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[adamsapple]

Isn't that in the normal range for a Bethesda RPG?

How long to beat has Skyrim's average main story completion time at 26 hours (I think it can be done much quicker than that).

40hrs average play time is a pretty high number.

 

[DeepEnigma]

How long to beat has Skyrim's average main story completion time at 26 hours (I think it can be done much quicker than that).

40hrs average play time is a pretty high number.

The average in Skyrim was no doubt higher than rushing the story 26 hours or less. That game was a phenom time-sink to many.

Starfield per your example,

How long is Starfield? | HowLongToBeat

How long is Starfield? HowLongToBeat has the answer. Create a backlog, submit your game times and compete with your friends!

howlongtobeat.com

 

[twilo99]

I wonder how this compares to the other titles like Skyrim and Fallout 4.

There are still a lot of people that still play Fallout 4, despite it being considered an absolute failure.

I expect the same thing to happen to Starfield, a lot of people will continue playing the game for a long time, despite it also being an utter failure by a lot of people.

Bethesda's games are weird like that

 

[adamsapple]

The average in Skyrim was no doubt higher than rushing the story 26 hours or less. That game was a phenom time-sink to many.

Starfield per your example,

How long is Starfield? | HowLongToBeat

How long is Starfield? HowLongToBeat has the answer. Create a backlog, submit your game times and compete with your friends!

howlongtobeat.com

Yep, all these "our game has 500 hours of content" games are actually just 15~20 at max if you're doing the critical path, but if you're doing side content or radiant shit, you may as well spend an eternity in them.

 

[twilo99]

How long to beat has Skyrim's average main story completion time at 26 hours (I think it can be done much quicker than that).

40hrs average play time is a pretty high number.

Gotta be that ship building then...

 

[NonPhixion]

The average in Skyrim was no doubt higher than rushing the story 26 hours or less. That game was a phenom time-sink to many.

Starfield per your example,

How long is Starfield? | HowLongToBeat

How long is Starfield? HowLongToBeat has the answer. Create a backlog, submit your game times and compete with your friends!

howlongtobeat.com

Quite sure he didn’t understand what he was responding too. As posting the average main quest runtime seems daf.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Yep, all these "our game has 500 hours of content" games are actually just 15~20 at max if you're doing the critical path, but if you're doing side content or radiant shit, you may as well spend an eternity in them.

Or my dumb ass putting the controller down for long periods of time while the game is still running as a shower, cook, look something up, eat, etc., racking up 80+ hours in single-player story driven games

And I'm sure lots of people do this. I don't have 1400+ hours in RDR2 from "constant playtime."

 

[Diddy X]

There are still a lot of people that still play Fallout 4, despite it being considered an absolute failure.

I understand the problem is Bethesda set the bar too high with Skyrim but they are still good games, but some people exaggerate and treat them like they are shit games.

 

[SJRB]

Playtime is such a weird metric. What does that even mean? How is that calculated?

Also, massive DOUBT on that 40 hour average.

 

[Punished Miku]

Playtime is such a weird metric. What does that even mean? How is that calculated?

Also, massive DOUBT on that 40 hour average.

What does play even mean and isnt time relative according to Einstein? Can we ever truly know anything in this world if its all a simulation?

 

[DeepEnigma]

What does play even mean and isnt time relative according to Einstein? Can we ever truly know anything in this world if its all a simulation?

Schrodinger's playtime. If I put the controller down or my eyes are closed, is the game still being played? Or does it cease to exist?

 

[K2D]

My favorite metric is the number of Fallout/Skyrim/Oblivion fan Youtubers lamenting Bethesda's fall from grace.

 

[adamsapple]

I simply believe none of those numbers. Like at all.

Also, massive DOUBT on that 40 hour average.

It's a massive RPG, high play times are to be expected.

 

[MidGenRefresh]

It never was.




Mine as well.

* 220 hours so far:

 

[Chuck Berry]

It's a massive RPG, high play times are to be expected.

And Im sure there are plenty of high play times out there. Im one of them.

But I still dont believe those numbers.

 

[salva]

Loved every hour of it and keen to get back into it when the first expansion comes out.
Still love how butt hurt this game makes people.

 

[Spyxos]

Yes, that's sounds right, I stopped after 20-30 hours.

 

[Atrus]

These aren’t really meaningful statistics.

I’ve got over 250 hours and counting in it myself but that’s not an indicator of value, quality of content or an indicator of the active community.

