In the gaming community, lag is a persistent issue that can severely mar the gaming experience. For instance, when engaged in an intense battle in a first - person shooter or navigating a complex open - world environment, sudden lag can make the controls unresponsive, causing players to lose crucial moments. This has led many gamers to actively seek ways to improve their gaming performance, with questions like "how to reduce lag" becoming common in online gaming forums.

A new study from clawsomegamer has brought some interesting facts about gamers' playtime to light. It shows that 40% of PC players play games for less than 5 hours per week. Console players, on average, spend a bit more time gaming. Specifically, 39% of console players clock in 10 hours of gaming weekly. However, overall, two - thirds of both PC and console players play for less than 10 hours a week. Among them, 36% of console players and 40% of PC players have less than 5 - hour weekly playtime.

These figures prompt us to think: are today's games too long? Could the extended playtimes be the reason for the decline in players' gaming hours? Many contemporary 3A games come with extremely long playtimes, which are quite challenging for players with busy schedules, such as those with full - time jobs. Massive RPGs that might take 100 hours to complete, expansive open - world games, and complex online service - based games are becoming less feasible for the majority of gamers.

The problem isn't only about long playtimes. There's a widespread belief that a game needs to be large - scale to be worth the money. But in fact, as the average game length keeps growing year after year, not all players can finish these long - drawn - out games. Trophy and achievement data confirm this trend: as game length increases, the completion rate goes down, and players are less likely to buy the next installment.

Some recently launched games, like The Chant, offer a potential solution. It gives players choices, allowing them to opt for a 15 - hour lightweight storytelling experience or a 40 - hour cinematic adventure. If more games follow this model, it could bridge the gap between players with limited time and those who prefer longer gaming sessions.

Moreover, the gaming industry should re - evaluate its emphasis on game length. Instead of adding resource - intensive content just to extend playtime, focusing on shorter, more concise gaming experiences could be a better selling point. Older players, who are often burdened with work, family, and other obligations, have tight schedules. Fix lag issues and rethinking game length are two important steps the industry can take to better serve the gaming community.