Have you ever started an open-world game, opened the map, and felt your shoulders sink as you realize just how much there is to do? Me too. At a recent GDC talk, former GTA 6 and Red Dead Online developer Cameron Williams explains some of the problems with modern open worlds.
"Players just don't explore, right?" Williams says in a GDC talk reported by PC Gamer. "Whether that's because you have a super action-oriented game or because they just simply aren't compelled. Or, [your game has] a huge time investment and it's hard for players to pick up and put down, which is an increasing challenge, especially with the sort of evolving ecosystem of free-to-play and live service games that are kind of eating everyone's time and attention."
