Cut PS3 Load Times By Half, Free Middleware Offered

CRI Middleware Co. has announced today that their middleware "File Majik Pro for Playstation 3" will be offered to PS3 licencee developers at no cost, starting June 2008 until March 2010.

File Majik Pro is a software that utilizes CRI Middleware's own data compression and expansion algorithms, and optimizes file arrangement of the game data to cut down the load time for games to less than half of it's original load time.

As explained by CRI's File Majik Pro Homepage, Load Time = Read Time + Seek Time. File Majik Pro is able to cut down the Read Time by the compressed data and the ability to unzipping them along side with the read time simultaneously; by re-arranging the data on disk in the order which they are needed will cut down the Seek Time. This also means the developers are able to fit more data onto the disk due to the data compression.

According to CRI, File Majik Pro is able to cut down the load times of:
Wii by reading 50mb off DVD, from 10.9 sec to 4.6 sec (2.4 times faster)
Wii Ware by reading 20mb off memory, from 2.3 to 1.1 sec (2.1 times faster)
360 by reading 450mb off DVD, from 36.3 to 15.5 sec (2.3 times faster)
PS3 by reading 200mb off BluRay, from 22.8 to 9.9 sec (2.3 times faster)
PSP by reading 20mb off UMD, from 11.1 to 5 sec (2.2 times faster)
NDS by reading 2mb off NDS Cart, from 1.4 to 1 sec (1.4 times faster)

----------------------------------
Editor's Note: The above are info translated from the original Famitsu.com article and CRI Middleware Homepage in Japanese.
Story URL links to a Babelfish Translation of the original Famitsu article.
Credit URL links to the Famitsu ariticle in Japanese.
File Majik Pro's Homepage is added as alternative source in both original and translated versions.

[Expy]

Will be interesting to see if this middleware application gets used now.

[bumnut]

maybe they could get mgs4 to actually run for the bluray drive instead of the hard disk.

[JoelR]

Not nearly as useful as they make it out to sound

1) all developers know data ordering contributes to load times

2) compression - allows a false sense of faster access (data density is higher) but it you want uncompressed non lossy data this does not help (AKA: Most textures and audio on the PS3)

[akaFullMetal]

cool, if it is used

[Jim Crowslaw]

I see no big problem wit the PS3's current load times.

[Breakfast]

Some games theres a problem. Mostly older games.

Hopefully this will help games stream faster...MGS had short load times every 5-10 minutes....especially with the end of Act 2.

[Jim Crowslaw]

yea i guess u got a point. Now i think of it i really hated them "random" load points in Sigma....like wtf?

[Bubble Buddy]

"Mostly older games. " Anybody played Sonic the Hedgehog before? There was more loading than gameplay in that game.

[thehitman]

The install times it what needs cutting. Loading fine Installing not. Some games dont even have loads for the ps3 so what they going to cut then??? This is useless.

[bigshynepo]

I think they are using the word "load times" loosely...I think file access times might be a better description.

I'm fine with the install....when you are halfway through the game, do you even think about your initial install????

(now now, don't quote MSG4, I know all about the multi installs and I hope that strategy is reserved only for games of the highest caliber if they need it..)

[joydestroy]

yeah dude, all games have loading times.
for instance, loading graphics as they pop-in.

[Dir_en_grey]

Faster loading and faster file access time would also mean shorter HD install time I think. Anything faster would be good =)

[Capt CHAOS]

Look above and compare the 360/PS3 times (the PS3 one is for 200mb, the 360 one is for 450mb). With the software, 450mb is 22.28 seconds on the PS3 and 15.5 secs on the 360.

But it's not a big deal as the installation can speed it up alot.

[thehitman]

install times are completely unnecessary PLAY UNCHARTED. END POINT. No loads no nothing then tell me if its the loading or the install times that needs to be cut. Installations are just a quick way for devs to get out of using the Ps3 efficiently until they fully can.

[Baka-akaB]

Lol dont you understand that installs are there because of loading times ?

[Shaka2K6]

All gamez on the xbug 180 have abysmal load times.

[Aclay]

The PS3's game load times have already been shortened due to the game installations, and anything that would speed them up even faster is awesome.

[whateva]

the more they learn about the new tech the better things get for the gamers

[Ri0tSquad]

Lets hope developers use this.

[games4fun]

the most important part about this tech is this "This also means the developers are able to fit more data onto the disk due to the data compression."

meaning 50gigs just got a whole lot bigger in the developing world hopefully more devs will utilize this space (they havent yet except for mgs )

@bigshynepo i hope your right about that too draw distances and graphics could get an upgrade as well if file access times are improved

@everyone i'm just glad this tech can be used for all games/consoles, its nice knowing that there is a possible improvement for everyone across the board to get more out of the current consoles and beyond. If this even improves games by 1% i'm glad this tech came and the improvements on it which are sure to follow

[bigshynepo]

I hate the "Now Loading...." "please press start" on MGS4. I want preloading of levels and cutscenes so there aren't any in game pauses unless I hit start. Is that so much to ask? ;o)

[thewhoopimen]

Its proprietary info/tech. Konami is an outside company. Sony doesn't want their technology filtering to their competitors Nintendo or MS.

