Making the case for epic video games

Gamasutra yesterday featured a story about Junction Point's Warren Spector, who took issue with some of the prevailing trends in the video game industry.

"Game costs are going to be $35-40 million, even $100 million, and the expectations are huge," he said at the Game Education Summit last week. "You have to differentiate yourselves. One-hundred hour games are on the way out... How many of you have finished GTA? Two percent, probably. If we're spending $100 million on a game, we want you to see the last level!"

Spector went on to explain the video game business is changing and although it didn't care about the story in a game years ago, it's now one of the main attractions and certainly paramount in developer minds.

Although Spector made a number of good points, he seems to believe that epic titles like GTA IV, which are capable of lasting you as little or as long as you'd like, are a thing of the past and will slowly (but surely) die a slow and agonizing death. Spector ostensibly believes that developers would rather spend cash on parts of a game you'll see than those sections you won't.

His theory makes sense and it's difficult to argue with the logic, but if epic games fall by the wayside and we're left with titles that don't offer the kind of immersion we've come to expect in some titles, what does that mean for the video game industry?

Epic titles that may last 100 hours or more are the true masterpieces of gaming. Sure, you may enjoy a romp through Super Mario Galaxy or running and gunning in Halo, but when it comes down to it, the epic titles like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, GTA IV, Shenmue, and others, are truly the games that stand apart and make us love video games even more.

In an industry that's trying to look more and more like the movie business, how can it summarily disregard epic games? Sure, the vast majority of people probably won't see every animation in GTA IV or get through every dialogue possibility in MGS 4, but who cares? Both titles are epic games that rise above the derivative and boring, and deliver a totally new, exciting, and mesmerizing experience.

I understand that video game development is becoming increasingly expensive and time and cash are the two most important elements in creating a hit, but epic games should not be left out in the cold in favor or another crappy first-person shooter or more sports games; I've been there and done that.

If we look back at some of the greatest games ever made, few in that list are anything less than an epic tale that captivates our mind and time for over 50 hours. And sure, completion may have taken a while and some of us lost interest half-way through, but others stuck it out and completed a game that made them feel like a part of a world they had never seen before. The experience was greater than any epic movie they'd seen and certainly more interactive. Simply put, it was fantastic.

But can the same be said for Madden or Killzone? Katamari Damacy or Mario Kart Wii? I doubt it.

Epic video games are the only reason the industry is being viewed as "movie-like" and to simply forget about those titles and endeavor to create games that are slim on epic storytelling and big on the same old, same old, is nothing more than ludicrous.

Long live epic games.

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[JazGalaxy]

I think the industry needs to cell divide.

I think it's ridiculous for every title to try to spin 8 plates SUCESSFULLY in order to be noticed.

I mean, think of how many absolutely deal breakers there are in game development. A bad script can ruin a game. Bad voice acting can ruin a game. Bad camera can ruin a game. Bad controls can ruin a game. Bad pacing can ruin a game.

Why do developers even attempt to do all that in games that real gamers don't even care about it in? I can't tell you how many action games I've played where I'm treated to an hourlong cutscene before being allowed to play the game. I want to play an action game for the action. i don't want an hour long cutscene. So, there, you just made me hate your game before I even got to PLAY your game.

Interactive Entertainment (Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy) and Video GAMES (Super Mario, Guitar Hero) need to divide into two seperate industries. They will better serve their respective customers as two seperate entities and produce experiences that are more enjoyable.

[TheGearbox]

The great part about the gaming industry is that most that are involved are technically educated. We know about over hyped, underdeveloped, buggy, poorly scripted games without ever leaving the house and renting or buying it. It should be obvious by now that well developed games pay very generously. it's not like the movie industry where the average consumer goes to see the next lame political agenda Rambo movie, we buy quality, and it's been proven time after time after time. When companies start shafting their games, then they get our combined middle finger and report horrible sales. Companies want to play the quantity game, but we all know that the big bucks is in the epic high budget games.

P.S. It's funny to see games devs pop out an underdeveloped game every year and flood it with advertising, then watch them scratch their heads wondering why nothing is selling. 2 year olds could set up a better business plan than that!

