Over the last couple of years, the download size of digital games has skyrocketed. It's not uncommon for a current generation game to weigh in at 50 GB or more. Grand Theft Auto V on PC is no exception, with the minimum requirement hitting 65 GB of hard disk space. However, most PC gamers today probably have a broadband Internet connection and a decent hard drive, so while these massive files can be a pain to download, at this point it's an accepted annoyance.
But what if a player is one of the declining number of people who do not own a fast Internet connection? It can be hard to remember the days when gamers had to enter their local retail stores and walk out with a large box containing multiple DVDs - or even CDs - required for PC game installations. Well, if anyone needs their memory refreshed, Rockstar Games has them covered: the retail version of Grand Theft Auto V on PC spreads the game across seven discs.
An image posted to Reddit shows the PC retail version of the Grand Theft Auto 5 in all of its glory.
As silly as having to install seven discs may seem, it's easy to come up with a couple of reasons as to why someone might want to buy the game in a store. There are still plenty of video game collectors out there who enjoy having a retail box and physical copy of all of their games. The artwork on the various discs looks nice. Grand Theft Auto is a franchise that many people are passionate about, and they'll relish the ability to put this box on a shelf and show it off.
Additionally, some people who do have fast Internet are at the mercy of bandwidth caps enforced by their Internet providers. Having to download 65 GB to install one game will put quite a dent in their monthly data quota. A 7-disc retail copy of a game may seem ridiculous, but for consumers who have to watch their Internet usage, it's a Godsend.
However, Reddit commenters point out that even if all seven discs are dual-layered, that still only adds up to 60 GB of content. This implies that either the retail version of Grand Theft Auto 5 doesn't require as much data as the 65 GB digital version, or that retail buyers are still going to have to download a 5 GB patch after installing all of these discs.
If file sizes continue to increase over time, there is eventually going to be a breaking point at which the developer no longer feels it's worth it to ship a dozen discs per box. Does anyone really want to see what the box for Star Citizen and its 100 GB client will look like if the game tries to go to retail after launch? For now, however, there are plenty of gamers happy to get their hands on GTA V on PC - in whatever form they can.
Grand Theft Auto V is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The game releases on PC April 14.