A plea for optimization: addressing game size and spec requirements
A Steam user has posted a plea for optimization in a thread about game size and spec requirements, highlighting the struggle to maintain a large game library due to limited storage and slow internet speed. The user suggests that big studios and publishers should create a consortium to set common technical standards.
"There are so many people struggling to keep up with their Gaming libraries," the user writes. "It's not just about limited storage, it's also about slow internet."
The user then shares their own experience, explaining how they are often limited in terms of which games they can play due to storage constraints, as well as slow download speeds. "I can only play the latest games or games with smaller file sizes," they say. "I'd love to play all the classics, but I can't."
They also highlight the problem of frequent updates and how that affects their gaming experience. "I'm playing the game, but I can't play it the way it was meant to be played because of updates." They also consider getting a NAS to combine multiple hard drives, but this comes with complications and not all games support it.
The main issue, however, is why games are so large. "It's not just about textures," the user says. "Why are games so large and why are games so demanding? I play on a 144hz 1440p monitor, I don't need 4K." They go on to argue that the issue is not solely about storage, but also about lack of optimization on the developer and publisher side.
"I'm not a developer, but I think it's a lot about lack of optimization on the dev and publisher side," they continue. "They can't be spending as much effort on making the game look pretty, they also need to optimize it." They also suggest that Steam could share common files between games to reduce library size, and urge game developers to optimize their games better.
Many users join the discussion, with some agreeing with the plea for optimization and smaller game sizes. "I'm a developer and I know how hard it is to make games," another user responds. "But the storage issue is ridiculous." They also point out that a 4K movie can easily be 25GB+ in size, highlighting the challenge of compression.
The original user, however, clarifies that they are not suggesting using video compression for game textures, but rather finding ways to reduce size without compromising quality. "Texture compression," they respond. "There are ways to do it without looking bad."
Check out the full discussion on Steam.
