace.

[@vermanshane]

Rev3games was around before Adam showed up, so I respect all of the members and their opinions Tara's recent review of Tomb Raider was great on a side note.

[@NickVanHouse]

Looking forward to the new show !

[@CallMeDjm]

Speaking as someone who "grew up watching Adam" or whatever makes me sound old, but enjoyed Rev3Games before him, I'm glad this video had Max in it. Call me a Rev3Games hipster. And the people that don't appreciate the rest of the crew at Rev3Games are part of why KZbin commenters are looked at with such disdain.

[@GhostFS]

100% agree. The length of a game must be just long as it' needed to satisfy without becoming boring. And better a bit shorter leaving you the feeling of "i want a bit more" that too long and make you want to rush to finish it. But that depends on your personal reason to play. For me is to have an experience, for my father for example is to relax. So he need a long or nealry infinite game. I need a compelling game form the start to his natural finish.

[@brippie]

I heard someone of EA mention the same thing about 2 years ago, and when he said that I thought "You're not making the games any cheaper to go with shortening them, are you?" I kind of disagree with this on the basis of "What is too long or too short" If a game is really really good it's always too short. Makes me buy DLC and expansions and even a possible sequel because I want to extend that playing experience. If a game is too long. It's may be just not good enough.

[@Ironbat92]

Pacing is also an important factor to keep in mind. Bulletstorm, for instance, was only 5 or 6 hours long, but it was paced so well, It never feels like it should be longer. If your game isn't very well paced, then that can have a damaging effect.

[@Mikeanglo]

Hey, hey, hey. Damn, I remember the early 2000s and watching X-play with my cousins. Was one of my favorite shows and it's great to see Sessler coming to the...blogosphere? (is that the right word?) Anyways, just hearing this guy's voice again makes me nostalgic.

[@zyzxxinfinity]

Dear Sess, First of all, looking forward to "Spoiled Games", as it sounds like a fun segment for Rev3Games to do (whether you/Max/Tara/Anthony/any of you guys). My question, albeit not exactly gaming related, what is it like gaming so much while being married? As a gamer/writer/husband myself, I am curious if the experience for you is similar! Does she play games as well? Any chance we will see her in a future "Sessler's...Something"? Hopefully enough people upvote this and want to know too!

[@jakewolf079]

wow , Adam you are like the God in game world your opinion , your views , your voice just awesome , you're born to be a leader I'd say....

[@Hitorijime]

I've shared this view for a long time now. I feel that some games are too big, and stretched so thin in terms of meaningful content and narrative that it holds me back from actually enjoying it. One of my favorite developers is Treasure. The majority of the games they've released can't be finished in 3-4 hours. But they manage to create memorable experiences with that short amount of time. Whereas I have yet to play an Elder Scrolls game that came anywhere close to accomplishing that.

[@mugenstation360]

Exactly. I sometimes find myself not agreeing with him, but I can respect his point of view. I think Adam has this innocence about him which is why he sees games and company's in a more positive way. Though sometimes I do think you do have to open your eyes to some of this stuff to see things for what they are.

[@ChefSqunk]

I think Max needs to understand for many people, myself included, grew up watching Adam. I have a very high option of Adam's reviews and criticism, he is one of the few gaming journalist I have a huge respect for. When he is impressed with a game I go and get it because 9 times out of 10 I find I agree with him. He is the reason I watch rev3. I do enjoy Max's sarcastic and cynical approach exept when it is directed to fans. I hope over time I will find I enjoy all the rev3 team.

[@Ferret440]

I remember a bunch of people shot down Heavenly Sword for being too short, but in my opinion is was such a fun and memorable game that it was completely worth the price.

[@phrxndrednought]

Glad you're responding for all of us. Because even though I disagree with you, I like the 'other' guy, I'm glad you feel free to misrepresent everyone else's views.

[@dimesta55]

i agree with Adam. there are many games that are way too long that it losses its fun and begin feeling like a chore. When i buy a game the main goal is to beat the game (or finish), but its hard to stay interested when i feel i must grind trough hours and hours of repetitiveness.

[@OwuxGaming]

I think pokemon does this great. By the time you beat the elite 4, you have been playing for so long (60-80+ hours) and when the game shows the areas you've been through, you feel nostalgia for in game areas.

[@Talal_111]

I agree with you, I always visit howlongtobeat before I buy a game and usually buy the ones that are 8-18 hours

[@bugaj187]

Can't wait for the new show!

[@iamSRXHD]

Honestly, I love all three of you. I came for Adam, I make no bones about it. Max & Tara have a great chemistry together & produce a fun energy. I don't even mind the Anthony fellow, although he comes off as snobby compared to everyone else. On topic: Rising can give a false sense of shortness thanks to the ranking calculations. I spent well more than 5 hours in my run, despite what the end screen told me.

[@sushicatsan]

Love the idea of the new segment.

[@theGreenaffect]

I think length is an important factor to consider because many stories in different genres need different lengths to tell (if they have one) their story. A games like Mass Effect need to be ~20 hrs long as if they were shorter, there would be several games for each of the titles we know. Basically, I think that games need to consider length in relation to its story.

[@Dan_Dan_Ruu]

I think it depends. When you compare games to other forms of human expression, like literature or cinema, then length isn't a factor to consider as long as the creator is able to show his feelings and ideas to the world. However, like with most other forms of art, we are past the point where almost everything is made as a blatant product, with the intention to sell regardless of whatever other sense of fulfillment could there be. In that sense, I think it's pretty fair to consider the length.

