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[Lambogenie]

Brilliant idea. Can add season passes for all episodes, non transferable cosmetics, yes, brilliant.

Telltale sort of tried this way back when. I don't think it really works.

But you are right, a tightly woven story is a good idea.

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

https://x.com/IfindRetards?t=f3Bm-DE3RCpQiSVeiGNing&s=09

Found one!

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

.... well i mean. When you think about it, gaming is a fucking weird ass medium.

But here's the thing... (aside from the fact that episodic gaming did trend for a while and ultimately never really took of)

... a lot people still have this mentally of equating videogames (especially big AAA cinematic ones) with movies or TV shows in this case.

But that shared aspect is only a small part of why games are compelling. the thing with games is that they are trying to attract three types/mixes of people


1. The ones that lean into escapism through the fantasy of the setting, story, music, plot… all that narrative stuff.


2. The act of play, to exist in this "place"; the gameplay itself.


3. The process of understanding systems and mechanics.



the "bloat" for example, is for those people who want just to play more... do shit in this world. Things like challenges, trophies harder difficulty is for the ones that want to understand and master how the game works. so a movie or TV show is just preocupied to tell a story and nothing more, a video game has to balance petty complex and sophisticated cognitive shit when you think about it

conclusion:
You engage only in activities you find interesting, people are not meant to 100% a game.. this mentally has to change but is kind of engraved in the gamer mind and developers take advantage of this shit.

i think the biggest issue is "mindless design" (including the narrative stuff).

episodic is not the solution but better desing in each department.

 

[Beretta]

I don't have that long to live.

 

[jufonuk]

Nice try AAA dev board member. Will the five episode thing reflect the price ? Nope more like five town to charge us a lot. Oh £20 per episode five times. ? Nope.

 

[VGA-Games]

No

 

[Thief1987]

You don't need to share every weird thing coming into your head, OP, really

 

[kat_on_the_roof]

Op is absolutly right....

...it is a hot take.

 

[Unfortunatecookie]

Gotta go with hell no.

Games should probably be shorter, but a weekly release cadence is not the solution.

As an armchair developer, I think single-player games should start making drastic cuts to the length cutscenes, tutorial/onboarding segments, and dialogue 'drops'. I think if most single-player games started getting the fuck to the actual gaming part, single-player experiences would sell significantly better.

 

[GymWolf]

More like scorching sun temperature opinion.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Come from your real account, Phil Spencer.

 

[hemo memo]

Nice try David Cage.

 

[Robb]

Every single player story-based game should be released in weekly 5-hour episodes, just like TV shows.

 

[L*][*N*K]

More like Horrible fucking take, Jesus that would have been so bad

 

[Eesha]

if they do this asinine thing, they would charge at least 30 bucks per episode, so if a game is, say 12 episodes, that would be 360 dollar for a single game.

 

[CliffBronger]

Nope.
If there's a weekly episode tv series I'm interested in I just wait until all the episodes have dropped then binge watch it.

 

[xrnzaaas]

I don't like someone regulating when I can access new content, same reason why I don't like gaas games that lock some (ready) content on purpose.

With that said I enjoyed the episode structure in games like Alan Wake 1... but it should feel natural and that it makes sense with the way the game and its story are built.

 

[Signalis]

Hot take: Every single player story-based game should be released in weekly 5-hour episodes, just like TV shows.

Drop a new episode every Friday. Keep it tight, focused, and end each one with a banger cliffhanger to get you hyped for the next week.
No more bloated, exhausting 60-hour monsters that sit in your backlog for months.

A 20-hour game? That's a 4-week event. A reason to look forward to Fridays.
Digestible, exciting, and way more sustainable.

Honestly, it would bring back that shared excitement of everyone talking about the latest episode.
Imagine gaming, and still having a life.

The dream.

Games like Red Dead 2, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and The Last of Us Part II practically beg for this kind of format.
Even Alan Wake 2 and Life is Strange already have the structure, just not the schedule.

Imagine the hype if a new episode dropped every Friday and the whole community lit up talking about it all weekend.

What games do you think could've worked better like this?

Updates to clarify:

• This would apply only to single player story-based games that exceed 5 hrs.
• If it's open world, you can still enjoy the open world and side-quests, but MAIN missions that drive the game forward would unlock on Fridays.

thatJohann , what you've posted here on NeoGAF is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent post were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on NeoGAF is now dumber for having read your post. May God have mercy on your soul.

