Gamers remember the days on PlayStation when multiple discs were commonplace, especially for RPGs like the Final Fantasy series. That was not much of a problem in the following generation. Most PlayStation 2 and Xbox games could fit on a single DVD. The GameCube disc, being a mini-DVD, required two discs on occasion.
Now that we are in the next-generation of systems with Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3, high-definition gaming is standard in most games. This, of course, requires more disc space. Sony solved the disc space problem with Blu-Ray, which can hold as much as 50GB dual layer. The standard DVD used with Xbox 360 and Wii can fit 8.54GB dual layered.
This poses a problem for RPGs on standard DVDs in the next-generation. The cinematics, audio, high-end graphics and massive size of the games require far more space than a single DVD can provide. In fact, it takes four DVDs to fit Lost Odyssey onto. The question then became: how do you store them in a regular case?
Microsoft’s solution was to cram three discs onto a single standard Xbox 360 case spindle, and pack the fourth disc in a paper sleeve. Yet in Japan, the same game came packaged neatly in a slightly oversized case with two trays to store the discs (see the picture below). Why did Microsoft decide to use one method for Japan and a poorly thought out method for American gamers (one that could result in scratched discs)? Only Redmond knows.
