14 DAY TRIAL // The new Xbox 360 disc format that is currently being tested out by Microsoft might add an extra 1GB of stage over the standard dual-layer DVD now used by the company.
According to a report published by Digital Foundry, Xbox 360 games need to occupy around 6.8GB of space, despite the fact that the actual disc can be filled with 7.9GB of data.
That 1GB is used up by a special partition with anti-piracy software and security measures, which Microsoft might free up with the new disc format by shifting its security measures elsewhere or using a new type of anti-piracy methods.
Even if that new storage space is going to be available to developers, it's actually located on the inner part of the disc, which is the hardest to read from. As such, it's going to be a pretty tough trade, because developers need to choose between slower read times and more storage.
Microsoft, for its part, has declined to say just what the new features of the disc format are, instead relying on those that participate in its system update preview program to share their thoughts on the technology and then make any changes, before releasing official details.
For what it's worth, the current piracy measures, which supposedly occupy around 1GB of space, have already been hacked, with the new AP 2.5 system being cracked almost immediately after its release in fall of last year.
Since then, piracy on the Xbox 360 has once again flourished, with hackers using custom DVD drives to play back up copies of game discs, effectively bypassing any and all security measures placed by Microsoft on the game disc.
The system update program is set to be rolled out in April, and we can expect the new disc format technology to appear sometime around fall, alongside the regular, yearly Xbox Live Update.