History Main / MultiDiscWork

* 1990s: Early on in the decade, PC games started to come on [=CDs=], with 700 MB each. That's quite the leap in terms of memory, though developers would use the extra space for voice acting, since audio files were large and the other assets weren't large enough to fill them out otherwise. Non-voiced versions of the games would often come on floppies, more of them than ever before due to the VGA (256-color) graphics standard, until [=SVGA's=] increases in file sizes and resolution (640 × 480) made it unviable to put games on floppies without having to produce tons of them. That said, the really big adventure games would require several [=CDs=] instead, due to including voices as well as video and music. During the fifth console generation, consoles which relied on [=CDs=] would often use multiple discs for massive RolePlayingGames with cutscenes that would often rely on PreRenderedGraphics, which the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation1 was famous for. If a console used [=CDs=], the player would be notified to put in the second disc before continuing, since there was no way to install the entire game onto the console (that wouldn't happen until the early 2010s). For PC games, the same held true at first, but after hard drives vastly outpaced the capacity of multiple [=CDs=], developers started offering the option to install the entire game's contents to the hard drive and thus the only time the user would need to switch discs would be during the install process.
* 2000s: Early in the decade 3D PC games would sometimes be released on a few [=CDs=] if they're big enough, in order to support customers who didn't have DVD drives yet, and because on PC disc swapping was now only an issue during installation. While Adventure games also decreased in popularity and [=RPGs=] started only using single discs, RealTimeStrategy games had transitioned to 3D and usually required this, to say nothing of the rise of [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMO]] games. However, the transition to [=DVD-ROM=] around the middle of the decade allowed most games to ship on a single-disc for the rest of the decade. In the console space, the Platform/{{PlayStation 2}} and Platform/{{Xbox}}, utilized [=DVD-ROMs=] as their standard storage medium, which had a much higher capacity of 4.7 GB for single layer discs, with dual layer discs holding up to 8.5 GB. Both the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}} and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, which utilized smaller-capacity proprietary optical media formats (1 GB [=GD-ROMs=] and 1.5 GB [=mini-DVDs=] respectively) instead of [=DVD-ROM=]s, did see a few games require multiple discs. During UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames, the Platform/{{PlayStation 3}} utilized Blu-ray (25 GB per layer), however since the Platform/Xbox360 used [=DVD=]s, some games were multi-disc on 360 and single-disc on [=PS3=].[[note]]Most infamously ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', which affected the actual structure of the game mid-development and left a lot of DummiedOut situations in the game's data.[[/note]] Even then, a single dual-layer 360 [=DVD=] was typically enough for most releases.

