It’s currently one of the most controversial topics in gaming today: Length.
The argument reached a fever pitch when we learned that Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes might only be about two hours long. Additional reports say such a number is an exaggeration, and developer Kojima Productions has defended the short length. Now, another noted designer has stepped up to defend the team.
It’s Shadows of the Damned director Massimo Guarini, who issued the following bold statement on Twitter:
When creators are forced to justify the length of a game, I think that’s one of the biggest failure of our industry. http://t.co/Gl7bWNv0JB
— Massimo Guarini (@massimoguarini) February 7, 2014
Kojima chimed in to say that he expects players will be “satisfied with the play time,” but the cost of the product remains a problem for consumers. You can grab the digital version of Ground Zeroes on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 for $20, but the physical copies for the PS4 and Xbox One will run you $40. This seems steep for what has been described as an “introduction” to MGSV.
The idea of two separate titles wasn’t a good one
As much as I respect Kojima, and as much as I adore the MGS franchise, I never liked this two-title approach. The argument that this prelude is designed to ease old-school fans into a new style of gameplay doesn’t hold much water. After all, it’ll be closer to what we’re currently familiar with, anyway.
Published: Feb 10, 2014 11:22 am