Hitman: Absolution director: “20% of players will see the last level”

Hitman: Absolution director Tore Blystad has told OPM that, “20 per cent of the players will see the last level of the game. It’s horrible to know. It makes the people working on it really really sad.”

[AmayaAi]

Very sad indeed. But mostly this doesn't make any sense to me.

[fr0sty]

Good, videogames these days are for pussies. They always give you unlimited lives and restart you a few feet back from where you died. Games aren't about being good enough to make it through the end anymore, just being patient enough to die enough times to get there. No more having to ration out lives and continues, no more 4 hour runs being interrupted by a game over. No more do we get that rush that makes your hair stand on end when you FINALLY make it to the last boss... and that one lucky shot nails em'. It was games like that which got your blood pumping. You just don't see that kind of challenge anymore.

[chanmasta]

Completely agree. That's why I adore games like Serious Sam 3. No health regeneration, no easy way out, etc. Just hardcore old-school gaming that doesn't take itself too seriously, ending up being a helluva lot of fun.

[aliengmr]

Right, because games need to be more frustrating and less fun.

Challenge does not always equal fun. Besides, there are less archaic ways of providing challenge without adding needless frustration.

[Feralkitsune]

@trebius Funny thing is; the kids like that are the ones who call themselves "Hardcore"

[r2kcipher]

@Trebius51 the arrogance is strong in you. it sounds like you hate kids too.

maybe playing hard games too much is taking its toll.

[aliengmr]

@trebius

What YOU find fun may be much different than what others find fun. Your huge ego blinds you to that fact.

My point (which your massive ego also blocked from view) is that challenge can be more than just a return to health pick-ups and no saving. I much prefer smarter AI over ridiculous health pick-ups.

I couldn't care less what difficulty setting you or anyone else plays on. It doesn't make you better. Nor does playing an Atari 30 years ago make you wise.

[snipes101]

This is what the until recently non-existent variable difficulty level is for! Good thing those allow for a variety of gamers to enjoy the same game!

What is that you say? That doesn't apply here?

oh.

[ginsunuva]

When a game has a good story, devs want to make it easy for people to see the end. But sometimes games with bad stories do this too.

[Dee_91]

well thats dumb.thats frustrating.thats ... thats GENIUS !
il more than likely cheat anyway :)

[pixelsword]

Make the gameplay and story something worth finishing and they'll see the ending. I don't give a rip about developers getting weepy about people not finishing a sub-par game.

[insomnium2]

@ausrogo

I'm one of those who started gaming in the MSX and atari era.Turned 30 a few months back. I'm one of those who doesn't enjoy if a game is made difficult by cheap means.

I tried plying COD:WAW on elite and the e
nemy AI ran through our line of defence just to pop me in the head instakilling me. That was the point where I stopped playing that game. Think about it. Enemy runs through several of our guys just to shoot me. Our guys just ignore him and he ignores them. He wanted to kill only me. I was like O_O screw this BS.

I did play Demon's souls through and I've platinumed Dead Space 1 and such. The point becomes apparent with dead Space 2. You want me to play the entire game on the hardest difficulty level and you only let me save twice?

First of all I don't have the time to put in on one sitting and secondly the game was hard enough on Zealot which I started and finished the game with the first time I played. Making it harder does not make it more enjoyable. Taking away unlimited saves makes the game frustrating as hell.

Same with GT5. It was impossible for me to play the endurance races before they added the possibility to save mid race. There could be a few races where you can't save at all imo for those who want to prove they are truly race enthusiasts who sit through 24 hours of driving but then again they would have to make it so that you can't even pause during that race since you could easily leave the game on pause and head to bed. I haven't driven a single long endurance race iirc. It was a while since I played GT5. Too many great games to play, so little time ;)

[Christopher]

@frosty and others: You do know that the reason people don't finish games has nothing to do with difficulty but everything to do with them getting bored, right? People don't finish games because they get distracted and end up moving onto new games. It even says it in the article.

So, get off your high horse and stop ranting bout video games being for idiot gamers who couldn't enter in the Konami Code or some crap.

If you want a harder game, play the game on a harder mode. It doesn't make you a better person or gamer. It just means you enjoy gaming in a different manner than others. After all, most people who play multiplayer tend to be on even ground and that's why most people aren't finishing single-player games, because they want to play with other people rather than the AI. Isn't that more challenging, though?

Anyway, people play a game the way they like and they don't need to be judged by their fellow gamers.