* 2000s: Early in the decade 3D PC games would sometimes be released on a few [=CDs=] if they're big enough, in order to support customers who didn't have DVD drives yet, and because on PC disc swapping was now only an issue during installation. While Adventure games also decreased in popularity and [=RPGs=] started only using single discs, RealTimeStrategy games had transitioned to 3D and usually required this, to say nothing of the rise of [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMO]] games. However, the transition to [=DVD-ROM=] around the middle of the decade allowed most games to ship on a single-disc for the rest of the decade. In the console space, the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 2}} and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, utilized [=DVD-ROMs=] as their standard storage medium, which had a much higher capacity of 4.7 GB for single layer discs, with dual layer discs holding up to 8.5 GB. Both the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}} and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, which utilized smaller-capacity proprietary optical media formats (1 GB [=GD-ROMs=] and 1.5 GB [=mini-DVDs=] respectively) instead of [=DVD-ROM=]s, did see a few games require multiple discs. During UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames, the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 3}} utilized Blu-ray (25 GB per layer), however since the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 used [=DVD=]s, some games were multi-disc on 360 and single-disc on [=PS3=].[[note]]Most infamously ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', which affected the actual structure of the game mid-development and left a lot of DummiedOut situations in the game's data.[[/note]] Even then, a single dual-layer 360 [=DVD=] was typically enough for most releases.
* 2010s: Multi-Disc Works become even rarer during the eighth console generation: more and more games were available digitally through online services and stored completely on internal/external memory, as hard drives can hold at least 1TB of memory and even SD cards can hold more than 256GB. Further, the UsefulNotes/WiiU, UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 all utilized Blu-ray Discs with up to 50 GB of storage this time around, making it much easier for most games to fit on a single disc across all platforms. But the rise of digital platforms and streaming services meant Blu-Ray storage advancement was less of a priority, which may explain why some late-generation games pushed beyond the limits of a single disc anyway, with titles such as ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' and ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPart2'' shipping on two. The big change is that the [=PS4=] and Xbox One require all games, even physical releases, to be completely installed to the hard drive, meaning they worked like PC games had for decades and swapping discs mid-game was now a thing of the past. As for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, it uses "game cards" with Flash ROM similarly to Nintendo's prior portable systems (UsefulNotes/NintendoDS and UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS families), with maximum capacity reaching 32 GB. Cost remained an issue with cards however, and since Nintendo charges developers more to use higher-capacity carts, several Switch titles opt to include only part of their data on a smaller card and require an internet connection to download the rest of the data into the main unit's internal memory, rather than provide a second or larger card.[[note]]Some games go as far as to provide a download code instead of a card![[/note]]
* 2020s: The march towards an all-digital future continues, with both the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5's Digital Edition and the UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesS lacking support for discs entirely, and in the PC realm, disc drives became something the buyer had to specifically ask for on pre-made rigs. But for those still using physical copies, the [=PS5=] and UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesX now support Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs with capacities up to 100 GB, which should prevent this trope from occurring for several years outside of a CompilationRerelease. The SSD storage of these consoles also allow developers to implement more aggressive compression techniques without introducing LoadsAndLoadsOfLoading, which should help to reduce the file sizes of games compared to the previous gen. Also notable in the console space is allowing players to begin a game that's only been partially installed. While it works across all games, in multi-disc works this allows players to install the Play Disc with all the data needed to start the game and play for several hours, then switch to the Data Disc that installs in the background.

** In general, all of Jackson's albums of original studio material from ''Music/{{Dangerous}}'' onwards, except the posthumous ''Music/{{Michael}}'', have two discs on their LP releases, with their lengths being just long enough to reach the limits of a single CD. Jackson considered starting to release double-LP albums as far back as ''Music/{{Thriller}}'' (with ''Music/{{Bad}}'' being initially pitched by him as a triple-LP one), but Music/QuincyJones, his RecordProducer at the time, pursued him for the then-standard single LP albums instead so they could be commercially feasible. It was with ''Dangerous'', his first album without Jones, that Jackson became able to make longer releases.

* 1980s: On consoles, this was almost unheard of during the first four generations as many of them used cartridges[[note]]Which were both costly to produce and variable in size; if you really needed the extra space, you could simply use a larger cartridge, which was often an expensive proposition, though still cheaper than multiple ones.[[/note]] with saving being a luxury (many games being based on endless "quarter muncher" gameplay). However, many PC-based systems had to rely on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk floppy disks]], with even the highest-capacity disks being 1.44 MB each. The Famicom Disk System add-on released in Japan also used its own rewritable disk format, known as disk cards, with a similar storage capacity. This was particularly common with adventure games. If they were decently sized, at a high at a time resolution (320 × 200) and with more than a dozen MIDI tracks, expect them to come on at least three floppies each.

* ''Film/ShindlersList'' was released as a two part DVD initially.

* Music/MichaelJackson's ''Music/HistoryPastPresentAndFutureBookI'' was released as a DistinctDoubleAlbum, with the first CD being a GreatestHitsAlbum and the second CD consisting of new material mostly based around the allegations of child molestation levied against him two years prior. For a while, the album held the position of the best-selling double album of all time before eventually being outsold by Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheWall'' in 2018. The first disc eventually saw a standalone release in 2001 as part of that year's MilestoneCelebration for Jackson's career, but the second disc remains exclusive to the two-CD set.

* The ''[[Magazine/NationalGeographic Complete National Geographic]]'' came on a [[https://www.carousell.sg/p/the-complete-national-geographic-magazine-1888-1998-on-cd-rom-267996322/ set]] of '''31 [=CD-ROMs=]'''. The DVD version only took up [[https://picclick.com/The-Complete-National-Geographic-Every-Issue-Since-284591025951.html?refresh=1 7 DVD-ROMs]] though.

