Halo: The Master Chief Collection Requires 20GB Update

[Tom Bombadildo]

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a big collection, both in size of the games and in the games themselves. With the Halo 1 Remaster, a Halo 2 Remaster, and Halo 3 and 4 with minor improvements (all games running at 1080p and 60fps, sans Halo 2 which runs at 1328x1080 and 60fps). Unfortunately, with such a big collection, it requires a lot of space and a ~45GB Blu-ray disc isn't going to cut it. However, instead of doing the logical thing and including 2 discs, a multiplayer and a singleplayer, 343 Industries has decided to make a mandatory release-day update that is 20GB. This patch unlocks multiplayer maps as well as a few other addons to the game.

Luckily, you'll still have access to singleplayer as the update downloads so you aren't stuck with a brick while waiting, and those who pre-order the game can start preloading the update a few days before release.

"...The result is that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will take up almost all of the usable space of a single Blu-ray (45 GB), and we will also issue a content update at launch that is estimated to be 20 GB.
Each of the campaigns will be playable while you're downloading the day one patch, 343 continued.
"You'll be able to start playing Campaign and more as the content is installing, with some features and multiplayer content being added via the update. Yes, the update is large, but we weren't about to cut corners to save disc space."

Source

 

[zeello]

They should have released the games separately. When you have digital distribution it makes no sense for compilations to exist, at least not for big games like Halo, God of War, Ratchet, Jak&Daxter, MGS, FFX/X-2, etc.

For the physical version, even the fact the game can't fit on a bluray should serve as a sign to split up the compilation. Aside from releasing it as a two-disc game (which maybe they did not want to or were not allowed to since it's bluray) why not just sell each game individually for cheaper. If you can't fit it on a bluray then clearly they are big enough to warrant selling standalone. Not to mention it's four games, so easily you could have put Halo 1&2 on one disc and Halo 3&4 on another disc, but that would be confusing, so why not Halo 1-3 as a trilogy if possible and Halo 4 Next Gen Edition as standalone.

Also, if you have mandatory patches. That means it's no longer a physical game. The disc is just for show. Personally, the moment you patch a game it's no longer a physical game, even if it's a small update. I don't know why people like owning physical media so much. But when you have massive day one updates that exceed 1GB then you basically bought a coaster. It's like PC games since years ago you pop the disc in and all it does is download the game from the internet which you could have done yourself without the disc.

 

[Kayot]

This will only affect legitimate users.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

This will only affect legitimate users.

...which is all of them? This is an Xbox One game, there are no "illegitimate" users.

 

[memorymod]

Guys! Microsoft knows how to count! Omigosh! They know how to count!

 

[Deleted User]

Who Cares.

 

[WiiUBricker]

Well that's stupid.

 

[Kayot]

I didn't realize it was Xbox One only. Now I remember why I didn't go past 2. 3 and 4 were console only.

 

[Vipera]

However, instead of doing the logical thing and including 2 discs

What an obnoxious thing to write in a news article. I thought this was a videogames' forum, not IGN.
Physical discs cost money. And the collection is sold for a standard price tag ($59,99). If they released two discs and added 5 bucks to the price people would have bitched anyway. Europe is already taking it in the ass since the price is 64,98€.

 

[Nathan Drake]

What an obnoxious thing to write in a news article. I thought this was a videogames' forum, not IGN.
Physical discs cost money. And the collection is sold for a standard price tag ($59,99). If they released two discs and added 5 bucks to the price people would have bitched anyway. Europe is already taking it in the ass since the price is 64,98€.

You realize printing another disc would cost them almost nothing, right? Look at FF13 on the Xbox 360: it had three discs and still cost the same price as the PS3 version. As well, Halo has done the single player on one disc and multiplayer on the other before, which makes what Tom said even more logical, as that is a viable model for Halo releases.

 

[chavosaur]

Hell they did it 2 years ago with Halo 4, all of the Multiplayer and Spartan Ops content was on a second disc that you had to install to the console.

I do like the fact that you can AT LEAST pre-load the update though, this means I dont have to spend all day waiting to hop into blood gulch and fuck up some Reds or Blues

 

[Cortador]

What's so bad about this? At least they are not making you pay for content that did not fit on the disc.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

What's so bad about this? At least they are not making you pay for content that did not fit on the disc.

Nothing necessarily bad, but with the average internet speed it'd take at least half a day or more to download 20GB that could've just been put on a second disc.

 

[Plstic]

How will you get 20 gigs when xbox live goes down? They really need to put this on 2 discs not one.

 

[Zanoab]

How will you get 20 gigs when xbox live goes down? They really need to put this on 2 discs not one.

The 20GB is multiplayer content. If Xbox Live goes down, you won't be able to play multiplayer anyways.

 

[endoverend]

I want this on PC more than I've wanted anything in a long time...

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I want this on PC more than I've wanted anything in a long time...

I agree 1,000,000%. Hopefully the current trend of XBone games coming to PC continues, I would buy this so hard.

 

[Arras]

Hell they did it 2 years ago with Halo 4, all of the Multiplayer and Spartan Ops content was on a second disc that you had to install to the console.

I do like the fact that you can AT LEAST pre-load the update though, this means I dont have to spend all day waiting to hop into blood gulch and fuck up some Reds or Blues

Can't you download the patch early only if you preorder the digital edition from Xbox Live? At least, I think I read somewhere that it was like that.

 

[raulpica]

You realize printing another disc would cost them almost nothing, right? Look at FF13 on the Xbox 360: it had three discs and still cost the same price as the PS3 version. As well, Halo has done the single player on one disc and multiplayer on the other before, which makes what Tom said even more logical, as that is a viable model for Halo releases.

360 used DVD-DLs which are dirt-cheap, One uses BluRay discs which cost quite a bit more. Multiply that for a few hundreds of thousands of copies and that additional disc quickly adds up to the cost There you go.

 

[Kayot]

I want to play the Halo series, but I can't till it comes to PC. I hate FPS games on consoles. Then again, I dislike any game that hits a console and not the PC.