xbox 360 - 7gigs of 9gig storage

[D.D.]

something odd was shown to me a little while ago. apparently the xbox360 can only use 7gigs of a 9 gig dual layer dvd. this is the first time ive seen a "next-gen" console step backwards in terms of storage medium space (compared to PS2 and Xbox), which strikes me as weird, but even more so when you consider that a harddrive isn't standard such that a caching system for decompression/preloads cannot be abused.

some of the "is it enough space" debates have been discussed before, but in light of this sudden loss of 2 gigs (thats 22% of what was previously though!)...i think this topic may deserve to be looked at again.

http://www.gamersreports.com/index.php?sid=3138

Some new technical info on the XBox360 has leaked from CEDEC, a convention overseas. The event had a required Non-Disclosure Agreement, but somehow it got reported on anyway. Check out these new bits of info....

...In a double-layer DVD for Xbox 360, 7GB is usable by a game.

[Chrono Archangel]

I dont get how 2 gigs can be used as cache unless i missed the part where the XBOX360 could read AND write to the DVD... (honestly i havent followed the x360, so i guess it could be possible). wouldnt it be easier to put the cache on a HD?

[D.D.]

Originally Posted by Chrono Archangel

I dont get how 2 gigs can be used as cache unless i missed the part where the XBOX360 could read AND write to the DVD... (honestly i havent followed the x360, so i guess it could be possible). wouldnt it be easier to put the cache on a HD?

im sorry, i think you were referring to what i wrote.

i meant that this decrease in space (seemingly arbitrary loss of 2 gigs of a 9 gig dvd) is strange, but even more so if you consider that a harddrive is NOT guaranteed to be present such that a caching system cannot be abused by devs to make up for the already small space (for a HD, "nextgen" gaming system). there was no reference to caching through dvd (and its definitely impossible to write a retail dvd )

[Chrono Archangel]

ohh ****, i read wrong. it actually says 2GB of HDD is used for caching...man o man, how did i make that mistake....

ok yeah, so for the x360 to only use 7GB is kinda weird then.

[FrostyTheSnowman]

7GB?!? Wow, now THAT is a design flaw. Why can't the Xbox 360s DVD drive read a full disc? Isn't that a BAD thing for some DVD movies?!?

[Metalmurphy]

I believe this has to do with the disk scratch problem the 360 has, if you notice when the disk get scratched that way its makes a continious scratch on the end of the DVD radius, that must be the 2GB margin

[Chrono Archangel]

Originally Posted by Metalmurphy

I believe this has to do with the disk scratch problem the 360 has, if you notice when the disk get scratched that way its makes a continious scratch on the end of the DVD radius, that must be the 2GB margin

if thats the case......that would be ridiculous

[industrian]

Originally Posted by Chrono Archangel

if thats the case......that would be ridiculous

It'd certainly beat out the N-Gage's battery removal as the "WTF Were They Smoking?!" worst design flaw of all time.