No upfront install for Fallout 3

By Rob Fahey Published 29 May, 2008

Bethesda using PS3 HDD more intelligently.

Bethesda marketing bod Pete Hines has revealed that Fallout 3 won't have a mandatory install process on the PlayStation 3 - instead making use of the console's hard drive in a more dynamic and intelligent way.

Speaking to gaming blog Joystiq, Hines said that the lack of an install process didn't mean the game wouldn't benefit from the hard drive. Rather than making the user wait for a "large, upfront install", the game shifts data to the hard drive in the background as you play.

In total, Fallout 3 will use about the same amount of HD space as Oblivion, which probably means that it'll have a 4 to 5 gigabyte cache.

Admittedly, the whole question of install process seems to instigate more anger and fervour among those who don't own PS3s than it does among PS3 owners themselves. However, it's still good to hear that at least one developer has worked out how to take advantage of the HDD without giving us a mandatory "go off and make a cup of tea" process before playing the game.

Fallout 3 will be launching on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this Autumn. As far as Kieron is concerned, it's looking like Christmas will be early this year - as you'll no doubt surmise from his enthusiastic preview.

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About Rob Fahey

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Comments (27) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Widge #1 4 years ago

    While they did a wonderful conversion job with Oblivion for the PS3, I really hope there is nothing gamebreaking in Fallout 3, and if there is, I hope they can be bothered to FIX IT THIS TIME.

  • penhalion #2 4 years ago

    Did I miss something here? Oblivion doesn't work if you don't have enough room for the cache (found that out the hard way on a friends 40gb). It may not be a mandatory install but, that's not the point. The complains are about the fact that the PS3 hard drive isn't big enough to sustain all these installs. 40gb is enough room for 6 or 7 installs if you also download psn games and have saves for other games too.

    It shouldn't ever be necessary to un-install a games data just to play your latest game. A lot of casual gamers don't actually even know how to do this! I think Sony are storing up a world of hurt on this subject. It may even be why they are seriously looking at an official sony add on drive.

  • Widge #3 4 years ago

    They should really educate people, or at least highlight IN BRIGHT YELLOW the bit in the manual where it gives instructions on how to upgrade your drive yourself.

  • Wyrm #4 4 years ago

    Shouldn't really have to upgrade the drive just to play more than a handful of games though should you.

  • Widge #5 4 years ago

    its once you're going past the more than a handful mark that its the issue.
    still with something where the option of dumping loads and loads of data is present, it needs to be made common knowledge. Perhaps a Sony brand drive is the key you know? With a 360, there is the official hard drive, which highlights the fact that the thing is upgradeable.

    I've not really encountered an issue as of yet, and I do have quite a big wadge of stuff on my drive. Lots of games, lots of demuxed .mkv files too, yet still 13gb or so to spare.

  • daz_john_smith #6 4 years ago

    Why can't there be an option to turn on and off the use of the HDD for the smoother experience and added features. That way both PS3 and 360 users can choose to use their HDD's or not.

  • ps3owner #7 4 years ago

    I suppose the PC version will be the way to go on this. I've played all other version's before and loved them. Can't get my head around the concept of Fallout on console.

    could be wrong though. hm... then again. I only use my PS3 to play games now, don't have time for PC games anymore (that's called a casual gamer then??)

    I'd probably have to spend at least £1k in order to play games on my PC again. can't be bothered.

  • Rash' #8 4 years ago

    "Admittedly, the whole question of install process seems to instigate more anger and fervour among those who don't own PS3s than it does among PS3 owners themselves."

    +1

  • Rash' #9 4 years ago

    daz_john_smith: Simplicity it seems is lost on devs...

  • penhalion #10 4 years ago

    I remember how frustrating it was on PS2, to have to delete saves from memory cards simply to play the latest FF game or any game that required saves for that matter. As PS3 finally gains the games catalogue such as Drakes 2 or a new ratchet and clank etc. etc. If they all require installs, then which games do you delete to make room. Suddenly you have to think long and hard about what you will be re-playing and what you will not. It's a forced choice that the end user simply shouldn't be asked to make in the first place. I still play ICO on occasion for frak sake!

    For everyone who says "Just upgrade the hard drive". Taking the role of a casual for a second, I simply say are you going to buy it and install it for me? Is that a no? Then shut up!

  • Darren #11 4 years ago

    I thought the way Oblivion installed 4.4 GB to the HDD transparently (i.e. with no notification or prompting or obviously longer loading times) was brilliant and this is a game where installing it to the HDD benefits ingame loading times, which were often half as long as those of the 360 version. So I wouldn't personally have objected to Fallout 3 on the PS3 having an HDD install if it was done and utilised in the same way. Bethesda are certainly not lazy developers like some I could mention... *coughs*Capcom*coughs*...

  • Darren #12 4 years ago

    Oh and I can't wait for Fallout 3... Oblivion is still the best console game of this generation by far IMO so if this new game is only half as good, well it will still be amazing.

  • OnlyMe #13 4 years ago

    penhalion: deleting saves from your memory card on the PS2 doesn't even remotely compare to removing install data on the PS3. It's more like deleting your saves on the PS3, but you will probably never have to do that, since the saves in themselves are very small.

