GT5 Prologue download weighs 1.9GB

by Andrew Yoon { Mar 17th 2008 at 10:15AM }

To download or to get the Blu-ray version: that is the question.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue's release is coming rather soon for both our American and European readers. However, which version should one pick up? For those seeking instant gratification off the hard drive, perhaps the download is the way to go. But take note: the download weighs a hefty 1.9GB.

Some may be wondering: how come the game is so small when a Blu-ray disc can hold so much more? By getting rid of all the videos. Eurogamer explains: "Prologue reduces its footprint is by leaving cinematics on the server until you choose to download them from GT TV. You can choose to download the opening movie at any time, and when you finish Event series you're told that you can now download the end movie from the in-game high-definition TV download page."

Personally, this blogger is much more interested in picking up the retail copy. Who wants to wait to download over and over again?

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

Tags: gran-turismo, gran-turismo-5, gran-turismo-5-prologue, gt5

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Galley @ Mar 17th 2008 10:23AM

The BD can be resold; the DD cannot.

Dave Comeau @ Mar 17th 2008 12:07PM

No, but you can download it onto 5 different PS3s. I'll definitely buy the full version of GT5, but I think I might split the cost of Prologue with a few buddies and we'll each DL from one account.

This is easy enough to do, just create a new user on your mate's PS3, log in with your PSN account (don't save password) and then download it again. Without your pw saved, you don't have to worry about them having access to your PSN account.

RazLeboL @ Mar 17th 2008 12:34PM

@Dave Comeau

If it's like Warhawk, you won't be able to share it.

Dehshizknight @ Mar 17th 2008 4:29PM

Lol, with all those preorders an the price being $40 (just like Warhawk), Sony would be crazy not to restrict it to one account.

See, I just want them to make it accessible to more than one user on the SAME PS3. My brother can't play Warhawk on his own account...

_spike @ Mar 17th 2008 10:27AM

blu-ray all the way!!

i'm not a fan of digital download, unless they're small PSN size games.

Brian Spence @ Mar 17th 2008 10:29AM

Great point. This is why people want a physical medium over a digital distributed one. You have to wait for it to download (and you thought the install process for DMC4 was bad...) and you can't move it from machine to machine, and if your HD craps out, you're stuck (either SOL or you have to redownload from scratch).

sibbor @ Mar 17th 2008 10:32AM

Going to get the BD disc too, so Andrew, I'm with you.

Like Galley says, we can sell the GT5: Prologue disc or exchange it for some budget game when GT5 knocks on the door :-)

SG @ Mar 17th 2008 10:34AM

Yeah, but unfortunately there are a TON of lazy people who would much rather not have a physical copy so that that don't have to get up off the couch.

Seriously though... is there ANY other reason for why consumers would prefer DD over physical media?

gargaroots @ Mar 17th 2008 11:00AM

Well, actually I'm going for the DD... you know, I live in Brazil, and here a PS3 game costs around US$150.00 (The 80GB PS3 costs US$1500.00). So, of course I'll go for the DD. =)

Import taxes sucks. =(

Kase @ Mar 17th 2008 10:40AM

Yeah, you can resell the physical media anyway you want. Either for store credit at EB or Gamestop, or on Ebay and Craig's List. Try doing that with DD, and how would you by the way?

QDraw @ Mar 17th 2008 10:41AM

Would a digital download allow for sharing with other PS3's? Since Sony appears to approve of downlaod sharing, could a game like this be shared with others, thereby allow you to split the costs?

Iain @ Mar 17th 2008 3:02PM

you could play it on say you and a friends console. Like War Hawk you probably have to be logged in to play. No Psn sharing with this.

Vcize @ Mar 17th 2008 10:43AM

Whew, good thing there's a blu-ray option for this, it'd never fit on a regular DVD ;).

In all seriousness though, this boils down to which you prefer, ease of use (no disc swapping) or resale value and collectability.

P @ Mar 17th 2008 1:16PM

What, distribute it on DVD with compressed audio & movies, rather than on BD in full HD in all its glory, to save no more than £1/$2 at their end?? Why would they? They dont have to offer an inferior product because theres an inferior storage format out there, afterall they're already catering for one inferior distribution method.
joking or otherwise, just cos a barebones version could fit on a DVD doesnt mean a full blown version would, i'd bet the intro video could come close to filling a single layer dvd if its true HD, so it'd probably trash a DVD-9 or two.

Kspraydad @ Mar 17th 2008 10:48AM

Is there any information on how long SONY/PD have committed to running the servers for GT5P once GT5 hits?

Dahk @ Mar 17th 2008 10:53AM

I don't think GT5 has even been PLANNED for release yet. So I'm not too sure they're worrying about 'when GT5 releases'. But still, it'd be cool to have them cross-playable =P.

Plus I imagine most people willing to make the purchase of GT5:Prologue would be willing to jump on the GT5 purchase lol.

klitorisaurus @ Mar 20th 2008 2:55AM

Ha! Of course the release date has been planned, but if they tell you now, you might not blow $40 on the demo. It's pure genius the way they've created such a prologue frenzy. As for myself, I only order appetizers when I don't plan on eating a full meal. This will be one tasty game and I'm willing to wait for the real thing, it's the reason I bought a PS3 in the first place.

Zta @ Mar 17th 2008 10:56AM

I'm pretty sure that I'll download it. That way I can start the game immediately whenever I want, without having to change disc -- To me this, this is a great feature and very "next-gen".

