CES 2009: Zmak would love to show us all 12 hours of Prototype

by Justin McElroy { Jan 9th 2009 at 2:30AM }

It might have meant nothing when Radical CEO Kelly Zmak told us that "he'd love to show [us] all 12 hours of Prototype." Maybe he didn't mean that the average gamer would get 12 hours out of the game. Maybe that's the time he's shaved his speed runs down to, maybe he just misspoke, we don't know.

But, for what it's worth, he mentioned 12 hours and Prototype, and we're delivering that knowledge factory fresh to your dome. Do with it what you will.

Tags: activision, ces-2009, prototype

Related From Joystiq

Splinter Cell: Conviction (aka Badass: The Game) will take about 12 hours
178 days ago
Joystiq hands-on: two hours with Prototype
220 days ago
Heard @ CES 2009: Does Prototype have that fairy dust?
353 days ago

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Alien Lord @ Jan 9th 2009 2:42AM

I don't care that much it's twelve hours if those twelve hours are fun.

Wayne @ Jan 9th 2009 8:32PM

He might have meant that he'd like to show us all "12 hours" of the game. Not that he'd like to show us "all 12 hours" of the game.

thesimplicity @ Jan 9th 2009 2:51AM

The length of a game is proportional to it's quality. This is a FACT! I'm canceling my pre-order!

This is literally worse than the holocaust, Radical Entertainment!

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Jan 9th 2009 9:28AM

I KNOW RIGHT? ALL GAMES SHOULD BE AT LEAST 100+ HOURS OR SO I NEVER HAVE A CHANCE AT FINISHING THEM!!!

The Dark Wayne @ Jan 9th 2009 11:33AM

you didnt say if it was directly or inversely proportional, so those twelve hours could be FUCKING AWESOME

Uncontrol @ Jan 9th 2009 3:02AM

pfft maybe for him, i'll spend 12 hours just throwing dudes into choppers and screaming "TO HELL WITH YOUUUUUUUUUU"

NoughtSoClever @ Jan 9th 2009 10:13AM

I once spent 12 playing with string.

Dirty @ Jan 9th 2009 11:48AM

How did that cat use the keyboard?

Blank-Mage @ Jan 9th 2009 11:40PM

It's been dubbed the "FUCK YOU" Punch, actually.

anthonyjh @ Jan 9th 2009 7:03AM

Eh, par of the course these days unfortunately.

PN04 @ Jan 9th 2009 3:56AM

WTH why are they trying to defend this game it;ll be 12 hours just the way EVERY OTHER ACTION game is 12 hours. It's an action game not a bloody RPG there's only so much of it anyone will play before they start calling it repetative!

profeteer @ Jan 9th 2009 9:51AM

Yeah 12 hours is perfect for an action game. It's not like you can't just mess around with people in this one, either.

Tall @ Jan 9th 2009 3:56AM

I hope that's just story missions, or maybe the most direct path. Something about third person action games like this, but they always seem to lend themselves to much longer games. Especially with the free-roaming aspects. Then again, this is from a designer of the game, and I've heard from designers/developers/whatever either fluff up the length or trim it down, depending on the audience. Here's hoping it's longer, without stretching the game artificially!

Mort85 @ Jan 9th 2009 4:15AM

maybe he was referring to his wish to show you the demo before it hits LIVE?

m3t4lh34d @ Jan 9th 2009 4:48AM

tbh, 12 hrs isn't as bad as everyone makes out, remember the original resident evil could be beat in 3-5 hrs i don't see why everyone moans about playthrough time, if the games good then just play it again lol

Levi @ Jan 9th 2009 8:47AM

agreed.

t_m @ Jan 9th 2009 5:23AM

12 HOURS??? I don't have 12 hours to spend playing a game!

Games shouldn't be allowed to be over 6 hours in length unless they can write a short essay to justify it. In detail.

Game length = 6 hours of game + x hours of filler to pad out the experience and waste people's valuable time.

Ghen @ Jan 9th 2009 8:06AM

no.

t_m @ Jan 9th 2009 8:55AM

yes.

Ninja_Nun @ Jan 9th 2009 11:18AM

Well you both make such compelling arguements

t_m @ Jan 10th 2009 7:31AM

aye

Ihavepants @ Jan 9th 2009 6:33AM

First thing I thought when I read that is that the guy is really excited for his game and he thinks it would be awesome if he could show as much as possible to us, you know, preview wise.

In fact I still think that, even though I'm not looking forward to the game at all I don't understand why everyone is jumping to the worst conclusion possible. Am I missing the context of the quote?

Someone Sneaky @ Jan 9th 2009 6:58AM

Everyone is worried because he said the game was only 12 hours, which is VERY short for an open-world game.

Ihavepants @ Jan 9th 2009 8:04AM

The only quote I see is that ""he'd love to show [us] all 12 hours of Prototype."

That could mean exactly what I'm talking about, he's not saying he wishes that he could deliver 12 hours of prototype in the game, he wants to be able to SHOW that much of Prototype.

Or is there more to the quote?

Levi @ Jan 9th 2009 8:49AM

That could just be the time it takes to play through all of the missions front to back, no messing around.

