Mad Max Dev: "Short" Games Behind Trade-Ins

[StewShearerOld]

Mad Max Dev: "Short" Games Behind Trade-Ins

Avalanche Studios' Christofer Sundberg believes that games with replay value don't get traded in.

The issue of used games is one that elicits diverse responses from within the gaming community. On the industry side, a large part of the discussion surrounding second hand games is how to control them and mitigate their effect on publisher profits. Many of the Xbox One's infamous restrictive features are designed to <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/7444-Xbox-One-and-the-Death-of-Ownership>control how players share, sell and buy video games. Likewise, some developers have come out and proclaimed used games as a whole to be an <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124957-CliffyB-Thinks-Used-Games-Are-Bad-Sony-is-Playing-Us>untenable presence in the market.

Others in the industry, meanwhile, have taken a more <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124927-Nintendo-Says-Used-Games-Arent-An-Issue>moderate stance on used games, suggesting that developers might do well to look at the games being made and why gamers might trade them in the first place. For Avalanche Studios' Christofer Sundberg, the answer may lie in the brevity of many modern games. "I'm sure [used games have] been an issue but that's because games have been too short," he said. "I mean when you can play a game through from 8 to 10 hours, I would return the game too, because there's no reason for players to play it again."

Avalanche is the studio behind <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1632-Just-Cause-2>Just Cause 2, one the largest and longest games released in recent years. "If you're offering little variation, then there's no motivation for the player to keep that game- unless they want to have a nice bookshelf. That's why we answered that with Just Cause." According to Sundberg, he rarely finds used copies of Just Cause 2 at game stores. Avalanche likely hopes its next title, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124862-Mad-Max-Goes-Open-World-in-2014>Mad Max, will find a similar permanent place in gamers' collections.

Source: Edge Online




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[thiosk]

True story. I blow through a typical title in an afternoon or two, and what other value does the title have? I haven't picked up crysis since a massive steam sale gave it to me for pennies on the dollar, and then finished it in two playthroughs.

I tend to prefer the strategy style games, partially for this reason. Hours /played on steam for games like Civ V and Rome: Total war are... obscene.

 

[Stabby Joe]

In my own experience at game stores I've seen many more used copies of Call of Duty and other wannabe games with tacked on multiplayer than Just Cause 2... the non-multiplayer game.

 

[kajinking]

Wanna know what game I'm playing now? Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance a game from 2007.

Why did I not return it? Because every few months I get the desire to re-install and slip back into skirmish.

What does this mean? Good games with re-play value don't get returned!

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

I agree that, if used games really are such a problem as some publishers like to make them out as, that's the publisher's problem to sort out without restricting the rights of the consumer. However, since when did length become synonymous with quality? I'll admit, when I completed the campaign of Halo 4 in 6 hours I was disappointed, but there are other games, plenty of them, with single player modes not much longer that still hold up even after several years, while I have no desire to play Saints Row 3 again, no matter how large the wealth of things I could do in it was, because the novelty wore off very quickly.

 

[cwmdulais]

i would like to agree, but i think ive traded in the majority of games ive ever owned. including both just cause games

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

"I mean when you can
play a game through from 8 to 10 hours, I
would return the game too, because
there's no reason for players to play it
again."

Wow someone actually gets it? If they would stop wasting time adding things like shitty multiplayer to games and focused on lengthening campaigns people might keep their games. Uncharted is a good example. I played Uncharted 2 a lot because the game+ added so much replay value. They took that out in Uncharted 3 and focused on the multiplayer and now that game is at the top of my sell list

 

[emeraldrafael]

This seems like a really "duh" answer to a question.

Though i do agree, I mean one of my biggest hang ups on selling my PS2 when I got my PS3 was do i really want to give up SWBF2, P3Fes/4, Ratchet And Klank and a bunch of other titles I loved to play. Though recently I went out and bought P3Fes on the PSN and am quite happy to play it again.

 

[CatmanStu]

I would counter this argument buy offering up Portal as Exhibit A.

A very short game by single player only standards but one that is such a joy to play that I have revisited it three or four times. I could say the same for other games as well; Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Darksiders, Batman: Arkham Asylum, to name three; games that I keep coming back to not for what I haven't seen or done, but to enjoy the things I have done again.

