This 13GB Patch Says You Need Internet To Play Games From Now On

Last year when we first caught wind that we'd be testing out NVIDIA SHIELD and its next-level PC game streaming abilities, the first question we had to ask was: will we need internet to do it? As it turned out – yes and no – it was a lot easier to do the whole hookup process and teaming with Steam if we had the web connected constantly, but after that, we could work without it. But there, as here and now with the latest patch for a major game on Xbox One, there is a point at which the creators assume high-speed internet is a given.

If you've been playing Dead Rising 3 today, you're already well aware that there's a big ol' patch headed your way. If you're using an Xbox One, you don't necessarily need to be connected to the internet constantly, but just about every nook and cranny has internet-connected functionality. If you're using an Xbox One without the web, you're relying on disks, for the most part.

With the Dead Rising 3 patch, you're being presented with a beastly 13GB of file download you'll need to be taking part in to continue playing the game. That's massive, if you didn't already assume the size was giant.

In fact, we challenge you to find a download-only update to a game that was larger in size at any point in video game history.

Meanwhile you'll notice that we've posted our review of Dead Rising 3 today as well. It's relatively short, to the point, and certainly completed before this patch was revealed. The first DLC (Downloadable Content pack) is coming this week too – the first patch here is coming largely in preparation for the DLC, whether you want it or not.

Dead Rising 3 Executive Producer Josh Bridge spoke with Xbox News today about the download in brief, also speaking on the DLC in the process.

"We've been actively engaging and monitoring fan reaction and feedback on the game and it's really important that even though we've shipped the game and got it out to gamers, we want to make sure it's a fun experience and nothing's getting in their way.

After release and through the holidays, we've been putting together a large update list. It's in reaction to everything we could find and we've actually been directly reaching out to fans who've encountered issues. I think that's really neat, because it's an indication of how game development has changed. We have a direct connection through social channels now. There's an ease of access for us to listen to our fans and reach out to them.

It's not just about making a game and getting it out to them, it's about making sure they're still having a lot of fun even after it's out." – Bridge for Dead Rising 3

This wraps up – rather nicely – the essence of the internet-connected game. The kind of eternally-updating game that will exist from now on, regardless of if you want it to exist or not.

Now think back to your favorite title from the 1990's – one of mine is Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Imagine if that game had required an update every few months – what kind of game would it be at this point? Would there still be a Tony Hawk 2, 3, and so on?

Here we mourn the single-shot game release, at the same time praising the genius that decided it'd be neat to simplify the process with which developers are able to continue to support their games with simple patches – even if they've reached a whopping 13GB of space here in the present.

UPDATE: You'll want to get a perspective on this 13GB download, if you love pain, by watching the above MEGA64 comedy skit. It's over an hour long – of waiting.