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TGS 09: 2GB is the new ceiling for XBLA games photo

When XBLA first launched the size of the games was something that Microsoft was very concerned about. They said that keeping games under 50MB kept with the idea of XBLA being a place where you could get fun, quick and interesting games. Of course that didn't last to long as games on the service got bigger and bigger until today when we have games that are clocking in well over 1GB. So what's the new limit? Where does it all end? Evidently, it ends at 2GB... for now.

This is from Microsoft's director of digital games, Scott Austin who said that the games are capped out a 2GB, but it isn't just some arbitrary size Microsoft decided on. The structure of the XBLA programming doesn't allow for games to be any larger than that. "In order to continue fostering the creation of great titles on the platform, Microsoft has increased the file size limit of XBLA titles to 2 GB. We pride ourselves in being the premier destination for downloadable games, and the new file size limit allows developers to push their creative boundaries," he said.

You may ask about Games on Demand, as many of those games are well larger than 2GB, but Austin says that that runs on a different platform that can go above 2GB. While there hasn't been a game to push the limit of XBLA yet, we're sure it's coming sooner than later.


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26 comments | showing # 1 to 26

Dangsterr's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 09:02
Dangsterr
And the HDD prices are still higher than the value of my soul!
zombielifecoach's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 09:05
zombielifecoach
See! That's how they get ya'!
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 09:11
Xzyliac
Is there a reason for this? In the past it's been games coming along pushing the cap. Is this happening again?
Magnalon's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 09:21
Magnalon
Conspiracy by MS to force you to buy overpriced HDD or upgrade your system?

I'd believe it.
DunKology's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 09:21
DunKology
Isn't the new Command & Conquer arcade game bigger than 2GB?...
BluDesign's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 10:01
BluDesign
Awesome news for people who still have 20GB drives.

MS, let me commend you on your incredibly deft ability to continue to gouge and innovate. Raising file sizes, prices, all while keeping their hardware costs at the same price and denying people logical costing hardware upgrades (no 250GB drive) for no better reason than because.
CRAZYAPE69's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 10:26
CRAZYAPE69
is the woman doing unspeakable things to the invisible man in the header?
Jon B's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 10:39
Jon B
Good news.

Although I would say that. I have a 120gb Elite.
martinine's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 10:59
martinine
Mmmm. That header makes my bathing suit area tingle.....
Buddyleej's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:06
Buddyleej
Feel bad for all the suckers that bought an arcade unit.
Cataract's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:07
Cataract
I'm sorry, I'm too distracted by the pretty lady with her mouth open.
13thDragon's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:24
13thDragon
You know what I'd like to put in that woman's mouth?

My penis.
Inuboy1000's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:30
Inuboy1000
Since Final Fantasy 7 is a 1.3GB download on PSN, maybe Square Enix could bring it to Xbox Live Arcade. That would be awesome.
Cowboy TTop's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:36
Cowboy TTop
Think its the likes of Shadow Complex etc that might have been pushing the limit up.

I agree, that MS should start to lower those hard drive prices a bit so we can all have a large enough one.
Woogity's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:36
Woogity
This renders the Arcade SKU all the more useless.
Timmeh's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:52
Timmeh
Microsoft are flat out retarded. There better be an announcement about HDD prices coming down and capacity going up or something.

As games get larger, be it Arcade or Games On Demand (if anybody is retarded enough to pay those prices), I would think people will just stop buying so much. Once my drive is full I sure as shit won't be buying one of those spectacularly over priced replacements. I just won't buy anything else, unless it's really REALLY special. Sure I can redownload stuff but that's not exactly convenient if you have slow internet or download caps.

Then there's the prospect of the next MS machine not being compatible with XBLA games. I mean, I'm wondering how long we're going to have access to these games for once the next gen comes along and 360 production stops. The hardware doesn't exactly have the greates lifespan...
matrixdude171's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 11:56
matrixdude171
Sure, and next month it'll be 3 gigs
SoraX911's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 12:18
SoraX911
@BluDesign
Sadly be that logic, it almost sounds as the Wii's limited internal storage. Except, Nintendo has offered an firmware upgrade solution making for up to 32G(around $21 on ebay)SDHC and the size's of software usually is was less than 1G. Because i don't own a Xbox360, Does MS really screw it customers here?
Everyday Legend's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 12:37
Everyday Legend
That's exactly what women do instinctively when they say that phrase around me. It's quite odd how you found a picture of that.
Infininja's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 15:24
Infininja
@DunKology:

I thought so.

Absolutely no room on my hard drive for these monstrosities.
TheDirtyHobo's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 15:58
TheDirtyHobo
Oh, the things I would do to that woman in the header.

But anyways, 2gb is a reasonable limit, since a lot of us are still stuck with that awesome, oh-so-spacious 20gb drive that came with launch models of the 360 up until the Elite. And really, 2gb is quite a lot of space for an arcade-style game. That's the size of 3 PS1-era CDs, and guess what masterpieces have fit on 3 PS1 CDs before? That's right, Final Fantasy 8 before the story got all kinds of whacky.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 17:04
HiddenAHB
Thank god i bought that 120GB HDD.
But, why so much space, great games like 'Splosion Man are way above 2GB.
Nerdy Suit's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/27/2009 23:19
Nerdy Suit
Why even have a ceiling limit? Let the consumers decide how big is too big...

...that sounded gross...
Dexter345's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/28/2009 00:44
Dexter345
Man, I really need to get a new hard drive. =(
Jizl Tizl's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/28/2009 01:39
Jizl Tizl
I'm still not buying their insulting hard drives.
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