It seems like gamers nowadays are more concerned with the length of a video game title rather than the quality of the gameplay experience. One such example that has drawn some attention recently is Rage, the graphically impressive open-world title being developed by id Software.

Though Rage is filled to the brim with a wide variety of gameplay options and boasts some visuals that might be able to take down some high-powered PCs, many are focusing on a recent reveal that Rage takes only about 15 hours to complete.

Without any point of context for what “15 hours to complete” means, gamers were quick to jump on the assumption that Rage will be delivering about 15 hours worth of game content and nothing more. Being an open-world game, however, gamers should expect that side quests and plenty of opportunities for exploration will help bolster that play time considerably.

Still, 15 hours of content in many gamers’ books would be considered a very solid offering -- as most triple-A titles clock in somewhere between 8 and 10 hours. What most people seem to be latching onto isn’t just that the game takes 15 hours to complete, but that the Xbox 360 version will span two discs — usually an indicator of a very meaty game experience.

Recently, games like Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 2 have used the two-disc system and delivered experiences that were under 15 hours if you rushed through them. Also, neither of those titles boasted the type of visuals that Rage does.

Rage, most likely, has come under fire because, as of late, gamers have begun to question titles with very short completion times. It has generated such a stigma that some developers will even use their game’s completion time as a selling point, something that was altogether unheard of a decade ago.

Whether Rage ends up being a true 15-hour experience or if that is only the game’s main quest, all we want is a title that delivers a compelling gameplay experience that is highlighted by some stellar visuals and a variety of mechanics. If Rage can deliver that, then the length needn’t be a worry to gamers.

Does hearing that Rage takes 15 hours to complete concern you? Do you think that completion time should be used as selling points for video games?

Rage releases September 13, 2011 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

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Source: Examiner