Kojima: MGS4 too big for 50 GB Blu-ray disc [Joystiq]

[DP ServBot]

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action
It's not much of a shocker to learn the latest (and final) installment in the Metal Gear Solid series is a sizable one -- MGS games have a history of being big (and beautiful). However, a recent interview with series creator Hideo Kojima revealed a startling fact about MGS4 -- Kojima complained that a few features had to be cut from the game so it would fit on a Blu-ray disc. As format fanatics already know, that means the game takes up nearly 50 gigabytes of space.

If true, this is bad news for anyone who hoped to see anthropomorphic cow-bots on the 360 (unless that data was divided between about five dual-layer DVDs), but it could also mean a painfully long installation time for PS3 owners as well. We can only imagine that 49 of those gigabytes are taken up by thousands of variations on just three lines of dialogue -- "Snake? SNAKE? SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!?"

[Thanks, Beau Kebodeaux]

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[Rob2600]

Wow. There's no practical reason why even a complex video game like Metal Gear can't fit on a 50 GB disc.

[RadiantSvgun]

Wow. There's no practical reason why even a complex video game like Metal Gear can't fit on a 50 GB disc.

Thats what I was thinking.

Instead of churning out more metal gear, where is the next in the Snatcher series?

[roushimsx]

Wow. There's no practical reason why even a complex video game like Metal Gear can't fit on a 50 GB disc.

The only thing I can think of is a bunch of 1080p prerendered videos or lots of redundant data to reduce loading and eliminate the need for installing. Other than that...shit...maybe someone just really loves using TIFFs for textures.

Instead of churning out more metal gear, where is the next in the Snatcher series?

He's probably waiting for another Blade Runner film to be made (perhaps based on Jeter's books) so he'll have something to rip from.

[PapaStu]

Wow. There's no practical reason why even a complex video game like Metal Gear can't fit on a 50 GB disc.

What are you talking about!?! MGS2 spent the last 30 minutes of the game in a cut scene after fighting the Metal Gears. I expect this the 'final' Metal Gear Solid game to easily be a 2 hour movie, just to 'wrap' things up.

[RadiantSvgun]

The only thing I can think of is a bunch of 1080p prerendered videos or lots of redundant data to reduce loading and eliminate the need for installing. Other than that...shit...maybe someone just really loves using TIFFs for textures.



He's probably waiting for another Blade Runner film to be made (perhaps based on Jeter's books) so he'll have something to rip from.

I hope so, I heard he didn't want to do anything more with the Snatcher/policenauts series.

I wonder what he had to cut out? All of the other games so far can be finished in one sitting.

[G-Boobie]

Wow. There's no practical reason why even a complex video game like Metal Gear can't fit on a 50 GB disc.

Yer nuts. With uncompressed art assets, cut scenes, and sound data, and including the Metal Gear Online starter pack or what have you, its perfectly reasonable.

[Rob2600]

Yer nuts. With uncompressed art assets, cut scenes, and sound data, and including the Metal Gear Online starter pack or what have you, its perfectly reasonable.

Why would art, video, or cut scenes be uncompressed? Like I said, there's no practical reason.

[kedawa]

Yer nuts. With uncompressed art assets, cut scenes, and sound data, and including the Metal Gear Online starter pack or what have you, its perfectly reasonable.

No, it's not.

50GB is more than four times the size of a Crysis install.

[Ed Oscuro]

I haven't yet seen a PC game that used more than 8 GB of uncompressed data.

50 GB on a system with 512MB RAM (total, non-unified memory system)...ouch, lots of loading will be happening.

From the standpoint of the cost this development must be taking...is Metal Gear Solid 4 the new Shenmue? :P

[zektor]

The only reason they would need more than 50GB for the game would be if they got all loosey goosey, uncompressed everything, and simply wasted space like no tomorrow. These guys should try to fit a playable game inside of 4kb!

[Icarus Moonsight]

Maybe a money-hat from Sony was involved. Think about it, if the game can't be presented on a single dual layer BR disk then that greatly decreases the chances of a port. Of course, Konami could compress the resources to make it fit on less DVDs but, then the AV nuts, tech whores and Sony funboys (fanboys - that was intentional) will point out that it's an inferior version. If a port can be blocked, they gain. If a port is still made they don't really gain much but, they can claim victory in having the superior version. Then again, I could be out on my ear on this too so, make up your own melons m'kay?

[ProgrammingAce]

For resistance, uncompressed each level was over 20 gig. Compressed, the whole thing fit on a bluray with plenty of space to spare.

When your game has been in development this long, you need an excuse when you need to start cutting features. My bet is on the fact they need to cut features to make the launch date, space has always been the common excuse. It just sounds much more ridiculous when your platform offers 50 gig.

[Ed Oscuro]

When your game has been in development this long, you need an excuse when you need to start cutting features.

Heh, hadn't thought of that.

Wow, the ego-tripper himself going on a spin trip...I shall savor this thought o_O

[Daltone]

That's a whole lot of pretentious rambling. There's probably a 13 hour lecture about love blooming on the battlefield and an in-depth rendering of Snake's 'tasche... Why did MGS turn into such a joke?

[geneshifter]

For resistance, uncompressed each level was over 20 gig. Compressed, the whole thing fit on a bluray with plenty of space to spare.

When your game has been in development this long, you need an excuse when you need to start cutting features. My bet is on the fact they need to cut features to make the launch date, space has always been the common excuse. It just sounds much more ridiculous when your platform offers 50 gig.

I agree with this. This is just so stupid. Hasn't the guy ever heard of putting a game on 2 discs?? He's covering up something bad IMHO.

[Lothars]

I agree with this. This is just so stupid. Hasn't the guy ever heard of putting a game on 2 discs?? He's covering up something bad IMHO.

Okay... why would it be covering up something bad? I think that your posts make no sense that it's something bad happening. with it

[heybtbm]

Hey, at least it's not coming out for the 360...

[geneshifter]

Okay... why would it be covering up something bad? I think that your posts make no sense that it's something bad happening. with it

Cutting out stuff so that it fits a disc is dumb. Especially with it being the culmination of the series. Just give us everything.

[Clownzilla]

Give me a break! We have come to a sad state of game production when a game can't fit into a 50GB space! I honestly think that the introduction of optical discs have been a curse on gaming, creating a programming culture of being lazy and using graphics as a crutch for poor game play. Any self respecting programmer would *gasp* SACRIFICE GRAPHICS FOR OPTIMAL CONTENT AND GAME PLAY! Of coarse, this has apparently became a thing of the past, even for a legendary developer like Konami.