Found this on another site its quite interesting, i didnt realise that the games where so small.
http://www.gamesfirst.com/index.php?id=1132
http://www.gamesfirst.com/index.php?id=1132
DVD's, running out of space??
- Thread starter FeFiDoh
- Start date
it's been like that for a while.
Very few games actually come close to using all the space of a DVD, which is why it's only recently that they've made the switch from CD to DVD for a lot of games on the PC (which tends to have to allow for many more variables than a console, and much bigger textures etc available).
Most games unless they have masses of FMV don't need masses of space, I suspect that games like FF7 if it had been done with the footage actually rendered in game (rather than as FMV and pre rendered backgrounds) would have easily fitted on a single disk rather than the 3 it was on (or 4 in the case of the PC version).
The GC is a good example of what can and is done via relatively smart programming and a small amount of storage, rather than using loads of space and a FMV (look at some of the cut scenes for things like Metroid Prime. With the improvements in system specs you can do better and better without resorting to FMV to get the look (you'll need more space for textures, but that is still going to be a lot less than what could easily be used by pre-rendered video etc).
It's much like PC hard drive sizes, you can easily fill 500gb if you're not carefull and don't care about the fact you've got a lot of space that is used without needing it to be, but you can get along fine with <100gb (or even <40gb) if you manage that space and don't go filling it with video files that might only get used once a year (or in the case of games, once per game).
Very few games actually come close to using all the space of a DVD, which is why it's only recently that they've made the switch from CD to DVD for a lot of games on the PC (which tends to have to allow for many more variables than a console, and much bigger textures etc available).
Most games unless they have masses of FMV don't need masses of space, I suspect that games like FF7 if it had been done with the footage actually rendered in game (rather than as FMV and pre rendered backgrounds) would have easily fitted on a single disk rather than the 3 it was on (or 4 in the case of the PC version).
The GC is a good example of what can and is done via relatively smart programming and a small amount of storage, rather than using loads of space and a FMV (look at some of the cut scenes for things like Metroid Prime. With the improvements in system specs you can do better and better without resorting to FMV to get the look (you'll need more space for textures, but that is still going to be a lot less than what could easily be used by pre-rendered video etc).
It's much like PC hard drive sizes, you can easily fill 500gb if you're not carefull and don't care about the fact you've got a lot of space that is used without needing it to be, but you can get along fine with <100gb (or even <40gb) if you manage that space and don't go filling it with video files that might only get used once a year (or in the case of games, once per game).
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 3,084
That's an interesting article and pretty much says what I'd long suspected. FMV is definately dying out so I reckon DVD-9 will be good enough for the 360s lifespan.
Makes you wonder what they're going to fill PS3 discs with though. Does it read it DVDs as well?
Makes you wonder what they're going to fill PS3 discs with though. Does it read it DVDs as well?
it'll read DVD's as if memory serves it's one of the basics for the new formats, they want backwards compatibility with DVD and CD.
I suspect that ignoring all the huff and puff over blu-ray in the PS3 it won't be used much to begin with for games, I won't say it won't be used at launch* but i suspect it's use will be pretty low for now, and will probably be more of a marketting gimmick for the first year or more of the PS3's life.
It'll probably be used in a couple of games with oodles of long FMV sequences to start off with, and like many FMV sequences people will tend to skip them after the first viewing if it's possible
*Although i'm tempted to say it, as I understand blu-ray discs are going to cost a fair bit more than DVD and even HDDVD to make for a while (all new machinery so limited production capacity as well).
I suspect that ignoring all the huff and puff over blu-ray in the PS3 it won't be used much to begin with for games, I won't say it won't be used at launch* but i suspect it's use will be pretty low for now, and will probably be more of a marketting gimmick for the first year or more of the PS3's life.
It'll probably be used in a couple of games with oodles of long FMV sequences to start off with, and like many FMV sequences people will tend to skip them after the first viewing if it's possible
*Although i'm tempted to say it, as I understand blu-ray discs are going to cost a fair bit more than DVD and even HDDVD to make for a while (all new machinery so limited production capacity as well).