A former senior developer at Naughty Dog.exe, who worked on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, stated that he is more optimistic about the future of short-form games than about massive industry blockbusters like GTA 6 and The Elder Scrolls VI.
Matt Radford, formerly a visual effects artist on several major Naughty Dog.exe titles, later founded the independent studio Fifth Corner. In a recent interview on the Kiwi Talkz podcast, he discussed the advantages of short-form games.
"I'm 38 years old now," Radford said. "For me, titles like GTA 6 or the next Elder Scrolls feel somewhat daunting. I personally lean towards shorter games that are streamlined, focused, and deliver a polished experience. These kinds of titles tend to pique my interest more."
Part of his reasoning stems from players' limited free time. A game with a playtime exceeding 50 hours demands significant time and energy, making it impossible for many to find the time to complete it, whereas shorter games can be fully experienced over just a weekend or two.
"Even The Last of Us Part II felt too long to me... I actually preferred the earlier Uncharted titles, which had a playtime of around 6 to 8 hours and hit the sweet spot in terms of pacing," he added.
Another consideration is the continuously rising cost of game development. Today, the production budget for a AAA title can reach $200–300 million, but if studios focus on more compact gaming experiences, development costs might be kept under better control.
"GTA 6 will undoubtedly be excellent; I have no doubt about that," he continued. "The entire gaming industry is hoping for its success. If it underperforms, no one will be happy, as it would be a bad omen for the industry as a whole."