Pioneer shows off 16-layer 400GB Blu-ray Disc, compatibility with current players

[wraggster]

When Pioneer first introduced its unicorn-like 16-layer 400GB Blu-ray Disc, we weren't sure if the thing would make it beyond the drawing board, let alone be compatible with existing BD decks. Over at the IT Month Fair in Taipei, Pioneer showed up to showcase the capacious disc, and better still, a DigiTimes report asserts that these are indeed compatible with Blu-ray readers already on the market. Currently, the 400GB disc is slated to hit mass production sometime between now and 2010, while rewritable versions won't hit until 2010 to 2012. Not like it really matters though -- a 1TB disc is on track for 2013, and you know you'll be waiting for the latest and greatest.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/02/pioneer-shows-off-16-layer-400gb-blu-ray-disc-affirms-compatibi/

[Mc_Logical]

I hope they use this kind of memory for ps3 games! imagine how big games could be, triple the story line/game

[jonezybaby]

^^ would cost more money so no cant see it

[Darksaviour69]

Its not the size of the discs that limiting games at the mo, it's development costs. Sure I don't think any ps3 game has used anywhere near the 50 gbs (and having to compress the files)

[Zin0099]

think of the movies we could put on there!
and saying 1tb around the corner!!!!!

this will be great if music and movies and photos are your thing

plus if sony made a usb bluray burner for ps3 they legally could make burned disc of psn content

atleast
-demos
-psn games
-psone games
-ps3 digital download games
pretty much all on one disc but would sony do it?
HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!

[F9zDark]

Its not the size of the discs that limiting games at the mo, it's development costs. Sure I don't think any ps3 game has used anywhere near the 50 gbs (and having to compress the files)

MGS4 did indeed use this space AFTER utilizing compression methods. Kojima and company stated that sometime before the MGS4 launch, completely decimating any rumors that it was even possible on the 360 (looking at at least 5 DVDs, if not 6)

Resistance supposedly filled this space as well, but from what I read that was to include an NTSC to PAL video decoder to make all the cut-scenes play properly on PAL PS3s (since the game is "region free" mind you).

Other than that, there are no other games that I know of in which the developers/3rd party research has said the game takes the full 50 gbs of Blu-Ray.

However, if MGS4 did indeed use all that space, a 400gb disc may be quite useful for a next-gen, Metal Gear and Metal Gear Solid anthology (in that all games are updated to the engine used in MGS4).

On the other hand, space is indeed an issue for some 360 games; Project Gotham Racing had to cut a few features to make the game fit on a DVD (night-time racing for instance).

Luckily for most game designers, the specs of the consoles are set in stone, so they cannot advance the games with advancement of GPU and CPU technology; they can only make games that fit within the constraints of the technology more efficient (thus giving them some room to expand).

In the end this means that development costs will ultimately go down.