Most players don't finish games

We like games – and since you’re reading this site, it seems safe to assume that you like games, too. But according to a recent CNN report, most players don’t finish the games they start.

“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 Activision production contractor Keith Fuller.

The rate of completion doesn’t seem to get much better with critically acclaimed titles. According to social networking and achievement tracking service Raptr, only 10 percent of players completed the final mission in Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption.

Above: According to Raptr, only 10 percent of players actually finished the last mission in Red Dead Redemption. This is why we can’t have nice things

The lower rate of completion can be attributed to the rising age of the average gamer, which the Electronic Software Association says is 37. With more responsibilities, it all adds up to less time for gaming. “We're at a stage now that we're trying to find ways to keep mindshare," Konami's Jeremy Airey tells CNN: "When the consumer is not playing our game, their friends aren't either.” Airey says this is why designers tend nowadays to trim out the filler, making games shorter and leaner – and why publishers make sure to keep up a steady stream of DLC from launch day for players who've reached the somewhat arbitrary mark of “finishing the story.”

With the rising costs of producing AAA titles and fewer players willing to sink in the time required to complete epic 40-hour journeys, it seems that the trend for shorter games and more DLC will continue.

Have you found yourself finishing fewer games over the years? Or do you continue to see the titles you’ve bought all the way through till the end?

Aug 23, 2011

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