No one plays a game for "a few seconds" this is just a category that indicates games that don't work with your desktop app. You shouldn't advertise this on game pages like mine ( https://swordofmoonlight.itch.io/k ) under the expanded box, nor should this ( https://itch.io/games/duration-seconds ) page even exist.
EDITED: What you SHOULD do is use this as an indicator to help people navigate these games in your app, run them outside your app.
No one plays a game for “a few seconds” this is just a category that indicates games that don’t work with your desktop app.
The “Average Session” is defined in the settings as:
Average session duration — Time it takes to reach an objective (complete a level, a run, etc.)
There are games that have “runs” that last a few seconds. Think something like flappy bird. One “run” can last a few seconds before the user loses and have to restart. Sure a user might decide to restart and play again, but that’s not covered by the “Average session duration”.
You shouldn’t advertise this on game pages like mine ( https://swordofmoonlight.itch.io/k ) under the expanded box
I’m not sure I understand. You set the average session duration yourself for each game, so if you are not happy with a duration of a few seconds, you can increase it. The setting can be found at “Edit Game” -> “Metadata” -> “Classification”.
I didn't set it, but I would like to request an option to omit it. It didn't used to be in the information box. I think it doesn't apply to a lot of games, and I suspect most games that have this set didn't do so intentionally. It's the default setting if you fill out that page, but it's probably gray initially until the Save button is pressed. (It might be a new thing because I don't remember ever seeing it in the information box before today.)
Edited: Based on the description it sounds like somehow it's a measurement of how long people played it in an actual session, and I'd assume a "session" is a sitting, and not "Time it takes to reach an objective (complete a level, a run, etc.)".
No, not a measurement, but the creator's own estimation. It doesn't even show up at all in the More Information box unless the creator sets it in the game metadata, which is on another tab and can't even be done until the game page is saved as a draft at least. So please double-check your project settings, because this option has been there for years.
There's no opt-out option for that field. If you fill out that page (to indicate the game uses a gamepad for instance) then it automatically fills out that field, which then puts it in the information box (like it or not.) Just use your brain and ask if every game on that page actually had somebody intentionally set them to say they last 3 seconds.... only Rock Scissor Paper lasts 3 seconds... think about it before you speak.
