What Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Being On Two Discs Really Means

FF7 Rebirth’s unusual format makes sense.

[akuarius87]

It means the game is really big and they dont want to optimize, i personally think they want to show high quality assets without compression to brag about the ps5 power.

[CrimsonWing69]

How does it show they can’t optimize?

Let me ask you this, what do you think is taking up that much data that they have to go over the 100GB limit of a PS5 disc?

[mjchitown]

i bet it have alot of long cut screens

[CoNn3rB]

Historically audio files have been a big problem for game file sizes, higher quality audio often doesn't get the compression treatment as audio compression can be quite lossy. Add to that 4K assets on a large scale and you have a recipe for a massive file size. Image files and assets are often what devs focus on optimising as image visual compression can be lossless when done correctly but there is only so much you can compress before you affect the quality.

As Squeenix has a reputation of making some of the most visually impressive games on the market I doubt they want to mar their flagship title by compressing the shit out of the assets and cutscenes that they have spent so long crafting and polishing just to save a few gig in space.

What this does mean though is that either things will go full digital if people want it or not or a new low cost storage medium will need to be invented to carry game data to the consumer.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

@CoNn3rB,
Audio, despite being high quality surround sound, tends to take up significantly less space than video/graphics though, I agree that the bulk of the size would be 4K assets though.

[neomahi]

More games than you think exceed the 50GB data cap of a Dual-layer Blu-ray disc these days which I think is part of the reason you're seeing such a rapid shift from physical media to digital. Honestly, I'd like to see carts again, like with the Switch. Cartridges didn't really require loading, except for a select few like Street Fighter Alpha on the SNES, but it takes longer to stream from a disc than a cart, discs are cheaper but have their drawbacks but, yeah, The Last of Us Part II was two discs

[Babadook7]

I'm a little surprised that people are talking about this. I don't remember them talking about REMAKE being on 2 discs. Weird.

[fr0sty]

Uncompressed 7.1 channel 24 bit 96khz pcm audio is 18.44mbps. High quality 4K HDR video clocks in at around 80-128mbps (128 being the max bitrate used by UHD Blu-Ray discs). Combine the two, you're looking at 100-150mbps... add in some 4k textures, and it all adds up really fast.

[akuarius87]

The uncompressed assets of the game, and the blu ray have a limit of 50 gb, a lot of games have been doing that lately, games over 100 gbs, they apply the "They have a lot of space on the console"

[2moda5gamer]

Knowing how PS5 games work, it'll still be compressed. I mean intergrade barely fit on a 100gb disc as was.
I imagine all the cutscenes over two timelines in addition to just how much ground the game is covering brings it to this cant be helped situation.

[CrimsonWing69]

Don’t forget about 4k textures. Along with cutscenes those take up a huge amount, but hey if they didn’t have 4k textures I bet this same person would b*tch about that. It’s ridiculous anyone in their right mind is complaining about this. I’m grateful Square is giving us a game like this and not cutting corners.

[andy85]

Optimize? Look at the size of midgar in the first part. That alone took up over 80GB. Now add in every single location you visit after that, if they're to the same standard I'm surprised it's under 200 GB to be honest.

[fr0sty]

part of ps5's power is its kraken decompression engine, so that doesn't make sense.

[Lifexline]

I remember when multiple discs was considered a bad thing by PlayStation owners showed the weakness of the console they said. How times have changed.

[EvertonFC]

Don't remember any hate of a game having 2 disks on PS or Xbox ?

[Lifexline]

During the Xbox 360 era PlayStation owners constantly bashed the Xbox 360 because some games had multiple discs the most famous one being final fantasy 13. Saying how weak the console was that it needed multiple discs but now I guess the sentiment has changed it’s just funny how things work.

Watch a PlayStation game have 30 fps one day and how the narrative will change for that as well. It always does just trying to point out hypocrisy.

[shaenoide]

Maybe you should spend less time on forums. In the actual world the majority didn't care about those things.

Furthermore disk don't matter since games are installed on the SSD. You're gonna have 1 data disk for the installation process and 1 game disk you'll use all the time after that.

