This is not only a problem for the XBox, it's an issue for the PS3 at the same time. As developers work on multiplatform games, they're going to want to keep the DVD's limited space in mind so they don't have to spend twice as much to make the same game, thus hindering the PS3's capabilities as well. We're seeing the 8GB maximum already starting to become an issue with games like Assassin's Creed, and this is just the beginning of the current gen's life cycle. So I'm wondering, is there a solution for this mess?

1. Multiple Discs: Lost Odyssey will be released on a positively silly 4 discs. We haven't seen this practice since the original PlayStation, which actually became pretty common back then. Will people tolerate multiple discs again? Is it feasible for any other genre besides linear RPGs? At the same time, it's good to know that developers don't feel they are being restricted and are willing to take the multiple DVD approach.

2. Use the harddrive? PCs never have to worry about disc space being an issue, because they just put all the data onto the harddrive, which at the same time speeds up load times, etc. This is a farfetched idea that will probably never come into fruition, but if MS were to sell a larger harddrive (The 120g? 200g?) at a reasonable price (hell, PC HDs are dirt cheap at those sizes) that would be a nice fix to this potentially destructive problem.

3. Multi-layered DVDs? I don't know much about the technical stuff that goes into making a disc, but I know that most are multilayered these days. Have we reached the max on that? Can we add more layers?

4. The HD-DVD add-on: Never mind, not going to happen.

Any other ideas? I hate to see the 360's potential go to waste so early on. PS3 definitely has a huge opportunity to strike a blow at Microsoft if they know how to take advantage of it.

You forgot two solutions:

Procedural generation. On-the fly generation of textures and such via pure code instead of storing them raw on the disc. But actual consoles may be too weak to do that. Also, this is a very heavy duty for developers so by default there are some that won't even try that like UbiSoft, Rockstar or EA (except Maxis)

Downloadable games. Instead of storing the entire game on the disc, sell the disc and download the rest of the content via something like Steam, but not all people will be able to do that (broadband, hard-drive, etc.)

The most simple one is multiple-discs.

I kind of have a problem why people view limited dvd space as a problem. Just go multi with the discs. If we lived through it during the ps1 era why not now as well. Sometimes the simplest of solutions are....simply the best.

Well, expect a lot more Blu-ray games in the future as the BD becomes more popular and most likely a dirt cheap solution to the problem that you are presenting.

In some games multi disc solution doesn't just work. GTA4 is good example.

^ if that's the case, HDD is the best option out of the predicament. It has been said many times that swapping a HDD for a bigger one is not a problem.

here are the real solutions

1. use real time graphics, not FMV

2. Don't put 6 languages of dialogue in 1 game.

3. Compress the audio heavily, or slightly downgrade the quality slightly.

I have a hard time seeing how gamers can be so against solutions like these.

john, or just move on over to the PS3 and put your game on a BD disc. 2.5X's the storage capacity.....for now until BD-50's become more popular

or just put it on a system with a userbase that is 2.5x bigger, I think developers prefer that to the 2.5x storage capacity.

Multi-disc games didn't go away with the PS1, they existed on GC and PS2 as well. Also, isn't Blue Dragon multi-disc?