I think the key word is replayable. Not going back to a game out of some laboured compulsion to see everything but because you want to REPLAY something you enjoyed before.

 

[neppakyo]

He gets it. It's almost a miracle..

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Wanna know what game I'm playing now? Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance a game from 2007.

Why did I not return it? Because every few months I get the desire to re-install and slip back into skirmish.

What does this mean? Good games with re-play value don't get returned!

QFT I tend to play more strat games than I do FPS and Forged Alliance is one of them that I still play along with:

Red Alert 2+Yuris Revenge
Red Alert 3
C&C Generals+ Zero Hour
C&C 4
Supreme Commander+ FA
Anno 2070
Dawn of War
Stronghold series

Basically RTS games offer me more replayability and fun through base building and amassing armies.

Still can't wait to play PA in dec with my free key.

 

[Longstreet]

He gets it. HE GETS IT.

Most people have been saying this for years, guess it finally paid off.

One thing though, it doesn't matter how long it is, as long as it is a good game with replay value.

Still need to get around Just Cause 2 though.

 

[hutchy27]

Wise words indeed, most games are way too short and some even try to compensate this by having a crappy half arsed multiplayer attached.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

FINALLY! Someone gets it!

Length in games is always something people have been going on about for years and tacking on a multiplayer mode DOESN'T magically boast the play time by 100 hours[footnote]I'm not saying that it doesn't help in some cases, but adding for the sake of adding it isn't how to do it.[/footnote].

Off the top of my head, GTA:SA is a good example, that game was LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG.
Hell, feels longer than most other GTAs IMO.
A good post game is also vital for a games lifespan and aside from just collectible shit.

 

[PromethianSpark]

Used games only started being a problem when triple As started having 4 hour long campaigns. Think about it, was there anyone (save someone completely unwilling to buy it) getting a used copy of skyrim. Not likely, given that people who bought it where holding on to it for too long, so they just had to buy it!

 

[GonzoGamer]

In my own experience at game stores I've seen many more used copies of Call of Duty and other wannabe games with tacked on multiplayer than Just Cause 2... the non-multiplayer game.

I've had JC2 since launch, I still pop it in every once in a while, and I still haven't done Everything.

I think the moral of the story is, if you're going to make shovelware, don't be surprised if it gets traded in.

 

[kajinking]

Wanna know what game I'm playing now? Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance a game from 2007.

Why did I not return it? Because every few months I get the desire to re-install and slip back into skirmish.

What does this mean? Good games with re-play value don't get returned!

QFT I tend to play more strat games than I do FPS and Forged Alliance is one of them that I still play along with:

Red Alert 2+Yuris Revenge
Red Alert 3
C&C Generals+ Zero Hour
C&C 4
Supreme Commander+ FA
Anno 2070
Dawn of War
Stronghold series

Basically RTS games offer me more replayability and fun through base building and amassing armies.

Still can't wait to play PA in dec with my free key.

I've played every game on that list except Red Alert 2 and Generals (hoping to pick them up during the next steam sale) and the ammount of time for value you can get out of a good RTS is scary. I once put in 30 hours into one city in Anno 2070, not the whole campagin just one city in free play mode and Stronghold still holds my gaming session record at 8 hours straight.

God where are the good RTSs lately?!

 

[furai47]

I haven't picked up crysis since a massive steam sale gave it to me for pennies on the dollar, and then finished it in two playthroughs.

The Crysis? I can't get off that game, I've finished it multiple times, then started messing around in .ini and .cfg files to make it a completely different game. Then I've started modifying levels. I'm currently doing a custom difficulty 3x the number or enemies with advanced weapons type of playthrough, and it's awesome. If it wasn't for Deus Ex, Crysis would be my most replayed game ever. Of all time.

OT: Didn't exactly get into Just Cause 2, but from what I've played of it it is a mighty fun game. No wonder the developer "gets it"

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Its why the xbone has issues....i buy some games new. But the majority i rent or by used/new when the price is cheaper. Most games are just not worth £35 new, let alone the next gen £55 new.