[Tacoboto]

@Lifexline Ehhh that might just be your personal experience, and times have changed so any points back then can't be applied to today.

For one, PS3 had Blu Ray 50GB disc support, and Xbox 360 games were limited to DVD storage restrictions.
For two, games are installed now - they mostly ran off-disc for Xbox 360 and PS3 but XIII on Xbox allowed for the extra discs to install on their expensive proprietary hard disk. Remember the original 360 had only a 20GB HDD.
For three, games are shipping on discs that are just licenses now and completed games shipping on disc are rapidly becoming rare. Don't even think about your $250 PS Exclusive Collector's Edition having a disc anymore.

Specific to FFXIII - the video was more compressed on Xbox; it was objectively inferior. Here is the opening line from the Digital Foundry review back in 2010:

"The rumours are true. Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360 isn't anywhere near as impressive as it is on PlayStation 3. The real kicker is that it's a lot worse than it should have been."

Specific to 30fps - even though FFXVI doesn't hit a solid 60fps, and even though every Sony exclusive is marketed almost entirely in their 30fps quality modes, *they consistently deliver Performance Modes at launch* and have an impressive consistency so far in supporting VRR with Unlocked framerates.

[Vx_]

not because of console power, it was because Xbox uses DVD and PS uses Bluray

[SullysCigar]

Don't bother. He's here to troll, not learn. The PS5 is widely known to have more advanced compression technology, but I think he's trying to insinuate this game being on two discs can in some way be utilised for his little console war.

He MIGHT have had a point if it was coming to xbox and was on one disc, but it's not coming to xbox - which is likely the real reason he's here...

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

This, it was about the war between HD-DVD and Bluray that people fought about, not the number of discs that games came with. It wasn't uncommon to see multiple discs on PS1, I think the PS2 had some multi-disc games too.

[Good-Smurf]

It's the weakness of the format not the console and Microsoft chose to stick to DVDs that's why they got called out for later in that gen same with Xbox Arcade size limitation.
They clearly didn't looked far enough that certain games would get over 20 GB in that gen.
Nobody said it's bad, just not as convenient.
Look up HVD format that can hold over 2 TB per disc its certainly feasible but all the big companies focused on making solid state drives and memory cards at the time and Sony was busy battling with Toshiba's HD DVD format war.

[tagzskie]

I also remember when i have my first 4gb xbox 360 and playing star ocean the last hope and farming clay from planet to planet and i keep changing disk.. Sometimes if its inconvinient to have multiple disk of course its a negative to the one whos using it.. And of course who doesnt like big games?, not unless its unoptimize. I only use digital so being 2 disc doesnt bother me, Is i said its about personal experience, even a 12 year old kid knows it

[MrNinosan]

What? No one ever considered that, well probably someone, but never heard that was an issue.
The other way around.

I remember the hype when games like FFVII, VIII, IX, MGS1, Lost Odyssey etc were on multiple discs.

That screamed quality all the way

[Extermin8or3_]

That was because the exact same game on PlayStation only ever had 1 disc. Back then everything was streamed off the disc which also meant it effected the gameplay significantly. It was all because MS decided to back hd-dvd vs blu-ray amd we all know what won that format war....

[kayoss]

Dude you need to stop day dreaming and making things up.

[pitythefool]

I remember people saying blu-ray was better, which was proven as a fact.

Didn’t think this one through did you, 0/10.

[HeliosHex]

Reminds me of the good Ole days.

[Hofstaderman]

That they doing it justice.

[autobotdan]

So the xbox 360 wasnt so bad

[LoveSpuds]

How? MS chose to be cheap and stick with a dying format whilst Sony continued to push boundaries by using cutting edge technology for the time.

[Profchaos]

They also didn't want to pay Sony any royalties for blu ray instead hedging bets on hd DVD and half assing the implementation

[Profchaos]

It means It's a huge positive for preservation it means no mandatory downloads and the game will be playable by all in 5, 10, 40 years once the servers are taken offline.