[@ositopanda50]

I'm 110% with Adam on this one. Some games are too open and when you see that you have many things to do it becomes a mess in your mind. Sometimes I want to have a pleasant and memorable experience but can't because the game is too long.

[@JungleScene]

The new show sounds really cool Adam! Looking forward to it.

[@ChestonL]

We love you Max!

[@TheLegendaryGBD]

There are 2 factors that contribute to a game's length and quality. 1. Longevity of first playthrough 2. Replay value. There are games such as Final Fantasy that are long but require large amounts of grinding with decreases replay value but the initial playthrough is very long. Sonic games have an extreme replay value and for those games I find myself replaying all the levels in each game so much that it adds up to almost 50 hrs each but initial playthroughs are only up to 4 hours.

[@JohnGottschalk]

I personally view it as an artistic medium, and so I'd pay what it takes to support the creators, if that's $60 then so be it, regardless of length. The amount of time a team/creator put into a game, isn't always proportional to the amount of time you're going to get out of it, but if you want them to keep making games like that, you have to pay them for their time, and not for your time.

[@DrVitoti]

I completely agree with you. Many games are waaay too long, many times I find myself looking for shorter games because I can finish them quicker and get my "reward" sooner and not have to spend 100+ hours on an RPG, even though I might really want to play that RPG, I just don't want to invest that much time in it, and I don't want to leave it half started.

[@hale608]

In my opinion there are 4 types of lengths to games. 1) Games you finish once and are done 2) Games you finish multiple times just because you enjoy it 3) Games you don't finish because you either get stuck, bored, or bogged down in "lengthiness" 4) Games that don't have a definite "ending" or aren't designed to. For me my favorite games fall into the 2 and 4 category.

[@hirins]

you are so so up to the point.. this is why i stoped playing far cry 3 and gta 4 because i lost myself in the side missions. to many side missions.. and achievements should take a blame for it

[@GitForceGemini]

For people who complete games in a relatively short space of time (as I assume most critics do), I can understand the importance of pacing; but, as someone who regularly take breaks from games, an overabundance of content is something I never have a problem with - quite the opposite. If a game is good, I don't want it to end.

[@gammaray152]

Doesn't mean they will leave should Adam leave. I didnt knew about Rev3games before Adam joined, and only heard of DTOID in passing, didnt knew its an internet show.Adam gave them publicity that made me know about and subscribe to both. but even if he leaves I'll still be here watching the others.

[@jimmymurphy898]

Adam is one of the best game journalists out there, he genuinely cares for the medium and is not a corporate parasite

[@ParrisStudios]

The new show coming up sounds great!

[@GlycerinZ]

Adam always brings me back to the days of TechTV

[@medwards212]

2. Your point with side quests making a game feel too long. I can make sense that as a reviewer length could be an issue however with skyrim there's tons of options which gives replay value I love that I can pick up a game and play it in a different way or discover something new

[@Epsilonic]

To do with a game having a lot of optional missions / quests etc. I feel it's a lot like a Pac-Man mentality, you simply have the compulsion to clear the screen of these optional endeavours (like the white dots in Pac-Man).

[@JamesGotALeg]

GREAT video Adam. You don't hear this nearly enough in the gaming world. Longer does not always equate to more fun. Poor pacing is the number one reason I don't finish some of the games I play. That's my main concern with The Last Of Us, which has been billed as the lengthiest campaign in ND history - that as good as the game looks, there will be long stretches that are uninspired or repetitive.

[@Reginolde]

You're all pretty awesome Adam.

[@tomimn2233]

he was saying 'game length' isn't an issue and I agree. If you speedrun Skyrim and Dark Souls you can squeeze it to about 2 hours. Take Dota 2 and LoL for example. Each session is only an hour or less. that's atrocious! Take CoD MW3 and BF3, Campaign is about 5 hours! that's short! But people still come back for more, because they have a lasting appeal to them! That's what's important. Content and quality just means that people will come back again. 'game length' isn't the issue anymore.

[@dthorsen88]

I think agree with Adam because sometimes games are just so long and tedious that I just get to where I just don't care anymore and I play something else is never go back I tell myself I'll take a break I just never go back and I look at the game like I want to but I don't

[@RobbytheSky]

Dude, I would love to see you and Greg Miller reunite on rev3! I hop that's in the works!

[@arkhitekton1]

I don't necessarily prefer longer or shorter games, as I think the substance matters more than length. I loved Flower and Journey and found them both to be beautiful and exhilarating in a way most games aren't despite being able to beat either over the span of an afternoon, yet I spent 50 hours on Far Cry 3 and loved liberating the Rook islands and driving exotic animals into extinction. If a game is long, it needs to have a lot of variation, and if it's short it needs to demand my attention.

[@PapoOv]

Really exited for the new show

[@AbdulrahmanMajash]

Can't wait for that new show type of thing!!!

[@R3_dacted0]

A game being too long or too short can be an issue, but not in the sense of how long it kept you involved with it. A short game can be short but still be complete. The original Portal, for example, was only 3-4 hours the first time through but it felt totally complete when it was over. So it's really about how well the game delivers itself within its allotted time rather than how much content you are given to rummage through.