Gran Turismo 5's Huge Install Can Be Completed As You Race

[Tom Goldman]

Gran Turismo 5's Huge Install Can Be Completed As You Race

Gran Turismo 5 has a huge install, but Sony has made the effort to reduce its effect on players.

PlayStation 3 games often require that data be installed to the system's hard drive to reduce loading times, and Gran Turismo 5 [http://www.amazon.com/Gran-Turismo-5-Playstation-3/dp/B002BSA1C6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290269508&sr=8-1] may be no different. Sony has confirmed that Gran Turismo 5 has quite the hefty install, but the game won't make players wait around before they can jump right into its racing action.

Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi previously recommended [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103098-Gran-Turismo-5-Creator-Recommends-10GB-Install] that players perform a 10GB install for optimal performance in Gran Turismo 5, but Eurogamer says it has been "independently informed" that the install will instead be a still huge 6.4GB. This install can reportedly take 40 minutes or longer to complete.

On the bright side, Sony and Polyphony have implemented a system that doesn't require the install right away. Players can queue up the install as soon as they purchase the game on its new, hopefully final release date of November 24 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105247-Gran-Turismo-5-Racing-Into-Stores-This-Month], or they can install the game as they play.

"If users choose not to install the data straight away it will do it in stages as news areas, tracks, etc. are accessed during normal gameplay," Sony said. This is similar to what was done with Metal Gear Solid 4 [http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Gear-Solid-4-Playstation-3/dp/B001IVPVVS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1290270109&sr=1-1], which installed data for its current chapters as players made progress.

I personally plan to let Gran Turismo 5 install the full data for its over 1,000 cars and dozens of tracks as I play another game on my Xbox 360 just to be a jerk, but it's nice that Sony is providing an option for the more impatient gamer. Gran Turismo 5 has been in development for more than five years, so some racing fans might not be able to bear waiting another hour when the disc is finally in their hands.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-19-gt5-installs-while-played-sony]

Permalink

 

[Rad Party God]

Consoles and their puny installs. We pc gamers are already used to this, but also Steam let us pre install the game days before it's official release. And kudos for Sony, letting the game install as you play it's a good move, although I'm wondering why this hasn't been a standard for PS3 games already.
If I had a PS3, I'd go and make a sandwich myself while waiting for the 10gb install to finish.

 

[Xersues]

I too plan on letting the full install go. I'll be picking it up after work, so letting it install/patch and then go make dinner.

I'm also an avid PC gamer, so the 40 minute install is nothing new. Waiting for a game to download/install on Steam is usually around that time.

Impatient gamers waited this long for GT5, they can chill out for 40 minutes. But I'm sure there will still be whiners.

Good on them for having the option.

 

[GiantRedButton]

Well installs on a pc don't take 40 minutes, because of the better hardware, more than 256 mb ram etc.
Unless you confuse install with download of course.
But they are a lot more common
Too bad i don't have a ps3 i wan't to play it despite not even really liking racing games.

 

[Jason Evangelho]

Clarification: "Gran Turismo 5 has a huge required install."
The only REQUIRED installation is a mandatory 256MB one. The larger install is completely optional.

 

[GiantRedButton]

Clarification: "Gran Turismo 5 has a huge required install."
The only REQUIRED installation is a mandatory 256MB one. The larger install is completely optional.

Thanks for clearing that up, seems like they put alot of effort in an optional install then.
You could just play it regulary until you are away for an hour and install it then.

 

[Rusty Bucket]

...the install will instead be a still huge 6.4GB. This install can reportedly take 40 minutes or longer to complete.

How does it take that long? A 360 does that exact size install in about 10-15 minutes.

 

[Get_A_Grip_]

Hmm... I wont be getting this game 'till xmas. (Provided it is out before then.)
I might just get up early xmas morning and run the install and go back to bed. Although i doubt I'll be playing it that day as my brother will be hogging the PS3 with whatever games he gets.

 

[Something Amyss]

...the install will instead be a still huge 6.4GB. This install can reportedly take 40 minutes or longer to complete.

How does it take that long? A 360 does that exact size install in about 10-15 minutes.

The BD-ROM Drive is only 2X.

 

[Jumplion]

I'm a bit confused, so there will be a mandatory 6.5GB install, but there will also be an optional 10GB install?

Clarification: "Gran Turismo 5 has a huge required install."
The only REQUIRED installation is a mandatory 256MB one. The larger install is completely optional.

Or as this guy said, will the 6.5GB install be optional? Either way I'm going to install it, I don't see why not.

I'm patiently waiting for Gran Turismo 5, but as I said earlier, I'm concerned that the rush to release this by the holidays will be detrimental to it. Say what you will about the series, it's still a huge juggernaut, and while there's of course going to be those fanatics that stay in line for a week, that will only get you so far.

 

[Sneaklemming]

heh conoles having to install eh?

 

[Rusty Bucket]

...the install will instead be a still huge 6.4GB. This install can reportedly take 40 minutes or longer to complete.

How does it take that long? A 360 does that exact size install in about 10-15 minutes.

The BD-ROM Drive is only 2X.

Holy shit, really? Never realised. Why is it that slow?

 

[Dioxide20]

40 minutes to install 6.4gb? Why?

I don't own a PS3, but I've installed plenty of games on my PC. Never has it taken 40 minutes to install 6.4gb.

Edit: I feel stupid, the question was answered right above my post...

 

[Something Amyss]

Holy shit, really? Never realised. Why is it that slow?

Because BD drives were expensive at the launch of the PS3.

 

[Mcface]

ps3 install times are so retarded.
Theres really no reason to own one for me. it just collects dust unless i want to watch a movie with the girl, even then we never spend the extra 5 dollars for blu-ray

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

Consoles and their puny installs. We pc gamers are already used to this, but also Steam let us pre install the game days before it's official release. And kudos for Sony, letting the game install as you play it's a good move, although I'm wondering why this hasn't been a standard for PS3 games already.
If I had a PS3, I'd go and make a sandwich myself while waiting for the 10gb install to finish.

Once again, someone has already beat me to my initial reaction, right there in the very first post. While I was reading it, I was thinking, "Meanwhile, back on my PC, TFU had a 30 GB install..." I wish it had only taken 40 minutes, though. Grabbing that at 140 kB/s (hooray for DSL) took more than just making a sandwich to pass the time. It was easily at least two or three whole sandwiches. Did I say sandwiches? I meant days.

(And for a pretty mediocre game, too. At least it was marked way down on sale, so it was fun enough to be worth the low price, but not so much the bandwidth.)

 

[Rad Party God]

Holy shit, really? Never realised. Why is it that slow?

Because BD drives were expensive at the launch of the PS3.

I think it's because of the architecture of the BD is a bit different than that of a regular DVD or CD, rather than how fast it loads.

The architecture of a CD lets data transfers 150 KB/s @ 1x speed, a DVD loads 1.35 MB/s @ 1x speed and a BD loads 4.5 MB/s @ 1x speed.

It may not sound that impressive, but belive, that's quite a lot and considering the massive size of a single BD, it's completely understandable that the game requires mandatory installs for it to load faster, it's almost as if every single PS3 game you're buying has the same size of a Hard Drive Disk.

Also, let's not forget that it's the very first system using the BD technology and maybe in the future that speed may increase significantly. CDs max speed now is at 72x, DVD's max speed right now is at 24x and BD's max speed right now is 12x (using a BD burner on a PC).

 

[SovietSecrets]

I hope this doesn't turn into another Lair or Haze. I love racing games. Need for Speed, Forza, GRID, DIRT, and Project Gotham Racing have always been my favorites. Just hope GT ends up on that list too.