370°

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)

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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.
Alternative Sources:
FMP Japanese Homepage - cri-mw.co.jp | By: Dir_en_grey
Translated FMJ Homepage - translate.google.com | By: Dir_en_grey
Dir_en_grey - contributor
Published: 539 days 1 hour ago | News | PlayStation 3 | Industry News | Dev News | Tech
 
 

Showing: 1 - 29 of 29 Comments
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Expy - 539 days 1 hour ago
1 -
Will be interesting to see if this middleware application gets used now.
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bumnut - 538 days 22 hours ago
1.1 - it sure would
maybe they could get mgs4 to actually run for the bluray drive instead of the hard disk.
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JoelR - 537 days 13 hours ago
1.2 -
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)
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akaFullMetal - 539 days ago
2 -
cool, if it is used
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Jim Crowslaw - 539 days ago
3 -
I see no big problem wit the PS3's current load times.
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Breakfast - 539 days ago
3.1 -
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.
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Jim Crowslaw - 539 days ago
3.2 -
yea i guess u got a point. Now i think of it i really hated them "random" load points in Sigma....like wtf?
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Bubble Buddy - 538 days 5 hours ago
3.3 -
"Mostly older games. " Anybody played Sonic the Hedgehog before? There was more loading than gameplay in that game.
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thehitman - 539 days ago
4 - The load times is not what needs cutting
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.
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bigshynepo - 539 days ago
4.1 - hmmm..
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..)
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joydestroy - 539 days ago
4.2 -
yeah dude, all games have loading times.
for instance, loading graphics as they pop-in.
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Dir_en_grey - 538 days 23 hours ago
4.3 -
Faster loading and faster file access time would also mean shorter HD install time I think. Anything faster would be good =)
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Capt CHAOS - 538 days 20 hours ago
4.4 - The install times are there BECAUSE the load times are so long on the PS3.
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.
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thehitman - 538 days 18 hours ago
4.5 - U guys are idiots
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.
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Baka-akaB - 538 days 18 hours ago
4.6 -
Lol dont you understand that installs are there because of loading times ?
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AclayPS3 - 539 days ago
5 -
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.
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whateva - 539 days ago
6 - and it just keep getting better and better
the more they learn about the new tech the better things get for the gamers
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Ri0tSquad - 539 days ago
7 -
Lets hope developers use this.
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games4fun - 539 days ago
8 - i think
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
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bigshynepo - 539 days ago
9 - Why couldn't they have released this to Konami?!!?!
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)
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thewhoopimen - 538 days 11 hours ago
9.1 - @9
Its proprietary info/tech. Konami is an outside company. Sony doesn't want their technology filtering to their competitors Nintendo or MS.
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SynGamer - 538 days 23 hours ago
10 -
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.
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Dir_en_grey - 538 days 23 hours ago
10.1 -
Well since this application is free, devs have an option of using this or HD install or both for us to choose.
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DaffyD - 538 days 21 hours ago
11 -
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.
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thewhoopimen - 538 days 11 hours ago
11.1 - @11
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.
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Egzekutor - 538 days 19 hours ago
12 -
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 ?
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Vitalogy - 538 days 18 hours ago
13 - This could be usefull...
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.
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AllroundGamer - 538 days 16 hours ago
14 -
wow i hope they will use it on every game from now, it would probably also remove the HDD installs.
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JoelR - 538 days 12 hours ago
15 - Complete load of crap without lots more details
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.)
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