[chrkeller]

Games have gotten far too long anymore. Back in the day games took 2 hours to finish. I just don't have the time for a lot of these games anymore. I mean who has 200 hours to put into GTA IV? I don't, not too mention no matter how great a game is I generally get bored and tired of it after 20 hours. I wish games would get shorter. I find it ridiculous that some people actually criticize 8 hours games are being short. $20 for a 2 hour movie, so $60 for an eight hour game works. Also worth noting, not every game has to be top shelf to be enjoyable and worth playing.

[sting7k]

I finished GTA:IV!!! I am not working on my 100%, I did it in the past titles that were on xbox and I'll do it on this one. I do tend to prefer the shorter games for single player though these days. Online is such a huge component of games now. It is almost impossible for me to get on to play a single player game, there are always several of my friends online and they want to play online so I always cave and join in. I don't know how long these single player 40+ hour games are going to last, I had to unplug my xbox many times to be able to play it in peace and enjoy the story and game.

[RRosal]

Interesting article. With the majority of our society heading into an attention-deficit soundbite-seeking instant gratification mentality, its nice to see someone that still cares to have some videogame meat on the bones. I'm all for the online community craze, but there are times where I need my own time as well :)

[jpayork]

I love epic games. I'm in the middle of Oblivion and the reason I bought it vs some other games is I know I can play it for a year and barely have beaten it. For me, it's more bang for the buck. But only when it's done right, otherwise people do get bored and just put the game on a shelf and never play it again. Games like Oblivion and Final Fantasy have always been favorites of mine because there's a whole world to explore and I like not being limited to small areas of a big world.

[vlok16]

I loved Mass Effect and have even played through it twice already, it is as good as any sci-fi movie. It was a truly epic game and so much fun that my wife and stepson would just enjoy sitting there watching me play. A great storyline is definitely an important component of games that I like to play. Hopefully video game companies will continue putting out games like this that can drive the industry. Assassin's Creed also falls into this category.

[jpayork]

I like Assassins Creed too, but felt it somewhat repetatvie.

[douglord]

When I really sit down and think about it - I have to agreee with Warren Spector.

I love the "concept" of an epic game - but how many people really have the time to finish these 100 hour games before the next game they want to play comes out (ignoring professional game reviewers and teenagers with no lives)? We have jobs, we have wives and kides, we are lucky if we get to "game" 5 hours a week.

I've been playing GTA a few hours a week since it came out - doubt I'll ever finish it. I played Oblivion for 150 hours. Never finished it. I haven't even finished BioShock!!! If I spend 3 months putting in 100 hours on GTA - the backlog of great games I'll never get to play starts growing.

So I guess I'm saying spend that $100mm to give me a REALLY good 20 hours and make the rest downloadable content.

[riegler.d]

What the heck ever happened to games that offer a couple of hours of diversion without having to get involved in an "epic storyline?" I think there's room for both types of games. Don't get me wrong; I love immersive storylines and sidequests as much as the next guy, but sometimes I just wanna blow something up, or send a tornado through the city I just built, or see what my Sims are up to. A little mindless fun is exactly that-- fun. Don't overcomplicate things.

[worthy_cook]

I will always play the games like GTA and Saints row because you can always expect them to be fun. But I wouldn't call them epic or groundbreaking. This is because they all seem to feed off each other. (Grap that package or get that person and drop them off here). The stories is what keeps games like that afloat.

Epic games are different. The combination of story, gameplay, longevity, and atmosphere is what makes them great.

Here are a list of my epic games that I have played and time spent on them:

Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (80 hours and counting)
Half Life 1 and 2 including the recent Episodes (over 200 hours on all)
Mass Effect (55 hours played through twice)
Bioshock (20 hours)
Stalker: Shawdow of Chernobyl (30 hours and counting)
Call of Duty 4 (8 hours single but 13 days online)
Crysis (15 hours)
Metal Gear Games (100+ hours)
Gears of war (8 hours. Even though short it left a lasting impression though online faded away)

Thoughts?

[zarekai]

I think douglord makes a good point. Games should be around 20 hrs, give or take a few hours, then leve them open ended and just continue to release downloadable content, or boxed expansion packs, for those who really get deep into the game. The ones who don't want to get that deep in gameplay can still get to play a great game though. Now don't get me wrong I love the epic titles, however this past year of school has taken alot energy from me then when i play games i cant just sit for hours on end. Now that schools out i'm hoping to finish Mass Effect, which is an amazing game, i just can't sit forever to play it, 2hrs at a ime, sure, but more than that in one sitting gets to be too much. I would like it if just sections of it were released in chunks, i think that would keep demand high for a game like that because people know that the game could go on forever, and once they finish one chunk, they anxiously wait to get the next one to see what unfolds. That creates demand and I highly believe that to be succesful strategy for game makers to utilize to their advantage. Thats just my opinion though.