 

[radiant_ch]

Hot take: Every single player story-based game should be released in weekly 5-hour episodes, just like TV shows.

Drop a new episode every Friday. Keep it tight, focused, and end each one with a banger cliffhanger to get you hyped for the next week.
No more bloated, exhausting 60-hour monsters that sit in your backlog for months.

A 20-hour game? That's a 4-week event. A reason to look forward to Fridays.
Digestible, exciting, and way more sustainable.

Honestly, it would bring back that shared excitement of everyone talking about the latest episode.
Imagine gaming, and still having a life.

The dream.

Games like Red Dead 2, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and The Last of Us Part II practically beg for this kind of format.
Even Alan Wake 2 and Life is Strange already have the structure, just not the schedule.

Imagine the hype if a new episode dropped every Friday and the whole community lit up talking about it all weekend.

What games do you think could've worked better like this?

Updates to clarify:

• This would apply only to single player story-based games that exceed 5 hrs.
• If it's open world, you can still enjoy the open world and side-quests, but MAIN missions that drive the game forward would unlock on Fridays.

Still, your efforts are pretty much appreciated.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerly

radiant not-so-J Trump

 

[Sunraku]

This is the worst idea that i've read in my entire life

 

[Dacvak]

I appreciate a hot take actually being a hot take for once.

 

[Tertullian]

The reason this wouldn't work is that everyone buys video games at such different times.

When a TV show comes out on cable or Netflix or whatever, everyone pretty much gets access to it at the same moment. But people buy video games at all different price points, some when it reaches $40, some when it reaches $30, some when it reaches $20, etc.

This idea would only work with a Game Pass game, and not everyone has Game Pass. Or you'd have to release the game at a reduced price and promise that it will never go on sale. But that would just alienate other customers and destroy later sales. It would be difficult to pull off.

 

[Codes 208]

How 'bout

 

[EverydayBeast]

Sounds like a good decision, not for every game though.

 

[Bonfires Down]

I can relate. My penis should be taken in 5 inch intervals because I always get complaints that it's too big.

 

[Felessan]

Hot take: Every single player story-based game should be released in weekly 5-hour episodes, just like TV shows.

Make it 30-60 mins, like real tv shows
Besides there are already a lot of such games where content delivered on monthly/quarterly/yearly basis - they are tv shows in your example.

But here's the thing... (aside from the fact that episodic gaming did trend for a while and ultimately never really took of)

It does took of where it make sense - in live service games. Selling film cut in several parts does not make sense - episodic content should be structured as such from get go and ultimately be quite different from one-time consumption content in form and presentation

... a lot people still have this mentally of equating videogames (especially big AAA cinematic ones) with movies or TV shows in this case.

There are a lot if similarities though
Even demise is pretty much the same where films lost majority of viewership time to tv shows

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

It does took of where it make sense - in live service games. Selling film cut in several parts does not make sense - episodic content should be structured as such from get go and ultimately be quite different from one-time consumption content in form and presentation

One time consumption content... if you play a game from start to finish in one go.... I don't think thats possible even with AAA single player games... anything above 10 Hrs would be very hard if not imposible to do it in one go

what you are saying: "episodic content should be structured as such from the get go" applies to ANY videogame. but is not about "episodic" in the context of movies or TV shows. but more like game loops:

a videogame session should give you a fulfilling "narrative arch" even if it is a management game.

There are a lot if similarities though
Even demise is pretty much the same where films lost majority of viewership time to tv shows

as i explained afterwards passive media ain't dealing with gameplay, systems and mechanics

 

[amigastar]

 

[Felessan]

One time consumption content... if you play a game from start to finish in one go.... I don't think thats possible even with AAA single player games... anything above 10 Hrs would be very hard if not imposible to do it in one go

You can watch film with breaks too.
Its a term that define that content consumed as a single whole piece (even if split over sessions) and thus it follow a structure of one - it has a clear end (even though it might allow space for continuation) and have certain pacing of unfolding events.
People rarely read a book in one go, but books also follow the same structure, unlike like serialized comics.

what you are saying: "episodic content should be structured as such from the get go" applies to ANY videogame. but is not about "episodic" in the context of movies or TV shows. but more like game loops:
a videogame session should give you a fulfilling "narrative arch" even if it is a management game.

