Build A Rocket Boy’s MindsEye has had quite the journey in the past week, from finally showcasing extensive gameplay at last to its co-CEO believing that those with negative reactions are “100 percent” financed by “someone.” Nevertheless, studio founder and director Leslie Benzies believes in the game’s vision and offering value for money without the filler.
Speaking to GamesIndustry, Benzies said, “I don’t think you can have filler content in games. I think people want the meat and they want the potatoes. We’ve tried to make as much meat as we can if that makes sense.”
Though MindsEye’s story was previously touted as requiring about 15 hours to finish, Benzies has since noted that it will take “20ish” hours, which is a “good length for a game.”
“What you also find through data is that [with] big games, people don’t play them all. The majority of people – 60% or 70% of people – don’t actually play games to the end.”
“So when you’re making something, I would prefer – I’m sure the team would say the same – [that] you had the whole experience from start to finish and not create this 200-hour game. Create something that is finishable but has some side things that will fill out the universe. A lot of the side missions on the play side of MindsEye do fill out the characters’ back stories or fill out what was happening in the world.”
As for the price, which is $60, Benzies said, “The world’s in a funny place. People are worried about the price of eggs. So value for money, I think people appreciate that when times are difficult.”
The discussion is interesting since titles like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered have received praise for offering so much at $49.99. Whether MindsEye can aspire to the same quality of content in its runtime remains to be seen.
It launches on June 10th worldwide for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, but the journey only starts there, with a post-launch roadmap announced. Check it out here.
