Gamefest 2007: 360 MMOs Can Require Hard Drive Options

[Xbox-Scene]

Gamefest 2007: 360 MMOs Can Require Hard Drive Posted by XanTium | August 14 14:07 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From 1up.com: [QUOTE] In an unsurprising move (and already a precedent set by Final Fantasy XI, but ignored since), Microsoft confirmed at its Gamefest 2007 that studios working on server-based titles for Xbox 360 are allowed to require the hard drive for their games to run. Games allowed to participate in server-based's "bent rules" is decided on a case-by-case basis. The requirement is primarily linked to hard drive limitations. "It's the consequence of having a limited size hard drive, with a lot of other things to fill it out," he says. Companies are allowed to expand the required size, but the game should always run on the original requirement -- users have to approve the change. If the requirement goes up, Microsoft is playing with the idea of allowing the ability to degrade -- those are Microsoft's words -- the experience. Their ideas, straight from their presentation: * Lo-res models/textures * Place certain areas off-limits * Stream assests from server (slower loading) [/QUOTE] Full Story: 1up.com

[Drafter]

There we go.. now just a few more things Microsoft, and you will have completely destroyed what alot of people like about the "consol". The ability to play with friends, because we all have the same machines.

EDIT-
***sorry guys, im just becoming annoyed with the cash grabber Microsoft has created.. because now to play these MMO with my friends that only have the core, theyre going to need to buy a, rediculously priced, Hard Drive.***


EDIT- (again)
***oh, and the fact that MMO's usually take quite a bit of Hard Drive space, Us premium people will most likely be looking at upgrading aswell.***

If Microsoft doesn't watch it, they will kill the consol for all but hard core gamers. Just like the PC. This is why consols sell so well, because you could buy one and it would be good for 5 or 6 years, no upgrading involved.

This post has been edited by Drafter: Aug 14 2007, 07:06 PM

[yourM0M]

If Microsoft doesn't watch it, they will kill the consol for all but hard core gamers. Just like the PC. This is why consols sell so well, because you could buy one and it would be good for 5 or 6 years, no upgrading involved.

you do realize most casual gamers DO NOT play mmo's/rpg's

[bucko]

Why don't MS just include a memory stick in the core, such as a 512MB one, is it that much cost to ask?

[Drafter]

you do realize most casual gamers DO NOT play mmo's/rpg's

That is true, lol. But im a casual gamer, and i got into Warcraft for a couple months, and so did alot of my friends that saw the game.. They just couldnt be bothered to spend the money on upgrading their computer so that they could run it. But i garentee alot of them would have at least rented, if not bought it for their 360 if it were availible.

[JBmtk]

Y did they bother with the core in the first place...just ditch the damn thing all ready

[sinister slipknot]

you do realize most casual gamers DO NOT play mmo's/rpg's

That's not true, im a casual gamer and i play RPGs.... of course we never finish them because we don't get obsessed with them and get lost in the game. i don't mean that as an insult but theres only so much of stealing books from crazy cult fanatics for a magical gate that i can take. (referring to oblivion of course)

[yourM0M]

i personally hate mmo/rpg type games....id rather be upgraded on my skilz automatically, not by gathering crap and editing my ui....

m$ deff. dropped the ball on the core, they should kill it off and offer a free hdd with the first MMO that requires the hdd...or some kind of mail-in offer for a free upgrade with game purcahse....sell the game for $80 and everyone will then have a hdd and all games can continue to grow

This post has been edited by yourM0M: Aug 14 2007, 07:59 PM

[Software2]

m$ deff. dropped the ball on the core, they should kill it off and offer a free hdd with the first MMO that requires the hdd...or some kind of mail-in offer for a free upgrade with game purcahse....sell the game for $80 and everyone will then have a hdd and all games can continue to grow

FFXI DID include a hard drive, back when a console having a hard drive was a new thing.

The requirement is primarily linked to hard drive limitations. "It's the consequence of having a limited size hard drive, with a lot of other things to fill it out," he says.

Here's an idea... Let us use our own hard drive! I know I could fill a 120 gig drive in no time. I play ffxi, and there are MANY game trailers that I love to watch over and over. Many games now have downloadable content, and the size of that is rapidly growing. I can't afford to spend the insane amount they want for that tiny 120 gig drive, knowing that sooner or later MS is going to have to release an even greater capacity drive.

[JCDenton@AS]

they should never of done core with no hdd... they should of done a core with small hardrive say 10gb like xbox then premium with 120gb

[Software2]

One of the benefits of living here in Redmond...

"We can't guess how much space you're going to need for your updates, and, if anything's going to keep you from expanding indefinitely, it won't be us, as much as market forces," said Ian Lewis, software design engineer at Microsoft. "Feel free to require 30GB for your game; that's just going to make your potential audience a lot smaller."

I know Ian Lewis. He's a cool guy. But he's not a "software design engineer". He's a sound guy. Sure, he can get by programming, but he shines in audio. I'm confused as to why he's being the representative here, other than him being a good casual public speaker that makes kick-ass powerpoints.

[hyfall381]

yeah..with downloaded content and map packs and whatever, becoming larger, and in some ways..required, itd be nice to be able to use larger hdds without having to buy the over priced 120gigger. and even if the price on that dropped, how long till its filled?

heres an idea... there should be a dash update that would include full support for usb hdds. when connected, wed now get a choice to save content to either the memory unit, that console hdd, or the usb hdd.

just my thoughts to an easy, cheap way to get more space, which is obviously needed.

[ConteZero76]

yeah..with downloaded content and map packs and whatever, becoming larger, and in some ways..required, itd be nice to be able to use larger hdds without having to buy the over priced 120gigger. and even if the price on that dropped, how long till its filled?

heres an idea... there should be a dash update that would include full support for usb hdds. when connected, wed now get a choice to save content to either the memory unit, that console hdd, or the usb hdd.

just my thoughts to an easy, cheap way to get more space, which is obviously needed.

USB HDD are slow and unreliable (compared to directly linked SATA ones).

[Boiker]

I'm so very tired of people complaining ALL the time about what Microsoft do. The games will be better for making use of the hard drive and it'll probably only be a couple of gigabytes of data.

I swear if they said they weren't using a hard drive and the games will lose features and run badly you'd all be bitching about that too.

[Software2]

I think many people see Microsoft selling an empty bay as a reasonable compromise between Microsoft's want for more money, and gamers need for more space. They can sell a bay with one of their famous licensing chips in it, sell it for $50 (let's face it... we'd all pay it. Anyone who bought a 120 gig drive already paid more for the same thing), and then we could put our own SATA drive in.