Ps3 Game Updates

[cheekyage]

Hi guys,

I am a new PS3 user and am still getting use to the whole idea of inserting the game disc into the PS3 and then be told I have to download an update which is worth over 100mb and can take up to half an hour!

All I want to do is play the game but I am patient at the same time.

My question is why do these updates happen?

How do they happen? Is it because I have the net connection on all the time?

My 2nd question is (and apologies if this sounds dumb) but do the games actually load onto the hard drive?

Appreciate anyone's feedback.

Cheers

[Drop_Bear]

Once games are released they often still have little bugs, conflicts or exploitable code contained within even after rigorous testing. The patches generally fix al these problems and are almost entirely to you benefit. You can get around this by unplugging your internet connection before inserting the disc for the 1st time as this wont allow the PS3 to search for updates. However, once the internet is reconnected and you attempt to play the game it will do the update check once again. Generally speaking, there are not many updates. Of the 7 games I have only 2 have needed updating. I think you may have just had an unlucky streak.

In regards to loading of the game onto the HDD, it is only loading certain files needed to make the game run smoothly. I understand that Blue-Ray discs cant skip over data the same way that a DVD can so certain data that is mapped towards the end of the disc must be copied onto the HDD to avoid lengthy search times. This is why the exact same game can be played straight off the disc on an XBOX 360 (DVD drive) but not on a PS3 (BR drive). That said, generally only a couple of hundred meg are placed on the drive and even with a large library of games you will have plenty of room left over on the standard 40 gig system.

[Riggi]

Also updates are usually only soon after a game is released (GT5, GTA4 are 2 recent examples). Once the bugs have been patched probably won't see any more unless there is an update to add features (as is supposed to happen with GT5 to add car damage in the future)

[cheekyage]

Thank You so much for your informative reply Drop_Bear, it all made sense and it very clear