** Windows 98 had a rare release with 39 floppy discs, which was mail order only. Or one CD.
* Microsoft Office 97 came on 55 floppy discs.

** Windows Vista was released on five CD's or one DVD.

* UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows fell into this trope once the CD-ROM became popular.

** Windows 98 had a rare release with 39 floppy discs, which was mail order only.

In music, multi-disc works are usually associated with {{concept album}}s, live recordings, compilations (especially those containing The Best of the 70s/80s/90s/etc.), and bonus material (especially on an UpdatedRerelease or a LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition). Of course, they're not limited to these forms, but they're the most common applications of this trope in popular music; some albums might even go out of their way to be a DistinctDoubleAlbum, with each disc having its own concept or theme. It's also the norm for vinyl releases of albums since the mid-1980s that were originally created with the CD in mind, due to space constraints with the LP format.

** The LP release of ''Director's Cut'' is split across two discs. The collector's edition CD release additionally tosses in two bonus discs containing remastered versions of ''Music/TheSensualWorld'' and ''The Red Shoes'', the latter of which is deliberately sourced from an analog copy tape rather than the digital master due to Bush's belief that the original 1993 release sounded too "edgy."

** Despite the album being short enough to comfortably sit on one LP, the vinyl release of ''Music/{{Accelerate}}'' splits it across two 45 RPM 12" records, which were being explored at the time as an audiophile-friendly alternative to the long-player thanks to the faster playback speed allowing for wider groove spacing -- and thus better sound quality. This configuration is, to this day, the sole version of the album available on vinyl.

* 2000s: Early in the decade 3D PC games would sometimes be released on a few [=CDs=] if they're big enough, in order to support customers who didn't have DVD drives yet, and because on PC disc swapping was now only an issue during installation. The UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 2}} and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, and eventually, most [=PCs=] games, utilized [=DVD-ROMs=], which had a much higher capacity of 4.7 GB for single layer discs, with dual layer discs holding up to 8.5 GB. While Adventure games also decreased in popularity and [=RPGs=] started only using single discs, RealTimeStrategy games had transitioned to 3D and usually required this, to say nothing of the rise of [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMO]] games. Both the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}} and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, which utilized smaller-capacity proprietary optical media formats (1 GB [=GD-ROMs=] and 1.5 GB [=mini-DVDs=] respectively) instead of [=DVD-ROM=]s, did see a few games require multiple discs. During UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames, the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 3}} utilized Blu-ray (25 GB per layer), however since the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 used [=DVD=]s, some games were multi-disc on 360 and single-disc on [=PS3=].[[note]]Most infamously ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', which affected the actual structure of the game mid-development and left a lot of DummiedOut situations in the game's data.[[/note]] Even then, a single dual-layer 360 [=DVD=] was typically enough for most releases.

* 2000s: Early in the decade 3D PC games would sometimes be released on a few [=CDs=] if they're big enough, in order to support customers who didn't have DVD drives yet, and because on PC disc swapping was now only an issue during installation. The UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 2}} and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}, and eventually, most [=PCs=] games, utilized [=DVD-ROMs=], which were much meatier at 4.7 GB for a single layer, and had the ability to be dual-sided and/or dual-layer in some cases (up to 17.08 GB). While Adventure games also decreased in popularity and [=RPGs=] started only using single discs, RealTimeStrategy games had transitioned to 3D and usually required this, to say nothing of the rise of [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMO]] games. Both the UsefulNotes/{{Dreamcast}} and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, which utilized smaller-capacity proprietary optical media formats (1 GB [=GD-ROMs=] and 1.5 GB [=mini-DVDs=] respectively) instead of [=DVD-ROM=]s, did see a few games require multiple discs. During UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames, the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 3}} utilized Blu-ray (25 GB per layer), however since the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 used [=DVD=]s, some games were multi-disc on 360 and single-disc on [=PS3=].[[note]]Most infamously ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', which affected the actual structure of the game mid-development and left a lot of DummiedOut situations in the game's data.[[/note]] Even then, a single dual-layer 360 [=DVD=] was typically enough for most releases.

As you can see from this history, this is a CyclicTrope in the video game world. The introduction of a new storage format causes it to go away for a while, until inevitably TechnologyMarchesOn and developers begin to push past the limits of that format, resulting in this trope becoming common again until finally an even better format is introduced.

