Discuss Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
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The cumulative time of Bandersnatch
posted by tuhindasSTAFFMOD on December 31, 2018 at 7:12 AM
The total content on Bandersnatch is officially 5 hours 12 minutes. This can be verified by multiple publications. But TMDB has 1 hr 30 mins as the runtime. There are storylines in the film that last from 40 mins to 2 hours.
As someone who has gone through all the endings, I think the time reflected should be that collectively of all the content, which is 5 hour 12 minutes instead of the 1 hour 30 mins as that really makes no sense. Almost everyone I know or am seeing on social media is definitely watching way more than that due to multiple endings and reversals.
Reply by Banana
on February 21, 2019 at 1:04 AM
90 mins is the official runtimes used by Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80988062
I'm not aware of any guidelines for this type of content. I personally think an approximate runtime makes more sense that a comprehensive runtime (I'm assuming only a very small % of watchers sit though 5 hours and 12 minutes of content).
Reply by tuhindas
on February 21, 2019 at 11:32 AM
No, I dont know if you have seen it. But the content is made in such a such a way that a person after finishing one storyline can immediately jump to another at the end, which is why I suggested that. More or less everyone I have come across on social media posts (Twitter, not a personal Facebook friend circle) has done this. I guess there should be some guidelines? Now that there is some content of this kind.
Reply by lineker
on March 22, 2019 at 5:53 AM
I assume this entry is an exception to our rules in general. Which means there are no exact rules regarding interactive games.
Reply by tmdb24407783
on June 23, 2019 at 7:15 AM
Isn't the default runtime 94 mins?
does this even belong in the db (isnt this just a game)? I made a report here. EDIT:(I'm adding this onto here because it doesnt matter what the runtime is/no need to figure out the runtime, if the entry should just be deleted; if it doesnt even belong on this site).
Reply by tuhindas
on September 19, 2019 at 11:25 PM
An interactive game doesn't get nominated for an Emmy. Please don't be so condescending about new mediums, thanks.
Reply by tuhindas
on September 19, 2019 at 11:25 PM
No, it is an interactive film. Not a game.
Reply by tmdb24407783
on September 20, 2019 at 3:26 AM
what makes you so adamant its not a game?
My conception of a film is a story told to viewers with pictures (and usually with sound, but not necessarily). And when you add interactivity to that story it becomes a story within a game thats played by players. It becomes something you play, not (just) view. With that conception, I think anything that's interactive (you control what the story is...to a certain extent) is a game and not a film. Similarly, I would call a choose your-own-adventure book a game and not a story. Games often tell stories and have stories in them, but the entity as a whole is a game and not a story. Stories can be found within games, but an entity that as a whole is a story isn't also a game. this is just my opinion.
could it be both a game and a film?
and I think....there's lots of interactive games that play pretty much identically to bandersnatch...what distinguishes Bandersnatch from those games? Off the top of my head, games like Virtual Morality, Charlie Gets Fired, Super Seducer, or Late Shift are some examples of similar interactive games (games' whose only game function, if I remember correctly, like Bandersnatch, comes in making point-and-click choices from multiple given dialogue/action options). Or do you think that those interactive games are actually all just interactive films? I kinda think because Bandersnatch has several "soft endings" where you have to go back to an earlier part of the story and rewatch it to get to one of the correct fuller endings makes it more of a game than even some of the examples I gave where there isnt that extra game-like feature. Or maybe I'm not remembering it right...doesnt the film/game give you options several times to back in the story?
Or is the reason why you think Bandersnatch is definitely not a game based on
how itswho distributes it/how its advertised/how its talked about in the entertainment industry, etc.? If that's the case, I think thats fair enough, that makes sense...(although online it seems like Bandersnatch is talked about as a film and as a game, example of one where its referred to more as a game: https://variety.com/2019/gaming/opinion/bandersnatch-game-design-netflix-1203097824/).Reply by Philippe LeMarchand
on September 20, 2019 at 5:26 AM
I'd say that's the point for Bandersnatch. As for running time, I guess if that's what Netflix list...
Reply by tmdb24407783
on September 20, 2019 at 6:47 AM
Yep! That's what's been said by a mod in a different thread. I fully get that and even agree now (probably), I just wanted to know if @tuhindas had a different reason.
Reply by tuhindas
on September 20, 2019 at 5:20 PM
I just feel like a game has to be completed right? I mean its leading you towards a goal. You have to 'achieve' something in the game, whether its solving a puzzle or killing your way out of somewhere. But Bandersnatch isn't about that. You may or may not finish it. It doesn't require 'completion' per se. There isn't a defined ending. A game always 'ends' somewhere as in after certain decisions you finally get to finish the game. But Bandersnatch isn't like that. That's what I felt at least.
I dont have much gaming experience so I couldn't be very specific about this. There's also the thing about who's making it and distributing it and how its being marketed as and submitted to award shows as.
Reply by tmdb24407783
on September 20, 2019 at 5:37 PM
I'd disagree with that. What about simulation games like the games in the Sims fanchise? Those games have no specific goals or endings and can be played indefinitely. But they are definitely not films, and I would say, definitely are games. You cannot "complete" any of the games in the Sims franchise any more than you could Bandersnatch. And actually, in my opinion, Bandersnatch is much more "complete-able" than any of the games in the Sims franchise. In Bandersnatch there is at least a finite number of endings and pathways, in any of the Sims games theres is virtually an infinite amount of choices and by design, the games have no ending or goal to be achieved. I am also very inexperienced when it comes to gaming so I cant come up with other examples to show my point, but I definitely think games for sure do not need a set goal or a need to be "complete-able" in order to be considered a game. Therefore, any arguments saying that Bandersnatch cant be considered a game because its not completeable isnt really valid since games do not need to be completeable.
EDIT: another example is Minecraft. There is no set goal. As far as Im aware, there is no such thing as completing Minecraft. You simply play it to do whatever you want. There is no set goal, the point is just to have fun and make choices you want to make. to my understanding a Sandbox game like Minecraft can be played indefinitely and wont end.