I look at this as the gold standard so many companies think it's ok to require a mandatory download e.g. cod MW2, halo infinite, a ton of third party switch games
Anything like that requires this will be a paperweight when the servers die.

I personally don't bother buying anything physical that requires a mandatory download.

[fsfsxii]

Will you be the same person in 40 years caring about a random FF title? fr i don't get the whole physical vs digital thing. Pick whichever is more convenient to you right then and there and move on.

[Profchaos]

Could be I still play games that are 30 years old now like last week I replayed all three original NES Mario games if FF 16 is a modern classic seems likely I will want to play it in 40 years

[andy85]

I just played the FF Pixel collection that's knocking on 40 years old and had a great time to be honest 😂

[I_am_Batman]

People care about game preservation, because it's not just a pastime for some of us. We care about the artform and FF7 is not just a random title to me. If you don't care about that, take your own advice and move on. Digital storefronts aren't gonna disappear just because people are advocating for complete physical releases.

[EvertonFC]

Maybe you're children or grand children might might to see what games dad or grandad liked or maybe they want to beat a high score there relative had 50years ago etc.
Stop being so one minded and thinking about yourself as there.is lots of reasons why preserving games is a must.
Is it for me ? NO but I'm NOT selfish either.

[LoveSpuds]

Looks like you have great taste in games squire, love me some classic Mario.

I just replayed a NES game from my childhood, Snake Rattle & Roll, a real blast from the past!

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Disc rot worries me though, that's why I hope that alot of classics get ported or remastered to modern systems, I also worry about older systems eventually breaking down and being unable to source spare parts.

[gleepot]

This means a lot of glorious cutscenes.

[Charlieboy333]

It means all game data on disc which is a good thing even if it takes two of them

[Fonsecap]

I guess it means that the whole game is in those disks, unlike some that only have the DRM files and the rest as to be downloaded...

[MADGameR]

I am completely okay with this. As a matter of fact, with such a huge AAA JRPG game like Final Fantasy VII, it should be in 2 discs. The game must be long for sure.

[Knightofelemia]

Most likely paying homage to the first game.

[neomahi]

That's Sqaresoft being respectful and aware of the gamer. 1) Those who still value physical media. Square is mindful of the Gamer Curator and Square doesn't mind gamers immortalizing their game. 2) Square recognizes and respects storage space. Square understands gamers don't have a lot of disposable income, you have to discriminate and that means not every gamer can afford to go out and get a brand SSD drive that are really expensive. So kudos to them to keeping the gamer in mind and make it as simple as possible. 3) They understand internet isn't a luxury for everyone and installing from a disc is the fastest way to go. People also have data caps and if the game is 200 GB, that's not good for gamers with data caps. Some ISPs charge you an insane fee for going over your data limits.

I think it's neat! Honestly. Square respects them all. Physical media is still a thing and there's people that like physical media. Some gamers will buy the game twice. They'll buy the digital for convenience, but we've also seen digital items fail. DRM-type behavior on consoles that physical media avoids. This then allows the gamer to buy a physical copy to keep sealed on the shelf. A lot of gamers that collect physical media do this but, it's nice Square says: Hey, it's a digital world and a large number of people still like that physical media, it's really the last of the nostalgia honestly so, Squaresoft honors both while being mindful of financial issues and how long it could take gamers to actually get into the experience, 200 GB is a long download, especially if you have to uninstall your game so someone else can play theirs and then have to re-install to resume. Yuck

[jjb1981]

Like the days of 360, one will be an install disc and the other will be the rest of the data and cd key. This is good for physical collectors because they can have the entire game on both discs. If they wanted, they could have just put the license validation on one disc and made everyone download the rest of the data. On the other hand, maybe they go back to the Playstation 1 days where you have to insert the next disc to continue because the FMV sequences with CD Audio were so large. I don't see how this is a problem unless you break or lose one of the discs.

[GoodGuy09]

4k textures and cutscenes basically. All the models, dialogue and multilanguages as well. Very beafy content this game will have.