Battlefield 3 install optional on Xbox 360s but does improve performance – DICE
DICE have confirmed that Xbox 360 console owners will have an option to install a texture pack when they run their copies of Battlefield 3 as opposed to a mandatory install.
According to the game’s developer the optional install will enable the game to run and look better than if owners opt not to install it.
The optional install is nothing new to the industry with games such as Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 5 also offering gamers a choice on whether they wanted to install part of the game on their PlayStation 3’s Hard Drive. Something that Patrick Bach, Battlefield
3’s Executive Producer, pointed out:
“It’s the same thing we do for PC and PS3 (PlayStation 3), so there’s nothing extra.” Before continuing, “I think the controversy about this is that we actually let you do it on the 360 for once.”
He went on to explain how the install would help as, “You (gamers) can actually stream information from the hard drive. That’s new for the Xbox 360, but it’s not a new idea for the gaming industry as a whole.”
To be fair, DICE do present a fair argument, and seeing how certain Xbox 360 fans may be unfamiliar with the optional install, it is understandable that they might not be the most welcoming. However, there is a reason for that, which Bach himself pointed
out had been taken into consideration:
“The thing with the 360 is that you need to be able to give consumers a game where you don’t have to install it on a hard drive, because there are 360s without a hard drive.”
Bach also confirmed that gamers would see a noticeable difference in the game if they opted to install the required data, as the game was designed in a certain manner and that the install would unlock its true potential:
“The whole engine is based around streaming textures, streaming terrain and a lot of other content.”
DICE also explained that while the FrostBite 2.0 engine, which powers Battlefield 3, was not as demanding as many people would like to think, the game itself needed varying amounts of memory based on where the players were and what they were doing. In which
case, the extra data on the hard drive would ensure a smoother and better gaming experience.
The development process of Battlefield 3 has had a fair amount of criticism and controversy surrounding it, with console users disappointed by the fact that the maps and player limits on the PC version of the game would be less restricted as compared to
its console counterparts.
Gamers can find out for themselves however, when the game releases later on this month.
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