The game’s poor game design effectively wastes hours at a time.

 

[havoc00]

Todd does it again what a legend

 

[poppabk]

I find that unlikely, median playtime maybe, but you will have too many people that played under 10 minutes to get that average.

It's literally the number of hours played divided by players. It is an amazing statistic. I think I played about 8 hours before uninstalling. 13 million players averaging 40 hours each is about as impressive as an engagement statistic gets.

 

[Chukhopops]

40 hours average so far, looking forward to putting even more time into it when new content and especially véhicules get added.

Keep downplaying guys I’m sure it’s working!

 

[mckmas8808]

B...bu...but GaF said.

What's the median play time though? Why us average? Plus how many played and got the "blank" achievement?

Pretty weak considering it's available on both PC and console and is on Game Pass.

It is weak when you consider what the game was supposed to do. What are the sales MS?

 

[Jayjayhd34]

I'm giving this game another chance tomorrow gonna start frpm the begging

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I'm done with this one for a long while and by that time maybe it will be sun 10USD and have some decent community mods.

Just makes me look forward to the main course In a game like Squadron 42.

 

[soulbait]

Median is likely 2-10 hours or so, average is being inflated by whales. Also I think people played longer than a lot of games as it’s Bethesda’s first new IP since forever ago and the game dives right in to the gameplay so it’s not until you get to New Atlantis that the game starts feeling off. Also probably inflated by leaving console on unless they are not counting time spent in menus.

On Xbox, why would you think a lot of people just leave the game running in the background? Xbox has quick resume which starts up the game in seconds with no need to keep it running. This just makes no sense.

I am not sure how Xbox calculates playtime, but from what I have seen, it does not track time when you exit the game to the home screen and then back again or anything like that.

And where the hell are you getting your median from, besides just pulling it out of your ass?

 

[Jigsaah]

Starfield End of the Year Update

As 2023 comes to an end, we look back on what players have been up to in the Settled Systems and forward to what is coming in 2024.

bethesda.net

Psh, dying in Starfield....what?

 

[Godot25]

So many players just turning on the game and then never playing it again just to be included in 13 million count...

 

[twilo99]

Playtime is such a weird metric. What does that even mean? How is that calculated?

Also, massive DOUBT on that 40 hour average.

I've got like 34hrs and that was pretty much effortless.. just doing a few missions, messing around with NPCs, exploring a few planets.

Its a massive game...

 

[soulbait]

Roughly 12% of the players got to the point of becoming Starborn.

I have 120+ or 150+ hours right now (I forget the number) and I am not Starborn yet. So this does not really mean anything.

I have approached this game like I did in Skyrim, first doing all of the faction quests and majority of side material before really focusing on the main quest. I have all the factions and companion quests done, and wrapping up the main quests now.

I should be starborn by Christmas LOL.

 

[analog_future]

Playtime is such a weird metric. What does that even mean? How is that calculated?

Also, massive DOUBT on that 40 hour average.

So you don't know what it means or how it's calculated but you also massively DOUBT it.

 

[DeathGuise]

Haters really seething. If it's so bad why does it matter to you if other people like it?

 

[Gavon West]

I'm giving this game another chance tomorrow gonna start frpm the begging

You dont have to beg, broski!! Dont you have the game???........Sheesh!

 

[semiconscious]

well, if anything, it's likely the cheapest 40+ hours i got from a major release this year (1 month canadian game pass = $18.99)...

 

[twilo99]

So you don't know what it means or how it's calculated but you also massively DOUBT it.

It's some form of cognitive dissonance...

 

[Gavon West]

I can pull stats out my ass too.

I simply believe none of those numbers. Like at all.

Why dont you give us the accurate numbers my dude!

 

[DeepEnigma]

Why are people struggling to think 40 hours is not believable? 40 hours isn't that insane for a game of this size.

 

[poppabk]

So many players just turning on the game and then never playing it again just to be included in 13 million count...

Yep, just turning on the game and playing it for 40 hours for the lols.

 

[DrFigs]

I just flat out don't believe the 40 hour number. maybe if they discount people who played less than 10 mins or something like that. i think there's a reasonable way to get there without fudging numbers too much, but with it being on gamepass, it's just hard to believe.

 

[Godot25]

Yep, just turning on the game and playing it for 40 hours for the lols.

