The 3rd Birthday Has Memory Stick Install, May Have Download Version

The latest revelation from The 3rd Birthday Twitter is something that we probably could have guessed given Square Enix's history with the PSP. Director Hajime Tabata revealed that the game will have a Memory Stick install option.

Tabata didn't just announce the feature, he gave it his recommendation. Wrote Tabata, "The PSP is a good piece of hardware, but its difficulty is the slow loading of the UMD. 3rd is compatible with install, so after buying I recommend you first run the media install. The loading becomes fast, and you can play much more smoothly."

Memory requirements will be announced in a future update, he said.

Square Enix usually has an install option on these big PSP productions. In fact, it's often the case that players will get to select between different install sizes, trading off between space restrictions and loading speed.

So what about a download version? In a separate post, Tabata said that Square Enix is looking into the possibility. He promised an update on this and possible Game Archives releases of Parasite Eve and its sequel as soon as plans have been finalized.

On the note of the UMD version, however, Tabata revealed that the staff has finalized their plan for the game's package. He teased that it would be as good as one would expect.

All these posts about installations and UMDs came following what I presume was a landmark for the game. Tabata revealed that he'd taken delivery of a test UMD build, and it ran fine. With the UMD version in hand, he'll now be able to pump the game out to his Toshiba Regza, making use of the TV's portable zoom feature.

"The end is near," wrote Tabata. "From here, it's a real, severe fight within limited time. Right until the end, we'll be working bullishly on development, with no compromise."

In a later post, Tabata clarified that by "the end," he meant "master up for the production version."