I got ME2 and I want to finish ME1 first and I'M wondering how long is this game approx.?

Well, if you ignore the side-stuff completely, you can finish the core game in about 8 hours

Game is about 10 hours but took me about 20 since I did a good amount of side quests and exploring. Definitely worth a play through first for the carry over character.

Took me about 35 hours.

" Well, if you ignore the side-stuff completely, you can finish the core game in about 8 hours "

It took me 30 hours to do a "complete" run but I also knew most of the stuff off by heart. 

It'll probably outlive you.
 
But in all seriousness, I'd guess I spent around 30 hours on the game on my last insanity playthrough, and that was completing "the majority of the game" according to my achievements.

" @marlow83 said:

" Well, if you ignore the side-stuff completely, you can finish the core game in about 8 hours "

alright thanks, I shouldn't do much side  stuff because I want to go play ME2 asap "

There's not much to be gained by playing ME1 as quickly as possible before playing ME2. The main story decisions are satisfactorily predetermined for you in ME2 if you haven't played ME1. If you take your time with ME1 (20 plus hours) and do a lot, there are a ton of little nods for you to enjoy in ME2 in addition to the main story stuff.

Steam says i played 38 hours of mass effect, and i only did one playthrough.

I did all the side stuff and finished in something like +- 30hrs

I need to buy the first one again so I can finish my renegade playthrough. But yeah, It took me 22 hours to finish the game on my first playthrough. If you're going to buy the first, buy the platinum hits version since you get the dlc too.

" It took me around 50 hours on my first playthrough. "

Not very long if you just do the main story stuff.

yes but it is all awesome. And you could skip all the side stuff and critical path it but you will get a reduced experience so i don't advise it.

Yeah, the people who say 30-50 hours are crazy. The game is 8-16 hours. The funny part is that people actually say that ME2 is 16 hours but the game is 25-35 hours.

As people have said, you can finish it in under 10 hours if you power through but spending 15-20 will get you most of the neat stuff.

My savegame says 50 hours. But I'm really OCD and explored every nook and cranny, loved every minute and had much more fun with the Mako than with planet scanning in ME2.
 
Rushing through the game in 10 hours would do nothing for me.

" @blaze503 said:

" yes but it is all awesome. And you could skip all the side stuff and critical path it but you will get a reduced experience so i don't advise it. "

All the side stuff is pretty boring, to be honest, they have about three maps for the side quests and just re-use them for every one. Play anything but an infiltrator, and you'll complete it in no time; on my second playthrough I played a vanguard and completed the main quest plus every side quest in just over 20 hours. "

I clocked about 22 hours on my first playthrough, also wanting to get to Mass Effect 2 asap.

" @RVonE said:

" It took me around 50 hours on my first playthrough. "

Were you just standing around jerking off to Tali? It took me 28 hours to finish with all the side quest finished except the Paragon one.  
 
@discost3w:  
If you just go through the main story quest and not do much of the side quest or just farting around and play it on Normal or Easy then you can easily finish the game in about 10-12. hours. "