I forgot adding
/s

 

[SJRB]

So you don't know what it means or how it's calculated but you also massively DOUBT it.

My point is that "playtime" is a weird and questionable metric, and 40 hours average per player sounds questionable. Look at the Steam achievements. Only 27% joined Ryujin. Only 31% joined the Crimson Fleet. Only 34% joined the Freestar Rangers. These are all basic entry-level quests you reach way before the 40 hour playtime mark.

25% never even reached level 5.

The numbers aint numbering.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

Impressive. I’ve decided to hold on playing any further until the updates start coming through next year. Sounds like they have a lot planned.

 

[DForce]

Sales? we dont have any data on sales to even talk about it.

We do because we saw how the game performed after the first month. The sales dropped hard.

Players? 13m in like 2 months is pretty good

I'm sure people who hyped up Starfield as the game of the generation didn't expect Forza Horizon 5 to reach 15 million players faster than Starfield.

Critical expectations? yeah, true

 

[Gavon West]

These aren’t really meaningful statistics.

I’ve got over 250 hours and counting in it myself but that’s not an indicator of value, quality of content or an indicator of the active community.

The game’s poor game design effectively wastes hours at a time.

Like, how do you even say something like this with 250 whole ass hours invested in a game?? Just weird to me. I've never put more than ten hours max in all my time gaming in a game I wasnt enjoying -- if that. Like, when did you suddenly realize that you didnt enjoy the game? Put a clock on it for me... genuine question

 

[NickFire]

Or my dumb ass putting the controller down for long periods of time while the game is still running as a shower, cook, look something up, eat, etc., racking up 80+ hours in single-player story driven games

And I'm sure lots of people do this. I don't have 1400+ hours in RDR2 from "constant playtime."

I fall asleep while playing all the time. And until the game logs out, it counts the sleep time as in game time.

That aside, 13 million players is great if that's how success is measured now. Feels like smoke and mirrors to me, but if money is no object then I can understand the pivot away from more traditional metrics I suppose.

 

[BigLee74]

Cold hard facts are layed down by the devs, and the haters still doubt and seethe.

You don’t need to believe it guys, you can just jog on by without letting Starfield live in your head.

QoL changes sounds interesting - especially new modes of transport (please please to speed up planet exploration).

Will certainly be up for a replay a year or so down the line.

 

[Chukhopops]

I'm giving this game another chance tomorrow gonna start frpm the begging

I would wait until beginning of next year when the first major patch will drop.

Also this thread is amazing, so far we have:
- numbers are wrong;
- it has high playing time because it wastes your time;
- the average fumbles the calculations, it’s basically 99% players with 1 hour played and 1% with a cumulated playtime of 534.8M hours;
- it counts the time that you fell asleep while playing;
- people played a lot because the game takes time to be bad;
- it counts the time that the console was on sleep mode;

Please keep them coming!

 

[dem]

40 hour average play time is.... insane.

 

[Punished Miku]

I would wait until beginning of next year when the first major patch will drop.

Also this thread is amazing, so far we have:
- numbers are wrong;
- it has high playing time because it wastes your time;
- the average fumbles the calculations, it’s basically 99% players with 1 hour played and 1% with a cumulated playtime of 534.8M hours;
- it counts the time that you fell asleep while playing;
- people played a lot because the game takes time to be bad;
- it counts the time that the console was on sleep mode;

Please keep them coming!

Its not like its even sales or money. Just the fact that people didnt instantly hate it and shut it off lol.

 

[Mr Moose]

Players? 13m in like 2 months is pretty good

It released on September 6th.

Why are people struggling to think 40 hours is not believable? 40 hours isn't that insane for a game of this size.

Yeah the number is very believable, I've put over 150 hours into PS4/5 Skyrim (no idea how long I played PS3 version for).

 

[Jayjayhd34]

I would wait until beginning of next year when the first major patch will drop.

Also this thread is amazing, so far we have:
- numbers are wrong;
- it has high playing time because it wastes your time;
- the average fumbles the calculations, it’s basically 99% players with 1 hour played and 1% with a cumulated playtime of 534.8M hours;
- it counts the time that you fell asleep while playing;
- people played a lot because the game takes time to be bad;
- it counts the time that the console was on sleep mode;

Please keep them coming!

Thank you I'll try and get back alan wake but finding the subway part bit frustrating


It's mot really 40 hours per player some could of played for hour then some could played for hunddred hours