Game disc downloads? why?

[StayClassy101]

Hello everyone? I was wondering why this keeps happening as it is taking up much of my XBone hard drive space. Whenever I purchase a game, I mostly always go with purchasing a game disc hoping to preserve hard-drive space. However, when I buy and play a new game, it keeps saving and installing what feels like the entire game disc(based on the Install size) the first time I put the disc in the system. Why does this happen? Meanwhile after this it makes sure I still have to have the Disc in the system to play, which makes me wonder what separates the Digital dwnld from the disc? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[Darthbobcat]

It's like installing a game on a PC off of a disc- it installs some local content, and right protection requires that the disc be in there. If the disc DIDN'T have to be in there, you could just turn around and resell it at Game Stop and continue playing it.

 

[Keith Wallace]

The game installs because it's faster and easier for the console to play from the HDD than from the disc (helps avoid burning out the disc drive, for example). It needs the disc to keep from letting you either sell a disc after installation, or pass the disc to friends to play for free. The difference between physical and digital is price. For example, you cannot get a used digital game, so you cannot save money going used. You cannot sell a digital copy of a game, meaning you can't get money back for the game after you finish it. Lastly, Best Buy has a GCU membership that lets you get 20% off games, but it applies only to disc games. So, I get my new games for $48 physically, rather than $60 digitally, and I can trade them in after I am done.

 

[onysi]

I'm disappointed at this gen of console gaming. I'm all for digital download, but to have a disc install is just absurd. The discs ran fine last gen, and it should have stayed that way. I am digitally downloading a game right now, and I keep getting cut off since its only 20% or 40%, I have to wait a few more hours again to do another chapter.
I'm sure the PS4 is like this too.

By the way, I haven't purchased a disc yet, but what's the point of it if it has to be installed anyway? Does the disc have to present when you play the game?

 

[Keith Wallace]

Yes, the disc must be present. If you had a disc drive fail you during the last generation (I had many go bad on my 360s), you can appreciate not needing to have the disc spinning.

 

[StayClassy101]

The game installs because it's faster and easier for the console to play from the HDD than from the disc (helps avoid burning out the disc drive, for example). It needs the disc to keep from letting you either sell a disc after installation, or pass the disc to friends to play for free. The difference between physical and digital is price. For example, you cannot get a used digital game, so you cannot save money going used. You cannot sell a digital copy of a game, meaning you can't get money back for the game after you finish it. Lastly, Best Buy has a GCU membership that lets you get 20% off games, but it applies only to disc games. So, I get my new games for $48 physically, rather than $60 digitally, and I can trade them in after I am done.

That does make sense. But do the files have to be practically the same as the game fully. I just had to download 60gb roughly for Halo:master chief collection. They only equipped the system with 500gb. A couple of games and the purpose is defeated. External HD never run as efficiently as internal in my experiences. The file sizes seem to be excessive. Is there a way to disable this or is it an intrinsic operation for the XB1?

 

[Keith Wallace]

It's how the console works, no way around it. You can't shrink the file, or you're missing game chunks. They're not going to go and segment the game, and give you the option to only install one part at a time. With TMCC, you could maybe get away with it (only install one campaign at a time), but for something like Madden or Call of Duty, you can't opt to not have part of the game missing, or you can't play it. The file IS the game, so you can't have the file smaller than the file itself, unless you compress it (which, with a Windows PC, requires unpacking the file before use, which would make the overall size larger during use).

As for the storage issue with the drives, many are saying that the USB 3.0 bus of the external HDDs is actually FASTER than the SATA II bus of the internal drive (it could be that the externals simply carry faster drives). At worst, there's no reason to fear performance degradation going to an external for additional storage, from what I read. Regardless, it takes quite a few games to fill a drive. Mine peaked at 83.8% full, I think. However, upon removal of games I was obviously not going to be playing (the trash indie stuff from GwG and titles I already finished and traded in, like Sunset Overdrive and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor), I'm back down to 63.9%, and that's while still carrying 100+ GB in games I don't play, but might repurchase (including Forza 5, The Evil Within, and Madden 15).

Truth be told, there shouldn't be much of a reason to hit the cap of your drive for 1-2 years, if you're fine cleaning out games you finish. However, I know many are pack rats with that, and you shouldn't be forced to do preventative maintenance on your storage. It sucks, but it's what we've got. I'm personally waiting on the 3-TB WD Elements to get under $90 (it's been $100 a few times), then I'll pick that up long-term. However, I'm more than fine with dumping completed games from my HDD to make room, if necessary. Since everything I want on the One for 2014 is already out, I won't have to worry about a flood of installs on my console...except the 5 or so titles I might grab at Black Friday.