Will there be a (mandatory) HDD install?

[prateeko]

I understand the blu-ray laser (due to the sheer cost of the technology) on the PS3 is slow and that the disc itself is big because of all the data it can hold and that these factors contribute to mandatory installs on a number of PS3 games (Hot Shots, MGS4, DMC4, etc). I was wondering if BioShock PS3 will have a mandatory (or possibly even optional) HDD install option on the PS3?

Also, if there is an install would it be possible to get an idea of how much space is needed? I have plenty of free space on my HDD but I know there are individuals out there with 20GB units who may not have upgraded (it's a very easy process by the way, you only need a laptop sized HDD that runs at 5400 rpm I believe) and it may be important for them. I'd hate to see people buy the game on day one and not be able to play it because they don't have the space to install things first :(

Oh, and if there's an installation - any chance of a fun movie during that time? That'd be a nice way to mask it and a chance for a little more prologue on 'ole Jacky boy ;)

[Demitasse]

From what the officials said, there will be a movie being played during the installation. But from the way they said it, it sounds like it will be mandatory. Not sure though.

[prateeko]

I kind of suspected there would be an install (keeps things quick and the blu-ray limitations I talked about earlier). Anyone happen to have the quote from 2K or would someone from 2K mind chiming on as to the type of movie we could expect and any details you'd have about the installation? :)

[WARRIC]

I would say at least 4 or 5 GB for the install

[Kyburz]

I don't think it has ever been officially confirmed, but all of the rumors out there point to an install. There is the rumor of a new video showing life in Rapture that would play during the install which I seem to recall Elizabeth at least partially confirming.

[prateeko]

I don't think it has ever been officially confirmed, but all of the rumors out there point to an install. There is the rumor of a new video showing life in Rapture that would play during the install which I seem to recall Elizabeth at least partially confirming.
A prologue video of life in rapture would be seriously cool and a nice touch for people such as myself who already played through BioShock on the 360...

[fug34]

I believe the video confirmation came about due to the BBFC (rating board in the UK) listing a new 5 minute introduction video. Elizabeth has confirmed that there is a new video and it plays over the PS3 install, but she hasn't said what it is.

One of the 2K developers here (sorry I forget who) has said that the install is the common used files and it would only make sense to take advantage of the hard drive that all PS3 consoles have. There was a rumour of the install being something like either 12 or 24 minute but Elizabeth said that wasn't true.

I don't think they will have an exact time the install will take just yet since that will all likely only fall into place as they optamise the game, it might be Digital Extremes that is handelling that. Did Dark Sector have a hard drive install?

[keyblademaster]

yea a 5 gig install if I remember, I made the thread on it and yep they did say mandatory

[superbioshock]

yea a 5 gig install if I remember, I made the thread on it and yep they did say mandatory

what the............ thats ALOT of memory im running out of memory, **** I guess I have to buy the 160GB ps3...

[prateeko]

what the............ thats ALOT of memory im running out of memory, **** I guess I have to buy the 160GB ps3...

No you don't. Upgrading a HDD on the PS3 is EASY:
http://www.gamersreports.com/article/43/
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=AuyQPW3bDS0

When you look for replacement HDDs, make sure to get 5400 rpm (standard for PS3, 7200 rpm will get too hot) and make sure it's a notebook sized HDD. Newegg is dynamite for these kind of things...

[FUCHI PATAS]

Luckily I have the MGS4 80GB PS3 and not the paired down 80GB that's coming out soon.
I can't imagine I'll ever need 160GB. Even with mandatory installs.
I can purge whatever I'm not playing.
I don't download and keep any movies. Just demos, PSN titles and installs.

[fug34]

New preview: http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/bioshock/preview-1236.html

It says that the instal is 10 minutes long! Even with the new intro it still means we are going to be sitting through a loading screen. This probably also means that it is a fairly large install. MGS4 took something like 7 minute to install 4GB onto the PS3 hard drive so lord only knows how much this will consume. Even with that they say that there was some slow down, but it is still in development so could be sorted I guess.

[japester]

I've never visited that particular review site. But based on their even-handed and witty writing, I think I'll have to bookmark it.

For example, I liked his exact wording about the install:

There's a mandatory 10 minute or so install, which we're not nearly as bothered about as the rest of the internet.