[fr0sty]

At no point did I say games had to be made cheap to be good. Hard =/= cheap. The game design itself is much easier. Games these days hold your hand with tutorials and hints every time you get stuck. Linear paths that guide you along to your destination. Unlimited lives and health that regenerates after a few seconds. Ammo littered about everywhere. Even the hard modes you're faced with the exact same thing, just with more enemies and a few less power ups.

That isn't challenge. I can't remember the last time I had to spend a week mastering the techniques of a final boss in order to beat them. Funny that I find more real challenge in the casual games these days. Been stuck on the last course in sports champions disc golf for weeks now.

[Mounce]

How could it not make any sense? Does to me plenty.

Means that the game won't hold your hand in the final ending moment, most won't get to the ending because statistically, not all consumers play the game and beat it, and ontop of that it I guess won't be a walk in the park.

I'm sure not a high percentage of people have beaten Dark Souls or the likes, for example compared to the total sales.

[NeXXXuS]

inb4: Dark Souls and Demon's Souls
So good but so difficult T_T

[SephirothX21]

Playing games isn't hard. Try making a game and then you'll experience a true challenge. Until then, stfu.

[NeXXXuS]

tru dat

[DarkSymbiote]

I honestly don't think people the number is accurate. It if was sequels might never outsell.

[Amplitude]

Judging from that video this game needs a LOT more work. It looks so clunky. I don't even think they should be showing it. Clipping issues, weightless physics, flat textures (especially hair), and the awkward aiming.
When Agent 47 changed? That was just lazy.

I dont know. I'm incredibly unimpressed.

[-Superman-]

Over 70% of players finished Heavy Rain; Industry average is 20-25%

[deep_fried_bum_cake]

From the title I wasn't sure whether that was a brag about it being challenging or whether that was them speaking about actual numbers of people who will bother finishing it. I know now though.

As they say, this can be said about any game. Most people just don't have the time available to play games and other people might just play a game and decide they don't like it so never finish it.

[banjadude]

Sadly, this is happening a lot to me, and this is mainly my fault. Perfectionism, frustration and/or a lack of time gets to me; What with the torrent of games unleashing this year and the last 2 years, I have more games than ever... and I'm finding myself just getting caught with too many unfinished games.

I hope this isn't the case with Hitman, but I can see myself getting into the situation of never finishing it (because I barely finished the other ones).

[calibann]

I am most definitely in that 20%. The 80% will be casuals or players new to the Hitman series. There's no way Hitman fans are putting this down until they kill that final target. I've played the hell out of Blood Money and still do.

[mamotte]

Oh, I was scared for a second. If it was Capcom, the quote would be “20% of players will see the last level, because it'll cost..."

[OhMyGandhi]

If microtransactions are indeed the future, then we might have a message that pops up just as you load the last level that says:

"Want to see the ending? Buy the Last Level DLC pack, which includes gameplay and cinematics.
For 10 dollars.
[go to PSN store (or XBL marketplace)? [] yes no[])"

[Subzero200]

umm ok so what if you just use a save file from someone that has already finished the game?

[Mr_Kuwabara]

Then you deserve 100% slap in the face.

[annus]

I guess if your friend won a race and gave you the medal, you won the race!

[IM_A_MARVEL]

I, for one am really glad about this. As an older gamer it's refreshing to see that skill or perseverance is again leaking back in as a reward/progression route for games as opposed to just going along for the ride. Or being taken for a ride!

But as a medium it's hard not to feel torn by gaming. It probably one of the only entertainment products on the planet where people can buy the product and quite possibly not see or experience the entirety of what you've purchased. Movies you watch, books you read and activities (board games etc) are embarked on through to fruition. Some games, especially those with ties to the past can only be completed and therefor fully experienced, dependent on the players skill level or reflexes.

At the root of it all, this is a key reason why games akin to movies, like COD will always be popular and sell more because of the 'mindless' entertainment they provide. I'm not saying that's a bad thing but it means Hitman, Dark Souls and others with progression tied to skill or pure bloody minded perseverance will always be in the minority due to the level of effort required... that most, sadly are unwilling to commit to.

Less sales, less profit, less demand for said games.. in short less for choice for gamers.

Woah, sorry I kind of went off on a rant, sorry guys!

[PhantomTommy]

All I know is that I've exhausted every variable in Blood Money and I've been dying for some new hits, if this can live up to the quality of the previous games then I'm gonna play the s**t outta it.

[Tzuno]

player to the director 20% of the sales you will see nothing more :) alright,alright seriously now i love challenges and i hate to see a game dumbed down(money) so that a 10 year kid could play it.

[sriki007]

i'll be one of those 20% for sure. I love hitman.

