A former Starfield developer, Will Shen, has voiced concerns about the increasing fatigue among players regarding excessively long AAA games. Shen, a veteran with experience on titles like Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, suggests player burnout stems from the significant time investment required by many modern games.

Starfield, Bethesda's highly anticipated 2023 release, exemplifies this trend. While its extensive content contributed to a successful launch, Shen's comments highlight a growing segment of gamers who prefer shorter, more focused experiences. His interview with Kiwi Talkz (via Gamespot) indicates the industry is reaching a saturation point with lengthy titles, making it increasingly difficult for new, similarly long games to stand out. He cites the success of Skyrim as a contributing factor to the prevalence of "evergreen" games, but notes that most players don't complete games exceeding 10 hours, impacting overall engagement with the narrative and product.

This saturation, Shen argues, has fueled a resurgence in shorter games. He points to the success of Mouthwashing, a popular indie horror title, emphasizing its concise playtime as a key element of its appeal. He suggests that extending Mouthwashing's length with additional side quests would have negatively impacted its reception.

Despite the growing popularity of shorter games, the dominance of lengthy AAA titles like Starfield persists. The release of Starfield's Shattered Space DLC in 2024, and the rumored 2025 expansion, demonstrates the continued commitment to expansive content in the AAA space. The industry, therefore, appears poised for a continued coexistence of both lengthy and shorter gaming experiences.