:D

[keyblademaster]

yes I was the one who originally asked the question a 2KMarin member posted saying yes

[prateeko]

I guess we'll have to wait until the 21st to see how long the install really is. It could be 10 minutes or less. 10 minutes seems like a general guess number, but I doubt it'll end up being a very big file. MGS4's install was definitely more than 7 minutes as was DMC4 (I installed both this weekend and I remember them being long). DMC4's file is 4-6GB if I recall correctly.

Either way I'm hoping the 10 minutes is there more for the intro vid and not because the game needs something obscene like 10GB :D

[Wouldyoukindly...]

I hope it has a cool loading screen like MGS4 did,I enjoyed watching ye old Snake take a puff or two,install times just never really bother me and if it mean shorter load times throughout the game im for it.:cool:

[fug34]

It's 10 minute and just under 5GB of date. Check out my post here: http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22161&page=2

[SarshelYam]

I never really understood all the negative press behind install times. I mean...haven't we all installed a PC game before? Isn't that the way PC gaming used to be? If it delivers a more enjoyable experience then why not? I can use those 10 minutes to make a sandwhich...spend some time with my family...read a few chapters of whatever book I'm in the middle of.

Is it really that big an issue? Or have we all simply become lazy impatient children?

[fug34]

Well it isn't that hard to understand really.

Let's assume you have a 60GB PS3, I don't remember how much it actually translates to, I think its something like 53GB of actual space or something.

If all games took 5GB it would mean you could barely have 10 games on there including space for saves, patches, DLC and anything else you may have, videos, themes, images, music etc. Even worse if you have a 20 or 40GB machine.

What makes it even worse is that the game ran on a regular DVD on the 360. I read that about 3 or 4GB of space is taken up by stuff Microsoft requires to be on there. With that said 5GB isn't commonly used files, it is the whole game.

and it is a console. I personally only play console games so that I don't have to put up with such hastle. It is getting worse though.

I understand the blu-ray drive isn't as fast as the DVD drive on the 360. But the likes of Uncharted: Drakes Fortune runs with no install and that is probably the best looking console game on any system. Ratchet and Clank Future only requires something like 400mb.

That said I am not bothered that much, but 5GB is excessive. You have got to figure enough is enough at some point or another.

[Erorrless]

Good points fug34

[fug34]

More about the install from IGN:

The first thing that stood out to me was the fact that Bioshock gets installed to your hard drive as soon as you insert the Blu-Ray. While the preview build took quite a while to install (it was pretty close to ten minutes), there was at least some amusement to be had. The game allowed me to flip through the same kinds of Rapture ads, gameplay hints and quotes that load between each level. What's more, multiple Jazz versions of the classic song, "You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me," played in the background, which felt rather appropriate considering the rampant use of Plasmids in the underwater city.

So it looks as though 10 minute will be the length of the install on the final build.

[WildStriker]

Why does it need to be installed whilst you don't for the xbox 360 version?

[keyblademaster]

Why does it need to be installed whilst you don't for the xbox 360 version?

because the disc speed on the 360 is faster then the PS3

[bender52091]

Why does it need to be installed whilst you don't for the xbox 360 version?

Certain PS3 games require an HDD install, it reduces load times for the game. The reason that Bioshock for 360 didn't have that is because the 360 isn't able to do it, but business competition being what it is, microsoft announced that a new version of the 360 will have that ability

[Mr.Daddy]

HDD install prevents texture pop-ins. The 360 have alot of those.

[fug34]

4.98GB is still far too much though considering how much people they have working on the game. They be as well as allowing players to convert the whole game onto the hard drive.

I think the whole disk speed thing is blown out of proportion as well, I mean is it slower than the 360 DVD drive, yes. But is hard drive installs absolutly required? Nope. Least of all ones so large.

I mean where do you seperate required from optimised? 2K's own the Darkness has no install at all. I am all for installs if it helps, but if it is a quick fix answer to get the game running then I draw the line.

[Frank Fountaine]

Fug you told me that you don't own a 360. So I assume you haven't played Bioshock (again just assuming). If you haven't, please stop complaining about all this stuff and get excited to enter in Rapture, and get emotional when having to chose to kill or save a little sister, or the shell-shocking awe inspiring plot, and incredible voice-acting. I mean I would give anything to go back in time and have the same feelings I did when I was first playing Bioshock. Granted if you have played Bioshock why are wasting 60 bucks and getting it again?

