Yes, Infinite is finally available to download on PSN, at least in NY (3:30 am here)

So how is a game of, hopefully, similar size and scope to its predecessor, which is utilizing much more sophisticated tech half it's size?

Hopefully there isn't too much compression/the game isn't too short. I expect it to take me about 15-16 hours to beat, since I'm OCD about checking every nook in cranny in games like this.

Why do you guys think the 2 games are so far apart?

It's probably that size because of the Xbox version. The original Bioshock came out on PS3 long after the Xbox and it received special attention, which is probably why they let the file size get a bit bigger than a DVD.

If I recall right, they had problems porting it, which lead to that situation.

As we.all know, game quality is scientifically measured in gigabytes. If I was on my computer I would go on a rant about the lost art of data compression, but im on my phone, so you are saved, for now.

Does anyone know how comparable the installs are for 360 and PS3 games? I installed BioShock 1 last night on my 360, and I think it was around 4 gigs. Might have been just under it, too. BioShock 2 was about 5 or 6 gigs, I think.

BioShock 1 being 12 gigs sounds pretty ridiculous. I would think any game that size would be an open world game or something. I think I downloaded inFamous 2 on my PS3 Slim, and it was like 8 gigs or something. I think those installs sizes probably say more about BioShock 1's port to PS3 than it does about compression of Infinite.

Dude, XCOM off of steam was 13 gigs. The size of an install has no bearing on the scope of a game.

What they used to do back then was have multiple copies of the game code in multiple places on the blu-ray disk. This is because the disk drive could read from a couple of places at the same time. This would speed up loading cos the blu-ray drive in the ps3 is ungodly slow. Like 2x I think. Nowadays we have fancy background streaming to hard drive tech.

So in this digital download for Bioshock they have very likely just put the blu-ray image up for people to download. Probably a compatability or pure laziness thing. So you are effectively downloading the same content twice. For no reason.

Case in point. PC version of Bioshock is 5.7gb.

If file size is a thing you should care about when it comes to the scope if a game let me throw you for a loop. Skyrim on the 360 is only a little bigger than 3.5 gigs.

And accordingly the Skyrimworld is a big copy and paste spam with zero variation.

It's because the Bioshock logo is so high resolution on the Ps3 version. Don't you remember Jeff's preview from like 4 years ago?

File size isn't really an indication into how big the actual game is.
Take these 2 games for example, Just Cause 2, and Dota 2.

Just cause 2: huge map, packed with stuff = 4.8GB
Dota 2: Tiny maps, lots of menus = 5.08GB

Cutscenes and video takes up a lot of space though, maybe that's why

Old PS3 games have a lot of duplicate data in order to accommodate for the slow read speed of the disc drive. Putting certain pieces of code in multiple places on the disc made the load times much faster due to less seeking.

I see now, okay. So, the install size for BioShock 1 probably should have been half of what it is, if they hadn't just put the blu-ray copy verbatim (for lack of a better word)?

You guys make good points, too. I think about something like Skyrim, that I think most people consider packed with content, and it's install size on the 360. And then I think about how much space Mass Effect 3's install takes on my 360, with both discs totaling something like 17 or 18 gigs.

wtf, how? HOW?!

that game has the textures of a PS2 era game, crazy.

Don't get me wrong I enjoy it, but it looks pretty ass on every platform.

On PC it was like 16gb.