Should Games Be Designed With Hardcoded Breaks?

I bloody love Alan Wake. What I love most about it are, odd as it may be, the scripted breaks. Between levels (episodes), there's an 'End of Episode' screen with a full song playing out for a couple of minutes. I simply love it. Games tend to become exhausting and repetitive and kinda stale - many good games are lessend by overplaying them in a single session. Nothing a break can't fix though. Alan Wake provides that break by design. I feel like that should be the case with every game, where such predetermined break points are easily applicable. It's just too good a structural touch for it not to become the norm.

Make it so.

Whoa, I very much like this idea. I never really thought of it that way...

Deadly Premonition anyone?

One of the annoying things with many modern games is that they to often try to cram all their story into a single uninterrupted sequence. Back when Half Life did it, it was kind of a neat idea, but it's an idea that gets a little overused these days. So yeah having breaks and potential jumps in time and space in a story is a welcome addition, it's nothing fundamentally new, as games like Monkey Island did it 20 years ago, but it's something that has been kind of lost with ever more cinematic uninterrupted experiences.

maybe for children. but as an adult i can manage my own time and don't need a game to tell me when to take a break. i just seem to know when i've been playing to long. its usually when my gf shouts 'get of that f'ing Skyrim you've been on it for hours'

I usually took a break following the End of Episode notification. It always occurred at just the right time - I was ready for a break but didn't want to interrupt the story or atmosphere. I would welcome those screens in more games.

GoW3 is one game this year that got fairly exhausting after a while. Battle after battle in a nonstop fashion could be improved if the player were given definitive beginning and end points. I played too much in one sitting and have now avoided going back to finish the campaign. It's kind of a shame really, but the release of so many other titles doesn't help.

In something as inherently story-driven as Alan Wake, I'm right there with you. It may not work for every game, but it's a fine idea, and when implemented well, a great addition.

Besides that, Alan Wake is fucking fantastic.

It doesn't need to be as overt as that, but I do appreciate a little wind-down time when you know you're not getting attacked by enemies, whether it's as a recommended stopping point or just a chance to get in touch with the world a little more. It's games that have both the rush and the breaks, like Skyrim, or MMOs, that people can play literally all day because they can accommodate any state of mind.

@jetsetwillie said:

maybe for children. but as an adult i can manage my own time and don't need a game to tell me when to take a break. i just seem to know when i've been playing to long. its usually when my gf shouts 'get of that f'ing Skyrim you've been on it for hours'

I'm not about that. Gamedesign is about the whole experience, not just core gameplay and such. Designing a worthwhile and memorable 'break' experience is a responsibilty that's currently not being taken seriously by most developers. Like ending levels with a full song. Maybe even have some level specific credits roll. And an option for 'Save & Continue' and 'Save & Quit' would add to that 'this is an official break' structure and pacing design.

Gamedesign should included designing breaks as part of the whole game experience is what I am saying.

Honestly, I hated the breaks in Alan Wake. I just want to keep playing and the game just decide it's time for a break. Really annoying.

As long as it doesn't negatively impact story pacing, I think this is a pretty cool idea. It definitely won't work with all games, though.

I don't mind the breaks..maybe the charactor is going to do something realz like sleep, eat, or like Snake, smoke. I do not need them enforced though. I allowed MGS4 4 whatever it wanted to do, I understood. But if I want to push on, well then I do.

Alan Wake luv too, they did that well.

Maybe for some, but I don't want a game to tell me what to do. It's breaking that fourth wall. They already have breaks: levels, after bosses, cutscenes, chapters, acts, etc. A game shouldn't be conscious of your world along with their own, unless it's to serve the interactivity of the game design not to cater for your personal needs.

It depends. If it for the purpose of helping pace the game, I'm all for it. For reminding you that you need to get up and stretch, not so much.