Anyone else getting fed up with massive install sizes?

This is getting absolutely ridiculous:

• Metro 2033 - 12GB
• Mass Effect 2 - 15GB
• Battlefield Bad Company 2 - 15GB
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - 12GB
• Grand Theft Auto IV - 16GB
• Dragon Age: Origins - 20GB
• The Witcher - 11GB
• Lost Planet 2 - 13GB
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - 30GB

(NOTE: These are coming from the Steam and GamersGate store pages for these games. Not my fault if they're incorrect.)

I know storage is cheap these days, but come on, 15-30GB for one stinking game? Seriously? How is that even remotely justifiable? At just 7-8GB, I start to wonder just what the hell is so amazing as to take up that much space, especially when an absolutely massive and gorgeous game like Just Cause 2 can squeeze into just over 4.5GB, or when all of Trine's jaw-dropping beauty fits into less than 600MB. Any game begging for 10+GB of free space had better absolutely knock my socks off, and not just visually.

This issue has actually kept me from purchasing a lot of games, and even caused me to pass up some really great deals. Even in the semi-rare event I have enough free space to comfortably accomodate one of these behemoths, I just can't seem to talk myself into dealing with the gigantic download or painfully lengthy install process. What am I supposed to do, keep uninstalling my old games every time I want to play a new one? How much drive space is the average gamer supposed to have? Is all the junk in these installations really necessary?

Is anyone else starting to get annoyed with this? I'd love to hear some other opinions on the matter.

Thanks.

Most of that space is taken by video files (you know ingame video scenes). For example The Witcher and Mass Effect are filled with cutscenes. Although I agree that 10GB or more is just too much. For example Crysis takes less than 4GB and it's a beautiful and huge game. Why is Metro 2033 taking 12GB or Bad Company 2 taking 15GB is beyond me. Probably empty files to fight piracy.

This is getting absolutely ridiculous:
Battlefield Bad Company 2 - 15GB JN_Fenrir

It does, the size is getting way too big for HDD speed leading to ridiculously long install times.

You're right, storage IS cheap, and if you're having a problem, you should get more. Seriously, how many games do you play at a time? I only have a 160 gig HD right now, and that's considered pitiful nowadays, yet I still manage to play all the games I want. If I don't have enough room, I just uninstall something I haven't played lately, keep the save files, and install it again if I want to play it. It takes 5 minutes.

Voice overs take up a lot of space. Cut scenes take up a lot of space. A lot of varied textures take up a lot of space. It's not like developers win anything by their game taking up more space, so they do it because that's what necessary to make the game they want.

It's like complaining when games made the jump from 3.5 floppies to CD-ROM. Why do they have to be so big? Why do you need all this new-fangled video and super VGA graphics? I like my 16 color CGA on 3 floppies, please!

Anyway, the answer to your question is no.

Lol i think the devs should start to release the games unpacked... Then i would like to see what you would say...

Anyway... Video, sound, models, textures take up ALOT of space. Wait 10 more years when games start to take up 20-40GB...

Silly topic. Download while your sleeping or not at home. Or do what everyone used to have to do which is buy at a store. Even the biggest games usually install within 15 minutes. I spend that time getting snacks, going to the bathroom etc.

A $200 hdd will store more current games than a $200 hdd from 10 years ago would with the games of that time.

Its all about the cutscenes like others have said. Just Cause 2 is so small because it only hasa few cutscenes. Games with the most cutsenes are the biggest.The devs of MGS 4 had tocut features to keep the game under the 50gb limit.

Me? Not really. MS Flight Simulator X is already up to 27 gb. X-Plane 9 is even worse with the install now approaching 37 gb using just two or three continents for scenery. Put the whole world in and the X-Plane 9 install will approach 80gb.

Most of that space is taken by video files (you know ingame video scenes). For example The Witcher and Mass Effect are filled with cutscenes. Although I agree that 10GB or more is just too much. For example Crysis takes less than 4GB and it's a beautiful and huge game. Why is Metro 2033 taking 12GB or Bad Company 2 taking 15GB is beyond me. Probably empty files to fight piracy.

jernas

• Lost Planet 2 - 13GB

JN_Fenrir

What do you want? Go back to those 1-2kb pixel-games?groowagon

No doubt, silly topic.

You expect a big game to be good, it's only fair games have more than one language because not everyone speaks english.

Hopefully one day we will see a cheap hard disk for 20Tb.

You can get a 2 TB HDD pretty cheap nowdays. 3 TB I'm not sure about the cost. Games are getting bigger. Hard Disks are getting even bigger. Live with the times.

Audio files and cutscenes take up a lot of space to support several languages. Although admittedly, developers should ask you what language you want to install and ONLY install that language pack. That probably would drive down the hardware space needed.

In answer to you question, OP: No. With the size and relatively cheap price of hdds these days, I don't mind large install sizes at all.

It's just to discourage piracy. I don't think it's working.shakmaster13

Hard drive price is scaling pretty much inline with game size. No problems from my POV, I doubt I'd want more than 1TB of games installed at any given time anyways.

Doesn't bother me at all, prices for HDs is very cheap. Especially external ones if you're cheap.

