DICE's Patrick Bach has explained the reasons for packaging an optional texture install disc with the Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 3, stating that the "standard-def" version of the title is due to Microsoft's optional policy for the console.
"The thing with the 360 is that you need to be able to give consumers a game where you don't have to install it on a hard drive, because there are 360s without a hard drive," he explained in an interview with Gamerzines.
"So we need to give you the option of installing it, rather than just demanding it. You could call it a ‘standard-def' version for the 360 if you don't have a hard-drive."
Microsoft initiated an optional install for titles in one of its Dashboard Updates, with the choice becoming increasingly used by developers to squeeze the best performance out of the console.