Wasn't sure where to post this (and if someone else did sorry about that). Just found the article ... well somewhat depressing although I agree the "aging gamer" aspect has some points. I know I have less time to play games but that doesn't mean I want shorter, simpler games. It just means I get to enjoy them longer.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/08/17/finishing.videogames.snow/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7
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So what do you think? Do you never finish most games you play? I tihnk I am about 50-50 although sometimes I know when I buy a game it is more out of curiosity then a real desire.
If I focused on just those games I was super excited about and had high expectations on my complete rate is closer to 80%.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/08/17/finishing.videogames.snow/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7
In fact, the attrition (or bounce rate) of video games is pretty pathetic. "What I've been told as a blanket expectation is that 90% of players who start your game will never see the end of it unless they watch a clip on YouTube," says Keith Fuller, a longtime production contractor for Activision.
That's a lot of unfinished games.
And it doesn't get much better when isolated to just avid gamers.
"Just 10 years ago, I recall some standard that only 20% of gamers ever finish a game," says John Lee, VP of marketing at Raptr and former executive at Capcom, THQ and Sega.
And it's not just dull games that go unfinished. Critically acclaimed ones do, too. Take last year's "Red Dead Redemption." You might think Rockstar's gritty Western would be played more than others, given the praise it enjoyed, but you'd be wrong.
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he aging gamer
At the beginning of the 21st century, the average gamer was pushing 30 -- mid-to-late 20s, to be exact. They weren't playing as often as they did in their adolescence, but in between entry-level jobs, earnest slacking and higher education, there was still ample time to game.
Fast forward to today, and the average gamer is 37, according to the Entertainment Software Association. The average age of the most frequent game buyer is 41 -- nearing Just for Men-type levels. They're raising kids. In the middle of a career. Worried about retirement.
Not only that, but time is precious for gamers of all ages.
"People have short attention spans and limited time now," says Jeremy Airey, head of U.S. production at Konami.
So what do you think? Do you never finish most games you play? I tihnk I am about 50-50 although sometimes I know when I buy a game it is more out of curiosity then a real desire.
If I focused on just those games I was super excited about and had high expectations on my complete rate is closer to 80%.