Most games are too short – that's why they get traded in, says Just Cause creator

[daze23]

Most games are too short

The second-hand market is a symptom of games developers making titles that don’t offer enough replayability, says Avalanche Studios’ Christofer Sundberg.

The Just Cause creator’s founder and chief creative officer told us that Just Cause 2 still attracts “hundreds of thousands” of players every day, and suggested that shorter, less replayable games get traded in more often.

We asked Sundberg for his thoughts on why games players feel second-hand games are such an emotive issue at E3 last week. “I’m sure it’s been an issue but that’s because games have been too short,” he replied. “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.”

“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. I go into game stores each week and I always go to the used game boxes – I usually don’t find that many [copies of Just Cause].”

Avalanche confirmed during Sony’s E3 2013 press conference that it was working on Mad Max, to be published by Warner Bros. Sundberg also weighed in on the DRM debate recently.

 

[A.J.Soprano]

I played 10 min of Just Cause 2 and threw it in the bushes

 

[FloorGeneral]

I played 10 min of Just Cause 2 and threw it in the bushes

I got it for $10 and still haven't put it in my system.

 

[JohnStarksMiddleFinger]

I played 10 min of Just Cause 2 and threw it in the bushes

Clearly you weren't playing it right

Just Cause 2 is the GOAT sleeper game

 

[CTech83]

Tying people to the back of a plane and taking off never gets old

 

[daze23]

Clearly you weren't playing right

Just Cause 2 is the GOAT sleeper game

so much fukkery

 

[Dirty Mcdrawz]

so much fukkery

what........the...........fukk

this nikka even ducked the wing so it wouldn't take his head off

 

[Doctor Wily]

it's a combination of

1) too short
2) too easy
3) migrating online community (for multiplayer).

 

[Spliff]

so much fukkery

Airplane drifting? The hell?

 

[Malta]

The only single player games right now with any amount of replay are sandbox games and RPGs, so he's right.

 

[Chill]

They're too busy killing their multiplayer numbers by trying to appeal to the casual fanbase which never works since they play whatever is the newest thing out and causes them to alienate their hardcore fanbase.

 

[GoldenGlove]

so much fukkery

 

[GoldenGlove]

The only single player games right now with any amount of replay are sandbox games and RPGs, so he's right.

Action Adventure games get a lot of replay out of me. Going back on harder difficulties, speed runs, unlocking everything, challenge missions...

I've been having fun with Metal Gear Rising since it dropped. Still not done with it, and I have easily over 100 hours put into it.

I usually throw sandbox games in the bushes. Only one that really kept me coming back in recent memory is Arkham City.

 

[Jax]

so much fukkery

I might have to cop this game

 

[el_oh_el]

so much fukkery

This right here makes me want to play it just for the fukkery