Episodic content: Big questions and answers..

[EndR]

An interesting article over at Next Generation:

"We are building and paying for content that never gets seen by our customers every day. The idea that we could build pieces of games and sell them directly to gamers is pretty compelling, as is the idea that we could evolve and build a larger story and world over months, and years."

The rest is here:
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1031&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=0
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I think this is related to the storage medium of each machine. Now that games costs more and more to make, we will most likely see fewer 20-30 hour games. Both MS and Sony have talked about episodic content, MS more than Sony but both seems to be on the same page here. Maybe we are shifting to shorter but more intense games that later could be expanded through new episodes. So maybe, the "introduction" is about 7-9 hours and then new episodes of 3-4 hours comes after a certain amount of time.

Of course, the 20+ hours games will still exists, but it seems that with next gen, we will make a shift, shorter games but with episodes coming later, so that gamers actually could finish the games they buy (apparently, lots of gamers buy games and don´t finish them because they buy new games before they finish the previous ones)..

So.. putting episodic gaming in the equation, MS choice with the DVD don´t seem so bad after all. Speaking for myself here, I know that I don´t have the time I had before, to play and finish the 30+ hour games and play them again and again to see all the endings. With studying, girlfriend, social life etc... shorter but more intense gaming is perfect, for me at least..

 

[scooby_dooby]

I don't see it, unless they drop prices signifigantly, 7-8 hour games can be completed in 2 days, everyone will just rent them rather than buy. it might work for some people, but for most people the value just won't be there, $60 for a game you play for a mere 7 or 8 hours? That's pretty darn steep.

I like the idea of shorter games, with new downloadable content on an ongoing basis, but only if the initial price of the game is signifigantly reduced, i.e. $20-25.

 

[mckmas8808]

I would buy even less games if I knew they would be 7-9 hours. So they would be just losing money from a guy like me.

 

[Karma]

I don't see it, unless they drop prices signifigantly, 7-8 hour games can be completed in 2 days, everyone will just rent them rather than buy. it might work for some people, but for most people the value just won't be there, $60 for a game you play for a mere 7 or 8 hours? That's pretty darn steep.

I like the idea of shorter games, with new downloadable content on an ongoing basis, but only if the initial price of the game is signifigantly reduced, i.e. $20-25.

QFT