Burning 40 Hours
I'm almost finished Burnout 3: Takedown. What a great game! All told, I'll probably play it a total of about 40 hours. Now, it should be noted that I've been a big proponent of the "short games are a good trend" crowd. In fact, I've been specifically seeking out those games which are being criticized for shortness. Simply put, my overloaded work/home life just does not allow for a great deal of game playing - as is the case for many adult gamers.
The difference with Burnout, in my case, is that I've playing in very small chunks. I could sit down, play for just 30 minutes and get a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and fun. The nature of the quick races and reward ramping are well tuned to quick pick-up play sessions. So, I end up play many, many short sessions of the game that all add up in the end.
Conversely, with other games I've played recently (eg, Deus Ex 2, Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell, etc), there's this subconscious sense that I'll need to commit a sizable block of time (say 2-3 hours per session) to get any sense of accomplishment. But, in reality, I'd only need to commit of few of those chunks since the games all last in the 10-20 hour range.
But enough rambling, I could be playing more Burnout right now...
Posted on October 7, 2004 05:19 PM