Why Do We Need To "Install" PC Games?

[godbrother]

... Why can't we just run them direct from the disc's like consoles?

 

[j_chatelain]

http://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/91lvh/why_are_pc_games_installed_instead_of_just_run/

 

[SpinachEater]

Because you need more spyware on you computer

 

[LePhuronn]

ooo think of the loading times pulling all that data in from a DVD

 

[godbrother]

ooo think of the loading times pulling all that data in from a DVD

I don't know really... Tech moves on. Consoles have cought upto PC's from a long run, yet then can just push and play but we need to install. With all the Quads, and Sata drives out there they should just have the option to "direct play from disc" when you insert the CD in for people that choose not to install.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Dekasav]

PC's use much better data than consoles do. Texture & models are much higher resolution for PCs, and therefore take much more data (and longer to transfer). Also, consoles use various tricks like streaming levels than PCs usually don't deal with.

Installing is a luxury, trust me.

 

[core i7 ownage]

Buy a new SSD and install a game on it, you will see. And loading from Disc is much slower and lower quality than HDD. Also it is easily damaged unlike HDD where you can't touch it.

 

[randomizer]

Because the game files need to be extracted from the disk, and more importantly, the game needs to have keys written to the registry. If it does not require registry entries, it does not need to be installed, and will work after a re-install of Windows providing the files have been extracted previously. I have run Crysis from a dual-boot OS that did not have it installed.

 

[gamerk316]

External media is far slower then loading from a HD (not even close). Nevermind the wear and tear that constantly using the CD/DVD drive would do...

Because the game files need to be extracted from the disk, and more importantly, the game needs to have keys written to the registry. If it does not require registry entries, it does not need to be installed, and will work after a re-install of Windows providing the files have been extracted previously. I have run Crysis from a dual-boot OS that did not have it installed.

Nothing is stopping a DVD only app from writing to/from the system Registry for its game settings.


The *best* solution, of course, is to load all game data into RAM at one shot. Of course, this involves more RAM then we have, and would cause massive load times...

 

[randomizer]

Nothing is stopping a DVD only app from writing to/from the system Registry for its game settings.

Of course, but that would still be "installing" (by my definition). Simply extracting the game files to a folder is, well, extracting.

 

[purplerat]

... Why can't we just run them direct from the disc's like consoles?

Because it's a step backwards. Physical mediums are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. I'm not sure why "insert disc and play" is still considered a plus for consoles over PCs. I'd rather just "click on the icon and play" and not have to worry about a disc at all which is what I currently do for 90% of the games I play on PC. The one time installation is A LOT less of a hassle than having to search for and swap out discs every time you want to play a different game. Why anybody would prefer to run games directly from a disc - or even use a disc at all - is beyond me, but then again I know people who still use cassette tapes for their music collection rather than MP3s.

 

[randomizer]

Most games still require a CD check without cracking them first though.

 

[godbrother]

Makes sense. Seen as it was bought up, I still had game dev's for not figureing out a way to use less resourses to play games. Take the PS3 for example... Only 256MB of ram yet plays games like GTAIV flawlessly. On the PC you would need at least 4GB to play it at a so called "OK" rate. I know it was a terrible port to begin with, but overall, you need double or triple tech to play a game with just higer graphics and thats about it.

Why can't people get the same performance as a console with only slighter higher hardware?

OK... I've started to sound gay, I know.

 

[randomizer]

The games can be heavily optimised on the consoles.

 

[godbrother]

Still ticks me off that we need to have Quad Cores with 4GB's of Ram, and GTX GPU's to play GTAIV at the same rate of a 360. It hurts I somtimes do want to go out and get a 360 for like 50 bucks off ebay, and use that instead. BUT I know I can't see my keyboard and mouse, so it will suck for me in FPS's.

 

[randomizer]

There are keyboards and mice for consoles too.

 

[godbrother]

Wow. For the 360? An actual keyboard and an actual mouse? Or is it one of those stpuid joypad addons?

 

[randomizer]

Here's one way to do it with the 360: http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12316/Connect-a-Mouse-and-Keyboard-to-Your-Xbox-360/

 

[ulysses35]

PC's use much better data than consoles do. Texture & models are much higher resolution for PCs, and therefore take much more data (and longer to transfer). Also, consoles use various tricks like streaming levels than PCs usually don't deal with.

Installing is a luxury, trust me.

Actually PC's dont user memory better than consoles. Consoles have typically 256mb of system ram and usually the same figure for Video RAM and can play COD4 in HD. Ok PC's have a higher resolution and therefore need more video RAM.

The reason why PC's have to install games is because there is such a wide variety of hardware out there. Why would you install code specific to one brand of video cards if you didnt have say an ATI video card ?

The chief reason being that your typical SATA HDD is faster are transfering data than CD/DVD drives.

 

[ulysses35]

Sorry forgot to mention - consoles do often install data on the internal HDD too.... though not to the extent that PC's do

 

[Devastator_uk]

For a start if you were to lower the settings/resolution in GTA IV to the same as a PS3 you would not need 4GiB of RAM, probably like 2GiB, granted it is still more than the 256MiB, but XP/Vista/7have a lot more overheads than the console's OS, you probably also have an anti-virus and msn installed, which also uses resources.

Also in the case GTA IV, the PC port wasn't very well made and is probably optimised for cell processors which PCs don't have. With a lot of other games you see less of a difference.

As for the CD/DVDs, I don't want to be swapping discs all the time, and for games I play a lot the disc would probably get too scratched to use after a few years, or even months for some people. I prefer that it goes on the hard drive, although I don't think they need to use that piece of rubbish known as the registry, which really doesn't need to exist.

And you do realise the best you can get from a console is a pewny 1080p, which is pretty much what I'd have had 10 years ago on a PC.

 

[core i7 ownage]

If we could save full game into RAM and play from it. Until we shut it down.

 

[godbrother]

[...delete post...]

 

[godbrother]

Here's one way to do it with the 360: http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12316/Connect-a-Mouse-and-Keyboard-to-Your-Xbox-360/

O boy... You shouldn't have shown me that. Good Bye PC gaming.... Goooood Friging Bye!!!

 

[godbrother]

^^ Seriously though. My friend wanted to sell me his 360 for £40. (60 bucks?) with controller and 1 game. I guess its worth it.

O no, o wait. somthings terribly wrong here. Are you telling me I can go ONLINE with the 360 useing a keyboard and mouse? And pwn all no0bs? I doubt that's possible. Even if it is, the speed of moving the aim around would be the same as the console right?

If so, then there is no point. Blah... Back to PC gaming.