Xbox new disc format gains 1GB

joshuaboy
joshuaboy Members Posts: 10,858 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited April 2011 in IllGaming
A highly placed development source has confirmed to Digital Foundry that the new disc format being beta tested in a new dashboard upgrade adds 1GB to the storage of Xbox 360 game discs.

The maximum space allocated to game data on the current disc format is just 6.8GB out of a maximum of 7.95GB on a standard dual layer DVD, with over 1GB dedicated to a DVD-Video partition that also contained anti-piracy security sectors. Astonishingly, this meant that the last generation PlayStation 2 had a higher level of raw storage available to games developers than the newer Xbox 360. It seems that this video partition has either been drastically reduced or omitted completely in the new format Microsoft is looking to roll-out.

Beta testers of the new dashboard get a free copy of Halo: Reach once they are accepted into the new preview programme. We can assume that this isn't just a generous gift on Microsoft's part - more likely it is a disc pressed using the new format, and Microsoft is looking for data on performance on as many different systems as it can. There is no one standard Xbox 360 DVD drive: the platform holder has used drives from Samsung, Hitachi, Benq and Liteon across the console's five year history.

Halo: Reach occupied 6.6GB of space on the old format disc. Either padding or additional content will have been added to this new edition, or it may well simply be the case that the data is allocated into certain physical areas of the disc the video partition would have previously occupied.

It would make sense that the video partition would have been pressed into the inner-most area of the disc - the part that would be the slowest to read in data. So while developers will be able to make the most of the raw storage potential of the dual layer disc, they may well have to factor in slower read speeds in the freed-up space.

Regardless, a 14-15 per cent boost in the space available to Xbox 360 developers is a very welcome advance, and some might argue it is somewhat overdue bearing in mind that the security scheme currently in place has proven to be inadequate for several years now. Tossing away the current system may also give Microsoft the opportunity to deploy a brand new anti-piracy strategy bearing in mind that its latest AP 2.5 system was defeated within a couple of weeks.

Xbox 360 DVD firmware hacker "Commodore4eva" adding weight to the story by suggesting that the latest developer XDK confirms the changes:

"MS will introduce XBG3 - this will add more AP checks, CVI (content integerity) checks, increase the disc size and adds a new layer for protection issues - all in the 20500 sdk! bring it on," he posted on IRC.

Comments

  • KINGOFDAARCADE
    KINGOFDAARCADE Members Posts: 4,379 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    i wonder how many 360s will get the RROD after this update.
  • grumpy_new_yorker
    grumpy_new_yorker Members Posts: 5,962 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    nice.

    even more room for dlc that the software companies can charge us for months down the line.
  • darkrain
    darkrain Members Posts: 2,128 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    i wonder how many 360s will get the RROD after this update.



    Not only if you have "Slim 360".
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Between this and XBOX Labs, among other things, I think M$ is gearing up for thier next console. It may not be anytime too soon, but I like how they are already doing all this testing for their next big rollout. They seem to be collecting a ton of data in regards to XBOX Live. Curious to see what comes of it. R&D is so important.
  • renagade410.
    renagade410. Members Posts: 647 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    this is a direct result of ap 2.5 not even phasing the modders....literally
  • KINGOFDAARCADE
    KINGOFDAARCADE Members Posts: 4,379 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    focus wrote: »
    Between this and XBOX Labs, among other things, I think M$ is gearing up for thier next console. It may not be anytime too soon, but I like how they are already doing all this testing for their next big rollout. They seem to be collecting a ton of data in regards to XBOX Live. Curious to see what comes of it. R&D is so important.

    Too bad they didn't do enough R&D to not have a 50% failure rate on 360's.

    Too bad they didnt do enough R&D 6 years ago when they tried selling HD-DVD LMAO@anyone who bought that ? , LAUCE
  • VulcanRaven
    VulcanRaven Members Posts: 18,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Too bad they don't support their console with exclusive games.I will be passing on the next Xbox like I did the current and previous Xbox.Their NAME will only take them so far in the gaming industry.Eventually even diehard xbots will see them for the ? company they are.They can't even get Windows right.
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Too bad they didn't do enough R&D to not have a 50% failure rate on 360's.

