“Players just aren’t exploring anymore,” says Cameron Williams, former designer on Grand Theft Auto 6 and Red Dead Online, highlighting an emerging phenomenon known as “open-world fatigue.” According to Williams, gamers increasingly question, “Do I need to cross the entire map just for a side quest or collectible?”
Open-world games typically offer vast, visually striking environments packed with missions, collectibles, and countless side activities. Despite this abundance, players are less compelled than ever to explore these massive worlds. Cameron Williams, previously with Rockstar Games and now a senior mission designer at Absurd Ventures, explored this issue in depth at a recent conference.
Williams began by discussing common problems facing open-world game design, primarily that players are not sufficiently motivated to explore. He explained, “Players just aren’t exploring enough, either because games heavily emphasize action or simply fail to provide adequate motivation.” Williams also highlighted the significant time investment required by open-world titles, particularly challenging in a market increasingly dominated by free-to-play and live-service games vying for player attention.
He noted that players might even experience “exploration anxiety,” questioning the worth of traveling large distances to unknown rewards. Williams said players ask themselves, “Do I really need to cross the whole map for this? What’s in it for me?”
Another issue Williams raised involves balancing landmark visibility. While landmarks can effectively guide players, too many can cause decision paralysis. He referenced research suggesting consumers prefer fewer choices to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
“We have to avoid creating a possibility space that’s so vast and cluttered that players simply can’t decide,” he explained.
Williams humorously mentioned the challenge of guiding player attention: “Every FPS developer knows how hard it is to make players look up or slightly to the left.”
Sometimes developers must use subtle methods to encourage players toward certain activities. Williams cited the fishing mini-game in Red Dead Redemption 2, introduced during a main quest to engage players naturally through positive NPC interactions, ensuring enjoyable gameplay moments they willingly revisit later.
He also humorously described a type of player who strictly follows the main storyline, ignoring all optional activities. “We all know that one player who seems determined to have as little fun as possible,” he joked.
Ultimately, Williams emphasized the critical need for balance between freedom to explore and immediate rewards. Developers must continually innovate to motivate players to fully engage with open-world content.
Source: PC Gamer