[fug34]

I don't own a 360 and haven't played BioShock. Why would I lie about which console I do or do not own?

I'm excited for BioShock but the install file size is too much. I wasn't complaining about the challenge rooms being DLC or the graphics (possibly) being sub 360 standard, but when it is in correlation with a large install it makes it harder to swallow when you take into account it is all that plus it being over a year later than when it was originally released.

[Frank Fountaine]

Uh Fug did I accuse you of lying about which console you had? I was just curious if you played Bioshock before? But trust me you'll forget about the installation once you first enter the light house. Have fun and like Atlas tells in the begining of the game "Welcome to Rapture, the worlds fastest growing pile of junk".....

But I just have to comment about the graphics thing being sub par to the 360. I don't know where are they basing there info from? I've seen countless Bioshock PS3 gameplay videos and honestley it does look better. Not because I'm a Sony fanboy but because it does look better. The weapons seem more slick and shiner, the splicers seem more detailed, the enviorments seem more high res, the shadowing looks better, the mist and fog effects look better. Again I'm not even buying Bioshock PS3 so there's no reason for me to lie! Compared to the 360 (PC has the best graphics) the PS3 version of Bioshock seems to have better graphics. No lie, only what I think.

[japester]

I don't own a PS3 or 360, so forgive me if what I'm saying doesn't make sense.

Isn't the worst case scenario simply that you won't be able to leave all your games installed at once? Since people keep mentioning the 10 minute install, I assume that is one of the longest. So if space is an issue, you install BioShock, play it until you get tired of it, then uninstall it. If you want to play it again, sometime down the road, you just make room on your drive and spend another 10 minutes installing (make yourself a sandwich to kill the time). Yeah?

On the flip side (and I could be wrong here), I've read lots of complaints in the past year about bad PS3 ports. The hardware is plenty powerful, but developers rush ports over and they look/perform badly. If that truly is the norm, then isn't a relatively large install worth it if the game performs/looks just as good as, if not better, than the other versions?

It seems like folks (everywhere) are always looking for something to complain about. If the install had been small to none, I guarantee there would have been complaints about poor graphics or textures or load times or what have you. (Followed by statements like, "I can't believe it doesn't look better after a year. I would have been totally okay with a large install if the graphics had been better....") ;)

IF the graphics are significantly worse and/or the gameplay stutters or something despite the large install, THEN I can fully understand some complaining. Since I hope to buy a PS3 someday, I hope that isn't the case! :p

[fug34]

Frank, check out this thread I made http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22619 it is pretty much everything I know about the game. I am almost entirely new to what the game holds.

I don’t know about the graphics thing, some previews said PS3 had less slow down and texture pop up and ran at 720p native. PS3 games do tend to look more washed out than 360 games or multiplatform games at least.

Japester, I don’t think 10 minute is anywhere near the longest game install. I think Devil May Cry 4 alone was 30 minute or something on the PS3. I don’t know that people really have an issue with the install time, from what I have gathered it is more commonly used in arguments against which console is better. Silly stuff.

I think the problem a lot of people have is that there is no need for it to happen. I mean the 360 had no install, because not all systems have a hard drive, rather than improve upon that 2K has simply dumped the game on to the hard drive. There are more impressive looking games on the PS3 that show it is easily possible, which makes it all the more unfathomable.

It is easy to be in favour of an install if there is a requirement or vast improvement over what would otherwise be achieved but in the case of the likes of BioShock and other older games like Lost Planet it is generally viewed as being sloppy.

Of course people could just reinstall the game at a later date, but that is an inconvenience that is usually applied to PC titles and as I said earlier it wasn’t required on the 360. Plus there will be the downloading of patches/addons, each time you go and delete the install you would then have to go and get the patches and addons online again.

It isn’t something that would stop me buying a game I wanted but I can see the merit in people having an issue with it.

[assassin_snyper]

Personally I could do without the install, but it isn't going to stop me from getting it for one system or another. Wouldn't matter anyway. Microsoft did away with the 20 Gig and expanded it to 60. HHHMMM. Maybe Sony is on to something with the installs, and now Microsoft is following suite. They would have to, with the more games that come out with more content. Unless you want to keep track of 3+ disks (blue dragon, Lost oddesey. etc...) This just might be the new way of gaming. Instead of disks, next Gen systems may just use memory cards. LOL that would be cool.