  • paulf #14 4 years ago

    im not too fussed about using the harddrive for whatever, what does annoy me though is countless loading screens, if using the hdd means less loading screens then i'm all for it

  • MrCrun #15 4 years ago

    There really should be a PS3 compatible hard drive available in game stores. Packaged with a USB cable to transfer the contents from the old HDD to the new before swapping them, it should be fairly simply. That way it could be fairly competitive, which would hurt MS with their expensive HDD, and relatively simple.
    They should also release an update so it's easy to backup all the savegames only, instead of doing it one at a time.
    Note: not a Sony fan really, I hate both equally, but I don't like the price of the Xbox HDD.
    Edited by 1 at 29/05/08 @ 12:28

  • Bobrek #16 4 years ago

    TBH alot of the installs on the PS3 don't take THAT long. An intelligent thing to do if you're a hardcore gamer with 10 + games is to uninstall the games you don't play regularly. For instance, you might have bought Heavenly Sword and not played it for 6 months. Do you really need to leave it installed? Surely if the feeling comes upon you to play those kind of games you can wait 10 minutes while it installs.

    On top of that factor, if you really are a hardcore gamer then upgrading your hardrive should be a relatively small expense when compared with buying 20 games at release!

  • APHIZM #17 4 years ago

    Do whatever to allow the game to run at its best. However, I do agree that the standard PS3 HDDs are not big enough for installs if users expect to use it for game and video downloads too. I filled up my 60gb HDD last night, but it was a good opportunity to delete the Haze demo that was stinking up the place. But apart from that, there wasn't a lot else I wanted to delete.

  • kangarootoo #18 4 years ago

    I can honestly say that I really don't care about HDD installs either way. So I had to wait 10 mins before firing up GTAIV for the first time. Oh my broken heart, hear it cry.

    Maybe when I am 90 years old with only moments of life left I will give a toss about those extra five minutes, but until then I'll just go make a cup of tea or take a crap whilst the game installs. And if I run out of space on my HDD I'll delete the install for some game I don't play anymore. And if it REALLY becomes a problem, I'll get a bigger hard drive. Job done.

  • Artemus #19 4 years ago

    If you're running out of space, you're left with two choices really. You either delete a couple of older games or upgrade the HDD. I decided to upgrade mine last week to 250Gb and was surprised how piss easy it was. I used external USB drive to back up my old drive and then restored that to the new one. Also bought an enclosure for the old 60GB so I could use it as another USB external harddrive.

  • jonsaan #20 4 years ago

    'Admittedly, the whole question of install process seems to instigate more anger and fervour among those who don't own PS3s than it does among PS3 owners themselves.'

    amen to that.

    +10 @kangarootoo

  • kangarootoo #21 4 years ago

    Someone linked to microdirect a while ago regarding this subject. Their hard drives and external caddies are both ludicrously cheap.

    Edit: Link
    http://www.microdirect. co.uk
    Edited by 1 at 29/05/08 @ 13:59

  • Ryze #22 4 years ago

    Intelligence - at last! ^ and they're walking / driving distance from me also.
    Edited by 1 at 29/05/08 @ 14:23

  • miiiguel #23 4 years ago

    ""Admittedly, the whole question of install process seems to instigate more anger and fervour among those who don't own PS3s than it does among PS3 owners themselves."

    +1"

    Like the RRoD (thrice).

  • septimus #24 4 years ago

    It's mainly people who don't own a PS3 that bitch about installs and try to make it a negative. Have 15 games for PS3, most of them use the HDD and I have 14 PSN games. I still have 35GB free on my 60GB unit. More than enough, and when I finish with a game I can delete it's cache and keep my save game. What is the fucking problem?

    MS will release an update that allows far more caching to the Elites HDD (I hope they do anyway, big games like Halo having to replace the game cache each time I put Mass Effect in for example, is stupid and slow). My 120GB HDD still has 90GB of space just sitting there doing nothing (and that include 16 XBLA games and a few originals).

    @Artemus - what model of HDD did you get?

    Also miiiguel, RROD isn't blown out of proportion. I had 4 die and every 360 owner I know has had at least 1, (not hugely extensive admittedly, about 30 on friends list, but know them all in real life).
    Edited by 2 at 29/05/08 @ 15:27

  • Darren #25 4 years ago

    Well I do own a PS3 with a 320 GB HDD installed, specifically because of the number of games that have mandatory installs. However, I do feel that the PS3's slow BD drive is a weak point if developers have to force these HDD installs on users because IMHO they should ALWAYS be optional. The PS3 is a games console, designed with ease of use in mind, not a PC where game installs are common practice. I'd imagine that there'll eventually be a backlash from owners of 40 GB HDD PS3s once they find they've ran out of space because of these forced installs. There's no need for them as they're used by lazy developers only to speed up loading times because BD is too slow, not for making the games themselves better. After all most 360 games don't use the HDD and they're no worst and quite often better than the majority of PS3 games despite running off DVDs.

  • Artemus #26 4 years ago

    @septimus

    I bought this one.

  • mkreku #27 4 years ago

    I sometimes have to clean my PS2 Memory card from old save files because it is full. So the hard drive on the PS3 is the new Memory card. What's so difficult about cleaning it every once in a while? I don't really get the problem.