Ok, this has been bugging me for a while, and I wanted to see what you guys thought.
I was in college when I played Super Mario 64 for the first time. I remember playing that game for quite a bit, unlocking the lower level, going through everything, then getting a key for the upper LOBBY door.
At that point, I clearly remember expecting that unlocked door to lead to the final battle. I was surprised when it led to an entirely new floor, with new levels.
I also remember playing Resident Evil for the first time and being amazed at the length of the game. I had rented it, played it for a good three days, and when I got out of the Mansion to explore pool area, I was somehow expecting the game to end. It didn't. The game kept going and going -- the last point I reached before returning the game was when I reentered the mansion (much later) and got the video clip of a hunter running to the house... then slashing me. I died.
Now, I had had lots of experience with RPGs at that point, so I was used to the idea of a game being quite long. However, it seems like both Super Mario 64 and Resident Evil struck me (at the time) as being much longer than I expected them to be. I've always found that interesting, given that neither are seen as very long games these days...or so I thought.
I'm wondering whether the transition from 2D games to 3D games also entailed longer games, or whether it was just my perception at the time. It does seem like I remember blasting through most NES and SNES games in a few days, while modern games do seem to take longer. Part of that is my new lack of free time, of course...
I was in college when I played Super Mario 64 for the first time. I remember playing that game for quite a bit, unlocking the lower level, going through everything, then getting a key for the upper LOBBY door.
At that point, I clearly remember expecting that unlocked door to lead to the final battle. I was surprised when it led to an entirely new floor, with new levels.
I also remember playing Resident Evil for the first time and being amazed at the length of the game. I had rented it, played it for a good three days, and when I got out of the Mansion to explore pool area, I was somehow expecting the game to end. It didn't. The game kept going and going -- the last point I reached before returning the game was when I reentered the mansion (much later) and got the video clip of a hunter running to the house... then slashing me. I died.
Now, I had had lots of experience with RPGs at that point, so I was used to the idea of a game being quite long. However, it seems like both Super Mario 64 and Resident Evil struck me (at the time) as being much longer than I expected them to be. I've always found that interesting, given that neither are seen as very long games these days...or so I thought.
I'm wondering whether the transition from 2D games to 3D games also entailed longer games, or whether it was just my perception at the time. It does seem like I remember blasting through most NES and SNES games in a few days, while modern games do seem to take longer. Part of that is my new lack of free time, of course...
The only time I bitch about game length is when the game is so fucking phenomenal that I don't want it to end...and when the game is so bad, I want it to end already. That said, the most common problem related to game length, and this is key...is that there are too many of the types of games out there that last too long.