    Too bad they didnt do enough R&D 6 years ago when they tried selling HD-DVD LMAO@anyone who bought that ? , LAUCE

    And they still outsold the competition.

    So we know what will happen now that they are doing the R&D.
  • VulcanRaven
    VulcanRaven Members Posts: 18,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Outselling the competition does not make your product quality and the 360 is a mediocre machine at best.That's a fact.As consumers,our primary concern should be customer satisfaction and good products.Neither of which MS delivers compared to Sony or Apple.Anyone who knows technology will agree with me.I wish that Apple had entered the market instead of MS.It's easy to outsell the comp when you have millions of fanboys who re-buy your product no matter how many times it broke on them.I give them their credit though,they are great at marketing.
  • vagrant-718
    vagrant-718 Members Posts: 4,569 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Mad Jack wrote: »
    Outselling the competition does not make your product quality and the 360 is a mediocre machine at best.That's a fact.As consumers,our primary concern should be customer satisfaction and good products.Neither of which MS delivers compared to Sony or Apple.Anyone who knows technology will agree with me.I wish that Apple had entered the market instead of MS.It's easy to outsell the comp when you have millions of fanboys who re-buy your product no matter how many times it broke on them.I give them their credit though,they are great at marketing.

    Apple in the console biz means a new console every yr that's thinner and lighter than the last...no thank you

    And MS fine w/o exclusives. The top selling games are multiplat, majority of sony owners dont even buy sony exclusives
  • VulcanRaven
    VulcanRaven Members Posts: 18,859 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Apple in the console biz means a new console every yr that's thinner and lighter than the last...no thank you

    And MS fine w/o exclusives. The top selling games are multiplat, majority of sony owners dont even buy sony exclusives

    So basically Apple would do what Nintendo does with their handhelds? I doubt they would release a new console every year though MS has basically done that and they still get RROD.MS does well without exclusives because of marketing and fanboys who love them for some odd twisted reason.You don't know what the majority of Sony owners buy as you don't know all Sony owners personally and there are no concrete sources to go by globally.The majority of people buy ? like the Wii and COD anyway so sales once again don't equal quality.i am speaking as a consumer and long time gamer who dates back to the 80s generation.How can anyone honestly say the 360 is a good console?
  • earth two superman
    earth two superman Members Posts: 17,149 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Apple in the console biz means a new console every yr that's thinner and lighter than the last...no thank you

    how is that different than slim models for ps3 and 360?
  • joshuaboy
    joshuaboy Members Posts: 10,858 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    how is that different than slim models for ps3 and 360?


    Those dropped like 3 and 4 years into the cycle. Apple literally drops a new version EVERY year.
  • darkrain
    darkrain Members Posts: 2,128 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    focus wrote: »
    Between this and XBOX Labs, among other things, I think M$ is gearing up for thier next console. It may not be anytime too soon, but I like how they are already doing all this testing for their next big rollout. They seem to be collecting a ton of data in regards to XBOX Live. Curious to see what comes of it. R&D is so important.

    No, they said that their next console will be in 2015 so basically they focus on Kincet right now.
  • vagrant-718
    vagrant-718 Members Posts: 4,569 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2011
    Mad Jack wrote: »
    So basically Apple would do what Nintendo does with their handhelds? I doubt they would release a new console every year though MS has basically done that and they still get RROD.MS does well without exclusives because of marketing and fanboys who love them for some odd twisted reason.You don't know what the majority of Sony owners buy as you don't know all Sony owners personally and there are no concrete sources to go by globally.The majority of people buy ? like the Wii and COD anyway so sales once again don't equal quality.i am speaking as a consumer and long time gamer who dates back to the 80s generation.How can anyone honestly say the 360 is a good console?

    You can look at software sales and number of ppl that own the console to get a idea of how good exclusives are selling. Halo and Gears sold ton on 360. Mario sell tons on the Wii. PS3 best selling games are the multiplat. Dont take a genius to see that ps3 have small attach rate w/ exclusive games, many journalist have said this.
  • liljunior12785
    liljunior12785 Members Posts: 9
    edited April 2011
    I hope this helps improve Madden