Microsoft Tests A New Xbox 360 Disc Format In The Latest Update Preview

Dashl · 03-29-2011, 08:07 PM

Not sure if anyone else has seen this, came across the link on Kotaku, and signed up. I did the last beta, and I had the ESPN app for about a month before the update went live. It seems this time the update will be sent on a disc, and you get Reach for free. Here is a better link with more info.

http://majornelson.com/2011/03/29/xb...pdate-preview/

Dooney · 03-29-2011, 08:41 PM

i may be wrong, but it looks like Halo reach is the reward, and the actual beta test is for an "Updated Disc Format".

I suspect this is for 1 reason and 1 reason alone, but time will tell.

Dashl · 03-29-2011, 08:48 PM

I know it isn't on a blu ray or anything crazy, but probably a new anti piracy sort of thing. I was thinking that Reach was the game on the new format, to test it out. I know when I did the last one, I couldn't use party chat unless the other person had the program, I could only use chat if we were in the same game. At least this time they haven't said anything about that.

Dooney · 03-29-2011, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dashl View Post

I know it isn't on a blu ray or anything crazy, but probably a new anti piracy sort of thing. I was thinking that Reach was the game on the new format, to test it out. I know when I did the last one, I couldn't use party chat unless the other person had the program, I could only use chat if we were in the same game. At least this time they haven't said anything about that.

Yeah im pretty sure your right, there is little or no other reason to change a disc's format.

Im sure we will all find out soon enough, when we get "Update Required", and then the console falls over lol

Zer0runner · 03-30-2011, 04:09 PM

I signed up, also. Major Nelson did post this, "Update: This preview will not impact voice messages or party chat.". I'm just curious about what the new format is.

Dooney · 03-30-2011, 05:15 PM

From what i have read today, it appears that they are adding 1gb to the disc format. For those who don't know the disc is split. The majority of it stores the game data the rest of it has the "Put This Disc Into An Xbox" content video and the dash updates.

The proposal is to remove the video partition and increase the data stored by 1gb.

This is something publishers have been asking for a while, since dual layer has only 8.5gb storage of which they 1gb is taken by M$ for the video & updates.

To achieve this they would have to change the dashboard structure, but it still has to support the old format due to all the disc's already pressed.

Dooney · 03-30-2011, 08:01 PM

[Source EuroGamer]

A highly placed development source has confirmed to Digital Foundry that the new disc format being beta tested in a new dashboard upgrade adds 1GB to the storage of Xbox 360 game discs.

The maximum space allocated to game data on the current disc format is just 6.8GB out of a maximum of 7.95GB on a standard dual layer DVD, with over 1GB dedicated to a DVD-Video partition that also contained anti-piracy security sectors. Astonishingly, this meant that the last generation PlayStation 2 had a higher level of raw storage available to games developers than the newer Xbox 360. It seems that this video partition has either been drastically reduced or omitted completely in the new format Microsoft is looking to roll-out.

Beta testers of the new dashboard get a free copy of Halo: Reach once they are accepted into the new preview programme. We can assume that this isn't just a generous gift on Microsoft's part - more likely it is a disc pressed using the new format, and Microsoft is looking for data on performance on as many different systems as it can. There is no one standard Xbox 360 DVD drive: the platform holder has used drives from Samsung, Hitachi, Benq and Liteon across the console's five year history.

Halo: Reach occupied 6.6GB of space on the old format disc. Either padding or additional content will have been added to this new edition, or it may well simply be the case that the data is allocated into certain physical areas of the disc the video partition would have previously occupied.

It would make sense that the video partition would have been pressed into the inner-most area of the disc - the part that would be the slowest to read in data. So while developers will be able to make the most of the raw storage potential of the dual layer disc, they may well have to factor in slower read speeds in the freed-up space.

Regardless, a 14-15 per cent boost in the space available to Xbox 360 developers is a very welcome advance, and some might argue it is somewhat overdue bearing in mind that the security scheme currently in place has proven to be inadequate for several years now. Tossing away the current system may also give Microsoft the opportunity to deploy a brand new anti-piracy strategy bearing in mind that its latest AP 2.5 system was defeated within a couple of weeks.

Xbox 360 DVD firmware hacker "Commodore4eva" adding weight to the story by suggesting that the latest developer XDK confirms the changes:

"MS will introduce XBG3 - this will add more AP checks, CVI (content integerity) checks, increase the disc size and adds a new layer for protection issues - all in the 20500 sdk! bring it on," he posted on IRC.

Dooney · 03-30-2011, 08:11 PM

Can i please remind everyone before they forget

It is against the rules to discuss any illegal activities. The above post is a direct quote from a respectable source, so i don't want this turn into a free for all.

I am leaving the thread open for people to follow on with the topic, but please be careful because if i feel it strays into rule infringement i will close it down.

Dashl · Yesterday, 01:43 AM

I wonder if this copy of Reach will have all the DLC on it. That would be pretty cool, but only because I traded in Reach and never got the DLC.