[Waam]

It can be argued the Metal Gear series has as great a story as any sci-fi war movie ever made.

[justinmcontre]

I enjoy the movie and entertainment aspects of the "Epic Games." I am currently working my way through GTA IV, and although I don't consider myself a hardcore gamer, I do enjoy playing when I can. I am the type of person that, even if I had access to others, will play one game through fully before I immerse myself in another. So, given that, Epic styles are perfect for me as they blend the lines between movies, video games, and online entertainment.

For the next rendition of GTA, I believe that the online portion of the game should come from the main character being able to fly to new cities that are downloadable via gaming networks (xbox live). If I live in Portland, OR, I could fly there from the city's airport and start a new set of missions in that town via the expansion.

[FS1982!]

Here's the thing. Epic 100 hour Single Player games NO WAY!!! If a 100-hour game is what someone wants and get their kicks doing, it's about time to get a life. Now changing the perspective to a good Online Multiplayer game ABSOLUTELY!!! For instance COD 4 people have put in hundreds or perhaps thousands of hours into the online multiplayer, me being one of them, with no intentions of stopping any time soon. The difference is social interaction & competitive challenge. There is a huge difference in playing a single player 100 hour game (living by yourself on a desolate island) and a 100 hour multiplayer game where you are constantly interacting with others (living in a city). I'd prefer to have much reduced single player modes (2-3 hour interactive/cinematic story) with a majority of the focus on multiplayer where the 100+ hours would be spent.

[thelilengine]

Epic Video Games are what I live for. GTA IV is so good. the characters are engaging and the story is very well constructed and entertaining. I know it cost a lot of money to make video games but it also cost a lot to buy a video game. I would be glad to spend 20 or 30 dollars on a game that lasts 10 hours. But if I'm going to spend 60 dollars I expect to get a lot out of it. GTA IV was totally worth the 60 dollars so was Gears of War and Mass Effect. Epic games can't stop they don't have to be 50+ hours long but I need to get my money's worth. If the player gets his/hers money worth they will buy more games.

[benjamin straight]

GTAIV is it's own world. The epic storyline makes it what it is.

[ElmoKajaky]

As someone who played Oblivion through to the bitter end, joining every guild and doing every quest, including both expansions, I love epic games. Keep 'em coming.

[centroles]

Epic games with big budgets sell by the truck loads.

The best selling games this gen are...

MGS4
GTA4
COD4

etc.

When devs put a ton of time into a game and make it perfect, the game gets raving reviews and sells crazy amounts. They always recoup the costs and then some.

People won't pay $60 for a game that is not epic.

Look at valve or blizzard, every game they put, they put a crapload of time and cash into, and they always made a killing.

Its the devs that make mediocre titles on small budgets that fail to sell and recoup the costs. Atari is nearing bankrupcy for example.

[wadah1111]

Well actually that's why every person have his own taste I mean all these games were not meant to played by one person, but every person likes a game and choose and play it. Myself , I always played only 3 games, Call of duty , prince of persia, GTA. Prince of persia 2 has a very impressing storyline believe me and I'm just going to buy the next gen of all these games ONLY. So I can have time to finish them as always.
Yes continue making epic games but we always needed sometimes those small games to have fun when we're bored from the epics . Actually I think the game industry is now perfect , I mean including the bad + good games. There has to be always a bad games so we can distinct the good one.

[chrkeller]

I think there is a major difference between epic and having to be 100 hours long. Everybody keeps mentioning MGS, yeah that game is not even remotely close to being 100 hours long. The first one is 10 hours, the second about 20 and there third is about 20. I have not completed the fourth yet. I would also consider God of War and Resident Evil 4 epic in terms of storyline and just overall greatness, both are 10 hours. A game can be epic without having to be 100 hours. Gears of War is only 4-5 hours. I love huge epic games, I don't like games that are 100 hours. There is a difference.