Now might be the time to invest in a new Xbox 360 hard drive, if you are interested in playing id Software’s latest game, RAGE. John Carmack confirmed to VG247 that the game takes an above average amount of space should you install it. In total, a massive 22GB is required in order to install the game. Normal 360 game installs are anywhere from five to six gigabytes, for comparison.
Carmack also confirmed that the game would be an ‘all-or-nothing’ install, meaning you cannot install one disc alone. Team Bondi’s L.A. Noire allowed players to install individual discs despite coming on three DVDs with the Xbox 360 version. Carmack’s wording was as follows:
“On the 360 we don’t have a partial install option; it’s all or nothing, which is kind of unfortunate. It means you have to install 21/22GB of stuff which takes a long time but if you’ve got it and you play it on the 360 that’s the way to go.”
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, similarly to the Fallout series, RAGE offers a different approach to the post-apocalyptic experience, using a collision with an asteroid as the base for earth’s destruction instead of nuclear warfare.
Even at QuakeCon 2008, id Software admitted the game might not run as well on the Xbox 360. They admitted that the game might have to be split across two discs (this has happened with the Xbox 360 version already), and RAGE was also altered for both the PC and PlayStation 3. Carmack confirmed that they had planned for multiple wastelands, though due to size issues with the Xbox 360 version of the game, they reduced that figure to two wastelands.
The one positive, however, is that the Xbox 360 version will still run at 60FPS alongside the PlayStation 3 and PC (assuming you have adequate hardware) versions of the game. RAGE will be releasing on October 4th in the United States. A European release will happen on October 7th.