mandatory installs suck and no one should be defending them. Installs for PC probably stem from having to support multiple hardware setups, which consoles don't have to deal with. Again, patches for PC's are mainly for hardware incompatibilities (or should be anyways).

However, this mandatory install and patch business is crap, and proves again why Nintendo has the best console. When Nintendo starts walking down this road it will be a sad day for gaming.

Well I got a 250gb HDD so bring it on!!!

First I borrowed Gran Turismo 5 Prologue from a friend. And the install was something like 5-6 GB.
Later I got in on PSN and the full game was something like 3 GB.
That is quite an improvement.

While I'm with you that mandatory installs suck, but you sure know how to cherry pick to strengthen your argument. Namely the low and high extremes for time taken for the 360 and the PS3 respectively. Lost Odyssey took longer than DMC did to install, plus I had to hang around to switch the discs.

Yeah, mandatory installs suck ass. Being forced to wait a few minutes in order to play the damn game is ridiculous. Seriously, we're not on PC's here.

On the other hand, it's not exactly all rosey on the 360 side. I end up doing the optional install whenever I can because the benefits (to me) are practically mandatory... the loading times and noise on the console can be pretty ridiculous. Worst of all, thanks to the proprietary BS I'm stuck with a 14gb HD. That's only enough room for 2 DVD's, can't even fit a 3 disc RPG on it.

Now, it's not the end of the world (don't bring up the Wii's problems, I'm aware), but it's still an issue. One I hope is fixed on the next set of consoles...

@nordlead: The patches for games I play on the PC often come with content or fix balance issues. I think it's debatable whether that's a good thing or not, just two different models really. I can't imagine playing some games without the developers' continued support (even when unincluding MMORPG's, which require it).

Rainbird said: Actually, 5120 MB is exactly 5 GB But I agree, mandatory installs suck

That's funny. 

Like many people, I don't mind the installs.  It is the small price we have to pay for having large capacity scratch free discs.

Only 5? They're not trying hard enough ;/

I've had games that take up 5.5 gigs on my hard drive. They should make it 11 gigs and brag about it, 360 fans will know that it would only be possible with multiple discs, and we can laugh at them :)

That's becouse the bigger version puts some huge trailer or something similar to the disc while PSN version is game only.

Anyone still making a huge deal over mandatory install's is just foolish. It's simply another one of the smallest things in the world to complain over as each other console on the market has some HUGE crippling problem with it. Manage space, who gives a crap. You don't like installs, we get it. I don't like paying for online play, and I don't like the Wii's graphics -_- Let's all be friends no?

Thank you for your post Norlead. I was the starting to think BengaBenga and I stepped into some sort of bizarro world. A world in which the shortcomings of PC gaming becoming prevalent on consoles is a good thing. Glad to see some more sanity in thread. Of course I should have expected this thread not to end well when the OP botched the MB to GB conversion.