Why People Don't Finish Video Games

[automaton]

perhaps you have been playing the wrong games.

 

[jonny88]

For me when l rent a game l have to finish it, even if l don't really like it. The last game l rented that l played all the way through just to finish because l didn't like it was Red Dead Redemption, was really bored with that game.

I am not a big gamer anymore, hardly play games, but when a new game comes out that l am interested in l play the hell out of it for a week or so straight and have to get as many achievment points as possible.

l also don't buy games unless l love them and they have lots of replay value, such as Call Of Duty, or GTA games. Other then that l just rent and play for a week straight. Games are to expensive to be buying them all the time, so l only buy the ones that are actually worth buying, which many games aren't these days.

 

[SAB]

No, games are not "epic".

perhaps you have been playing the wrong games.

 

[kamensurfer]

Reading that article made me realize that I don't finish as many of my games that I thought I did. I think I finishing between 50-75% of the games I buy.

The trend of shorter games is a mixed bag. Some games could do with a lot less fluff and grinding (I'm looking at you Final Fantasy). But some games seem to be too short on the campaign portion and favor the online competitive multiplayer. I wish there were more games with 4+ coop multiplayer.

 

[Ex-Parrot]

I play games for enjoyment, if I am enjoying a game then I'll always finish it. If that enjoyment starts to wane or it starts to feel like a chore then I'll shelve it and play something else for a while, and I'll go back when I feel like playing it again. But eventually I finish most games, because I'm picky with what I buy, so most of the games I buy are worth finishing.

I actually find a lot of this article a bit disturbing to be honest, from a gaming point of view, as it seems more like a justification to make shorter, less involved games (which will be sold at the same price of course), and therefore jumping to the conclusion that giving people less game is the answer - thereby shortchanging proper or dedicated gamers just because the casual market has the attention span of a housefly.

I mean think about it this way, if you make a short game then everyone is stuck with a short game for their money. You make a longer game, and the dedicated gamers have something to sick their teeth into, while the casual gamers still get as much game as they want or their attention spans can handle. Screwing over the more dedicated gamers so that you can cater purely to casual gamers demands seems like a bad play to me, especially when that casual market is always in flux anyway, and is just as likely to wander off and take their money someplace else at any time.

The point of games for most people is the journey, and how much fun they have on that journey, not necessarily about getting to the end (so some heavily story based games that is surely a part of the overall satisfaction factor), so to put so much focus on completion percentages and gamer averages is kind of missing the forest for the trees in my view.

 

[Wanderer]

When I was a kid, I'd blissfully sit in front of the TV until 4 in the morning playing a game like FFVII to the bitter end. Nowadays I just don't have the time or patience to want to waste doin that. Theres simply not enough hours in a day.
Obviously there are the odd exceptions that'll crop up that I want to keep playing but sadly they're few n' far between now. I just have better things to do.

 

[Darth_Fatso]

The only franchise i never finish is GTA. there's just soo many missions and i always get bored before i finish the game

It's funny I owned most of the GTA games but I never finish any of them once I opened up all the areas because after that, I just liked to drive around and just enjoy the environment. Occasionally I'd run over a few pedestrians, beat some hookers, do a drive by and jack some cars etc to spice it up a little but honestly I enjoyed just driving around all the areas in the game.

 

[Senketsu]

When I was a kid, I'd blissfully sit in front of the TV until 4 in the morning playing a game like FFVII to the bitter end. Nowadays I just don't have the time or patience to want to waste doin that. Theres simply not enough hours in a day.
Obviously there are the odd exceptions that'll crop up that I want to keep playing but sadly they're few n' far between now. I just have better things to do.

Pretty much how I feel. I still enjoy games but I just don't get the same buzz out of them that I used to.

 

[BlitzOUT]

I only complete franschise games like Halo or AC. As for games like GTA, Bioshock, RDR or even Banjo and Kazooie, there is just too much to finish or the skill level rises wildly 1/2 way through the game

 

[kamensurfer]

The point of games for most people is the journey, and how much fun they have on that journey, not necessarily about getting to the end (so some heavily story based games that is surely a part of the overall satisfaction factor), so to put so much focus on completion percentages and gamer averages is kind of missing the forest for the trees in my view.

Well put.

What the completion percentage overlooks is the uncompleted games that are still satisfying and good. As much as I liked Arkham Asylum, I put in a whole bunch of hours and I decided there were other games that I would rather spend time on.

Hopefully developers realize that if they make a fun game, people will play it ... maybe not complete it but they will still enjoy it.

 

[xjamiex]

I always purchase my games and never rent, but I have this OCD in which I have and must finish the game, no matter what.. I'm no quitter

 

[Ven]

I'm a huge metal gear fan, played every ounce of 1,2,3..... could not even finish 4... dunno what it is.

 

[Vendetta]

Pretty much how I feel. I still enjoy games but I just don't get the same buzz out of them that I used to.

Ditto. Back then I blissfully played FF7 so long that I maxed out the in-game timer at 99:59:59.

 

[cokebabies]

I'm definitely not the average gamer, then. I just took a look through my collection, and there wasn't a game I left unfinished.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

1. Finding the time
2. So many titles out

I haven't even touched KZ3 single player yet, just started DS2.

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

I'm a huge metal gear fan, played every ounce of 1,2,3..... could not even finish 4... dunno what it is.

I played 4 ablut 3 times, got the Altair costume by completing the game with zero kills

If it had trophies, i would've nailed it.

 

[THX-182]

I just finished making a backloggery.com account and the results surprised even me. I have put all my games with the exception of PSN, Intellivision and Atari games.

I have a lot of work to do.

https://backloggery.com/THX182

 

[hairlesswookiee]

I just finished making a backloggery.com account and the results surprised even me. I have put all my games with the exception of PSN, Intellivision and Atari games.

I have a lot of work to do.

https://backloggery.com/THX182

Yeah mine was quite drastic as well. After inputting a lot of my games I made it a point to start completing everything I played before moving onto the next one.


Sent from my iPhone located on the planet Hoth.

 

[OSCORP]

The only franchise i never finish is GTA. there's just soo many missions and i always get bored before i finish the game

Ok you're on ignore!

 

[THX-182]

I actually had to push myself to finish GTA San Andreas. The others I played no problem but that one grated on my nerves for some reason.

Maybe I'm a racist?