XBLA size limit no longer a problem for SF2HD

by Kyle Orland { Mar 13th 2008 at 2:30PM }

What a difference a few weeks make. Back in January, designer Dave Sirlin was complaining about how Microsoft's 150MB size limit for XBLA games was making it hard to squeeze everything Capcom wanted into Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. Now, it turns out, it's not such a problem after all.

In a blog post today, Producer Ray Jiminez officially confirmed "the filesize will not be an issue" because of some "great help from the guys at Microsoft." It's not quite clear whether the size limit was waived or whether Microsoft just helped squeeze those files in there, but regardless, Jiminez promises the gameplay experience will be identical in both the Xbox and PS3 versions of the game.

The full post also has way more details than you could possibly want about the vagaries of hand-drawn HD art. Check it out if you're into that sort of thing.

Tags: capcom, HD, sf2, ssf2hd, street-fighter-2, super-street-fighter-2-turbo-=hd-remix

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

marklar @ Mar 13th 2008 2:35PM

meh - still wouldn't buy that game. not a fan of fighting games

Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Mar 13th 2008 3:05PM

Edit: And get off my lawn!

The Stig @ Mar 13th 2008 4:31PM

Then why bother commenting about it?

marklar @ Mar 14th 2008 12:34AM

i just felt like sharing...

psycho mule @ Mar 13th 2008 2:35PM

Tull 1978. The best live album ever recorded.

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Mar 13th 2008 3:01PM

Capcom to develop Tull the game. World dies under the notion of such an awesome concept.

konajinx @ Mar 13th 2008 2:44PM

Me not purchasing this title ever still not a problem.

xFenixKnightx @ Mar 13th 2008 2:46PM

"It's not quite clear whether the size limit was waived or whether Microsoft just helped squeeze those files in there, but regardless, Jiminez promises the gameplay experience will be identical in both the Xbox and PS3 versions of the game."

What are you guys talking about? It was indeed bumped up, please see link.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/858/858829p1.html

Twist @ Mar 13th 2008 2:48PM

Just when I was about to offer to sell Capcom a solution that would get them in under the size limit and allow them to include all the HD sprites they wanted. My solution would have been to sell the game at as close to the file size limit as possible and then have an optional free download containing the rest of the HD graphics.

So here is the question: has Microsoft made an exception just for this game or have they raised the limit yet again or have they decided to throw the stupid limit out the door?

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Mar 13th 2008 2:55PM

Probably just a 1 time exception.

deaftly @ Mar 13th 2008 2:49PM

Awesome, can't wait to buy SF2 for the 100th time. (which i will sadly)

Fernando Rocker @ Mar 13th 2008 2:51PM

Nice.

Sam @ Mar 13th 2008 2:55PM

mm, compression.

Fernando Rocker @ Mar 13th 2008 2:57PM

Noooo... read the article please... Microsoft allowed Capcom to exced the 150MB limit.

Fernando Rocker @ Mar 13th 2008 2:56PM

"It's not quite clear whether the size limit was waived or whether Microsoft just helped squeeze those files in there..."

"Both Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Bionic Commando Rearmed will exceed 150MB."

So, Microsoft allowed to pass the 150MB limit... =p

SoulBlade @ Mar 13th 2008 2:56PM

As much shit I like to give MS, they really are on the ball when it comes to helping out their developers and providing great support. Props to them for acknowledging and fixing this issue, regardless of how it was done.

E.J. @ Mar 13th 2008 3:42PM

They only did this because of the uproar they caused in the first place. They should remove the limit altogether, get rid of the Arcade SKU, and have every 360 come with a HDD.

Drop the current "Premium" to Arcade pricing (hell, drop it to 199USD/CDN/EUR) and replace the Premium console with one that has a 60gb HDD.

Better yet, just use one SKU!

SoulBlade @ Mar 13th 2008 4:03PM

EJ - you're absolutely right. MS is kind of stuck this gen though - they still have to support all their SKUs...

I think they'll learn in the next gen. I hope we won't see any poor hardware and I hope all of their SKUs (if there are multiple) will at least share the same basic hardware.

Neebs @ Mar 13th 2008 2:56PM

I don't see why there's a limit to begin with.

IceOrb @ Mar 13th 2008 3:02PM

The limit is there because of the xbox 360 arcade. That console SKU has no standard hard drive so the games must be able to fit on a memory card at the very least. While it is true if they ditched the size limit we might end up with games that look, maybe play, a hell of a lot better but it also means MS would be alienating the entire section of the market that bought the xbox 360 arcade. Plus if you really think about it forcing developers to fit a standard size limit forces them to do loads of optimizing in order to get the game inside the limit and still run well. Over all I see it as a good thing but I'm sure the limit will get a huge increase once they start to roll out something like a 1 gig memory unit. Or if they decide to release only SKUs with HDD standard.

Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Mar 13th 2008 3:03PM

So it doesn't go over 9000?

CB @ Mar 13th 2008 3:29PM

Some people may be alienated but that's a chance MS should take. I don't think many of the old arcades with no memory cards/HDD even go online since, well, they have no storage.

Rob @ Mar 13th 2008 5:59PM

Because if you don't put in a limit then developers make little to no effort to optimize their apps. The last thing anyone needs is for a single download to take up >50% of the harddrive.

It's good that MS can waive or alter the limit when actually necessary but removing the limit altogether would not be good.