Are game file sizes getting too large?

[Chazore]

LegitHyperbole said:

Chazore said:

File size compression is becoming a lost art with modern game dev.

Also doesn't help that not everyone on the planet has blazing fast, uncapped net, let alone for a decent price. I've got the storage for games, but when it comes to AAA, I am now having to uninstall games that grow too large (like Sea of Thieves, a game that has outgrown WoW's install size, and is catching up to ESO's filesize).

There are games like Titanfall 2 that simply dump all audio language files upon the user, even if they do not speak all those additional languages. We're also seeing games follow Capcom's approach, where you have to download mb and gigs worth of DLC, content you still do not yet own, but is locked away on your own console/PC, and none of it was by choice of the user, but by the publisher, which I feel is unfair to just drop on the user, to occupy user file space and then ask for money to unlock said downloaded files on your own system.

Live service games are also taking the mickey by expecting you to download gigs worth of updates, like SoT, where you're mostly downloading cosmetic items you buy from the Pirate emporium for real money, onto your system. I dread booting up Steam and seeing an update from Rare every few weeks, because I know it's going to be yet another 8-10gb "update" that does barely anything for me. 

Well, I suppose we have to be thankful the trend from a few years ago of wiping the game and making the gamer download nearly the full file again over and over like with Overwatch on ps4. That one was rough. 

Oh it gets worse.

I recently downloaded a new update for Elder Scrolls Online, and it made me redownload 90gb, basically the whole game again, and there are some indie games on Steam that do the same, just so they can repack and unpack the games back again on your drive.

Thankfully there are some game devs that look back on their games and manage to work some magic into trimming down their game's file size, and I honestly wish more studios were doing that.

Also Ubisoft was an ass to me when I downloaded Creed Black flag on Steam, booted up the game, only to be told by U(Can't)Play, that I needed to download the game on their client as well. I did , but then it turned out I had 2 file folders of the same game, both taking up double the space, and deleting either of them meant I couldn't play the game I bought on Steam...