Welcome to this twelfth day of March, 2015.   I’m John “Boomjack” Hoskin and this is Here Comes The Boom – EP #32.

A little bird pointed me at Star Citizen yesterday and, well, just when I thought that group couldn't surprise me they did it again.

Size Matters

This week's diatribe was prompted by the forum announcement that Star Citizen (you may have heard of it) will be at least a 100GB download.  I appreciate the breadth and scope of this title, but a 100GB client download seems, well, HUGE.   

I imagine the following happening the moment they open the gates to download the alpha or beta or gamma or delta or whatever level of access you purchased for the priviledge of sucking this behemoth through your Internet pipe. 

**Verified Star Citizen backer

Putting the Massive in Massively Multiplayer

I appreciate that game assets are getting larger by necessity.  We have more powerful graphics cards, faster hard drives and in general better Internet connectivity, but I can't help but think that somebody somewhere didn't think this all the way through.   If you are living on Main Street U.S.A. with an unlimited Internet plan and fibre to your door then you don't give a hoot about client size.   You're like Yosemite Sam, guns in the air, blasting away calling everyone else a "varmint" while you lose poker hand after poker hand to a talking rabbit.  You don't live in the world that most gamers do.

**Actual photo of gamer with a full fibre connection.   Taken in Kansas City.

If you live in most of Australia, the rural U.S, most of Canada or just about anywhere else on this lovely planet you don't have unlimited bandwidth and you most certainly don't have fibre speed Internet to your door.   You are not Yosemite Sam.  You are one of these guys (or gals).


Given that I don't understand how an "idea" that isn't a game yet can raise so much money (but good on them for pulling it off) I suppose it isn't that strange that I can't understand why anyone would believe that a 100GB client download (with 20GB patches) is a good way to keep a gaming community alive and happy. 

How do you feel about it?  I'd love to know!


If you received even an iota of enjoyment from this then please support both myself and TenTonHammer by doing one of more of the following:

Thanks again.  I appreciate your support.  

 Who’s awesome?  You’re awesome!

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To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Star Citizen Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 15, 2016

About The Author

Dissecting and distilling the game industry since 1994. Lover of family time, youth hockey, eSports, and the game industry in general.

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