Time released capsules?

So it’s Sunday and that means that Greg Kasavin has posted yet another interesting editorial. This week Greg wonders out loud why more developers haven’t tried to release games in an episodic fashion, like TV shows. He surmises that shorter game like the two Max Paynes would feel less short if we could only play an hour or two a week. He’s probably right but you and I both know that that kind of approach would infuriate gamers with more time on their hands. It would seem a compromise might be in order. Look at Metal Gear Solid, the level design and pacing make MGS perfect to play in short intervals. Turn the game on and evade the guards on your way to facing Psychomantis. Defeat him and watch more of the game unfold. Turn off game. There that’s a whole level and it’s got enough content to satiate any quick game fix you might have. The point is Hideo Kojima didn’t restrain his users from devouring his masterpiece in one glorious day if they so chose, but through pacing and structure, he also supported gamers who had a much shorter window of availability.

This isn’t to say that I don’t think that games can’t or shan’t be episodic. I was a long-time fan of “Asheron’s Call” an MMORPG that features monthly updates. These updates provide new content that, among other things, progress the game’s story. This is a great feature and helps to make the world of “Asheron’s Call” feel more alive and interactive. MMORPGs should try and do this more often. If they were to introduce more content and have special events in an episodic way they might be able to attract the casual players who’ve passed over the genre thus far.