Ratchet's Quest for Booty is 2.3 GB in NA, 3.2 GB in Europe
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Aug 20th 2008 at 4:00AM }
We contacted Sony and were told that the difference between the European and NA version could be blamed on the 11 languages being included with the former, with two .pkg files containing 5-6 languages each. Not that a file size would have stopped us from getting the $15 game, but why do the Europeans keep getting Blu-ray releases of PSN games while North American consumers learn to macrame waiting to download another hefty PSN title? Come on, Sony. We're North America, we're not used to gaming inequity like Europe. Give us the disc and make them wait. It's just the way things are supposed to be.
Gallery: Ratchet & Clank Quest for Booty
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SpikeDelight @ Aug 20th 2008 4:05AM
Haha those last few lines are my sentiments exactly.
Haggard @ Aug 20th 2008 6:02AM
I lol'd at the last few lines too. I'm a european gamer, but I've come to accept that we usually get shafted. The only time it's ever been really bad - I don't mind waiting a couple of days - was Rock Band.
DaveC @ Aug 20th 2008 6:52AM
Joke not received. Serious face activate.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Aug 20th 2008 4:12AM
wow. i had no idea language files were so large. and 2.3GB is still a hefty download anyway. im almost certain i wont get to actually play the game until sometime Friday because of the download time and work.
abib @ Aug 20th 2008 7:55AM
probably, they translate every spoken lines in the game into 11 languages. audio files can be very big. well, every files get 'bigger' if you put it on BD-disc.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread) @ Aug 20th 2008 9:58AM
you see i forgot all about that fancy new fangled voice acting we have now days. lol dont know why i was only thinking about text languages.
John @ Aug 20th 2008 4:41AM
The reason we europeans get the disc is because the ps3 sells a lot better over here than in the USA.
Burnt Meatloaf @ Aug 20th 2008 4:59AM
Ah, even the good devs are getting into the spirit of throwing away space because they can. Seriously, a downloadable game larger than 1GB? Holy cow.
I take it all the text for the languages is just a collection of textures? Has anyone ever heard of vector graphics and overlays?
Whoppy @ Aug 20th 2008 5:14AM
I imagine it's the audio that causes the problem not the text.
Tiptup300 @ Aug 20th 2008 5:15AM
Yeah, why would anyone not expect sony's licensed developers to not use fully 100% raw uncompressed audio!?
Haggard @ Aug 20th 2008 6:05AM
Well, if you think about it, there are 11 languages. By this token, each one takes up about 70MB - about the same as two half hour podcasts. I'd say that's pretty compressed given that this will be all the speech in the entire game.
But why not give us the languages as optional downloads/installs like PC games do?
Whoppy @ Aug 20th 2008 7:47AM
Yup it would be nice to have that option, but it would probably confuse people, and or piss people off who don't get their language as the default. 70-100mb for all the audio in the game isn't that much really.
Having said that I'll be getting the BD version, i'm sure places like amazon will make it a bit cheaper than the PSN version, same as with GT5P.
Vidikron (FU) @ Aug 20th 2008 10:16AM
Wow... you're really behind the times. This is a game that is going to look identical to the full retail release R&C Future. Why would you expect it to be less than 1 GB? Have you seen the sizes of some demos for full games on Live and PSN? Some of them clock in over 1 GB for just a demo.
Debikul @ Aug 20th 2008 5:00AM
"but why do the Europeans keep getting Blu-ray releases of PSN games while North American consumers learn to macrame waiting to download another hefty PSN title?"
Sony has been disconnected from the voices of gamers and communities for some time now so this isn't a surprise to me. Or the many, many others who just feel let down with Sony and their "next gen" attitude.
Thanks Sony. It's not like NA makes you tons of money or anything.
Haggard @ Aug 20th 2008 6:07AM
In all honesty, the PS3 has done a lot worse in the US than Europe. Besides, they make more money from digital distribution.
WhoMe @ Aug 20th 2008 7:17AM
Keep it up and I'll really give you something to cry about you NA whiny little bitch.
Purple Haze @ Aug 20th 2008 5:11AM
Now I know Sony will never let anyone do this, but is there any reason that they can't release ps 3 games on standard dvds? It seems like a waste of space putting something like that, or any multiplatform game really, on a 25gb blu-ray disc, and it would cut down on load times, and take away some of the huge installs that games like Devil May Cry 4 have.
Haggard @ Aug 20th 2008 6:10AM
I've always wondered that. PC games have been on DVDs for several years, including Crysis, and on those they have to squeeze in several different levels of textures so that a broad range of PCs can run it.
The real space hog of Blu Rays is pre-rendered cutscenes. So I think you'd only really need BDs for the final fantasy and MGS series.