Ihavepants @ Jan 9th 2009 9:06AM

Is anyone reading what I'm saying?

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 9:12AM

It's the word 'all' that everyone's paying attention too.

(The Award-Winning) dark_inchworm @ Jan 9th 2009 9:26AM

I think I see.

It's either "show you [all 12] hours of Prototype," meaning it can be blazed through in 12 hours, or "show [you all] 12 hours of Prototype," meaning he wants to subject many, many viewers to half a day of footage.

Hyams @ Jan 9th 2009 9:32AM

I don't think its a big deal, either way. The 12 hours, if true, is probably just for the main storyline, and not for all the side missions and the random dicking around in the open world.

Ihavepants @ Jan 9th 2009 9:44AM

Ah I understand now, I could only read it the [you all] way.

NoughtSoClever @ Jan 9th 2009 10:06AM

No no no. The quote was taken out of context. The full quote is "I'd love to show you all 12 hours...but the whole game is only 3 hours long."

Duke @ Jan 9th 2009 10:31AM

Nope, you guys are wrong. He was talking about a different game all together. He said: he'd "love to show [us] all 12 hours of Frodo-Type." The new typing game with Frodo of Lord of The Rings fame.

I'm excited to see this one.

juju187 @ Jan 9th 2009 7:01AM

with some DLC missions (no hope) looks like a renter at best. I hope i am wrong tho...

baby sea tuna @ Jan 9th 2009 7:44AM

12 hours is more than fine by me. The original Gears had a campaign that was 8 to 10 hours and I probably put at least 50 into it playing over and over (not to mention multiplayer.) Same with CoD4. Hell, I finished Uncharted in a weekend and still don't regret spending $60 on that. If these guys can deliver an experience that is half as fun as Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, then I guarantee I'll spend way more than 12 hours on it anyway.

Levi @ Jan 9th 2009 8:53AM

Yeah I hope noboy really bitches about this being 12 hours. Dead Space was around 12 hours, right? It had 12 missions, and I'd say they took around an hour on average.

Hell, Portal was one of my favorite picks of the year, and it only took a few hours the first time through.

Killzone 2 was being put down for possibly being too short. Why do gamers want developers to extend a game as long as possible? It just means they are going to cram a bunch of mediocre filler into it.

I know RPG's are a different story, but it even annoys me when it's literally a back of the box bullet. "Over 1000 hours of gameplay!" How about just saying "this game kicks ass and it will have you excited and involved every second from beginning to end!"

Prototype looks like a stellar action game. If it lives up to the footage and hype, I'd buy it if he said he'd love to show all 3 hours of it.

holyice7 @ Jan 9th 2009 9:13AM

I'm seeing a lot about this game quite suddenly, and I'm liking what I'm seeing and hearing. 12 hours is alright with me. Sounds...appropriate.

Blank-Mage @ Jan 9th 2009 4:03PM

You got it, Nega.

/Stare.

Blank-Mage @ Jan 9th 2009 4:03PM

Wait, what? Crazy comment system, get back where I put you!

=Lord Negatron of the XBots= @ Jan 9th 2009 9:33AM

Call me a ( instert name )

I just cannot get past the main characters design. The hood, the shirt... Running the worst dressed race against Ninja Blade?

Are those jeans Express for men? Weak...

Easo @ Jan 9th 2009 10:02AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA1MS923K3U

=Lord Negatron of the XBots= @ Jan 9th 2009 10:21AM

@ Easo

Aww is that link for me? Katy Perry's: Your so gay? That is very sweet of you. Maybe i came across the wrong way. I am not saying "the game" is bad, no.

I do not like the "character design/look". IMO, if you think he looks cool, fine. Nowadays to this MTV generation, Gay is the new straight. ;)

fairyfay66 @ Jan 9th 2009 3:17PM

you have a robot for your picture... get a life

=Lord Negatron of the XBots= @ Jan 9th 2009 3:29PM

1. Its my XBL gamer pic.

2. "you have a robot for your picture"... Umm, where are you from, you party animal?

/long blank stare @ fairyfay66

Easo @ Jan 9th 2009 6:00PM

I was actually referring to your knowledge of fashion. I don't know any straight male that would have said
"Are those jeans Express for men? Weak..." To be honest, I didn't know there was an "Express" brand of jeans until I read your post.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Jan 9th 2009 9:37AM

I will also share in the sentiment that I do not give a fuck if it's only 12 hours long, if those 12 hours are the best fun I've ever had, then I'll still buy this game.

Antagonist @ Jan 9th 2009 1:20PM

Well this news has bumped Prototype from #3 to #4 on my Gamefly Q.

Blank-Mage @ Jan 9th 2009 4:00PM

What game got the honor of #3, I wonder?

greg @ Jan 9th 2009 3:03PM

12 hours ain't bad. I'll say something real controversial here. I just got Call of Duty 4. I know it supposedly has the best multiplayer around. But I live alone in an area with really expensive net rates and can't afford it. For 50 bucks, 4 hours of gameplay was just WAAAAAYYY too short. Got Bioshock for 30 bucks, took me about 12 hours to beat it and thought it was the PERFECT length. It ended at the perfect point. Boss was a let down, but it didn't wear out its welcome like GTA 4 is for me right now.