No, live service games structured differently from SP - they are made in tv shows style where a big central narrative with slow pacing and no clear end wrapped is smaller "this episode" substories those more often than not are just sidestories to the main plot

as i explained afterwards passive media ain't dealing with gameplay, systems and mechanics

Those are mostly irrelevant, especially if we are talking about story-driven games (like majority of games now)
Practically every gameplay/mechanics can be in both SP and live service games - its not a limiting/differentiating factor.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

You can watch film with breaks too.
Its a term that define that content consumed as a single whole piece (even if split over sessions) and thus it follow a structure of one - it has a clear end (even though it might allow space for continuation) and have certain pacing of unfolding events.
People rarely read a book in one go, but books also follow the same structure, unlike like serialized comics.

that's why videogames are fundamentally different to any other medium.

No, live service games structured differently from SP - they are made in tv shows style where a big central narrative with slow pacing and no clear end wrapped is smaller "this episode" substories those more often than not are just sidestories to the main plot

not necessarily. A SP game can have side quest, collectables, secrets, challenges, or some progression driven activity....similar to any kind of Live Game.

Those are mostly irrelevant, especially if we are talking about story-driven games (like majority of games now)
Practically every gameplay/mechanics can be in both SP and live service games - its not a limiting/differentiating factor.

It absolutely is not irrelevant; in fact, it is the crux of the argument.


Release single-player story-driven games in weekly 5-hour episodes.

Benefits:
Avoid bloated 60-hour backlogs.
Keep games digestible and exciting.
Create weekly anticipation (like TV shows).
Foster shared community discussions

the OP fundamentally fails to understand that there are people who care more about gameplay or about system and mechanics (getting gud)


as i said

1.Story/lore/setting Driven gamer
2. Gameplay driven gamer
3. System/mechanic driven gamer

any kind of videogame has to account for the mix if these gamers. Episodic games will not fix the issues the OP has. in fact; it could exacerbate all the problems... making a Single payer game feel like a live game.

 

[Felessan]

that's why videogames are fundamentally different to any other medium.

You keep believing in this
Going into full denial to the fact that serialized games not failed and died but instead alive and thrive and even slowly eating away usual "films" games
There are way too much similarities between books/films/SP games and comics/tv shows/live service games

not necessarily. A SP game can have side quest, collectables, secrets, challenges, or some progression driven activity....similar to any kind of Live Game.

Films can have them too, you know
The difference that by the clearly visible end all those stuff are wrapped and game finishes

Release single-player story-driven games in weekly 5-hour episodes.

Benefits:
Avoid bloated 60-hour backlogs.
Keep games digestible and exciting.
Create weekly anticipation (like TV shows).
Foster shared community discussions

the OP fundamentally fails to understand that there are people who care more about gameplay or about system and mechanics (getting gud)

Fail to understand what?
He just described live service games as they are
You can bang you head against the wall in any game, be it 5 min flappy bird, 100hr open world or 3000hr mmo
Its a style of play and characteristic of player it has nothing to do with game itself

1.Story/lore/setting Driven gamer
2. Gameplay driven gamer
3. System/mechanic driven gamer

any kind of videogame has to account for the mix if these gamers. Episodic games will not fix the issues the OP has. in fact; it could exacerbate all the problems... making a Single payer game feel like a live game.

2 and 3 are irrelevant
Games kept bliated not by gamepllay or mechanics, those takes like 5 mins, games got bloated by content distribution that us directly depends on type of game

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

You keep believing in this
Going into full denial to the fact that serialized games not failed and died but instead alive and thrive and even slowly eating away usual "films" games
There are way too much similarities between books/films/SP games and comics/tv shows/live service games

hey chat GPT what's the argument being made here?

so are you saying this?
In short: the writer is arguing that live-service/serialized games are thriving and becoming dominant over traditional single-player story games.

this has nothing to do with episodic games buddy. Even the OP. is excluding Live game.... you are fighting ghosts.

Films can have them too, you know
The difference that by the clearly visible end all those stuff are wrapped and game finishes

oh boy.

Fail to understand what?
He just described live service games as they are
You can bang you head against the wall in any game, be it 5 min flappy bird, 100hr open world or 3000hr mmo
Its a style of play and characteristic of player it has nothing to do with game itself

The game has to be designed with the type of gamers it is trying to attract. A story-driven gamer isn't going to play Flappy Bird for the story, right?

