PS3 to consider faster Blu-Ray drive

Costs notwithstanding, many are hoping that Sony will upgrade the speed of its Blu-Ray drive from the current 1x-speed to the 2x-speed expected to be released this fall.  Which is nice, if it's not too expensive, but that gets me thinking about one of my biggest peeves with video games lately: the loading time.

Sure, the Blu-Ray disc can hold a million billion times more than current DVD's, but if it is going to take 10 to go from the main menu to the start of the first level, I don't care how big the disc is.  I remember when the last two PlayStations initially came out, respectively.  The first few games that came out on each had horrendous load times : Intelligence Cube, while I adored that game, gave me a chance to go make scrambled eggs whilst I waited between levels.  And even though N64 cartridges cost more at the time, I thougth the extra bit of cash was worth it to play without waiting.

So I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for my PS3 if it means faster load times, but it has to be worth it. Because while I do find Blu-Ray to be a part of the future of gaming, maybe it is coming out a generation too early.  How important is load time for you?

[via GamesIndustry]