Burning games to HDD

[IStillDoWhatIDo]

possibly a stupid question but:

I see people discussing burning games to their hard drives to make games run smoother. If you do this, do you need the game in your system in order to play the game?

Like... could I go to blockbuster, rent a game, store it on my hard drive, return the game, then still have it forever (or at least until I delete it)

[fishepa]

Re: Burning games to HDD

The game has to be in the drive to play off the hard drive on the 360.

[Klocker]

Re: Burning games to HDD

The game has to be in the drive to play off the hard drive on the 360.

yep... otherwise everyone and their mother would go to Blockbuster and rent it, copy it to HDD and return it.

I can't wait until they can implement some type of license checking method which protects the IP but allows us to play it without having disc in the tray all the time (like 3 boots of the game per disc check or something like that?)

[mgoblue]

Re: Burning games to HDD

yep... otherwise everyone and their mother would go to Blockbuster and rent it, copy it to HDD and return it.

I can't wait until they can implement some type of license checking method which protects the IP but allows us to play it without having disc in the tray all the time (like 3 boots of the game per disc check or something like that?)

Some here may be absolutely shocked to hear me say this, but I wouldn't mind if they linked the installed game to your Xbox 360 hardware ID, exactly like the DLC and Arcade games are. You could play the game anywhere off the disc, or only on that console without a disc. I'm not sure this is possible/feasible though.

[Klocker]

Re: Burning games to HDD

Some here may be absolutely shocked to hear me say this, but I wouldn't mind if they linked the installed game to your Xbox 360 hardware ID, exactly like the DLC and Arcade games are. You could play the game anywhere off the disc, or only on that console without a disc. I'm not sure this is possible/feasible though.

yes... that's the way to do it. good idea.


I am totally, utterly, completely done, sick and tired of disc media. (especially now that I'm spoiled by Netflix on the 360)

although I recently bought some long Optical and HDMI cables to allow my 360 to be right next to my gaming sofa so changing discs is now a lot easier.

I enjoy my game box art as well as the next guy but now that 360 shows box art on the screen it's just as well

[bkfount]

Re: Burning games to HDD

Some here may be absolutely shocked to hear me say this, but I wouldn't mind if they linked the installed game to your Xbox 360 hardware ID, exactly like the DLC and Arcade games are. You could play the game anywhere off the disc, or only on that console without a disc. I'm not sure this is possible/feasible though.

but XBLA games are purchased through Live, so they have proof you bought it. Just putting a rented or borrowed game on the HDD and linking the game to that console would be the same as having no validation checks at all. I assume the only reason they check the disk is to keep people from getting games for free or whatever.

I'm sure MS wants to move to your way eventually, maybe with the next console. Live could easily have a storefront to either purchase or rent games you download and use just like DLC or XBLA games. I actually think that they haven't done enough with retail games on Live, except for selling the mostly mediocre assortment of old xbox games. Their proprietary HDD's are too expensive and small for this to be realistic now anyways.

[mgoblue]

Re: Burning games to HDD

but XBLA games are purchased through Live, so they have proof you bought it. Just putting a rented or borrowed game on the HDD and linking the game to the console would be just the same as having no validation checks at all.

I'm sure MS wants to move to your way eventually, maybe with the next console. Live could easily have a storefront to either purchase or rent games you download and use just like DLC or XBLA games. I actually think that they haven't done enough with retail games on Live, except for selling the mostly mediocre assortment of old xbox games. Their proprietary HDD's are too expensive and small for this to be realistic now anyways.

Yeah, that's why I questioned the feasibility...I doubt that the DVD version of games has any sort of unique identifier, and could the first person to rent a game take the rights to play without the disc? That's not really fair or good.

[Klocker]

Re: Burning games to HDD

of course good points and could not be done with old games but perhaps new games could have "install IDs"?

[bkfount]

Re: Burning games to HDD

Yeah, that's why I questioned the feasibility...I doubt that the DVD version of games has any sort of unique identifier, and could the first person to rent a game take the rights to play without the disc? That's not really fair or good.

well people got all mad when Sony thought about putting a similar thing in bluray disks that could keep them from even being resold or rented.

The ideal solution that would cause the least amount of consumer dissatisfaction would be offering the option of downloading full retail games from Live, just like XBLA titles. I think for all the talk MS has done about digital distribution being the future, they aren't doing much about it yet. Even PSN has a few full retail games for download, while XBL has none.

[TheBadazz]

Re: Burning games to HDD

Even PSN has a few full retail games for download, while XBL has none.

I wanted to buy Burnout Paradise on PSN, but they wanted $29.99 plus tax. I bought the game from Amazon for $19.99 and free shipping.

[mgoblue]

Re: Burning games to HDD

well people got all mad when Sony thought about putting a similar thing in bluray disks that could keep them from even being resold or rented.

The ideal solution that would cause the least amount of consumer dissatisfaction would be offering the option of downloading full retail games from Live, just like XBLA titles. I think for all the talk MS has done about digital distribution being the future, they aren't doing much about it yet. Even PSN has a few full retail games for download, while XBL has none.

The thing is, I do kinda like having a dvd version of a game...it can take forever to download some demos, I can't imagine what 5-10 GB for a game would be. Even though I have the 120 GB HD for 360, I wouldn't be able to fit every game I've purchased. I'd then have to delete some, and re-download.

Either way (DVD+install or digital download) you lose the ability to sell back to Gamestop, eBay, wherever...not sure I like that path either, a lot of unintended consequences to think about.

[Jonesy]

Re: Burning games to HDD

The thing is, I do kinda like having a dvd version of a game...it can take forever to download some demos, I can't imagine what 5-10 GB for a game would be. Even though I have the 120 GB HD for 360, I wouldn't be able to fit every game I've purchased. I'd then have to delete some, and re-download.

Either way (DVD+install or digital download) you lose the ability to sell back to Gamestop, eBay, wherever...not sure I like that path either, a lot of unintended consequences to think about.

Very good points.

I guess the only way it could work is if:

1. The games would have to be much cheaper than you could buy from a retail store
2. The HD's get bigger or they let people use an external HD (can you do that for the 360 yet like you can with the ps3?)
3. They have to up the maximum download speed because it simply takes to long now even if you have a great connection.

A system like steam for PC's could work well and is probably the way we'll end up going in the long term imo. It would kill the reseller market though and could potentially put places like gamestop out of business so there would be many obstacles to it happening.

[fishepa]

Re: Burning games to HDD

I wanted to buy Burnout Paradise on PSN, but they wanted $29.99 plus tax. I bought the game from Amazon for $19.99 and free shipping.

I thought Burnout was $19.99 on PSN. I guess I was wrong.

[Klocker]

Re: Burning games to HDD

well people got all mad when Sony thought about putting a similar thing in bluray disks that could keep them from even being resold or rented.

The ideal solution that would cause the least amount of consumer dissatisfaction would be offering the option of downloading full retail games from Live, just like XBLA titles. I think for all the talk MS has done about digital distribution being the future, they aren't doing much about it yet. Even PSN has a few full retail games for download, while XBL has none.

of course DD is the future and I would love that now (and have an elite) but people with smaller HDDs would not have room