But reselling and DLC are issues I haven't thought about yet.

For how long are the downloaded videos kept on the disk? Until they've been watched or until you choose to delete them? Are they placed in your videos menu under a GT5Prologue folder? This can in fact be implemented in a clever way ... but I doubt it is.

SG @ Mar 17th 2008 11:05AM

Wait. You feel that not having to get up, walk six feet to your PS3 and insert a disc is "next-gen"?

Are there actually that many people who have a PROBLEM with swapping discs? So much of a problem that they'd rather watch highly-compressed video and lose the benefits of a physical copy of something just for the dubious luxury of not having to get up off the couch?

It'll be interesting to see what happens to obesity statistics if DD ever takes off.

SQUIRTFORCE @ Mar 17th 2008 11:21AM

Ha, so SG your idea of fitness is getting up to change the game disc? You must have HUGE arms from all the reps you're doing.

Zta @ Mar 17th 2008 11:27AM

SG: I never said I had a problem with it. I'm just saying it's easier, and I think that's what consoles are all about. And now that I've got a HD, I want to take advantage of it:

Browse , X, play!

I know for sure that I wouldn't play the PSN minigames as often, if I was forced to get up, mess with game covers, eject, and insert before I could play flOw, Super Stardust HD, Lemmings, Everyday Shooter, Monsters, etc.

Schoolimangooli @ Mar 17th 2008 11:04AM

I don't like buying music on Itunes same goes for this. I like having the artwork and the case, and I lend CDs to my friends all the time.

Dahk @ Mar 17th 2008 10:59AM

Yup completely agreed.

Also, with Canada's $100/month 16mbps infrastructure (and maxes out at 7 mbps in the suburbs), I'm not assuming full DD of HD content would be too hawt for us. This isn't even gonna change anytime soon.

Server overload happens on launches too. And you'll never be able to play your content instantly at launch =P.

ISP infrastructures in Canada ftultimatelose.

Catdogburger @ Mar 17th 2008 11:08AM

I am going to have to say to defend the digital download right. This way when a game gets released on a certain day, you can start playing it on that day. For us here in Canada (where i am located anyway), unless its a BIG release (SSBB, Halo 3, Galaxy) the stores normally get the games 2-3 business days later than the actual release date. This is exacly the case of what happened with Warhawk. I "had" to download it because it never came to my town on the release date, but i could start downloading it immediately on that day, so that what i did, I have a feeling that this would probably happen with GT:5 prologue as well.

I know i am over excited, but that what happens when you don't want to wait.

Schoolimangooli @ Mar 17th 2008 11:12AM

Canada has free healthcare though.

chris.westermann @ Mar 17th 2008 11:14AM

I think Sony needs to consider a few policies for download games if they want this to become a more prominant method for game distribution. I got burned with Warhawk when downloading the game rather then buying it retail.
Warhawk is a good game but I didn't like it. When a friend of mine bought a PS3 I would have given him the game if I had it on media, but since I downloaded the game I am stuck with it. I can't give it away or trade it in for a new game.
Games have a limited lifespan, and while some of you might be die hard GT fans, many people are not and buying a game through the PSN forces you to own the game for life regardless of how long it takes for you to get bored of or hate the game.
First, there should ALWAYS a demo for downloadable game, a demo based on the actual game. There was no Warhawk demo. If there been one I would not have purchased the game. I can understand the difficulty of creating a demo, but if you can offer the game as a downloadable title then you can come up with a way to put it on a timer or limit its features until you purchase it. Its not rocket science. I think Sony even implements the ability to expire a game license through PSN. A demo of a game could be as easy as setting the license to expire a day or two after the game is first launched.
Second, you should be able to transfer the game to any other PS3 owner. I should be able to bring up info on Warhawk, press triangle, and then say give license to a friend in my contact list, period. It means that my copy is no longer valid to play but a friend can download and play the game. There could be a limited number of times the license can be transfered so that the game isn't just passed back and forth between multiple people indefinitely, but you should not have to be forced to keep a game you don't like while someone else have to pay for it. Why should a company make money off of two copies of the game when only one person is going to enjoy and play it?
Finally, perhaps offer a trade-in policy. Allow the ability to get credit to buy another game at such a time you decide you no longer want a purchased downloaded game. Sony can just cause the license to expire and also credit your account for some reasonable amount. It might encourage people to buy more games online if they know they can perpetually get credit once they no longer want the game.
Until such policies are implemented, I will most likely not buy any AAA title for download. For a few more dollars I don't mind buying a game disk which gives me the option to give the game away or to trade it in at some later date rather then stuck with 1.9gb of wasted space or a license on my account I will never use again.

RazLeboL @ Mar 17th 2008 11:37AM

They are losing millions because of stores like gamestop and Ebgames. Devs are not making any money out of used games.

I think it's just fair for those who worked on the game.

And about the wasted space, you can always delete it..

Edwin @ Mar 17th 2008 12:12PM

What???? How the hell can you not like Warhawk man? You are pretty much the first person here to say this, oh well, i respect your opinion.

Consolcwby @ Mar 17th 2008 7:51PM

Wow! With a wall of text like that, you've gotta be right! =p

...actually, Direct Downloading is in it's infancy, and until more experimentation on differing implementations can be done, this is what we got. If you don't like it, there's always the retail version. Right now, DD is seen as a niche kind of thing. =/