Kilau @ Aug 20th 2008 7:49AM
I think the difference is less then 1mb/sec for 2x Blu-ray and 8x dvd.
Using DVD they would need to pay Toshiba royalties maybe? Why not just use Blu-Ray then.
Even on multiplat games devs do use more space. One example I have seen are the TV stations in GTA4, they look much better on the PS3.
Solid Chief @ Aug 20th 2008 5:12AM
It's $15? Is that how the graphics are? How long is it?
That sounds too good to be true anywhere.
AwesomeTown @ Aug 20th 2008 7:16AM
Yes, it's $15. The graphics should be the same as R&C Future, which were beautiful. Quest for Booty is only a few hours long though, which is why I'm not in a hurry to buy it right now. I will eventually though, because Future was that good.
Hyams @ Aug 20th 2008 7:48AM
It's short though. Only around 3 hours long, I believe, hence the price.
Solid Chief @ Aug 20th 2008 8:46AM
Its a very enticing deal actually. I say the letdown is the size of the download (massive!). While Braid is by no means comparable in gameplay styles, these both costs the same. I'd most likely go for this over Braid (Not that I have it, or a ps3 for that matter ;)
Ayrkain @ Aug 20th 2008 9:20AM
Wanna trade? I don't have a 360, but when I get one, Braid will probably be one of my first purchases, just because I like quirky indie games. LOL.
Leigh @ Aug 20th 2008 5:40AM
I'm guessing and saying the reason we get these games on a blu ray disk is because our internet is 100% crapper then yours. For a file of about 3.2gb the average internet connection over here would be waiting a good few weeks.
Kid Chemical @ Aug 20th 2008 8:57AM
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!
5th hot meal @ Aug 20th 2008 5:52AM
R&C is serious fun, currently playing tools of destruction with my nece, the weapons are imaginative and hilarious (google Mr Zurkon).
would prefer the bluray disc tbh, am UK based, but can i wait the additional time?
Rob Accomando @ Aug 20th 2008 6:06AM
Hmmm... testing the waters for future digital distrobution on consoles.
Soon it will be 3.5GB, then 4, then 6, then 8+
:)
Stink Snake @ Aug 20th 2008 1:15PM
Actually, they started with 9 gigs with Siren:Blood Curse so by using your logic things are getting better.
Trethan @ Aug 20th 2008 6:20AM
While our dollar might be worth less, at least our gigabytes are worth more!
DeejayKnight @ Aug 20th 2008 6:35AM
That's nearly a gig difference for languages. There's either a TON of text in this game, the fonts are massive, or a combo of both with textures as quoted above.
That's ridiculous. I have the odd feeling they might be getting a bit more game than we are in NA... I hope I'm wrong.
Ian @ Aug 20th 2008 7:23AM
"There's either a TON of text in this game, the fonts are massive, or a combo of both with textures as quoted above."
Hmm, obviously you've never played Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, or you'd know that the language packs are so big because they use spoken audio samples. Yes, there's a text subtitle option as well, but the size of the files is because Insomniac are professional enough to rely on high quality audio instead of interminable text like so many other, lazier developers.
Eric @ Aug 20th 2008 8:13AM
I can't help but think that Sony is leaving a ton of sales on the table by not pushing out discs for $19.99 in the US. How many PS3 owners are (1) connected to broadband; (2) know how to buy something on PSN; and (3) even know about the game's release on PSN?
Seems like these would go off the shelves faster at $19.99 if people actually knew they were out there. If I didn't have a couple VG blogs in my feed reader, I wouldn't know anything about it. I would, however, see it in my local Game Stop though if it were released on a disc.
rv @ Aug 20th 2008 11:20AM
So I assume there is more booty in europe? Is this a trend that is seen in real life?
Charlie @ Aug 20th 2008 11:50AM
Does the game have lots of dialogue?
why not the LS2LS7? @ Aug 20th 2008 12:01PM
The reason the US isn't getting a disc version has been explained by Insomniac many times on their podcast. It's published by SCEA in the US, SCEI in Japan and SCEE in Europe. SCEE asked for a disc version, SCEA didn't.
The profits are surely higher on the digital download, and SCEA thinks they have enough consoles online to make it the logical choice. In Europe, SCEE is probably concerned that too many of their customers don't have broadband or don't have their consoles online at all, so they asked for a disc version to capture those sales.
Stealth @ Sep 11th 2008 1:25PM
"Come on, Sony. We're North America, we're not used to gaming inequity like Europe. Give us the disc and make them wait. It's just the way things are supposed to be."
God, Americans wonder why most of the world hates them, they always expect to be first and never be second.. Anyway I would love sony to switch it around for a year so you can see what its like with rubish updates to the store each week. and never getting certain content