Game Storage Medium
On this page, i will be covering everything under Game Storage Medium. What this includes is topics such as universal media, magnetic tape, speed, size, and other subjects related to them. I don't know why i am still doing introductions considering its pretty the much the same gist each time, but still.
Proprietary:
This word describes a product, or in this case technology, that is owned exclusively by a single company. And more specifically a company which guards the knowledge about the tech and how it works on the inside. An example of a propriety product would be Microsoft. Microsoft has an array of products and software in which they do not release how they are made or how they function. Propriety licences is not uncommon, and is in fact a very popular method with companies. This is because the advantage is that buyers are forced to use other products made by the same company, as it is not uncommon for products to become reliable on other propriety products as well, meaning multiple purchases or downloads are required as the software cannot be modded by users. This is why propriety products exist, as it helps boost popularity and use of their product, all because it cannot be understood by the users. This also helps within the gaming industry, as it means games are much harder to hack or cheat, or to completely copy and sell for personal gain. This is completely opposite to Open Source material. Which is where software has an available source code foe users to have. The source code is like the main fiber to a software, and if you have it, it becomes possible to modify and change the piece of software. The most popular example of this would be Linux, who makes their source code available to download on the internet. However an even better example of open source at work would be the internet itself. A service which is available to everyone. |
Standard:
Within computers, a storage medium is something which any technology, uses to place, keep, and retrieve data. A medium is an element that is used in communicating a message. Although the term storage includes primary storage which is also known as memory, a storage medium usually means a place to hold secondary storage, which could be for example, items that are on a hard disk or tape. This is the standard type of Game Storage Medium, and many examples of what can be used as a Game Storage Medium can be seen below. |
Smart Media
Originally developed by Toshiba, smart media card are available in capacities varying from 2 MB to 64 MB. The way these cards are made allows everything to be integrated into a single package, and power and data is carried by an electrode to the flash memory chip when the card is inserted into the device. These are capable of a reliable and fast performance. |
Flash Memory:
There are many forms of Game Storage Medium, and i will begin by talking about flash memory. This is an external device which can be plugged and unplugged into devices such as consoles or computers to transfer data. This is a used for a fast and easy alternative to storing data, and because of how it is used, it acts more like a mini hard drive, rather than as RAM. The advantages o using flash memory instead of a hard disk is that it is noiseless, it allows faster access, its a lot lighter, and the size is a lot smaller. Its because of this that many people use flash memory frequently, and it is not uncommon for gamers to have game files within them in order to transfer game data from one device to another. This is because all of the advantages above make for a more flexible alternative if the computer being used is slow or overheats quicker. Flash memory is a type of chip, and has a grid of columns called bitline and rows named word line with a cell that has two transistors at each intersection. There are tow main types of removable flash memory. Smart media and compact flash. Compact Flash
Developed by Sandisk, these are thicker than Smart Media cards, which allows it to have a bigger storage capacity when compared to smart media, ranging between 8 MB and 192 MB. The on board controller chip can also increase performance especially in devices that have slow processors. |
Flash memory is most commonly found within a Universal Serial Bus, or USB, and because of the many uses it poses within the gaming genre, newer consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation have incorporated a USB port within their design, allowing easy data transfer, as well as providing extra save space for the game data. Because USB such as the Kingston Datatraveler 310can carry up to 256 GB, this proves to be a very useful option for people who have too much data for any one hard drive. However if it were to be used for gaming exclusively, it would probably be more beneficial to buy an extra hard drive, as it would be cheaper. But if it is need for more than one device, to transfer data from one thing to another, a USB is a better alternative because of the advantages listed above.
Universal Media Disc:
First of all, as a side note, the fact that you can spell disc as both "Disc" and "Disk" is weird, and i switch between the two while typing sometimes. I do mean the same thing though. Also known as UMC, this relatively untapped platform for data storage is essentially a mini DVD. At 60mm in diameter, this disk is capable of storing up to 1.8 GB of data making it ideal for portable devices, such as the PSP which uses it. This is because it is small and therefore allows the device that plays it to be small, as well the fact that it has enough data storage room to hold a film or video, as well as a less powerful game such as those found on a handheld, which require less data due to the restrictions in processing power. |
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Magnetic Tape:
This special tape has the ability to record video and audio, and then to play it back. This was used within tape recorders and VHS tapes, and was an incredibly popular data format, as it could record TV and films for the user to re watch. They were mainly popular before the invention of optical disks, which made them somewhat obsalite as the magnetic tapes quality could no match that of a DVD, and the typical amount of data that could fit within a video tape was servery lacking to remain cost effective. They are also less reliable, having many common issues such as the tape breaking or becoming tangled, as well as tape deterioration over time. In all tape formats, a tape drive is used to wind the tape from one reel to another, and in doing so it passed tape heads to read, write or erase as it moved. Tape heads are a type of transducer which is found within tape recorders. Their purpose is the convert electrical signals to magnetic fluctuations and vice versa. This is the basis of how video tapes and cassettes work. Because of their low quality, and lack of space and interactivity, only being able to fast forward and rewind, they had no place in the video game platform, as other technology such as cartridges already existed which were more up to the job. |
Advantages and Disadvantages:
I have highlighted most of the advantages and disadvantages of game storage media above, however i will compile it here for better understanding.
