Ever since PSW Magazine claimed that Metal Gear Solid 4 will have 90-minute cutscenes, the gaming community has been up in arms shouting a collective, "WTF?" Since then, Konami has requested that reviewers refrain from commenting on certain aspects of the game, including cutscene length, but has also denied the allegations that they are 90 minutes long.
"I’m surprised nobody has stepped forward to debunk this rumor," said Assistant Producer Ryan Payton, "There are no 90 minute cutscenes in MGS4. The ending is long, but 90 minutes is a gross exaggeration." This brings me to my question for the day:
How long is too long for a cut scene? Do you have a certain threshold for idle spectatorship, or does it not matter?
My own preference is that non-interactive cutscenes be limited as much as possible. I do enjoy a good story, however, and will endure lengthy video for select games. Ninety minutes may be pushing it for anything mid-game, but at the end I can be a little more forgiving. In MGS4‘s case, maybe I’ll just tell myself to look at it like buying a videogame and getting a movie for free.
[Eddie Inzauto]