For some games like GTA IV and Dragon Age it seems justified, but I don't understand how a game like MW2 can take up 12 GB. It should be 6-7 GB at most.

Well storage is cheap nowadays, just like some users already mentioned. Just got myself a 1TB HDD off newegg for $60 :shock: Now I have 1.64TB of disk space!

[QUOTE="shakmaster13"]It's just to discourage piracy. I don't think it's working.dakan45

If thats the case than I rather buy the game and install the "compressed version", win and legit :P

edit: sure is cheap, but it takes ages to install. Waiting is lame.

edit: sure is cheap, but it takes ages to install. Waiting is lame.Bikouchu35

I don't mind waiting to install. If you dont like it, get a console. :P

There are games with twice the content of Mass Effect 2, that take up half the space.

When developers are being this sloppy about their optimization process - why , why are people defending them?? Do you think they . . what . . care about you or something.? They're a multi million dollar corporation who doesn't give a rat's *** about you. Making excuses for them is ridiculous.

Dude, you can get a 1TB HDD for like under 100$...

I got a 1 TB 7200 RPM HDD for 50€...

(Westland Digital) Just buy a drive and shove all the games in the world on it.

There are games with twice the content of Mass Effect 2, that take up half the space.

When developers are being this sloppy about their optimization process - why , why are people defending them?? Do you think they . . what . . care about you or something.? They're a multi million dollar corporation who doesn't give a rat's *** about you. Making excuses for them is ridiculous.

Born_Lucky

[QUOTE="Bikouchu35"]edit: sure is cheap, but it takes ages to install. Waiting is lame.M3tr4nk0

I don't mind waiting to install. If you dont like it, get a console. :P

Incase your not aware some console games force you install which takes forever also.

edit (replying to post above me): I did recall hearing pirateers managed to shrink ME2 to 3gb? Somewhere along the lines of half, I guess an easier example would be wii games can take up as low as 300mb, but is blown up with empty/junk files to fillup the disc.

There are games with twice the content of Mass Effect 2, that take up half the space.

When developers are being this sloppy about their optimization process - why , why are people defending them?? Do you think they . . what . . care about you or something.? They're a multi million dollar corporation who doesn't give a rat's *** about you. Making excuses for them is ridiculous.

Born_Lucky

Harddrives are cheap, I have a trig just for my games. With better graphics and in game movies expect bigger installs. Cant ever seem to please anyone here.

As time goes along games are bigger in size.... just something you gotta deal with. The size of games only get bigger.

This thread is a bit pointless imo... thsi will not change.. get a bigger HD and move on with the times because its not gonna change anytime soon./

HD Audio takes more than video sometimes, so BFBC2 could be right.

This is getting absolutely ridiculous:

• Metro 2033 - 12GB
• Mass Effect 2 - 15GB
• Battlefield Bad Company 2 - 15GB
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - 12GB
• Grand Theft Auto IV - 16GB
• Dragon Age: Origins - 20GB
• The Witcher - 11GB
• Lost Planet 2 - 13GB
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - 30GB

I know storage is cheap these days, but come on, 15-30GB for one stinking game? Seriously? How is that even remotely justifiable? At just 7-8GB, I start to wonder just what the hell is so amazing as to take up that much space, especially when an absolutely massive and gorgeous game like Just Cause 2 can squeeze into just over 4.5GB, or when all of Trine's jaw-dropping beauty fits into less than 600MB. Any game begging for 10+GB of free space had better absolutely knock my socks off, and not just visually.

This issue has actually kept me from purchasing a lot of games, and even caused me to pass up some really great deals. Even in the semi-rare event I have enough free space to comfortably accomodate one of these behemoths, I just can't seem to talk myself into dealing with the gigantic download or painfully lengthy install process. What am I supposed to do, keep uninstalling my old games every time I want to play a new one? How much drive space is the average gamer supposed to have? Is all the junk in these installations really necessary?

Is anyone else starting to get annoyed with this? I'd love to hear some other opinions on the matter.

Thanks.

JN_Fenrir

I could care less. I have enough storage to keep me from worrying and also I usually only keep one game installed at a time. As long as the game is good I don't care how big it is.

I remember back in the 1990s my hard drive space was 4 gigs......

Times sure of changed.

Anyone remember this episode?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huyzCJvS6UQ

Back then that was the ultimate gaming machine now it would be laughed at even by a netbook.

Also this episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPOuR1CTJss&feature=related

I remember back in the 1990s my hard drive space was 4 gigs......

Times sure of changed.

Anyone remember this episode?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huyzCJvS6UQ

Back then that was the ultimate gaming machine now it would be laughed at even by a netbook.

Also this episode.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPOuR1CTJss&feature=related

Hakkai007

These videos are really funny. $4500 for that monitor in the first video. Crazy. I remember buying a hard drive for my computer in 1998. I think I paid over $100 for that hdd and it wasn't even a GB. It was in the MBs. Look at the prices of hard drives from 1956-present:http://ns1758.ca/winch/winchest.html

Also, this:

There is absolutely no reason to be complaining about limited space these days.

wtf 30gb for force unleashed? What the heck is so special about that game?F1_2004

It was a port from the PS3 version which had huge video files.