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Making the Case For Short Games

Posted by Zonk on from the long-games-have-more-time-to-suck dept.

Gamasutra has a feature up entitled Making a Case for Short Games, in which the author argues that a good short game is far and away preferable to attempt than an epicly long game. From the article: "Which would you rather play, a computer game that takes forty hours to complete or one that lasts just a few minutes? Don't be too quick to answer. The former asks for a serious time commitment. The latter says come and go as you please. One is a ball and chain. The other is a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. Well, it's not exactly that bad but considering all of the things you have to do today, which type of game do you really have time for? Also, isn't it peculiar that when you complete a complex or lengthy game you rarely want to replay it, yet short games are often endlessly replayable? "

6 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Making the case for short lives by dtfinch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Which would you rather have, a life that takes eighty years to complete or one that lasts just a few decades? Don't be too quick to answer. The former asks for a serious time commitment. The latter says come and go as you please. One is a ball and chain. The other is a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. Well, it's not exactly that bad but considering all of the things you have to go through each day, which type of life will you really find worthwhile? Also, isn't it peculiar that when you near completion of a complex and lengthy life you rarely want it to dredge on any longer, yet short lives are often interesting and full of excitement, and endlessly repeatable if your religion allows?

    1. Re:Making the case for short lives by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

      "There's an old Cat saying: It's better to live one hour as a Tiger than a lifetime as a worm."

      "Well there's an old human saying: Whoever head of a worm-skin rug?"

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  2. Re:Which would you pay for? by NanoGator · · Score: 2, Funny

    "You'll never be able to convince people to pay $50 a pop for short games like you will for epic games."

    Tell that to Namco, Midway, and Capcom.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  3. Monopoly by Reignking · · Score: 2, Funny

    The "Get Out of Jail Free" card refers to shorter games? Seems kind of, since that is from Monopoly, one of the longest board games ever created.

    --
    One man's Funny is another man's Offtopic.
  4. Re:What nonsense! by some+guy+I+know · · Score: 5, Funny
    One day, however, I'll probably be sitting around bored and fire up the ol' minesweeper and see if I'm as good at it as I was when I was younger.
    I've never understood the fascination some people have with Minesweeper.
    As long as you are careful, take your time, and carefully analyze the minefield, you can generally get a mine to blow up in only one or two moves, five tops.
    --
    Those who sacrifice security to condemn liberty deserve to repeat history or something. - Benjamin Santayana
  5. Re:What nonsense! by Tired_Blood · · Score: 2, Funny
    you can generally get a mine to blow up in only one or two moves, five tops.

    AFAIK, the first selection in each game is never game-ending. That is, you never select a mine on the first move.

    I stopped playing years ago when I could finish Expert in slightly under 99 seconds. Out of curiosity, I just found this site where they note:
    "The current World Record for Expert level, as certified by Minesweepers.org, is 67.342, set by Sacman555 of Providence, Rhode Island, United States on 29-Jan-2005."

    Good God! However, I bet the military may be very interested in someone with such a quick (and accurate) trigger finger.
    --
    This is not my sig.