Tecmo Gets Creative with Their Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma Mandatory Install

Posted 7/30/09
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Categories: Playstation

It’s no secret that I do not like mandatory installs for my game systems. I don’t mean to focus on the PS3, but it’s currently the only game console that does this so, here we go again…

Let’s forget the fact that installs suck for people with smaller hard drives. And let’s forget the fact that requiring said installs completely negates the benefit of having the massive storage capacity of Blu-Ray disc (if I have to install a third of the game anyway what does it matter if it’s off of one third of the br-disc, or one out of 2 dvds?). And let’s forget the fact that most of these games do not require installs on “other” game consoles for some mysteriously magical reason. The biggest thing I personally hate about mandatory installs is the feeling I get when I can’t actually get instant entertainment from my game disc.

Whether it’s 5, 10 or 30 minutes to install it drives me bonkers that I can’t begin my adventure from the moment I hit start. Some game makers have tried to put distractions in, but watching an old dude smoke for twenty minutes or some anemic slide show for DMC4 is hardly entertaining.

But Tecmo’s Team Ninja has upped the ante and decided those who held out for the PS3 version deserve some love too. Not only did they give us more gameplay, but in exchange for seven minutes of install their treating us to a digital version of a Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma comic book, complete with sound effects that acts as a prequel to the game. Well hell, if all mandatory installs game with real entertainment as a trade off I could probably be swayed to stop bitching about them so much… Nah, prolly not.