[stuntman_mike]

me too, just the thought of getting the silent assassin on each level has me giddy with excitment.

[mochachino]

It's because 80% of gamers only care about online competitive MP in their favourite shooter or sports game.

I lent my older brother the entire Uncharted series, he said the game is awesome but he couldn't even finish one game after 8 months and just gave them back. Why? because every time he starts up the PS3, he rather just play NHL online Be A Pro mode.

My friend is the same thing, but he plays FiFa and BF3 and my little brother and his friends play Black Ops. These people only buy the same 2-3 games a year or two years unless something is over-the-moon hyped.

These people will play demos, love the game then not buy it because they think unless they can get hundreds of hours out of a game, it's not worth it.

There's like 120 million PS3s and 360s out there and a lot of good games barely crack 2 million copies, it's sad.

[Brownghost]

Sounds like my brother, only buys games with great online, that are RPGs or great strategy games

[ChipChipperson]

You definitely nailed it. I mean, these same people complain about a new game not having an online competitive multiplayer, but then they just end up playing the same multiplayer game that they had already invested hours into.

[irepbtown]

It's difficult for me to talk about games like Batman Arkham asylum/City, or one of my all time favourites Journey to majority of my friends. All they play is FIFA, then some COD, and back to Fifa. This has been going on continuously since MW2 released and Fifa 10. I had MW2, and Fifa 10, was fun but got bored quickly. Was too repetitive. It was literally: I play FIFA, then we jump straight to COD, then Back to FIFA again. Then I thought I'd try Blops and Fifa 11, exactly the same. Skipped MW3 and Fifa 12.

I only have a few friends that I can talk to about games and the conversation not involve COD/Fifa. The funny thing is, my friends who Play COD/Fifa have all recently asked me... 'YOU GETTIN FIFA 13?' and ofcourse 'YOU GETTIN BLACK OPS 2? IT LOOKS SIIIIIIICK'.

The truth is, I buy games I like. Such as Journey, I have only praise for that game. This is the world we live in eyy?
On-Topic: I have to finish a game, I cannot leave it in the middle. Would have to shoot myself for that to happen. I'm confident I will be part of the 20%.

[mochachino]

Me too, I like competitive MP but it gets boring for me after 10hrs. My favourite thing about gaming is new experiences (atmospheres, environments and gameplay). I loved COD4 but by the time Black Ops came out, the experience seemed stale.

I really liked BF3 but after 15hrs it started getting boring.

I also finish all my games, some times 2-3 times.

[humbleopinion]

How many people who start watching a television show actually get to the last episode of the last season? This phenomenon is not unique to games

[IM_A_MARVEL]

Humble, I disagreed. I'm not one of those posters who'll hide behind the button, so if you read my initial post above you'll understand why. Although there's an inherent laziness in most of us with these kind of things or just plain disinterest... It's still 100% possible to view TV shows to their conclusion, either on their initial run, through catch up services or box sets. Some games, whether you're interested or not, can't be completed simply by the action of turning the console on and following instructions.

[humbleopinion]

What do you mean by "It's still 100% possible to view TV shows to their conclusion"? Do you claim that unlike TV, you can't play games to their conclusion? This makes no sense to me.

Games, like movies, TV Shows, and books are experiences. You can start them, stop in the middle, and continue later on (or just start from the beginning again). The only difference is in length: movies are averaging around 2 hours which make them a quick experience. Books, depending on their length, will last you more than that and can tally up to 10 hours or more. TV series mostly depend on the number of episodes but can sum up to triple digits hours so it takes longer to experience them as a whole than most games.

Of course, with some games you have the element of skill so you might become frustrated at some point and not bother to finish them, but that doesn't make them uncompilable - just like with books that drive many people off simply because they're boring. But every game can be completed, just like every book, TV show and book.

[irepbtown]

You dont exactly pay £40 ($60) for a TV series, so I don't think it's right to compare.

Though I still fail to understand how one leaves a game mid way through. I mean, if I pay for a game I make sure I finish it. Not platinum it, but at least the whole campaign.

[Moncole]

I just rewatched all the episodes of Avatar:The Last Airbender and Malcolm in the Middle.

[ninjahunter]

im not particularly good at hitman games, but challange accepted.

[chazjamie]

comment of the year. i need this game more than ever

[Angels3785]

I hope its not rated down because of difficulty...as of late I have seen some reviews that you could just tell the reviewer got frustrated at the game and took it out on the score.

[SpinalRemains138]

Souls games are hard and can be frustrating for a casual, but their scores held steady.