[SynGamer]

My concern is that the PS3 devs will continue to use 'installations' as an excuse to bypass improving their code. Most installs on the PS3 are 5GB...now, if someone bought a 20GB PS3, they can install 3 games...someone who bought the 40GB PS3 can install 7 games...not bad, but people will obtain more than 7 games in a short matter of time. I could understand 1-2GB installs but 5GB is insane. It needs to end. I'll take *slightly* longer load times over my HDD filling up with useless crap.

[Dir_en_grey]

Well since this application is free, devs have an option of using this or HD install or both for us to choose.

[MpV35]

Anything that makes the gaming experience faster is okay by me.

[princejb134]

is it possible to add this to like a firmware to make games load fast
just asking
such as motorstorm for the ps3 it takes a while for me to get a game running, the load time is ridiculous in that game

[Dir_en_grey]

This application compresses and re-arranges the data on disk so it can be accessed faster. Wouldn't make sense for it being a patch because it can't alter what's on disk already; and for HD installs the data is already on your HD, wouldn't make sense to compress and un-compress them again.

[PS3ALLDAY122]

ME TO TAKES WAY TO LONG FOR THE VEHICLES TO LOADIN SICK OF IT

[iMad]

XBOX 360: 450 MB = 33,6 sec
PS3: 200MB = 22,8 sec -> 450 Mb = 200Mb x 2,25; 22,8 x 2,25 = 51,3 sec,

450MB: = 51,3 sec on PS3 compare to 33,6 on XBOX 360 is 1,53:1. I guess that's why PS3 have installs. BD in PS3 on average is 1,5 times slower than DVD in XBOX 360.

[Silogon]

While I agree the Blu-ray drive is slow, it isn't without its perks. For instance when a game takes a mere 7 gb's of data to completion, that data can be duplicated for nonexistent loads as we've seen now in Oblivion & The darkness and several other Ps3 games.

Why the xbox 360 dvd drive was at the current medium water mark at the time for all dvd drives, it still isn't as fast as my dvd drive in my computer and it is very comparable to the blue ray drive in terms of seconds still.

What I am saying is, it could be worse. The BD drive could be minuets slower instead of mere seconds, ya know?

[Ali_The_Brit]

k, whats your point imad?

[AuToFiRE]

the bluray is a new technology, the drive runs at 2x at 72 Mbits/s when your futile DVD drive operates at 12x at 126.8 Mbits/s
Bluray technology isnt that fast yet, so if there was a 12x bluray drive it would read at 432 Mbits/s

the next generation of PS3s will have a faster drive, all the ps3 needs to beat the 360 is a 4x which reads at 144 Mbits/s

[DaffyD]

For PS3 owners that is good news, but for XBox 360 owners and especially for XO Core owners that is really excellent news. If they really can more than double the speed of data reading from DVD-9, there will not be any need to use HDD for data buffering even in big sandbox games like GTAIV.

Also if it's possible to compress even more data to DVD-9 without losing processing power to real time decompression, that would help developers create even bigger games to single DVD-9 disc.

[thewhoopimen]

I think the 360 games are already using something like this in their tech. Having less than 9.4 GB to work with per disc and no HD, necessitates this technology for the xbox360 titles. I think only Naughty dog has implemented something like this on the PS3 side.

[blackblades]

So in that case I guess they want need nomore 4 gigs install.

[Egzekutor]

Load times are not as bad as people say..I got no problem with that, BUT having the game load 2x faster will be great. Maybe Resistance 2 has used this + install = NO LOADING screens ?

[Vitalogy]

Game developers could use this software to make their video games even better by making use of the full capacity of the BD dual layer.

Anyway, i must agree with some opinions here that the load/install times on PS3 aren't that bad.

The first install of the MGS4 is showing a 8min on the screen but mine only took 6min to complete and, along the game it will be required others install marked to 2min (more less) and it only tooked 1min (or less) to me.

The game is runing pretty well here and loading fast too.

[AllroundGamer]

wow i hope they will use it on every game from now, it would probably also remove the HDD installs.

[JoelR]

It only applies to compressed data

few things to point out...

1) the x360 and the PS3 has the same increase if using compressed data on the disc 2.3x

2) Compressed data is generally lossy (lossless has a limit to compression) so why compress - if you want best quality don't compress data

3) what level of compression are they using? compression ratios vary and so does the speed at which it is compressed or decompressed. If I make the compression lower I can speed up decompress and what they call read time.

4) it does not speed up the drive it reads and loads at the same speed as it did before - but since the compression makes the data density higher it simulates faster load speeds (would not really affect lossless compression - just lossy compression.)

[SSCOOLCHEA]

gamers are gay you mfers are spoil . whats a little wait ?