The PS2 needed DVD far more than the current generation needs something larger. As of right now, there are exactly two Xbox 360 games which use more than one disc. Sure, they use 3 (Blue Dragon) and 4 (Lost Odyssey) discs, but it's still only two games. In the last generation, there were very few multiple-DVD games. (I can only think of two: Xenosaga Eps. 2 and 3 each used 2 single-layer DVDs) In the generation before, multiple discs for a game was not rare at all.

Edit: To clarify, the PS1 had several games with multiple CDs, therefore showing CDs weren't enough for the following generation. The PS2/Xbox switched to DVD and it wasn't a limitation at all to developers.

In this generation, it's honestly looking like the Xbox 360 is going to have about as many multi-DVD games as the PS1 had multi-CD games by the time it's over. That's perfectly reasonable and will indicate a necessity for the following generation to have higher capacity discs. I would also bet that the PS3 will have zero multiple-disc games in its lifespan and the following generation will introduce the first multiple Blu-ray games. After that, we don't even know if we'll still be using distributed media for games primarily.

I have a 20 gig model. Currently only 6.2 gigs are free. Everything on the console is stuff I want and use.

How does this help me? Thats probably only one game installed. Which if I get any more Rock Band DLC would probably have to be deleted. Naw, Im sorry but I think that it was a poor move that MS was forced into by wanting to get to market ahead of Sony. Wait another year and put a HD-DVD in the console (and won the HD wars in my opinion) or put it out with established DVD tech. They went with DVD drive.

Plus for MGS4 your looking at about 20 gigs or more to install it, that removes all 20 gig units from being able to do this.

They made a right move with the DVD format, if not they wouldn't been able to get that 2005 release with a 5 million install base lead over PS3. The gap is closing though. I read above that currently there's only two games that use multiple discs ( Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon ) With the upcoming onslaught of JRPGS ( Infinite Undiscovery, Lost Remnant, Star Ocean, and, sadly FFXIII ) and Fallout ( It's Bethesda, who's to say they won't make it huge, the total audio and speech took up half the DvD disc of Oblivion ) I can see more multiple Disc games. While it might be not much of a Hassle for the xbox community to disc swap, when will it get annoying? 5 discs? 6? 7?? But im only talking about RPG's, they're the only games that take the most space. Oh wait, MGS4 had periodical installs, with supposedly 50 gigs of data, that wasn't an RPG...

BTW HVD Is currently expensive for it to be used in the next Xbox, 1500$ for the drive, 120$ for one disc.

When the 360 came out, there was really no other option then the DVD. It's not that it was the right move, it was the only move.

360 launch date: November 22, 2005

First HD-DVD player: April 3, 2006 ($935)

First BD player: June 25th, 2006 ($999)

Yes, they made the smart move. If they are getting outsold by the PS3 now with a cheaper console, head start, and more games; think how bad it would be if they released at the same time and price.

Damn.. This is what I can't imagine. Pain staking costs of development for a game that probably sizes at a hefty 25gb+. I couldn't imagine how they would fair with a bigger "BIGGER" capacity. If I'm correct, I've read before that it can do a 1 TB? This is crazy.. I'm in!

One question in mind. How much would they cost? :S

I agree with Mrstickball Microsoft is probably going to bypass Sony altogether, and reach for the final format. Which is basically the holy grail of media. A drive that has massive storage capabilities, is fully backward compatible with all the most recent formats, and fully supports recording.

To do that they are going to want a format that supports upwards of a terabyte of storage, and further more supports recording. There are upwards of half a dozen viable formats that do just that nearing production. That is where Microsoft should go, because that is what the consumer really wants.

They want to be able to download and copy high definition movies to a physical format. They want to fill that format with entire television series. Even if next generations games use only a paltry amount of disc space the space that is free on the disc can be used for game memory storage. Given Microsoft's interest in digital distribution it would also be nothing less then a never ending stream of revenue. They could very well corner the market if they were to do that. After all why go to the store, or even buy movies through sources like amazon. When you can just download all of your movies to one disc or have an entire library on a few discs.

I would like to point out that the 360s currently in production are not particularly noisy, or at least not noisy enough to get all upset about -- or so I've heard.  I have to add that caveat, you see, because although I do own a 360, it is a launch model and sounds like a fucking vacuum cleaner. 

As for just turning the TV up, well, not all of us feel the need to be like Marty McFly in Back to the Future.

Anti-complaining will get you no where.

been there, heard that... by that I mean the loud DVD!

{smiley}

Difference is choice my friend. I prefer choice than none at all.