umm.... they aren't a problem because if you don't have the space, you can just delete something and/or go out and buy a 160GB drive for $60 or a 250GB drive for $80. And they won't be a problem in the future because if they get much larger than 5GB people will stop buying the games. It's as simple as that.

EDIT: check this out. 320GB for $86. With that baby, you could have 30 games with a 10GB install each and still have more than 15 GB left over.... I don't think installs will ever be a problem....

Yeah.

MS makes devs provide the same experience (other than load times) for the Arcade and the models that have hard drives.  Since all PS3s have hard drives, devs can shortcut a bit and 'rely' on them more.  Then 360 fanboys get pissy.

But hard drives in every system and fast load times are a feature of the console, not a detriment.  The devs will do what the devs will do.

No one plays 8 games at a time and needs all the installs.  keep your save install and f-ing delete the 5gb game install.  You are not playing all those games anyway, period.  Or, just install a bigger hard drive for cheap.  Can't do that in 360.

I seriously don't care and don't think about it. I have 35 gigs left on my 60. If and when I run out of space I'll delete installs of games I never play anymore. Whoop-de-do! It sucks if you're some hoer that plays ten different games at once.

Is the people who are telling here how cheap harddrives are and how easy they are to change, the same people who complain how expensive SD cards are and how hard it is to use them?

Considering some of the installs are big, there's a lot of downloadable content (including quite a large games) from PSN, PS3 seems to have maybe the biggest problem with the storage space (due to mandatory installs).

I don't get why there are good games that don't need to be installed while there are other games, that needs to be installed.

And PLEASE do not spin things. A forced installment WITHOUT a significant effect on the game is not a good thing. Loading times of GTA IV were more or less the same like on the 360 without a HDD. Same for DMC, Bourne or Bioshock (what we have heard so far, it will be more or less exactly the same game, check video-comparison) 

For me, this ruins the whole BluRay-argument. Why do I need Blu, when I have to install the game for more than 10 minutes anyway? Ironically the game would look exactly the same on a DVD, without the installment.

Imagine FF XIII coming out on 360 on 6 discs or something and people going crazy: "PS3 is superior!!! It fit on one single disc! I don't need to change a disc!!!11... Wait... got to install for 15 minutes..."

So in a word: This won't become a problem for the PS3 saleswise, but as a console-gamer, I just don't like the idea of forced installs. I mean 10 years ago, we had Plug n Play on the N64 without ANY loadings. Now we need to install for up to 20 minutes (DMC!) before the game actually starts. That is not an improvement IMO.

I hate mandatory installs. I don't see why they have to be mandatory... This is a BS concept to hide an issue somewhere....

40 Gb PS3 user with 20 games that require 2 Gb installs and you are having to manage your games library on the PS3. I feel sorry for the people that bought the initial 20 Gb machines... They are screwed unless they want to spend more money on an upgraded drive.

I just don't see why its manadatory and not optional.

No, he's trying to imply that PS3 owners are hypocrits, because obviously all PS3 owners think that changing the HDD is easy and that installs are no problem, but using an SD card for the Wii is too hard and it's flash memory is too small.

I'm not too worried about installs. But then I don't have many of the games with the biggest installs (Hot Shots Golf, Devil May Cry 4, Haze each have close to a 5 GB install). If I ever do reach the point where I don't have any more room, I'll delete my Heavenly Sword install (haven't played it in 6 months?). And then my Folklore (optional) install (seven months?). And then my Rainbow 6: Vegas 2 install (4 months?). And then my MGS4 install (2 months?). And then whatever other installs I have on it (I don't really keep track of them).

EDIT: But I will say that I don't like mandatory installs and wish that Sony had mandated that all installs have to be optional.  Or at least limit the install size to 1 or 2 gigs, instead of the current 5 gig limit.

@bobobologna: You got it right. Although i'm not saying all or most people would be, just the most vocal people propably are.

The PS3 mandatory installs expand the storage problem to offline consoles, when the competing consoles have problems only with online consoles.
Anyway, even in this thread someone have mentioned the ultimate solution for the storage problem delete what you don't need. Of course, more space doesn't hurt.

QFT

Yes. This whole post in a nutshell is why I have a PSWii setup (PS3+Wii, just so we're clear), and why ive never wanted a 3fixme. I mean 360.

Yea I feel u, pizza delivery boys are horrible :-). Anyways, Installs are a BIG problem, how is it that the 360 can do wat the ps3 needs an install to do, thats horrible.