** A few of their live releases are also double albums, such as ''Live Shit: Binge & Purge'' (originally standarized as either a double VHS or double cassette release), ''S&M'' and its sequel ''S&M2''.

** Because ''[[Music/AndJusticeForAll1988 ...And Justice for All]]'' was Metallica's first album to be recorded with the UsefulNotes/CompactDisc format in mind, its 65:25 runtime is too long to fit on a single vinyl record. Consequently, LP releases spread the album across two discs. ''Music/{{Metallica|Album}}'', ''Music/LoadAndReLoad'', ''Music/StAnger'', ''Death Magnetic'', and ''72 Seasons'' would continue the trend, featuring CD-oriented lengths that require them to be divided among two [=LPs=] each.
** Despite being able to fit on one CD without issue, the 77:42 ''Hardwired... to Self Destruct'' is a two-disc studio album on CD and vinyl releases alike as an artistic decision.

** The Music/LouReed collaboration ''Lulu'' is spread across two discs on both CD and vinyl.
** A few of their live releases also fit, such as the double albums ''S&M'' and its sequel ''S&M2''.

** Initial CD releases of ''Broken'' came with a 2-track [=MiniDisc=] in addition to the EP's main 6-track disc. This bonus disc was unavailable in vinyl versions until the 2017 definitive edition, which featured it in the form of a 7-inch record. Said edition also rearranged the CD version into a single disc that has a large number of silent tracks (tracks 7-97) between the main tracks and bonus ones (placed as tracks 98-99).

** Initial CD releases of ''Broken'' came with a 2-track mini-CD in addition to the EP's main 6-track disc. This bonus disc was unavailable in vinyl versions until the 2017 definitive edition, which featured it in the form of a 7-inch record. Said edition also rearranged the CD version into a single disc wherein there were a large number of silent tracks (tracks 7-97) between the main tracks and bonus ones (placed as tracks 98-99).

** ''Music/OutOfTheBlue'' was released as a double album on vinyl, but since it just barely cracks 70 minutes, cassette and 8-track releases store it across one tape each. The original European CD release in 1986 preserves the two-disc configuration, while the concurrent Japanese release manages to fit everything onto one[[note]]the Redbook standard specifies a maximum capacity of 74 minutes for a single CD, but because that was a last-minute extension on Sony's part, most manufacturers could only guarantee 65 minutes[[/note]]. The one-disc configuration would become the album's worldwide standard in 1987.
** ''Secret Messages'' is an unusual case. It was designed as a double-LP, but was cut down to a single disc after CBS balked at the idea, deeming it commercially unviable; some of the songs that were dropped in the process would surface as B-sides and bonus tracks on CD releases. Eventually, the original double-LP configuration finally saw a release for the album's 35th anniversary in 2018 (albeit without the track "Beatles Forever").

* Music/PeterGabriel's ''Music/{{Passion}}'', ''Music/{{Us}}'', and ''Music/{{Up|PeterGabrielAlbum}}'' were released on two [=LPs=] out of necessity, as both were recorded with the UsefulNotes/CompactDisc format in mind. Gabriel's still-in-DevelopmentHell follow-up to ''Up'', tentatively called ''I/O'', was also first conceived as a double-CD album, though he reconsidered the idea as its production dragged on.

** ''Music/OutOfTheBlue'' was released as a double album on vinyl, but since it just barely cracks 70 minutes, cassette and 8-track releases store it across one tape each. The original European CD release in 1986 preserves the two-disc configuration, while the concurrent Japanese release managing to fit everything onto one[[note]]the Redbook standard specifies a maximum capacity of 74 minutes for a single CD, but because that was a last-minute extension on Sony's part, most manufacturers could only guarantee 65 minutes[[/note]]. The one-disc configuration would become the album's worldwide standard in 1987.

* Music/ElectricLightOrchestra's ''Secret Messages'' is an unusual case. It was designed as a double-LP, but was cut down to a single disc after CBS balked at the idea, deeming it commercially unviable; some of the songs that were dropped in the process would surface as B-sides and bonus tracks on CD releases. Eventually, the original double-LP configuration finally saw a release for the album's 35th anniversary in 2018 (albeit without the track "Beatles Forever").