2 and 3 are irrelevant
Games kept bliated not by gamepllay or mechanics, those takes like 5 mins, games got bloated by content distribution that us directly depends on type of game

so, are you saying this? :
game bloat comes from content distribution, not from gameplay or mechanics.

How exactly are you supposed to "experience" anything in a video game? Oh wait, don't tell me… through the gameplay and mechanics and systems , right?

why do you think live games have bullshit systems and mechanics my dude? things like:

Crafting and resource management loops
Grinding for materials or items
progression systems tied to collectables

Time gates:
Daily/weekly quest systems
Rotating challenges or events

PvP ladders and ranked systems
Randomized loot drops / RNG mechanics
Prestige / rebirth / ascension systems

etcetera....

content distribution is directly tied to systems and mechanics.

as i said in my original post.
The desing must be better in each department. the issues the OP is presenting have nothing to do with the way a game is delivered

Gamers will play the way they want to play:

some will focus only in the story, lore setting. take things in, be immersed and shit like that.

others will just want to play, the will be happy just controlling the characters without being proficient or excelling at it.

others will try to understand the systems and mechanics, play on a harder difficulty try to git gud and even exploit or break the game.

 

[Felessan]

hey chat GPT what's the argument being made here?

so are you saying this?
In short: the writer is arguing that live-service/serialized games are thriving and becoming dominant over traditional single-player story games.

this has nothing to do with episodic games buddy. Even the OP. is excluding Live game.... you are fighting ghosts.

I don't see where they are excluded in OP. It's your imagination.
Live service games by design ARE the serialized content and some already pointed out where OP should look answer.

The game has to be designed with the type of gamers it is trying to attract. A story-driven gamer isn't going to play Flappy Bird for the story, right?

It is.
But it's not like flappy bird can't be turned into live service games, they actually one of the first to go that route. Just put one extra hard both every 3 months and game is done. Savage/Mythic junkies are one of the most faithful live service games players.
You can have 20 bosses at start, which is on one side overwhelming, on other side is limiting, or you can have 5 bosses at start and new boss every month - you doen't get too much and you constantly get something new. It's one of the point OP is making. And 1st approach for sure doesn't really better if you like to bang head against wall - it's more rewarding to have a wall of unknown height that just keep get higher and higher.

so, are you saying this? :
game bloat comes from content distribution, not from gameplay or mechanics.

How exactly are you supposed to "experience" anything in a video game? Oh wait, don't tell me… through the gameplay and mechanics and systems , right?

why do you think live games have bullshit systems and mechanics my dude? things like:

Crafting and resource management loops
Grinding for materials or items
progression systems tied to collectables

Time gates:
Daily/weekly quest systems
Rotating challenges or events

PvP ladders and ranked systems
Randomized loot drops / RNG mechanics
Prestige / rebirth / ascension systems

etcetera....

content distribution is directly tied to systems and mechanics.

It's vice versa. Some systems tied to content distribution as they are a system of content distribution, not the content distribution tied to systems.
There are parts of the show to keep people in the loop - systems designed for "engagement" (actually retention) of readers/viewers/players. They are done slightly different between media, but the idea and purpose are the same - keep people hooked till next batch.
But those are not gameplay or mechanics - systems tied to these two are irrelevant to content distribution. And practically every gameplay or mecchanics can be turned into live service, we see quite a few already and they keep coming.

as i said in my original post.
The desing must be better in each department. the issues the OP is presenting have nothing to do with the way a game is delivered

It is - there are clear complaints that go againt "single experience model"
Like books are not for everyone - some with short attention span found it too long and boring, some found it too short and too limited by literature standards and some found it too small of an universe and thus uninspiring
There are pro and cons in each approach, and they are fundamentially different on how content are delivered. And games are no excuse from this.

Gamers will play the way they want to play:
some will focus only in the story, lore setting. take things in, be immersed and shit like that.
others will just want to play, the will be happy just controlling the characters without being proficient or excelling at it.
others will try to understand the systems and mechanics, play on a harder difficulty try to git gud and even exploit or break the game.

Same for books, films and everything else - some read/watch for author's story, some for some insights, some like to reimagine shown universe without much care about authenticy and canon and some just having fun. There are always people who like this or that in every field.
Doesn't deny that there is an episodic content in gaming and it's doing well