Players are weary of open worlds and aren't exploring them. Rockstar veteran points out problems of too-big games
According to the Red Dead Redemption 2 designer, players are tired of open worlds and are consciously giving up on discovering the markers visible on the map. The former Rockstar Games employee also revealed how to manipulate the audience.
Cameron Williams, a senior mission designer at Absurd Ventures studio, revealed what he believes is the biggest problem with open-world titles. According to a former Rockstar Games employee, "players don't explore" because they are tired of traversing extensive maps. Williams dedicated a to this issue during the annual Game Developers Conference, which took place last week in San Francisco.
Players just don't explore right? Whether that's because you have a super action-oriented game or because they just simply aren't compelled. Or, [your game has] a huge time investment and it's hard for players to pick up and put down, which is an increasing challenge, especially with the sort of evolving ecosystem of free-to-play and live service games that are kind of eating everyone's time and attention - stated Cameron Williams.
According to the former designer of Grand Theft Auto 6, players tired of open worlds are less willing to explore them. They are not convinced by the question marks, because they calculate how long the journey to a certain place will take or what profit they will get from it. According to Williams, devs also need to maintain balance while creating landscapes. If a given viewpoint presents too many promising locations, the effect may be the opposite of the intended one—some players may find it difficult to decide which direction to take. This means that limiting options facilitates and speeds up the choice.
Williams also said that sometimes developers are forced to manipulate the player. They make them look in a specific direction or become interested in a certain activity. As an example of such an action, he mentioned fishing, which, although it is a mini-game, appears at an important moment in the plot of Red Dead Redemption 2.
It actually enhances the fishing system with context and meaning. So now, whenever players are presented with an option to go fishing, they're going to recall the great memories from this experience as their tent poles.
This shows that game developers must constantly compete for the attention of their audience, which doesn't always result in success. I am very tired of open worlds that overwhelm me with dozens of "interesting places." However, I had a great time with titles like the aforementioned Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Stranding, which many people consider boring. Well, it's not easy to hit the players' tastes.