I think difficulty is important. It has to be done right though. When games cheat by having enemies just appear from nowhere or have enemies not die it gets annoying. Difficult learning curve is great though. It makes you feel accomplished when you beat it.

[SpinalRemains138]

So......

You cannot complete the game on a single playthrough?
You have to go back and collect everything to unlock this last level? Is that what is happening?

If it is, screw that. I play through the game and expect to beat it. Why should I have to find feathers or shoot bottles to unlock the last level of a game I paid 60 bucks for?

If he is saying that metrically, only 20% of players will finish it, then I find that hard to believe. I would think closer to 50% minimum.
Hitman players are the most patient around. We have to be. 47 can't just unload his ballers on every level now. Where's the fun in that?

[mamotte]

"Why should I have to find feathers or shoot bottles to unlock the last level of a game I paid 60 bucks for?"

then, why dont you just go and watch the real ending in youtube, for free?

[Audiggity]

Hey, perhaps this is not a function of the difficulty... they could be referring to HOW you play the game.

Maybe 80% will see a final level, but only 20% will see THE final level. It may not even depend on if you go the Silent route vs. Guns Blazing... maybe it is dependent on the choices you make throughout preceding levels?

It would be nice if they added in complex decisions for the final 1/3rd or 1/2 of the game that needed to be made in mid-level that impacted the approach/story of future levels. Obviously this would make going back to the "Level Select" menu a bit challenging, but as long as doing that doesn't erase the story-line progression, theoretically these could exist independently of one another.

Don't approach such a nonlinear game with such linear thinking!

[acemonkey]

thats cool just buy the guide or wait for the guide and then you see the final level.....but its good to see it being hard to get to im guessing it be very awarding to players that get there

[masa2009]

It's actually commonplace for videogames to have a very large number of players not reaching the end.
Studies show that this is not the exception. This is the norm.
Unless maybe for some very short and simple games like corridor shooters.

20% is especially low but that's probably because of the methodic nature of Hitman's gameplay.

[stuntman_mike]

i thought he was refering to the attention span of most gamers today? they will play most of it then move on to the next big game that overlaps it.

[Arcanine]

i like games that require lots if skill and a bit of luck that's great but not the other way around.. i platinum ngs2, and i love dark souls and demonsouls and i love games like that... so im glad to hear this game will be difficult.

[Unztayble]

what the hell is he on about? I think wayy more than 20% will finish the game.

[glennco]

i don't finish many games. i get bored from doing the same thing over and over.

[KMCROC54]

If thiers one thing i do is beat the games i buy ,may never get all achivments but i will finnish them.

[Subzero200]

Still someone will have a save file or just hack the game to get to the end anyway, so this %20 thing means nothing lol.

[AzaziL]

(•_•)

( •_•)>⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

..Challenge accepted

[yeahokchief]

Good. Finally a game worth playing. Buying this day 1.

[spinbot_lv1]

I'll skip. Nonsense."Only 20% of players will see the last level" means that the remaining 80% of gamers gave up for the boredom and the repetitive slow gameplay. This obsolete mentality is a disaster for the gaming industry. I like a reasonable challenge in videogames, but I can't tolerate frustrating games with a repetitive, metodic and dull gameplay.

[Subzero200]

ya really

[bunfighterii]

I'll be one of those 20%

[Robotronfiend]

I think that maybe 20% of gamers are completionists or collectors so they will want to replay to get every little thing out of the levels.

Many of us of us have too many games in the backlog to be replaying games 2-3+ times (unless you're a Demon's/Dark Souls person).

Why would I replay Hitman a second time over games like RE6, Borderlands, Last of Us, AC3, and all the other awesome games coming out soon? The only valid reason would be a love of the series (falling into that 20% group) or perhaps lack of cash flow to buy more games.

[DragonKnight]

Apparently these people have never heard of Youtube. What the title should have said was "20% of players will make it to the last level."

[josephayal]

sorry mr director im a pro expert gamer

[JohnDread]

The only reason this statement has been said is marketing. There is not a single AAA developer in the world who is working hard on making people give up on their game. That would be plain stupid. Top class developers always try their best to find a balance between difficulty and fun.
Now if it's not their intention to make people give up prematurely, why would Blystad say that? Because he wants to challenge people before the game is even out. Obviously, trying to prove people wrong is an essential part of human nature. Or it would make people want to be part of the 20%. People also want to feel special.

Well, of course not everyone will finish the game and maybe that 20% prediction is correct but gamers wouldn't know about it and gamers don't need to know about it, from a gamer's point of view of course. From his point of view that is a clever move to make people finish the game and before that, build up some hype.