The optical disk format has many advantages over the magnetic tape format, as it is a lot more up to date and modern. These include the fact that they are damaged less easily. This is because although they are thinner, and can snap when some pressure is applied, the technology itself is a lot more sturdy and reliable, the fact that the data relies on a solid piece of plastic as apposed to flimsy magnetic wire backs this point up. In addition to this, because the DVD format relies on laser technology as apposed to magnetic tape, there is less chance of corruption due to power surges and and magnetic disturbances.
The main advantage which tapes have over DVDs though are the fact that they are very simplistic. You simply put the tape into a tape deck and it plays. This requires less dependency on technology unlike DVDs, which can often freeze, lag, or have long loading times. They are also covered in a protective shell, guarding the tape within unlike DVDs which can be scratched easily and require a case to store in.
The biggest advantage that one has over the other in this case however, is that Optical discs can actually play video games. Not only that but there are many different variations and adaptions between discs which allow them to specifically be tailored to different genres, whereas VHS tapes are only really useful for playing videos on one device, a tape player, so it cannot be used across platforms like a disc which can play in a DVD player, CD player, or computer all with the same disc.
I have highlighted most of the advantages and disadvantages of game storage media above, however i will compile it here for better understanding.
The optical disk format has many advantages over the magnetic tape format, as it is a lot more up to date and modern. These include the fact that they are damaged less easily. This is because although they are thinner, and can snap when some pressure is applied, the technology itself is a lot more sturdy and reliable, the fact that the data relies on a solid piece of plastic as apposed to flimsy magnetic wire backs this point up. In addition to this, because the DVD format relies on laser technology as apposed to magnetic tape, there is less chance of corruption due to power surges and and magnetic disturbances.
The main advantage which tapes have over DVDs though are the fact that they are very simplistic. You simply put the tape into a tape deck and it plays. This requires less dependency on technology unlike DVDs, which can often freeze, lag, or have long loading times. They are also covered in a protective shell, guarding the tape within unlike DVDs which can be scratched easily and require a case to store in.
The biggest advantage that one has over the other in this case however, is that Optical discs can actually play video games. Not only that but there are many different variations and adaptions between discs which allow them to specifically be tailored to different genres, whereas VHS tapes are only really useful for playing videos on one device, a tape player, so it cannot be used across platforms like a disc which can play in a DVD player, CD player, or computer all with the same disc.
Antipiracy:
Illegal copying of DVDs and more relatively video games has been an issue since the beginnings of game storage mediums. This is because of how easy it is to simply cop the information within a storage device like a disk or installed files. Some of the most pirated video games are those of cartridges, simply because its so simple and easy to do. As the video game industry has evolved, so has the counter measures to piracy. Newer gaming consoles are beginning to come with chips installed within them that aid in preventing copied games to play at all, This is done by recognizing the file formats and files within the data. Copied games often have t use some variation of the game, not an exact replica. This is recognized by the system and prevents the game from playing.
There are more creative counter measures though. Some games allow them to played, but include piracy warnings or missing data. A notable example of this is Spyro: Year of the dragon. after getting to a certain point within the game, a character will tell the game is a copy, begin removing collectibles from the game, along with the ability to save, and makes the game unbeatable.
Illegal copying of DVDs and more relatively video games has been an issue since the beginnings of game storage mediums. This is because of how easy it is to simply cop the information within a storage device like a disk or installed files. Some of the most pirated video games are those of cartridges, simply because its so simple and easy to do. As the video game industry has evolved, so has the counter measures to piracy. Newer gaming consoles are beginning to come with chips installed within them that aid in preventing copied games to play at all, This is done by recognizing the file formats and files within the data. Copied games often have t use some variation of the game, not an exact replica. This is recognized by the system and prevents the game from playing.
There are more creative counter measures though. Some games allow them to played, but include piracy warnings or missing data. A notable example of this is Spyro: Year of the dragon. after getting to a certain point within the game, a character will tell the game is a copy, begin removing collectibles from the game, along with the ability to save, and makes the game unbeatable.